“All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.”

miss you mom

"The light comes from the dark."

(Roger Ballen discussing one of his images at the Palm Springs Art Museum)

Last week I attended the Palm Springs Photo Festival and one of my highlights was spending time with Roger Ballen. His hauntingly beautiful, sometimes disturbing and ambiguous images are like lightning bolts to the four corners of your brain. Every one of his psychological images is thought out in every detail and element; he places importance on making strong, complex visual relations. When editing his own work, Roger chooses the photograph with the most integrated, heightened, piercing and intense essence. As a photographer he strives to bring the human interior to the exterior. Photography is a means of interpreting reality. Integrate the world around you with the world inside you. Lasting artwork has deep inner meaning. This is the criteria Roger Ballen uses for making images.

Here is my Ballen inspired still life

 and self portrait...

I also want to congratulate my dear incredibly talented friend Alison Turner who won the grand prize at the Palm Springs Photo Festival for her beautiful new series which I am honored to be a part of.

Reflected Identities from Alison Turner on Vimeo

Alchemy + Entity Closing Week

Thank you from the depths of my heart to all those who made it to the Alchemy + Entity opening last month at the Julia Dean Gallery.  If you didn't get a chance to see the show, this is your last week to take a look.  

Alchemy + Entity Show on Lenscratch

The Alchemy + Entity group photography show I'm participating in has been featured on Lenscratch today, what a huge treat!!

I hope you can join us this Saturday, March 16th for the opening at the Julia Dean Gallery in Hollywood.

Self-Portrait Series

I'm currently working on several different fine art photography series that have all been wonderful for keeping my heart happy.  One of which is a self-portrait series, here's a sneak peek...

For more, go to the Personal section of my website

Thanks for visiting!

ALCHEMY + ENTITY artist reception & opening ~ March 16th

Hello friends!

I'm thrilled to be participating in a group show next month at the Julia Dean Gallery in Hollywood.

I hope to see you there!

xo, B

2012 in review

Some of my greatest photographic moments of 2012 were spent in the encouraging and tremendously talented hands of Aline Smithson, Cig Harvey, Jennifer B. Hudson, Loren Hammer, Joe Baraban and Sam Abell ~ I thank you all for challenging and touching my artistic spirit.

I am so honored and proud to have been included in The Next: Emerging LA Artists group exhibition at The Perfect Exposure Gallery.

A huge compliment received by Sam Abell about my work was that it reminded him of Cindy Sherman and Ralph Eugene Meatyard.  

Here are some of my favorite quotes and advice I heard this year....

"The soul always begins a thought with an image." -Aristotle

"If you're open to mistakes, they're hardly mistakes." -unknown

A few pearls of wisdom from Jennifer B. Hudson...
"We must show up for our own lives."

"Mentally, spiritually TRAVEL."

Advice of Keith Carter..."Trust your gut - be decisive."

An excerpt from Emerson's personal journal, after have his own daguerreotype made at a time when nobody had been photographed and the word 'photography' hadn't even existed yet...
"Were you ever daguerreotyped, O immortal man?  And did you look with all vigor at the lens of the camera to give the picture the full benefit of your expanded and flashing eye?"

A couple quotes from Joseph Campbell's, The Power of Myth...

"The best things can't be told because they transcend thought."

"What am I ?  Am I the bulb that carries the light or am I the light of which the bulb is a vehicle."

As I awoke this morning (to a classical music station) I heard the following lyrics... :)
"I don't eat people"

And finally a quote from the character Minnie Finch on I Love Lucy...

"When I kiss them they stay kissed."

Here's to an incredibly creative 2013 filled with growth, opportunity, laughter and love!!
x

wet plate collodion

I haven't really ventured into a traditional darkroom since high school (I know, for shame!) but last weekend I got my hands 'wet' (pun intended :) and attempted the 19th century wet plate collodion photographic process.

I am completely enamored by this beautifully difficult, dangerous and potentially toxic chemical process.

Here's the process in a nutshell...

In the darkroom a (clean, polished) plate is coated with collodion, sensitized in a silver nitrate solution, placed into a plate holder, carried outside & placed into the camera & an exposure is made, then back into the darkroom for development...all of which has to be done before the plate dries within a span of 10 minutes.

Each and every image made becomes even more precious because making a single image is so labor-intensive.

Here is my very first tintype.

street sketches

Although my personal style of photography is along the lines of narrative, conceptual and somewhat theatrically-based portraiture, documentary and street photography is something I aspire to do more of as I think it will help me to become a stronger photographer.  So this past weekend I walked the wet streets of LA and Santa Monica in search for the authentic.  I took the advice of Sam Abell, a great National Geographic documentary photographer: 

compose and wait.

 I had a long, interesting conversation with a good-hearted fella who goes by nickname Gypsy Rider. As his name suggests, he rides rails across the country & lives by barter & trade.

John Egerton urtext

Cool breeze

Warm fire

Full moon

Easy chair

Empty plates

Soft words

Sweet songs

Tall tales

Short sips

Long life

Emerging LA Artists Photo Exhibit Opening ~ November 15th

Hello again friends!

I'm excited to share that I'll be a part of an upcoming group photography show at The Perfect Exposure Gallery in Los Angeles which runs thru December 22nd.

I hope you can join us for the opening reception being held 

next Thursday, November 15th from 6-9 pm! 

Halloweenie

I hope you're having a wickedly fang-tastic Halloween!!

Be sure to check out L E N S C R A T C H today, one of my images is featured in this years exhibition of masks and costumes, take a look-see here

A couple moodier images from a recent shoot practicing hollywood lighting using the fresnel

A rollicking good time with friends Sean and Kellie in their haunted photo booth

Studio Portraits of Tiffany Maybee

A really fun shoot implementing three different emotive qualities with one awesome model!

You like potato, I like potahto

 I love the textural elements of these sprouted spuds

When Birds Attack!

I love using props and working in a narrative tone whenever possible.

A few months back (sorry for the lack of updates!) during a studio lighting workshop with Bobbi Lane, instead of doing a formal portrait, I found this statue and came up with an impromptu narrative.  Our model Will, was such a sport.  We had a blast.

So just for fun, here you go..

Unbirthday

In celebration of my unbirthday today here is an Alice inspired self-portrait titled Wonderland

More on portraiture

Exploring all types of portraiture lately..this time around with celebrity photographer Greg Gorman, who was an absolute delight.  Here are some selects from our fun weekend shoot.  

My all-time favorites are on my website.

 Many thanks to our fantastic models Jos, Camille, Tony & Julia!