We’ve been entering the world of Perfoming Arts, lately…  and have been strongly considering producing and planning a couple more shows this year.

We’re taking a hiatus from photography (unless we’re being paid well, or doing something because we feel like it).

Our computer is annoyingly horribly slow and goes all “blue screen of death” in the middle of working on photos.
We’re poor… low tech… sick…  and tired.

I can’t tell you how many photo shoots have overworked me to to point of complete exhaustion… and headaches from hell.
I hate how photos turn out when I don’t put my ALL into them.
The only real solution is to just… stop… for a while.  *shrug*

You’ll know when we’re back.  :)

Thanks for the support and love!

-Team FF.-

To end the Zivity year off with a BANG… we’re proud to present:  AMERICA!  Fuck Yeah!  featuring the founder and CEO of Zivity: Cyan Banister.

I admitted to her … I was massively nervous to meet her!
Then, she shared some of the most awesome stories… ev-er.  And, we all sat around laughing like morons while I did her hair and makeup for the shoot.

She had wanted to do something… patriotic.
So, of course… I say something like… “We’re going to throw confetti at you and make you roll around in colorful garbage, afterwards.”  Because that’s what you get when you ask me for “patriotic”, apparently.

Super awesome Cyan fact:  She has a Lincoln fetish.  No joke.  The woman loves her some Lincoln!

Cyan had contacted me about making a very patriotic little top hat, for her.
So, that’s really what started the concept for the set.
I made the hat… and pasties!

I decided that the pasties would be EXTREMELY cheeky if I put a little star on them (poking fun at “censorship”)… because, then, I could also make the set Public!   So, everyone in the world of the intarwebs can see Cyan’s star spangled bewbs.  :)

*YOU’RE WELCOME, INTERNET*

We had an excessively great time doing this shoot.

I explained to Cyan that… I enjoy photographing two types of people:
1.)  Normal people who have lots of personality and aren’t shy or weird around cameras.  (they always give me the most vulnerable and beautiful expressions)

2.) Seasoned professional models… who know how to play to an audience that doesn’t exist, yet.

Cyan is definitely in the #1 category.  She knows what models do…  but, she’s not a model.  She’s just a super fun person to be around… and direct into doing hilarious stuff that gets honest expressions.  (I have video of her doing the Bunny Hop, wrapped up in an American Flag… saying “Ooohhhh Lincoln!  OOHHHH LINCOLN!”  *full of win*).

Cyan is SUPER nice… dorky… fun… silly… sexy… weird… smart as hell… and friendly.   We aimed to capture all of that with our lens.

SPECIAL THANK YOU TO MY CONFETTI CANNON AND VERY GOOD FRIEND: Mandy!  for helping out SO much.

FUN BEHIND THE SCENES STUFF (even a photo of Amy modeling one of my hat prototypes).

Last week, I got to do my “Down with the Sickness” act… on stage… in front of a SCREAMING (and, I do mean screaming… I felt like the Beatles) STRANGERS!

I think they kinda liked me… because… as soon as my curviness was on stage… the crowd went INSANE.  Like…  I was overwhelmed by the response.

Richard Cheese’s “Down With the Sickness”… aside from being one of the coolest covers EVER… inspired me to take Burlesque to a political place.  Who ISN’T talking about heathcare reform, right now!?  … and, after my horrible year of medical nightmare… having no insurance… and doctor’s locating my silly little brain tumor…  I had something to goddamn SAY about doctors and healthcare… you know… with my boobs.

NO… you can’t see my boobs… unless you come to one of our SHOWS.  Pffft.

THANK YOU FOR BEING SUCH AN AWESOME SWEETHEART, JUAN!

Every shot you shared with us… is fucking awesome.  :)
(c) Juan Two Three Photography 2009

publishing date: 11.08.2009

This was Amy’s first photo shoot with us.
It was also her first time having someone else (me) do her makeup.

