Nekkid with a Camera

Another Sample Photo

2008-08-26T18:08:00.002-04:00

Spent all day yesterday shooting up in Napa/Yountville. Six hours shooting in 90-degree heat, and not a cloud in the sky. Not too terrible, but still...

Have one more major shoot, maybe pausing to recover.

Sample Photo

2008-08-25T02:06:00.002-04:00

This was shot last week, on my roof. That's my necklace. More shots coming. I'm shooting again tomorrow, Wednesday, and possibly the 3rd. Then I get older!

New Content Watch

2008-08-13T20:41:00.002-04:00

I gave myself until my birthday (Sept. 4th) to get my portfolios in order in preparation to approach magazines and agencies. So, in a mad rush to get work done, I have planned/scheduled many shoots between now and then. This doesn't include the two product shoots I have planned, as modeling agencies don't care if you know how to make a scarf pretty.

8/20: Black and White Jewelry (Fashion Book, six looks)
8/21: "Attention to Detail" Makeup (Beauty Book, four looks)
8/22: Client shoot
8/24: Evening Wear (Fashion Book, six looks)

Planned, but not scheduled:
Motel (Fashion Book)
Scarves (Product)
Decadent Jewelry (Product)

Also, in my beauty book, I have two versions of the elk shot. Any advice as to which actually goes in my book?

Business Card

2008-08-04T20:22:00.002-04:00

Designed a new business card:

Website

2008-07-30T16:19:00.003-04:00

Back from DC. Didn't shoot as much as I thought I would, but I still had a good time.

I've updated the website:
- "Motley" is gone. Images were either deleted, or consolidated into other categories.
- "Erotica" is now "Early Work", and it includes nudes in addition to traditional erotica. I stand firmly behind my decision to retire from the genre.
- I now have a "Product" section. I tried my hand at commercial fashion photography, and it didn't work, but product photography still seems to allow for a good deal of creativity and still falls in the area of commercial photography.
- There are new images in the beauty, product, and editorial fashion sections. Not much, but something.

In other news, I have a second job interview this Friday, and I'm still working on a few other projects. August might be a weird month, The Boy will go back to school, and I'll get a little older around Labor Day.

The Full Set

2008-06-25T19:04:00.003-04:00

Shots from Monday.

I'm shooting a commercial fashion set on Sunday, riiiiight before I leave for DC, but I'll try to have the updated website up by Monday or Tuesday.

Sample Shot

2008-06-24T17:24:00.003-04:00

I was in the studio on Monday for twelve* hours, 8am-8pm. Crazy. Anyway, here is a sample shot from yesterday. The set is four photos. I'll put them on the website soon.

Also, expect to see some website changes by next week.

*As opposed to the previously mentioned eight. Yes, I am tired. Thanks for the heads-up.

Down

2008-06-15T14:16:00.001-04:00

My domain name expired, and all the emails I received telling me it was going to expire got moved to my junk folder. I've since renewed, but the site it temporarily down. Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere.

Shoot Planning, Etc.

2008-06-14T15:12:00.002-04:00

A few weeks ago, I was contacted by a very, very talented MUA through Model Mayhem (like Myspace or Facebook for people in the industry). She told me she loved my work, and was excited to hear I was coming to DC. As it happens, she and I are in the same boat: our interested lie towards the more avant-garde, we're talented, but we need more commercial work in order to be heard. She and I don't work pro bono anymore, but we're working TFP to collaborate together on some amazing-sounding shoots.

I'm also working on a few things here in SF before I fly home. Here are their brief summaries:

SF Shoots:
1. "Attention to Detail:" This is a beauty shoot, though it will only yield three photos (for a four-page spread). Three intricately-styled body parts will be highlighted in each of the three shots. I won't give away the rest, but these pictures could also appeal to interior design enthusiasts.

2. Commercial Fabric Shoot: Not only do I need a commercial fashion book, but I need it to show that not only can I shoot commercial fashion, but I can design an entire campaign. Rather than get into trouble with a specific brand or designer, I've decided to highlight a material, a fabric, and showcase it's universal appeal. Very simple, very clean. I'm shooting it the day before I leave for DC, but hopefully, the photos will be done before I leave. I'll be shooting digitally, but also probably with a Holga.

3. Movie-themed Shoot: I don't know much about this, but I've been approached by a talented model (with whom I've worked before), who was, in turn, approached by a stylist, to do a fashion shoot based on a very successful, very famous movie from the 70s. Totally my style, but I haven't heard much about it. I also need to watch the movie--all I know of it I've seen from photos. Still, fairly iconic.

4. Another crazy beauty shoot with a Mexican theme. Might turn it into a commercial fashion shoot, if I can. I haven't decided.

DC Shoots:
1. Commercial Jewelry: Monochromatic, high-contrast, outdoors, slightly avant-garde, will feature an AMAZING vintage Butler and Wilson necklace that was given to me, and a vintage pin I got at the SF Deco Fair last Christmas.

2. Probably something with that crazy sculpture of the man coming out of the ground.

3. Something involving a shower? I like water. :)

I will literally have nothing to do in DC other than feed cats and take pictures.

I'm also tempted to find an assistant for some of the location shoots. Normally, I would just have the MUA or stylist hold the reflector/diffuser, but someone will need to guard the equipment, and tourist location+expensive equipment-someone on watch=trouble. If anyone wanted to know what it was like to be on a fashion shoot, and you want to volunteer, let me know. It's always my habit of treating TFP workers to food. Email me: samantha at his dot com.

Also, before I forget:
DC Discombobulated: Feel free to ask me any questions you might have, in case you have something pressing. You don't need to bribe me with coffee, it's ok. :) Feel free to email me if you want more information about something: samantha at his dot com.

Lone Siren: Thanks! Welcome to the Blogosphere, or whatever the cool kids are calling it these days. My blog title is a remnant of my days as an erotic photographer. I shoot fashion and beauty now, but nudity still seems be a factor in my work (not that nudity equates eroticism.) I'm glad you like my work!

Congrats to Antoniya Ivanova!

2008-06-14T15:07:00.002-04:00

If you follow fashion, expect to hear more about Antoniya Ivanova in the next few years. She is an AMAZING designer, my friend, and I've had the pleasure of shooting for her twice. She was just awarded the Best Portfolio Award at this year's graduation show and review at the Academy of Art here in San Francisco. I'll take a little credit since those are my photos, but she definitely, definitely earned it.

Below are two pictures from two of her collections. I shot both. FYI, both print beautifully, as I have them both hanging in my apartment.

New "Photo"

2008-06-05T01:33:00.002-04:00

Thanks, Howie. :)

http://www.the221ingredients.com/

New Directions (Not Quite What It Sounds Like)

2008-06-03T17:51:00.002-04:00

Last week, I participated in a three-day, on-location fashion photography workshop with Bruce Smith, followed by a day-long fashion-specific Photoshop class.

Wow.

I learned A LOT. Not so much about shooting and styling (I already know about that), but the business, and what I need to know/do to succeed. As you may know, I'm self-taught, which means I don't have anyone telling me what to do, or what I should do. I've sort of been wandering aimlessly with no direction, just shooting my little heart out, hoping someone will like me enough to publish or hire me.

The good news is, I have what it takes, at least, according to Smith. At first, I thought he was blowing smoke up my ass, but it became apparent that he wasn't, thank goodness. Apparently, I have vision, and I have talent, I just need to harness it in a way that gets my name out there. Completely fair.

For me, for my interests, I need three books: beauty, commercial fashion, and editorial fashion. Commercial vs. editorial is essentially a switch of emphasis on the clothing to a feel the clothing inspires. I can still do avant-garde, but I need to show I can do more accessible stuff too. This doesn't mean I'm abandoning the crazy stuff! If I had my way, my shots would always have a little drama, or some quirk to them.

So, first, I need to build my books. I need to show a range in each book, so maybe 6-8 different shoots and 25 photos total, whichever comes first. So, I have lots and lots of shooting ahead of me.

Next, I need to make comp cards. I knew that, but I never went for it because I had no need for them. I'll make a comp card for each book and send them to anyone who might have any interest in hiring me (as in, editorial comp cards go to magazines and designers, beauty cards go to salons, MUAs, magazines, etc.)

Once my portfolios are in order, I get to approach people, including modeling agencies. If they like me, they might hire me to test their models. If not...

So, basically, now I have to shoot as much as I can. I have one simple commercial shoot coming up, one editorial fashion, and one beauty shoot, all before I leave SF. I'm not sure if I'll shoot in DC, but I'll try to work something out. After that, things might get slow since I have to work in my other job, but I'm off to a good start, methinks.

