Monday, July 14, 2008

killing me

Yesterday I had a photo shoot for The New Times (San Luis Obispo's version). This is the same New Times you find in Phoenix or Miami; an alternative weekly publication.

The concept is for their Sept issue, and will feature local talent, including a writer, producer, actor, dancer, painter etc. I'm representing the painter in the bunch, and we'll all be photographed dying in some dramatic way. Dying because it's the fall issue, and because what we do tends to live on when we die if we are any good. The theme will be a Gothic Victorian, with a nod towards Sweeney Todd.

It's a great concept, and somewhat edgy for this area. The New Times folks have been very kind to me since I landed here in Paso, so I jumped at the chance.

My death with be a fall down my stairway of doom. I'm told there will be costumes and corsets. Cool!

Trying on the outfits, I discovered my vision of the shoot wasn't quite what their vision was. I was thinking sexy, busty corsets...you know, "sexy dead".

They were thinking...."dead".

So I ended up in a white lacy thing that reminded me of the scratchy Polly Flinder dresses I was stuffed into as a child. The makeup was that smelly oil based stuff you use on Halloween. I kept ducking into the bathroom every now and then to add a little more black eye shadow. The stylist did a good job, because I looked awful, and dead, and 10 years older. I even got a big bruise on my face. Ahhh! The hair was just about the only thing aligned with my vision of the outcome.

-Yes, that's terribly vain of me, but I reserve the right to be concerned with the outcome of a photo in a publication with circulation of 40,000 people.

Steve, the photographer, was set up at the bottom of my stairwell. He had a wide angle lens and would be shooting upwards. My job was to somehow position myself upside down on my teeny steep stairs without slipping to the floor. It was extremely uncomfortable, but I got through it.

I'll post the article when it's released.

Some shots:










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