I have been on an “Old Hollywood” kick, this year…  and, have been playing a lot with saturation and color… and noting what it does to the overall tone of the sets we end up with.   In trying to modernize that theme, I have abandoned trying to just make everything sterile black and white.   These sets always feel more like photos you’ve found in an old trunk in your attic… rather than feeling like some girl got an “Old Hollywood makeover”.

Amy arrived, and while I did her hair and makeup, she mentioned that she had watched a whole documentary on pin-up art the night before the shoot.  I was thrilled at her research… and instantly adored her!
She took direction incredibly well for someone so new to modeling… she’s a very polite and professional young lady.

I don’t always like to tell my models the exact motive behind my shoots… because I feel like it can taint the experience.
This doesn’t mean that I don’t tell models what the shoots will roughly entail (of course I want them to know if it’s nude or if makeup with be provided, etc).  But, if I want… for example… a nod to Marilyn Monroe… I DO NOT TELL THE MODEL IT’S WHAT WE’RE DOING!

For example…  if I had told her “Amy… I need your best Marilyn face”… we would have ended up with something very corny and put-on.  I wanted to draw out Amy’s INNER Marilyn, so that it feels really organic and true when you see the nod to Marilyn’s style.  In other words… It’s difficult to evoke Marilyn without impersonating Marilyn.  So, I try not to put the concept of cheesy mimicry in the model’s head, in the first place.

The same goes with Rita Hayworth’s smolder…

I went with the name “American Beauty”… because I feel that the set represents a soft strong subtly seductive vintage style that is very American suburbs beauty next door.

This is one of my FAVORITE shoots of the year… because it really made me focus on the details of what I love about cinema and incorporate it into my photographic art.  I have a pretty nostalgic heart for a girl under 30… so, I’ve been having fun with studying makeup and hair and photos from other eras of style and sensibility

I hope you pop by and check out the set on November 8th…

You can hang out with Amy as she lounges in the yard of this 1945 duplex that has inspired us SO much, lately.  :)
She’s a beautiful delightful creature.

publishing date: 11.10.2009

Call of the Black Lotus… is what I’d call … Supernatural Noir Erotica.

Speaking of evoking and referencing Old Hollywood… I think that “Film Noir” is one of my favorite cinematic style OF ALL TIME!  The drama… the tension… the lighting…

I’ve never ever been a fan of “selective coloring”…. meaning, black and white photos with one color over-saturated in the shot.  You know what I’m talking about.  Black and whites with red roses popping out at you like swollen pimples.  *BLEH*

Yet… when considering the color palette for “Call of the Black Lotus”… I really REALLY wanted it to feel like a black and white Film Noir Triller…  but, with more texture… more skin texture and tone.  So, I desaturated the entire set, popped up the contrast, washed it with maroon… and focused on the purples in the lotus and Pasuki’s amazing lips… and those incredibly sexy FRECKLES Pasuki is peppered with.  Redheads have such beautiful skin.

The “story”…  well…  it’s hard to go into it too deeply without entirely ruining the surprises the set has in store for you!
When I say “Supernatural”… I mean “Supernatural”.

I wanted to create a series of sets about women “unlocking” a part of their inner self… a part that is real and often hidden.  Pasuki is an incredibly sensual creature… who heats your soul with her eyes!  And, I wanted her to play the Femme Fatale… unlocking her sexuality… in a very literal sense.

I like to play with symbolism… mouth close-ups… flowers… phallic symbols…

It’s all VERY sexually charged… and my first time really expressing artistic fully nude Erotica photographically.
Of course there are nods to Rita Hayworth again, and Veronica Lake…  I DID say Femme Fatale, didn’t I?

I WISH I could share more, with you…  but, that would be cheating you on the flow of the story… and the amazing surprises in store, for you!  *bites tongue*

I think you’re really REALLY going to love this set…
And, it will definitely have a contest to compliment its launch on November 10th!

publishing date: 11.14.2009

If you’ve seen the collection of work we have on Zivity… you’ll notice that we shoot with Kamileon A LOT.
That is because… she’s amazing… a PRO… and, one of the most amazing sensual performers I’ve ever met.
She lights up like a sky full of fireworks when she’s getting attention for being naughty…

If you’ve already seen our “Wasabi” set… you’ll remember the amazing tension in that set.
Well, we shot this set earlier in the day… and, it could have contributed to security flooding down on us when we tried to shoot near the pool at the hotel.   teehee!