May Madness (Apologies to Basketball Fans)

2008-05-22T23:12:00.003-04:00

I've been hiding, hence the lack of updates, lack of new work, and lack of interest. I also had an anniversary with The Boy--seven years, and not the least bit itchy.

News:
1. I will be completing a three day on-location fashion workshop with Bruce Smith May 27-29. I am the only one signed up, so I get the guy all to myself, and I mostly get to dictate how I want the shoot styled. I'll get two shoots out of it, a ton of info, and a real contact. I'm also taking a fashion-specific Photoshop class with him that Friday, again, all by myself, so I'll be quite busy.

2. That following week, Monday and Tuesday, I'll have two more shoots. Monday is a beauty shoot, "fucked-up harlequins", and Tuesday is fashion, during which I'll be playing with movement.

3. My family will be visiting us June 6th-11th, so I'll mostly be incommunicado. I'll try to have new work up before then.

4. I'm still going back to DC this summer. Officially. June 30-July 22. I'll try to get at least one shoot done while I'm there, but I might just take it easy. Unless a paying gig comes along....

5. If anyone lives in SF, my gym, which features great art from local artists (it's not a traditional gym), has one of my prints, and I must say, I really, really, really like it. It's "Dyed, II", 24"x36", framed with a navy silk mat (yes, fabric), with a silver frame--total size 34"x48", number 1/10. Looks really good. It's at Body Mechanix on Moss St.

Busy Busy Busy!

2008-04-23T20:11:00.002-04:00

I'm doing a LOT of shooting and editing right now. Summary:

1. Hired by a local animation studio to take stills for production. Shot last week, again tomorrow (Thursday)

2. Shooting a fashion set Friday afternoon. Theme is part Wizard of Oz, part Studio 54, and part S&M. Colorful and kinky.

3. Shooting two beauty sets Saturday. 8am-2pm: first half of my material-inspired set. 3pm-7pm, private client who also needs avant-garde beauty shots.

4. Monday afternoon: the other half of my beauty shoot.

Then the editing begins.....

Also:
The Boy is going to India this summer for a month, and I will be going to DC for about three weeks, July 1-July 22, give or take a day.

Website: News

2008-04-14T16:27:00.002-04:00

I have a new website. I switched over to a customized SiteWelder site, which makes managing and maintaining my site very, very easy. I can upload and move around content effortlessly and quickly, I can add or delete sections on a whim, and I even have a PayPal Cart option--you can now go to my "Prints for Purchase" section (a collection of my favorite prints on the site), click a button, it gets added to a cart, and you can buy the print online.

Most of my content is up now, and I'm anticipating another major upload around May 1, after all my April photoshoots are done.

The URL is still www.samanthawolov.com. It will take 24-72 hours to "register", so even though the new site is technically up now, it might not show up for a day or two. Just keep refreshing.

Let's Get Physical

2008-04-02T18:01:00.003-04:00

This has nothing to do with photography. I'm doing this for a friend.

My personal trainer, Tomas, just opened up a new studio and is promoting his services. He and his team of personal trainers (Body Mechanix Fitness) are offering complimentary sessions to new clientèle at his Moss St. location in San Francisco on a referral basis ONLY. If you'd like one of these sessions, you'll need to talk to Tomas personally in order to make the arrangements. This promotion is being offered for the entire month of April. To make an appointment, call Tomas directly at 415-308-2255, or email him at tomasmms at gmail dot com.

I heart Tomas. He's really, really good at what he does, the gym is perfect, and everyone on staff is excellent. I didn't think I was that big of a fitness person, but now I'm a total gym bunny. I even hike! I go rock climbing! I can kick ass and take names.

Seriously, if you're in the San Francisco area, go do this. You have nothing to lose. It's a free session, it's an hour, you'll get sweaty and healthy, and you might even bump into me. Go!

The stats:
Who: Tomas Mimms, Body Mechanix Fitness. 415-308-2255; tomasmms at gmail dot com.
What: FREE fitness training session.
Where: Body Mechanix, 47 Moss St., San Francisco
When: Until April 30
Why: Are you really that healthy right now? It's a free personal training session at a very cool gym. C'mon....it's free. Free things rock.

In other news, I still have house guests (today is day Day 19 of 24 consecutive days of visitors and guests), I'm getting over a nasty, nasty cold, and I'm in the early stages of planning three very cool beauty shoots (one for July) and two fashion shoots.

Also, another website update is in the works. Then maybe editors will talk to me.

I might be going to Portland this summer. There's also a god chance I'm coming back to DC for a few weeks in July to babysit my family's cats while they're off in Europe. I might also be going off to Seattle for a week because I'm meeting some very cool fashion people up there, and I like shooting.

Also also, The Boy got a NDSEG Fellowship. If you know who he is (I think there are two of you out there), go congratulate him.

More Photos

2008-03-13T00:30:00.002-04:00

Just a Taste

2008-03-10T19:35:00.004-04:00

All of my shooting for the foreseeable future is done. Of course, I have other things in the works, but I thought I'd post two samples from my most recent shoots.

The new computer arrived, and I need a few days to switch over. Once I do that, I'll be able to update the website.

Update and Photo

2008-03-05T23:10:00.002-05:00

Ok, cyanotype shoot was shot, now I need to make the actual cyanotypes. Morbid shoe shoot was a bust. Very colorful shoot was FANTASTIC, but there's a LOT of editing that needs to be done. I've included a portrait from the session that actually looks nothing like the rest of the photos, but I really like it.

Can I just say I'm very pleased with who won Project Runway? :)

Better than Christmas*

2008-02-26T13:10:00.002-05:00

*Even though I'm "of the tribe."

IT'S HERE!!!!!

The new MacBook Pros were unveiled this morning, and I ordered one.

It's arrival will add to the excitement over the next few weeks.

Cosmo/Tearsheet, Project Runway, Wesbite

2008-02-22T11:50:00.004-05:00

1. Apparently, Barnes and Noble doesn't sell German Cosmo. Haven't checked with Borders or Juicy News, as I will be receiving a few copies directly from the editor. If you're stateside, try:

http://www.cosmopolitan.de/m,inhalt/

Then, just click on the curled page in the corner until you see kinky dolls. Those are mine.

2. Heather Riley, the glorious Managing Editor over at Box Magazine (box-mag.com) has informed me that those naughty flip books we published a year ago are part of a gift bag at a party thrown by Christian, one of the contestants/finalists on this season's "Project Runway." I really like Christian. There were some stand-outs this season (Jillian was creative, poised, and seemed to "come from good cloth" [har har], Chris March is 100% camp and 100% fabulous, and Sweet Pea really help her own towards the end), but Christian might be my favorite. Looking aside from the fact that we're both very young in relation to our peers/competition in our respective fields (but still holding our own), he's an AMAZING designer. Plus, he's just so damn adorable, which sounds a little weird given that I'm only two years older than him. So, if you're Christian, or someone who knows Christian enough to go to his party, and you found me through a dirty flipbook: Hi!

To the noobs, here's a quick summary so you don't have to pour over years of blog posts: I'm 23, I live in Berkeley with "The Boy" (whom I've been dating since we we re zygotes), I'm a photography autodidact, I've been shooting professionally since I was 19, most of that spent shooting people fucking. It served me well, got me a few book covers, a few awards, and a few fans, but I wanted something more challenging, so I switched to fashion photography a few months ago. My degree is in Art History with a concentration in feminist/erotic art history. I keep an archive of crazy emails people send me, and few people in the "blogosphere" (did I just lose my street cred?) know what I actually look like, other than being very tall. The website is in limbo right now, but I've posted my latest fashion work here for your convenience. If you read a little further down, you'll know I'll have about a billion new shots by mid-March. And that, in a nutshell, is me.

2. People who know me I'm in a predicament regarding my computer. My computer is OLD. A sexy Mac, but old nonetheless. Also running out of room and painfully slow. it's what I can't update my website with all the great, new, editorial-quality fashion work I've *ahem* been shooting. I mean, let's be honest, there's some real crap on my site. What to do....what to do...Rumor has it that the new MBPs will have new Montevina processors, but those won't get "released" until June, which means probably not available for sale until July/August in time for the "Back to School" rush. If I get a new computer now, it will still be much, much better than what I have now, but it could be better. Do I wait? Do I cave? Thoughts?

