Monday Morning

My sister had asked me if I would take some portraits of her. How could I refuse?

I suggested to rise early in the morning to catch the sunrise as I planned ahead to catch the sunset for Thor and my engagement shoot.

This is what came of it. Oh years go on by. This shoot really made realize two things:

1. Age creeps on you. This is the same exact location I did her shoot about two years ago. The captured images really contrast the time difference.

2. Experience. My photos have definitely come a long way.

The Music in Me

How music affects us all

Whether we are musicians or merely the audience, emotion is evoked in us though the notes that are hidden in song.

In this impromptu photoshoot, I took this first thing in the morning after blasting music to help heal the mind. Sometimes it may feel as if our spirits are dwindling and music is what consoles us in our times of need.

Merely listening to the melody helps us connect to something to remind us we are not alone. Someone has felt what we felt and has creatively put in that in the notes of a song.

To capture this moment and disregard the place, time, and particularly, the wardrobe, this is a reminder that consolation in music is universal. All that matters is you and the music and the connection you feel to the notes that surround you.

Music note credits to: Kopa Bill and Henda on Deviant Art

Portrait of a Lady

This concept was inspired by an invitation from a friend. She had invited me to a mystery dinner that took place at a "Spy" themed restaurant called Safe House located in Milwaukee, WI.

There was encouragement to dress up as a 1940s spy. Being the imaginative artist that I am, I got excited. Dress up like a 1940s spy?! How can I pass up this opportunity?

Instantly, I pulled up google to search, "how to dress up like a 1940s spy."

I immediately dug into my closet. I found the hat, the dress, the gloves and I even had the shoes to beat. The make-up was simple and the hairdo was doable. Unfortunately, I believe the dinner was moved to another restaurant. It's so far back, I cannot even remember what caused the occasion to fall through from the initial location. All I can really recall was that I had the outfit and the model but no place to go. I knew I had to take portraits of this lady that I had created from my closet.

What happened next...
We headed to Historic Third Ward. This area served its purpose for the theme of this shoot. It maintained the atmosphere of a nostalgic historical space. Here, my character came to life - my 1940s spy; Portrait of a Lady.

                                                                        

Death

As I began to brainstorm my next project, I became intrigued in the identity of Death. Someone who is not named and someone who can't be discerned as a he or she. Therefore, in my depiction of Death, I decided to ride with the idea of how we perceive it.

A series of four images, I felt the impact I wanted to leave the audience is the idea and agreement that we can't always see it coming. Blurry and unknown, we can only guess. However, as we dig deeper and look for it, do we really want to see it clearly?

Tableau Images

Dinner at Seven

Dinner at Seven was inspired by the idea of women’s roles today and how it impacts her marital, familial, and personal life. Although my initial focus was on the woman, it somehow evolved to include the function of the family. It becomes focused on the fact that familial prosperity really relies on the relationship between the husband and wife; they are the foundation that holds the family together or tears them apart. Just as generations before us, dinner has always been the time that family comes together. Thus, Dinner at Seven reveals the reality of this family’s life at dinner.

The Conversation

The Conversation depicts a conversation of two people in a relationship and the action that is seen in the photograph is actually one that plays out in their minds of where the conversation is going to go or could go. There is no distinct beginning or end purposely to allow the audience to create their own narrative on the narrative of the story.

All in a semester's work

So here it is - the work people haven't seen. I'll be sure to update my blog as long as there are people hitting it. Otherwise, I'll only update it when I have time. So if you care, make sure to visit blog for more updates on my work.

Also a shout out to all aspiring models or the camera shy. You are always welcome to model for me. I am interested in capturing unique individuals in my work. So come one, come all.

Title: Not dead, not yet living