We got Kamileon all dolled up… and used nothing but “available light” (meaning, not studio lighting) for this entire set.

We started in the hallway of the hotel… near the elevators… and, then moved to the hotel’s rooftop lounge area.

The set shows Kamileon starting her adventure in the beautifully colorful interior… and, then slipping out a window to have an erotic little adventure in the gritty blue “overworld”.

Let me tell you… that rooftop was FREEZING that day in SF…  and, Kamileon constantly looked like she was sitting warm and sexy in a hot tub.   *sigh*  Never complained or got nervous… even when we were both explaining to security that we’re artists.

I. Love. That. GIRL!

She’s an absolute favorite.

While editing the set… I decided to make the “overworld” desaturated, gritty and blue to contrast the indoor location.

The day was already drawing to a close, the light was leaving us… and what little light we DID have… was starting to fade with the gathering fog and clouds.

While living in SF… I always noticed how blue/grey the world got when the fog rolled in… how different everything felt… and, I wanted to express that throughout the set with comic book density.

The grittiness of the photography juxtaposes with the raw sexuality and beauty Kamileon projects while merely EXISTING!

There will be a SWEEEET sexy little contest with this set’s release, too.  So, stay tuned for news on that.  :)

So, those are the amazing photo sets coming to your face in November!

As always… prints are available for purchase.   Please contact us for rates!
Erotic Art prints make AMAZING Christmas presents of questionable taste.   :)

Laura is love.

My makeup kung fu is a great kung fu.

My photography kung fu… is even greater.

*bows*

Hello precious precious reader.

Have a seat.  Relax.  Mama is going to tell you a little story about our latest set on Zivity, “Pandora’s Choice”.

Click the photo to see the set

Model: Velvet Breanna
MUA/Photographer/Conceptualizer:  Me
Light wrangler/model coach: Dave

I came up with the concept for this shoot one night while drinking some amazing Absinthe a friend got for me as a birthday gift (it’s the gift that keeps on giving, apparently).

Ever since I was a little girl… I have always been fascinated by the mythology surrounding “women” throughout history.  Whether they were Goddesses or mortals, women were more often painted as destructive forces of nature.
BEFORE there was a Jesus… there was an Eve.   Before there was Eve… there was Lilith.
Whether you believe in the stories, or not… you have to wonder with me… why are there so many cultures that cast a woman in the role of bringing suffering upon all mankind!?

We’re tiny insignificant little mammals, clinging tenatiously to our space cookie, trying to distract ourselves from the chaos by inventing “order” (no matter how crazy or contrived we make it).   This is how we come up with these parables about young girls opening boxes and releasing hell into the world.  *raises eyebrow* I do LOVE the story of Pandora because it’s a story about human nature… silly petty feelings like curiosity and boredom leading to severe consequences.

Though, in this case, I wanted Pandora to represent some concepts… more present in our society.
Body Image.  Nudity.  Happiness.  Depression.

Pandora walks through the forest nude, freely enjoying herself and her surroundings… when she comes on a box.
Once she opens the box, the world changes immediately.  We see THROUGH her as a fleshless hand reaches out for her.  The necklace inside is blood red and the crystals drip down her chest.  She is full of shame and desperate sadness.  She is clothed… wearing heavy makeup to paint a mask over her pain.  The world is dark… sad… scary.  Even the peacock has lost its color.  In one shot… we see an actual Death Mask over Pandora’s face… an old man’s dead face frozen in time.

Hope then returns to Pandora (as one of the balls of light that came out of the box when she opened it) and she carries it in a lantern out into the world.

…

SO… when you get a chance… go check out Pandora’s Choice.
Tell me what you think.
Rinse.  Repeat.