Je Suis "Busy and Bee-like"

2008-02-21T21:17:00.003-05:00

Wow. Ok, this is why you won't be hearing from me for a while:

Feb. 27: Super-secret private erotic shoot. Yes, I still do them for private clients if the gig seems good.

Feb. 29: Alternative-process fashion shoot

Mar. 1: Probably a creepy, mildly morbid shoe shoot. My friend Kim has a secret knowledge of SFX makeup. :D

Mar. 2: Beauty shoot with live animals in the morning, possibly very colorful fashion shoot in the afternoon with my favorite local designer.

Mar 8: Probably on location shooting another series for the aforementioned designer.

Mar 9: Probably something vaguely kinky, something Newton-esque involving cool fashion and a horse.

Mar. 14-19. Mom and partner visit.

Mar 19-22: The Boy's parents visit.

Mar 22-28(?): Dan, a good friend The Boy and I have known since elementary school, visits.

Somewhere in there I'll try to squeeze in more animal-themed beauty shoots, a texture-rich beauty shoot, and I have access to some GREAT gardens, so I'm plotting something with those.

Website, Personal Update

2008-02-18T20:57:00.002-05:00

I spent the weekend in the hospital (I'm OK), and one of my cats back home in DC has about 24 hours to live. I've been immersing myself in work as a distraction.

You may have noticed my website hasn't been updated in a while, or at least when I said I would. I've decided that I will organize the fashion work by series, with each row dedicated to one series, and a separate section within the page for "miscellaneous" fashion work. Not hard, but given I have many shoots planned for the next few weeks and a computer about to die (no jokes about cat vs. computer, please, I'm not taking bets), I figured it was best to wait until I not only had a new computer, but I finished all the other shoots. We're looking at about a month, probably. At least two shoots next week, possibly two that weekend, and maybe one or two the first week of March. Then two weeks of visitors.

And to the senders of the few emails I've gotten over the last few days: I shoot fashion now. No nude girls. GET OVER IT. In the event that I do get back to nude or erotic work, rest assured I won't be contacting you anytime soon.

If You're Near a Big-Box Bookstore

2008-02-14T19:02:00.002-05:00

Go find the March issue of German Cosmo and turn to page 50.

:)

"Big-Box"= Barnes and Noble, Borders, etc. If you're in SF, try Juicy News.

I Can't Get No....Satisfaction...

2008-02-12T00:15:00.000-05:00

I have creative "blue balls." I have all these ideas for editorial spreads and fashion shoots (five at last count), and no one to shoot for! Normally what I do is just bankroll the shoot myself. Costs aren't terrible (kit fee for hair/makeup, studio rental, shipping/taxes on clothing), but they still add up. Plus, five shoots?! Granted, three of those are with a designer whom I ADORE, so the clothing is already provided, but I either need a sugar daddy/momma, a recently deceased rich relative who has left me everything, or an agent who, even though they will take some of my money, will actually help me generate in the first place, because I'm obviously not doing something right. We're getting there, though....

For the fun part: the shoots! I can't give away too much, but here are the teasers:
1. Very avant-garde beauty shoot involving animals. Some live, some dead. I have access to a horse. Possibly multiple horses.

2. Two, possibly three shoots with my oh-so-favorite local designer. More very awesome avant-garde fashions to come.

3. An alternative-process fashion series. These will actually generate awesome prints, which I will later be selling in fairly small edition sizes.

4. Yet another fashion series which I can't really describe, other than there's an element of subdued sexiness and an emphasis on a common material.

I'm pulling farther and farther away from erotica. This is my calling. I'll still get the periodic hateful email damning me because I have ceased my production of free masturbation fodder, but I'm having a blast. Even if I can't make a dime from it. :)

Etsy Updates

2008-02-07T21:28:00.000-05:00

I'm still looking at programs like Red Cart to help me sell prints, but in the meantime, I have to depend on Etsy. For the last month an a half, I was [attempting] to sell 8x10 prints, which always bothered me, but I thought the more "universal" size and lower price would yield more sales. I was very, very wrong. So, I've gone through and changed everything to reflect how I've always sold prints: 11"x14", $100, free shipping.

There are quite a few fashion shots up, as well as perennial favorites like "Cattus Interruptus" and "Untitled (Shower Shot)." You'll have to go through me directly for prints on my website that aren't on Etsy.

Anyway, if you feel like getting some cool art: samanthawolov.etsy.com.

Up Again

2008-02-05T13:35:00.000-05:00

Site seems to be up again, but still without the updates. Working on it.

Meanwhile, I've been submitting proposals to magazines like crazy, plotting more, and generally trying to get paid doing what I love. Minor detail.

Man Down!

2008-02-04T16:27:00.000-05:00

My server is having issues. The site is temporarily down. I've been on the phone with tech support for about 30 minutes now. Go look at pictures of kitties or something.

Newness

2008-01-31T02:09:00.000-05:00

Shot Saturday night and Sunday morning. Yes, it was exhausting, but I think the photos are cool. I've posted to sample shots here, with the rest going on the website soon.

Also, my Dalek and Diana cameras arrived yesterday. I have a quick beauty shoot Friday, and I get to play. More on that later.

A few things

2008-01-25T19:08:00.000-05:00

1. A note to the SF peeps: seriously, the rain? Over it.

2. Smut, Vol. 1, a new book from Nerve.com, has a photo from one of my sets on pg. 56.

3. I'll be shooting avant-garde, high fashion, bondage-esque fashion Saturday night, and swimwear Sunday morning. Hopefully, the photos will be done by the end of the week, after which I'll have a quick beauty shoot (two looks), and hopefully, a website update that weekend. I'll blog about it in case you forget.

4. Marin MOCA show is still on. I can't go, but you should.

5. I am a loyal Mac user. Always have been. My dad was bringing home Apples when I was still in diapers. I was typing by two, albeit slowly. I had a Newton in elementary school. I really was one of those people who had an iPod before everyone else. The Boy is either on a Mac or Linux (I'm ok with a mixed marriage). I don't think I have the chops to be called a bona fide tech geek, but I'd like to think I can handle a machine.

Now, I've been working on my Powerbook for a while--yes, mine is old enough to be called a Powerbook. It has served me well. It's just not serving my needs the same way. So, back around the holidays, I decided I was going to really start investigating a replacement. Since I spend SOOOOOO many hours in front of the computer, I need my eyes, and I usually forget to wear my reading glasses, I decided to upgrade to 17", and something really, really sexy. No point in getting something in December when MWE was a few weeks away. So I waited. And waited. And finally, Apple made their announcement: Macbook Air.

MACBOOK AIR?! WTF?! I like my computers like I like my men: Big. Reliable. Dent-resistant. Specs aside, the Air looks like I should put bruschetta on top and serve it at a party. This isn't a review of the Air; I actually don't think I'm qualified to really judge it based on anything other than aesthetics (as I said, I never claimed to be a tech geek.) Macrumors is saying not to get one since we're due for an upgrade. It's been 235 days since a change, with the average being 186 days. Damn it, I want a new computer!

Sorry. It won't stop raining. My computer is cranky. I have two shoots, and no room for the photos. I'm a little cranky.

I switch to digital, and this is what happens.

2008-01-22T19:51:00.000-05:00

I used to be a die-hard film gal. Hated the darkroom for some reason, but loved shooting with film. I'd buy all sorts of kinds and just play around. I even bought a few rolls of infrared just for grins and giggles.

But I never really did anything with them. I had a thing going, I needed certain things. I had go-to, trustworthy film, and clients who weren't paying for experimentation. But I was going through 40-50 rolls of film per shoot, and I knew I had to go to the dark side.

So I bought the Nikon D200 a few years ago. I LOVE it. So much faster. So much freedom! It was great for what I was trying to do. It has served me well.

Well, now that I shoot fashion, I'm trying to teach myself the language of the genre, studying modeling (I can pose. Who knew?), lighting, and what the best photos say. I still have a lot to learn, but I want to make things a little different. So while I was home in DC, I was going through all my old photo books, and it hit me--color infrared fashion shots! Brilliant! It couldn't be editorial, since the garments would be completely distorted, but they'd look freakin' awesome. So I plan the shoot. I buy the clothing. I get the hair, makeup, and models. I go to buy the film.

Kodak discontinued its color infrared film a few months ago. Monochrome infrared will soon be departing, too.

WTF?! You can't discontinue infrared film! It's not like you can really, truly replicate it with Photoshop or something--it's unique! It's special! Damn you, Kodak!

So, the shoot. I've purchased two really cool-looking toy cameras, some expired film, and we'll see what happens. The shoot is Sunday, the equipment hasn't arrived yet. Today's shoot has been postponed to Saturday (I think), and Friday's model bailed, so I'm out looking for a hot acrobat. Such is life.

Like MCM Furniture? Like My Art? In SF? Good News!

2008-01-18T17:22:00.001-05:00

If you're in the Bay Area, might I suggest going to a furniture showroom opening on Sunday? Lynne Jensen, owner of Klassik by Lynne, is having the grand opening of her new showroom this Sunday. She has some GREAT mid-century modern pieces--I'd live there if I could. My first solo "adult" purchase was a MCM teak console from the 60s that I ADORE, and I got it from her for a scandalously decent price. Seriously, I love this piece of furniture. I know it's just an object, but it's just so freakin' cool.

Anyway, back to me. She asked me to print and prep a few prints for the opening, so among the very cool European furniture will be my five archival-grade framed prints available for collecting. Each is 16"x20", acid-free mat, glare-free UV-filtering glass, $500. You should come!

The nitty-gritty:
Who: Klassik by Lynne/Lynne Jensen, me
What: Grand opening of her new showroom, a chance to collect some great photography
Where: 1313 67th st. Emeryville, CA, 94608
When: Sunday, Jan. 20, 10-3
Why: She has some great, great furniture, and I have some great, great, art. You should come, give us money, and make your home prettier.

Post #301: I'm Not Going Anywhere! Ha!

2008-01-11T18:15:00.000-05:00

So, call me jaded, but I was expecting more insults and epithets in response to my last post. Instead, I got some great positive feedback! Thank you! I feel all warm and toasty inside. Really. I'll be keeping the blog to post updates, but more to keep an archive. If I have some good stories to tell, I'll pass those along, too.

If anyone lives in the New Haven region, "Always Tip Housekeeping" will be in "Black and White: A National Photography Exhibition" at the Arts and Literature Laboratory. The show opens tomorrow, Janurary 12, and closes February 9. For more info go to http://www.allgallery.org/.

If you are in the Bay Area, "Always Tip Housekeeping" (again) will be in "It's Photography III: A National Exhibition" at the Marin Museum of Contemporary Art in Novato. I can actually go to that one, so if you see a freakishly tall chick who looks vaguely like Snow White, that's me (and also the most I'll divulge about my looks. :) ) The show opens Febrary 2nd and closes March 2. For more info, go to http://www.marinmoca.org.

I'm still on the East Coast, currently writing in NYC, but I go back to DC Sunday, then I fly to SF Thursday. When I get back, I have four shoots planned. I won't spoil the surprise, but I will say that one will use a special film process, one will be of some crazy, avant-garde, architectural fashion, one will be of some crazy/pretty portraits, and one will be swimwear, and I like skimpy. I'd like to say this time next month, the website will have tons of new work, but The Boy gets older on 2/12, then it's V-day. I'll try to get everything done before then.

300th Post: My Last?

2008-01-09T12:23:00.000-05:00

It was fun while it lasted.

When I was shooting erotica, the blog was a good idea. I could post new work immediately, I could rant about the fuckers who harassed me, sexually and otherwise, and I could notify people of various professional developments. Fact is, now that I mostly shoot portraits and fashion (and have "officially become boring" according to one asshole reader--thanks, buddy), I have no need for the blog. The title is no longer accurate. It's gotten easier to post new work directly to the site. I intend to shoot more regularly, so checking the site once a month would suffice. I might still post a notice if I'm in a show, but I've cut back on submitting to those, too, so even those posts would be cut back to a minimum. I just don't need the blog anymore. I'll keep it up for the time being, just in case, but I doubt I'll really use it.

I want to address the fashion/erotica thing. While most of the feedback I've gotten on the new site has been positive (thankfully), a few people have expressed their anger and disappointment in the switch. I'm flattered you liked the photos so much, but I'm not sorry. I'd say 75% of my experiences were positive--I'm proud of the work I made, and I met some great people; erotic art is still so misunderstood, and I'm glad most people I've met have been open-minded and sex-positive. But the harassment and lack of creative flexibility just got to be too much. I had potential clients who didn't care about the art, craft, or skill of photography, and just wanted to be shot masturbating by some 20-something chick. A lot of people assumed I got off on watching, and were shocked and angered when I informed them that no, this was my job, and I expected to be paid. One man went so far as to call me a "cunt" when I explained I didn't work pro bono. As for recent requests for self-portraits, I won't show my face in conjunction with the work because it would be too easy to lose objectivity when looking at my work. If you thought I was attractive, your opinions of my photos could be artificially inflated. If you thought I was ugly, you might think, unfairly, those same photos just lost their eroticism. But beyond that, why ask the question in the first place? Would you still care if you knew I was a guy? Or 50? Why should it matter what I look like? If you think I'm good, I'll still be good no matter what I look like. If you think I'm a hack, being beautiful wouldn't change a thing.

I'm not leaving erotica, I'm just expanding my repertoire. Shooting fashion is SO different from erotica, it's such a challenge, and I have so much to learn. It's an incredibly competitive field, and I have a way to go before I get any kind of notoriety or recognition (or skill?) But it's fun. I haven't felt this energized about photography in a long, long time. It feels....comfortable. No one cares what I look like, the threat of harassment is almost completely gone, and I get to experiment and challenge myself the way I should have a long time ago. Erotica just got too easy. I'll still shoot it, but for now, I want to feel like I'm working when, you know, I'm working.

The blog might stay, or it might go, I haven't decided. Comment, don't comment, whatever. In the meantime, I'm just going to shoot my tush off. I fly back to CA next week, and I already have four shoots planned.

IT'S UP!!!

2008-01-01T17:25:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year!

As promised, the new website is up. The URL is still www.samanthawolov.com. I've kept the basic design since it kept everything nice and organized, but I've changed the categories, added new content, removed quite a bit of old content, updated my resumé and press pages (adding, among other things, my doll set for the March 2008 issue of German Cosmo), and added a link to my sexy new Etsy store.

1. I have NOT retired from erotica. I shot nothing but erotica for over three years, it got a little stale, and I wasn't working the best I could because it wasn't challenging enough. Simply put, it was time for me to move on and expand my repertoire. I'll still shoot it, but I'll be concentrating on fashion work for the foreseeable future.

2. I have a store on Etsy.com now. Most, but not all, of the images on my website are available through Etsy, but I'll gladly make custom prints. While I normally sell 11"x14" prints to collectors, I've decided to sell more user-friendly 8"x10 prints on Etsy. Both are available. The Etsy store can be found at samanthawolov.etsy.com.

One of the benefits of shooting fashion now is that I'll have lots of new work sooner. I'll be in DC until the 17th, and when I get back to SF, I have a few things lined up. At least three shoots, possibly a spread in a major local SF magazine, and, of course, Cosmo.

Thanks for being patient!

Update

2007-11-26T13:15:00.001-05:00

Bad News: Obviously, the new site isn't up. The changes were more complicated than I thought. Projected launch is now Christmas-New Years.

Good News: I'll have a LOT more content than originally expected. I'm shooting like a madwoman.

There will also be a certain, fairly large announcement involved.... :)

Website News

2007-09-23T02:25:00.001-04:00

Sometime between now and November 15th (to be safe), I will be undergoing a MAJOR website overhaul. HUGE. As in, different categories and LOTS of new work. Design will essentially be the same--I still like it. Don't worry, I'll still have erotica up, but I'm paring down to really show my best work, and I'll be including a lot more work in general. I won't divulge any secrets yet, but this should be big. I have three shoots planed by October 6th, and another four planned but not officially scheduled. My goal is to be up and running by Halloween, but to be safe, mid-November. Until then, consider me to be on hiatus. However, I will be sending out a mass email to friends, fans, and clients when the new site it up, as well as blogging about it. If you want to be notified with that email, post a comment with your email address and I'll add you when the time comes.

See you in November!

Fashion (Turn to the left)

2007-09-18T19:36:00.000-04:00

Had my first fashion shoot last Saturday. Here's a favorite from the set.

In the Flesh Opens 9/13

2007-09-10T17:21:00.000-04:00

"In the Flesh" open at Target Gallery on Thursday. I have a piece in it. Unfortunately, I can't go, but the Washington Post listed the show in their fall preview as a recommended show.

Check out:
http://www.torpedofactory.org/galleries/target.htm

The stats:
Who: Me and a few other artists, 25 pieces out of almost 600 submissions accepted.
What: cool figurative art show, "In the Flesh"
Where: Target Gallery. Studio 2, Torpedo Factory, Alexandria VA.
When: September 13-October 13. Opening Thurs, Sept. 13 6-8pm. Gallery talk by curatory Tim Doud at 7pm.
Why: What else are you going to do on a Thursday night?

Nerve.com

2007-09-07T12:41:00.000-04:00

Nerve Magazine has developed a new series about models. They wanted photographers to take snapshots (read: "unedited photos") to tell the story of being on a very, very good date with a beautiful girl. I've shot a few, but my first set is up today.

New Work

2007-09-02T21:19:00.001-04:00

It's nice to have kinky model/photographer friends.

I'm too hot and lazy to think of a clever title for this post

2007-09-02T18:56:00.001-04:00

I turn 23 on Tuesday. I'll be doing vaguely celebratory things until further notice. Had an erotic shoot a few days ago, might post photos later.

It's too hot here. I hate pants.

New Photo

2007-08-14T23:02:00.001-04:00

This was from a set I did for a certain Sam-friendly online publication, but the set hasn't been posted yet, so this is all I can show. More to come.

Also, check Nerve.com in the next week or so...

I'm slowly trying to move away from hardcore erotica. I'm losing my edge, and I'm tired of getting harassed. It pays the bills, so I can't completely abandon it, but I'm much more stimulated (creatively) by portraits like this. Don't worry, I won't be doing kids portraits anytime soon.

New Work

2007-08-02T16:59:00.000-04:00

Contrary to popular belief, I've been working. Most of my recent shoots have been private sessions, so you can't see any of them. The other shoots were for Nerve Magazine, which I can't legally show you until they post them, which could take a few weeks. However, I had a fantastic shoot last weekend that was intended for Nerve, but there's a chance they can't use them, so I was allowed to play around with them.

A and B are the same picture, but I couldn't decide between monochrome and color. Any votes?

"In the Flesh" at Target Gallery

2007-08-01T16:40:00.000-04:00

"Heather" was one of 25 works selected for "In the Flesh" at Target Gallery in DC, showing from Sept. 13-Oct. 13. I might try to fly out there then, maybe celebrate a belated birthday with my family.

AU Prof and painter Tim Doud was the juror. I took his class for about two weeks the fall of my sophomore year of college before dropping it, convinced I wasn't going to need it as I was certain I had a future in Visual Media/Communications/Journalism. We can see how that turned out. I'm sure he doesn't remember me....

Moving Sale!

2007-07-23T14:39:00.001-04:00

Since we're moving in about 10 days (eep!), and we're cleaning like mad, it's not time for the more-regular-than-it-should-be "Sam's Moving And Her Car's Too Small For All Her Art To Fit Sale."

Each was professionally printed, matted, and framed, and signed by moi.

Stats:
Image: 8"x12" digital archival print
Mat: 3.25" acid-free white
Frame: 1.25" black wood box frame
Total size: 18" x 22"

The pictures:
http://www.samanthawolov.com/portraits/portrait6.h...
http://www.samanthawolov.com/hot/hot1.html
http://www.samanthawolov.com/hot/hot23.html
http://www.samanthawolov.com/virgin/virgin14.html
http://www.samanthawolov.com/virgin/virgin1.html

Sample Frames:

All of the pictures are in that black frame except for "Aislin 2," which is in a copper-colored metal frame.

I'm tentatively asking $400 each, but I'm flexible.

Update

2007-07-21T23:37:00.000-04:00

Goodness, I'm bad at this blogging thing. Ok, news:

1. I'm moving. Again. Staying in the SF Bay Area, but moving from the city to North Berkeley. Officially, I move Friday, August 3rd, which is fairly crazy. We don't have that much stuff to move, but we're trying to deliver all our books and art separately so the movers don't have to waste their time with tiny things. Having said that, I have A LOT of framed prints from shows that I don't think I'll be using anytime soon, so I'll offer them here (post will follow).

2. Because of the move, unpaid shoots have been postponed until after we get settled. This means fun things like the animal makeup series will be shot in August or September.

3. Nerve Magazine will be unearthing a new ongoing photo series soon, to which I have contributed two sets and shoot shooting a third on Friday. I can't offer any details, but it involves nudity.

4. I had a FANTASTIC portrait shoot with a recurring client before I left for DC. I shot a lot, and I only have three absolute favorites, but that's the point--they're absolute favorites. Catch is, technically, she's topless in two of them (though covered), and I'm not allowed to show them off publically until I get the go-ahead. She gets married in two weeks, so you might see new work then.

5. I MIGHT (might might might, maybe) be shooting for a national women's magazine. Maybe. They've expressed moderate interest, and I've proposed what I feel is an interesting shoot. It's a huge maybe, but I have many things on my body crossed for good luck.

6. It takes a special kind of person to voluntarily visit DC in July. I am one of those special people. I think I lost 5lbs in sweat.

7. I now know how to update my own website. Yes, I didn't know how to do it before. It was a shameful attempt to remain close to my sexy webmistress (hi, Rachel!) But now I know, which means I can post new work more frequently.

8. Speaking of my website, it's simply not conducive to selling prints, which as a photographer, is kinda a big deal. I'm trying to investigate other artist's sites to gather ideas and options, but I am totally open to suggestions.

Update

2007-06-27T16:21:00.000-04:00

1. Check out Fleshbot!

2. My beloved Box Mag has a new blog. Check it out: http://www.box-mag.com/blog/

3. Speaking of Box, Issue Six, "Play" is available for downloading on their site, www.box-mag.com. Also, my flipbook is officially for sale, and my Creative Commons photos are up for to play with. You don't have to keep it clean, just clean up when you're done. :)

4. Nerve Magazine is trying to start a new photo series that, in a nutshell, involves photojournalism, stripping, and flirting like hell. They've asked me to help. I've already been confirmed for three spreads (har har), but I could always use more. All models have to be approved by the editors beforehand, and they would prefer more women then men, so if you want to be a part of this, let me know.

New Projects?

2007-06-18T16:41:00.001-04:00

So, despite the fact that it has yet to prove itself as a worthwhile financial venture, I'm continuing with the photography and brainstorming a few new ideas. I think I'm working on one involving period portraits (time, not menstrual) with a feminist history slant, and I know I'm working on one involving theatrical makeup and dead animals. Neither pays, they're just for fun. They're also huge departures from the smut I'm known for, which may or may not be the point.

I haven't abandoned the erotica, but it hasn't been progressing they way I would have hoped. I'm still looking for models, especially because I'm still playing with the idea of publishing a book next year (HUGE maybe, given that it needs about 250 pages), and I'm still trying to get the photos up in a gallery somewhere. Basically, it comes down to dedicating my time to endeavors that actually pay me, which this does not. Yet. But I'm trying.

It's Official

2007-06-18T16:39:00.000-04:00

I'll be in DC from Monday, July 9 until Thursday, July 19. Brace yourselves.

Click!

2007-06-14T18:43:00.000-04:00

VH1 is supposedly casting for a new reality TV show called "Click!" Like "America's Next Top Model," but about photographers. I'm curious, but the idea of being on TV makes me slightly ill. Probably not for me.

Opinions, Please

2007-06-14T16:28:00.000-04:00

I'm planning on submitting art to two shows, but they limit how many images I can send them (boo), and I need help deciding which ones to send. This is where you come in. I'm feeling indecisive. Help!

Show 1: Nudes, up to five images total
Show 2: "Figurative Art" (whatever that means), up to three images total

I can't decide between humans and dolls, or which pictures to send. If anyone has LOADS of free time, and feels like making suggestions, please let me know. I've never been one for traditional nudes, but I don't think anything with a blowjob, for example, would work.

Damn these restrictions...

Update

2007-06-07T18:58:00.000-04:00

1. Jane Magazine has me on file. They like me, they just don't know what to do with me. It's a start.

2. Suicide Girls wants to see a set from me, but I don't have a model yet. Or a theme. Or a location. Totally open to suggestions.

3. Got a sexy new ring flash yesterday. Definitely want to test it out.

4. So, The Boy and I got the keys to our new place in Berkeley, and I overestimated how big my studio space would be. Which means, unfortunately, I probably won't be able to build a studio in there, but I should still have decent space to shoot anyway.

5. I'll also be in DC for a few weeks in July, potentially longer. I'm probably brining my equipment. I'm open to shooting, depending on the project. I'm just feeling lazy. Email samantha at his dot com if you're interested.

6. Good Vibrations has a magazine. They feature artists. I will be their featured artist for wither July or August. They also have a store. Two stores, in fact. One shows art. They want to have a show. Still in the early stages.

7. Aries1952, that bastard from Rome who stole my work then pretended it was his, has been kicked off Flickr. I'm still not entirely satisfied, but it will have to do for now.

8. I'm playing around with doing a fashion series with sustainable fashion. I feel like it's been done, but it should still be fun. Didn't mean to rhyme just then, but it's so much fun, I might have to do it again. Bask in my genius!

9. Come to the Boob Thing! ArtSF, 110 Capp St. SF, June 16, 8-12 pm. Bring money.

Copyright

2007-06-04T15:19:00.000-04:00

It goes without saying that I, Samantha Wolov, hold the copyright to all photos listed on this blog unless otherwise noted.

Why am I saying this?

Seems someone on Flickr has stolen a good number of my photos without tagging or reference to me. Yahoo has been emailed, as has my cousin, the copyright lawyer in NYC.

Don't Have Plans 6/16? You Do Now!

2007-05-29T01:00:00.000-04:00

Like breasts? Me too! That's why you should go to the release party for "Destination DD: Tales of a Breast Fetishist with 40DDs". I'll have four or five prints hanging (two nudie portraits, two classics, one lingerie shot), and there will also be a topless poetry reading, so it seems promising.

The stats:
Who: Me, Virgie (the writer), topless poets
What: My work, books on breasts, boobies galore
Where: ArtSF, 110 Capp St (the Mission), one block from the 16th St. BART stop.
When: Sat. June 16, 8pm-12am
Why: Collect a print, buy a book, hear poems, see breasts

www.artsf.org

New Work, Update

2007-05-22T15:07:00.001-04:00

So, genius that I am, I forgot how to log into Blogger, hence the delay in posting. But I'm back, with lots of photos. I can't show everything, but I can show you a little taste of recent shoots.

As for the flipbook, I've been told by Box that if you email Heather at [vix at box-mag dot com], she can hook you up with a flipbook for about $6. Girl's gotta eat.

Also, I've made the executive decision to limit my TFCD work to very, very select circumstances. I'm a working woman now, and I'd like to think I'm established enough to merit actual money. Perhaps not. But I'm saving to get some really nice studio equipment for my new apartment, so look at this as contributing to the greater good.

Also also, I will be returning to DC sometime in July for sometime between 1-2 weeks, towards the middle/end of the month. It's mostly family stuff, but I'll be bringing my camera, so theoretically I can have a shoot. Just send me an email if you're interested.

Also also also, I LOVE taking portraits. I forgot how much fun it was. So, not only am I now working on a collection of erotica shots, I'm working on a collection of portraits of people where I offer at least one "traditional" portrait, then at least one ridiculous portrait. I've never been able to be all that serious anyway, so this is perfect. I'm hoping that when I move, I'll get the studio set up, and I'll be able to force everyone who visits to sit for a portrait. No exceptions.

She Works Hard For The Money....

2007-05-02T13:10:00.000-04:00

I'm listing all the jobs/projects/meetings I have in the next month or so in case anyone is interested in participating, or if they want to know why they probably won't hear from me for a while.

1. Meeting with a Marketing Director of a local urban retreat for possible private shoot and commissioned shots for a new campaign. Friday.

2. Fashion shoot 5/7

3. Mom and Peter in town 5/10-5/15

4. I think there's a dirty shoot sometime in the middle of the week after they leave.

5. Anniversary with The Boy 5/19 (We haven't planned anything. Any suggestions?)

6. 70s porn summer campaign shoot 5/20

7. Working on a project on sexual rites of passage. I need youthful looking people. And a lot of semen. Long story...

8. I kinda want to take a series of naked Plushies (just their masks) lounging in their homes. I don't know what. I just have this picture stuck in my head of a naked man wearing a big animal mask sitting, smoking a cigarette, and reading a magazine.

9. A private shoot with a returning client before her wedding.

10. I also have to go buy a TON of new equipment--my new place in Berkeley will have space for a studio, and I need lights.

A Little Clarification on the Penis Comment, Plus Some Good, Ol' Fashioned Bitching

2007-05-02T12:46:00.000-04:00

So here's the story:

As I mentioned earlier, I'm looking to hire models for this summer campaign for Box. It should be really cool, we're all really excited about it, and I've already hired the female model (she's perfect, btw). Anyway, last night, I'm talking with Bunny, the EIC and I mention that I've gotten about 30 responses from men who really, really, REALLY aren't the best choices for the gig. He suggests I look for male strippers and male escorts, which I thought was a really good idea. Between the emails I had received already that evening, and the 50+CL ads I read, my guess is that I had seen about 50-60 penises.

And the thing is, they weren't even good pictures! I mean, half of them looked like they were taken with a camera phone, they were grainty, out of focus, colors that you really don't want penises to be (green, blue, purple), and some of the guys thought that by holding themselves a certain way, they'd look bigger, and three geniuses decided to take a picture of their erect monstrosities from directly above, so instead of showing any size or shape, they just look like massive nubbins.

I think CL is not the place for male models. I have to actually go to some modeling websites.

Fun little tidbits on the emails I received:
1. The same horny asshole from Cupertino emailed me three times in two days. His email read,
"How about me??

I will be in cupertino from thursday night to sunday afternoon...

want to have fun all weekend long??

Bxxxxx."

See, I actually want to post his real, full name, and post the lovely pictures he sent me, just because he seems so determined. And honestly, by the look of his driver's license photo, he seems like such an animal in the sack, and the three photos he sent with three different sports cars convinces me that his dick is MASSIVE and he could pleasure me all night long. Really, I should dump The Boy and go with this guy right now.

2. Remember back in October, I mentioned I was to be interviewed by a Canadian TV program? Remember I was looking for a couple to photograph having sex while they filmed me taking pictures? No? Just trust me on this one. Anyway, I find a couple who both happen to be professional models. I'm desperate. I think, they're still a couple, they still count. The producer graciously agrees to pay their fee. They tell me hours before the shoot they can't host. I frantically make arrangements at a local motel. Again, the producer graciously agrees to pay the fee. I get my hair done about an hour before my interview, and come back to my apartment to find an email message saying they can't do the shoot. Fucking flakes.

So the male model in this duo of ineptitude? Emails me to get the Box gig. I think I'll enjoy emailing him back.

3. On guy looks almost exactly like Brad Sherwood from "Who's Line is it Anyway?" I can't decide if that freaks me out or not.

OK, enough bitching. I have hunky men to look for.

Just Another Day At The Office...

2007-05-02T01:50:00.000-04:00

I've seen so many penises today. It's exhausting!

Look! Pretty Pictures! Now Give Me Money

2007-05-01T03:15:00.000-04:00

Those pretty, abstract-y lingerie photos are now for sale on Etsy.com. $40 each, signed, dated. If you're nice, I might even write you a little note on the back...

Models Needed (actually not the same song and dance I usually give)

2007-05-01T01:41:00.000-04:00

I've been commissioned to shoot a small summer promo for Box Mag, and I'm on the prowl for models....again. We want to go with a 70s porn theme--big EVERYTHING. I'm looking for:
1. Man #1: slight build, good skin, not homophobic, comfy with sexual content, 18-35, any race
2. Man #2: big/solid, good skin, not homophobic, comfy with sexual content, 18-35, any race
3. Woman: African American, decent-sized chest, good body, either with an Afro, short hair that could be styled into an Afro, or cool with wigs, sexually confident and comfy with sexual content--think Pam Grier.

If you fit any of these descriptions, or know anyone who does, let me know. I'm shooting May 20th.

Oh My God!

2007-04-25T00:04:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Bunny, Vix, and the AMAZING people at Box Magazine (seriously, if you don't know who they are/what that is at this point, go to www.box-mag.com and give them all your money), Terry Richardson has a copy of my flipbook. His reaction? "Oh my God!"

My sentiments exactly.

Oh, and I'm working on a book proposal for a publisher who really likes me. More on that later.

New Book

2007-04-24T14:11:00.000-04:00

Just found out I made the cover of "My Lesbian Eye No. 6" from Konkurbusch. Cool.

It's Official!

2007-04-14T14:40:00.000-04:00

1. The Boy will be starting his Ph.D at Berkeley in the fall, which means, theoretically, I'll be in SF for another six or so years. Sorry.

2. The flipbooks arrived! I haven't seen them yet (soon, maybe tomorrow), but I hear they rock. Want one? Contact Box Magazine, www.box-mag.com, get one, then find me and I'll write you a little note in it.

R.I.P Kurt Vonnegut

2007-04-12T01:07:00.000-04:00

Best. Writer. Ever. You will be missed.

A Message

2007-04-11T01:23:00.000-04:00

Dear single, horny men,
I cannot find you single girls to fuck. Please stop emailing me. Thanks.

Sincerely,
Me

In other news, I'm bored. I need something to photograph. Fashion, portraits, anything.

Two things

2007-04-10T01:46:00.000-04:00

1. I got into NYU. I'm probably not going. Long story.

2. One of the perks of being a "professional photographer" (and I say that with quotation marks because the only difference between my life now and my life six months ago is now I do silly things like say no to NYU) is that I can travel for photo shoots and write them off as business expenses. So, if you're not in SF, and you want a shoot, I now feel like I can actually travel out to see you. I can't promise it will be anytime soon, but I can try to make it out to you. So, if you're interested, pop me an email--I'll file them all away and start planning some trips. It might also inspire me to start working on a second book on various erotic travels. Where's the first book? Another long story. Let me have some more shoots so I can finish it.

Look, I'm not Dead!

2007-04-08T01:10:00.000-04:00

I've been sitting on this photo for a while. As in, she's no longer pregnant, and hasn't been for a while. So let me just say that you can add this to my top favorite photos.

It goes without saying that I'm always looking for models. Sex, portraiture, whatever. Any takers?

Operation Gallerina: Completed

2007-04-01T23:49:00.000-04:00

No more gallery. Bring on the models!

It's the final countdown.....

2007-03-23T18:28:00.000-04:00

Sorry, I do love that song.

My last day at the gallery is the 31st, after which I will be quite busy getting my act together to be a professional photographer. Between now and then, this is what I will be working on:

1. Updating my website
- Changing the splash page photo
- Moving photos to more approproate categories
- Removing photos I'm no longer completely enamored with
- Bisecting photos in their categories by color versus monochrome
- Updating my resumé
- Updating my press page
- Setting up a mailing list sign-up page
- Clarifying collecting options
- MAYBE (maybe maybe maybe maybe maybe) eventually setting up a pay section. I'm still on the fence about this. Suggestions are welcome.

2. Organizing my business components
3. Seriously approaching galleries about representation. Might mean actually flying around the country. Or at least to DC.
4. Ordering new software
5. Submitting to publishers, competitions, etc.
6. Organizing a mailing list and media contact list
7. Finding models and taking pictures
8. Continuing to write that book I started way back when

So yeah, I'll be busy. But stuff will be happening soon....

I'm Back!

2007-03-15T21:59:00.000-04:00

My big news: I quit my job today. While there were many elements to my job that I really enjoyed, all I really want to do is take pictures, and thus it wasn't fair to stay. It was a good run, and I'm tremendously grateful for the experience, but it wasn't right for me.

So this is it. I think I'm officially a professional photographer now. No excuses. No flip-flopping, trying to decide what to do with my life. There were some out there who thought I was already a professional photographer, and thus, this isn't big news. I wasn't, so this is. I had been playing with different ideas, of going to grad school, of working in academia, of somehow delaying the inevitable. I've just resigned myself to being an artist, and that's it. It's pretty scary, but I'm going to work my ass off.

I'm pumped, and I'll be making LOTS of changes. I'm not sure how soon (my last day is the 31st), but there will be changes. Everything from my website, to my portfolio, to my collecting rates, to where I'll be showing, everything. It also means I'll be posting on the blog a bit more than I have been recently. You know, like how I was before I got the job. I also want to make a serious list of collectors, potential collectors, fans and friends who want to be kept abreast of things. I'm thoroughly anti-spam, but if you'd like to be in the loop, shoot me an email at samantha at his dot com, and I'll make sure you hear all the juicy news.

I do have some pictures that still need to be edited, but I'm working on submitting proposals all over the place. I am, of course, always looking for models, so that hasn't changed. But I'm working. I'll also be doing some very informal San Francisco travel writing, and possibly some review work. But mostly photo stuff. Should be fun.

So, in conclusion, I'M BACK. Feels good.

Drumroll, please......

2007-03-15T11:51:00.000-04:00

Big news soon. Very soon. Maybe within 12 hours. Sit tight.

News

2007-02-07T12:54:00.000-05:00

I've included two articles from Art and Antiques Magazine (which I adore) that I came across through related research for work. I thought I'd pass them along.

The pictures for the flipbook are done, and cute! I've worked with this couple before (they're still fabulous), and the book looks like a kinky silent film. Box Mag has been incredible with this, so when the book comes out, you better believe I'm going to promote it (and them) like mad.

I'll also have three prints in "Sexicon: The Art and Language of Erotica" at The Living Room Collective in Berkeley, opening this weekend. They were taken right off my walls in my apartment, so if you go, you'll at least see how I decorate (egocentrically, apparently). Unfortunately, I probably won't be able to go (work thing on the same night) but it could be fun.

From Art and Antiques Magazine: "Thrill of Discovery: How to Build a Collection of Emerging Artists"

2007-02-07T12:52:00.000-05:00

Thrill of Discovery
How to build a collection of emerging artists.
by Dorothy Spears

The myth of discovering young artists is hardly new, and the adage of fabled art dealer Leo Castelli still holds: Love what you buy. Trust your instincts. Still, the days of collecting through a single dealer or private consultant have morphed into a more hands-on process, with emerging-art collectors turning up in increasing numbers at artists’ studios, clutching VIP preview passes at art fairs, sniffing around the back rooms of young galleries and even venturing into MFA student shows, all in the name of buying up edgy works.

At the outset, such activities may appear daunting—after all, how does anyone know which art fairs to attend, dealers to court, or more importantly, what to buy? Art exists in a context, and emerging art is no exception. The more collectors know about art history the better, and the more art—contemporary and otherwise—they go to see, the better. Following are some avenues that will help you educate your eye and decide what types of work by emerging talents is right for you:

Museum collector groups

A certain intellectual curiosity is assumed when it comes to serious collecting of any kind. That said, getting involved with a museum rather than hiring a private consultant allows collectors greater autonomy and control when it comes to building a collection that inevitably, expresses their own personal tastes and opinions.

While cultivating the eyes and minds of emerging collectors, institutional affiliation also provides essential access to emerging artists and the dealers who represent them, encouraging collectors to forge their own relationships with artists and dealers whose works they admire and support. Luckily, the anxiety and risk associated with building a collection of new art has eased considerably in the past couple of years with the recent proliferation of museum collector groups focused specifically on contemporary and emerging art. In return for annual dues, "it’s a mutual support system, where you learn," says James Elaine, a curator at the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles, which hosts a program called the Hammer Fellows. "You look at a broad spectrum of work, not just one person’s vision."

Contemporary collector groups

Groups of note include the Society for the Encouragement of Contemporary Art at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, led by curator Janet Bishop; the Friends of Modern Art, at the Baltimore Musuem, which is overseen by Chris Gilbert, curator of contemporary art; and Director’s Level Members, which features trips with director Linda Shearer at the Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati. The Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Studio Museum in Harlem all have active contemporary support groups. Often these groups offer curator-led tours of art fairs and biennials for an extra fee, with packages that include airfare, accommodations and invitations to openings and parties.

Artists’ studios

In exchange for $400, collectors under 40 can join the New Group at the New Museum in New York. "People come to us because they want to get involved with contemporary art," says director Lisa Phillips. "Studio visits with curators serve as an introduction. Collectors often buy right out of the artists’ studios. We get there very early in a person’s career and foster a familiarity with works, so that then they see the works popping up in other exhibitions." New Group members also are invited to cocktail parties in the homes of important emerging-art collectors.

Study tours

Higher-level memberships at the New Museum offer art study tours that have included, in recent years, a trip to South Africa, where members visited William Kentridge’s studio, and a trip to Cuba to explore the emerging Cuban art scene. "We also take collectors to art fairs as an educational function," Phillips says.

Fairs

Whether you go with a group or strike out on your own, mark your calendar for the most influential art fairs. Art Basel takes place annually in June in conjunction with the Liste Art Fair, which features young dealers and emerging artists. Coinciding with Art Basel Miami Beach each December, the New Art Dealers’ Alliance fair also emphasizes recent art. The sudden popularity of the Frieze Art Fair has added annual October trips to London to the list. In addition to the array of emerging art and dealers, the most recent Frieze fair featured a panel of internationally renowned critics and curators discussing the collecting of new art. And in March, Art & Antiques is directing Emerging Artist ’05, a vetted event that builds upon the magazine’s Emerging Artist department. (For more on how to shop a fair, see "A&A Insider," Art & Antiques, January 2005.)

Biennials and large-scale contemporary survey shows

These offer round-ups that help place emerging artists in a more art-historical context. Of these, the most influential are the Whitney Biennial in New York, the Venice Biennale and the Florence Biennial of Contemporary Art, which take place in alternate years, and the Carnegie International in Pittsburgh.

MFA thesis exhibitions

Jon Kessler, chair of the Division of Visual Arts, School of the Arts at Columbia University, touts these as excellent ways to acquaint yourself with artists on the rise. Columbia hosts one each spring in addition to annual December open studios; other schools with closely watched MFA programs are Yale, California Institute of the Arts and UCLA.

Younger galleries

"Open studios can be very disorienting," notes Sheri Pasquarella, director of Manhattan’s Gorney Bravin + Lee Gallery, president of the New Art Dealers Alliance (NADA) and curator of the Stanley and Nancy Singer collection, which features many emerging artists. "It’s a little more-do-it-yourself than going to younger galleries where someone else had already sorted through the work." Chris D’Amelio, co-owner of the D’Amelio Terras Gallery in New York, recommends checking out John Connelly Presents, LFL, Daniel Reich, Bellwether Gallery, and Cohan and Leslie.

Look at the big picture

"You have to learn how to appreciate things you’ve never seen before," D’Amelio says. "Instead of going out to look for work you know you like, it’s helpful to ask, ‘What is this new generation of artists making? What is making the critic write about it and the dealer show it?’"

"One has to be slightly obsessional," muses collector Raymond Learsy, who with his wife, Melva Bucksbaum, sits on the board of the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York. "But part of the fun of collecting," he adds, "is trying to get there first."

From Art and Antiques Magazine: "Developing an Eye: How to Collect Fine Art Photography"

2007-02-07T12:49:00.000-05:00

Developing an Eye
How to collect fine art photography.
by Diane Rozas

Photography is the newest category of fine art to send auction prices through the roof. Last year, a portfolio of 10 Diane Arbus photographs, printed in the early 1970s and taken over the previous decade, hammered down at Phillips, de Pury & Company in New York for $405,500. Yes, there is nothing like the wild bidding of an auction to spark the curiosity of potential collectors, but a budding fine-art photography collection should be founded on solid decisions as well as emotion. The best way to get started, advises Weston Naef, curator of photographs at the Getty Museum in Los Angeles, is to look at as many prints as possible and read as much as you can about photography, from its beginnings in the 1840s to the works of today’s contemporary photographers.

Collecting Methods

Set parameters. Gerry Badger, a curator, critic and author of Collecting Photography, recommends that beginners first determine their collection’s focus. “It gives the collection a purpose,” he says. “True collectors are distinguished from those who simply accumulate photographs by the fact that their collections have limits or themes. The primary rule about collecting — whether as an investment or for enjoyment—is to always go for quality and buy the best you can afford.”

Collect by subject. Badger suggests that new collectors start by subject—nudes, celebrities, flowers, hands, landscapes, images of India, etc.

Collect aesthetic movements or historical schools, such as pictorialism, modernism or surrealism.

Collect by photographer.

Collect by genre. “A photographic genre is a category encompassing both subject matter and a particular approach to the medium, and is usually a function rather than an aesthetic approach,” Badger says. Genres include sports, photojournalism, topography, fashion, archaeology, travel, erotica, science and vernacular (or snapshot) photography.

Financial Considerations

Determine your budget. “Your budget will determine your starting point,” says Maggi Weston, owner of the Weston Gallery in Carmel, California, who opened her gallery at the suggestion of Ansel Adams and today represents his estate. “Then find a gallerist you feel comfortable with, one who will teach you and bring you along.”

Buying for investment. Wisely chosen prints yield the best returns. “I always told my clients to go the distance,” says former gallerist Jane Jackson, who now curates the collection of Sir Elton John. “If you see an image you really love, but it’s a bit more than you wanted to spend, think about five years down the line when it will have increased in value.” For an investment collection, Jackson’s golden rule is to buy fewer pieces and stretch your dollars to get the best possible prints.

Buying Opportunities

Photography fairs bring together as many as 60 to 80 national and international dealers who display museum-quality prints from all eras by both renowned and emerging photographers. Besides black-and-white prints, some galleries, like Yancey Richardson of New York, also show large-scale color works. “There’s a lot of exciting new color work available,” she says. “Today’s technology allows for large-scale color prints. Many of our new collectors have added color photography to contemporary paintings, drawings and sculpture collections. It fits in beautifully.”

Auctions. This month, New York will be the site of three photography auctions: at Sotheby’s, Swann Galleries and Christie’s.

A Word on Prints

“Once you find an image you love, your work has just begun,” says Stephen Cohen, a Los Angeles gallerist and creator of the Photo New York, Photo Los Angeles and Photo San Francisco fairs. “The print you buy should be in pristine condition and the provenance in order. The dollar difference in prints of the same image can be as much as 40 percent, depending on condition. Determining factors include whether it’s signed or unsigned and if it’s an earlier or later print.”

“A print is a handmade object,” adds Robert Tat of Robert Tat Fine Photographs in San Francisco. “Each is unique. You must realize you’re buying an object of a certain condition and not an image.”

Caring for Your Collection

“When you’re not displaying your photographs, keep them protected in a flat file,” says Spencer Throckmorton of Throckmorton Fine Art in New York City. He recommends purchasing a flat file (about $700 to $1,000) from an art supply store and using standard black frames fitted with UV Plexiglas in 11-by-14-inch, 16-by-20-inch and 20-by-24-inch sizes. Enclose each photograph in a custom-cut, acid-free mat before framing. “By standardizing your mats and frames, you can easily rotate your collection in gallery-like groupings,” says Throckmorton, who also advises displaying photographs in rooms with diffused light and never in direct sunlight.

San Francisco Sex Fans: Sending out Feelers

2007-01-31T01:20:00.000-05:00

I have an idea, sort of.

One of my jobs at the gallery is to brainstorm lots of interesting ideas--ideas for shows, ideas for events, ideas for networking, all of it. My director knows about my photography and has agreed to let me coordinate an erotic art show in the gallery (using the art from our 200,000-piece inventory) IF I decide I can find enough art lovers/collectors who would be interested in attending. I'm still sending out feelers. My gallery represents some of the largest collections of Master's works, and I thought it would be cool to highlight some of Picasso's most erotic etchings, and/or Dali's Marquis de Sade and Casanova suites (which are friggin' AWESOME). If you live in San Francisco, or are willing to travel there, is this something you might be interested in? Are you involved in any swingers or SMBD groups who might be interested? I think it would be a cool show, but I want to make sure people would actually attend. Feel free to email me at samantha at his dot com if you have questions, connections, or opinions.

And no, I wouldn't have my art up. Sad but true. But I would be there, and rumor has it that I'm awesome. :)

Three Things

2007-01-14T00:04:00.000-05:00

1. Dali's Marquis de Sade suite is growing on me. I need to go back and read all the plays.

2. Box Magazine, that oh-so-lovely publication I mention all the friggin' time, will be publishing a "fucking flipbook" of photos by moi. Basically, it will be a flipbook of two people having sex, though, I want to run a test series of a blowjob. Any couples interested in being in the flipbook? We don't need faces, just a lot of movement. Oh, and did I mention Box will be written up in Jane Magazine at some point? Getting famous....

3. I'm always looking for couples, that's a given. I will rarely, rarely turn someone away, and even then, it's either only because I don't think they quite know what they're getting into and I don't want them to do something they'd regret, or one/both people are married, and not to the person they want they the photos with (homey don't play that). But I'm really, really disappointed that I don't have more diversity in the couples I feature. Basically, they're all white and heterosexual. All this time, I've been saying I want to document "real sex" with "real people" so that the pictures are as polar to preexisting porn and "erotic art" as possible. But porn and "erotic art" have traditionally held a premium towards white, heterosexual couples, so my photos aren't doing their job. This really, really bothers me. In the end, my stuff is no different than the stuff that's already out there. I really want to show that EVERYONE has sex, and it's always awesome, regardless of what the people in the Porn Garter Belt (the Bible Belt's slutty little sister) will have you believe. Someday......

Update

2007-01-10T16:00:00.000-05:00

It's been a while. The gallery is keeping me busy, but alas, I have shirked on the photo work. My schedule is very hectic, but I'll keep you abreast (har har) of things. In the meantime, here's what to look for, and some reasons why I might be incommunicado (again)

Sometime in mid-late January: Another shoot with my favorite pregnant couple before they're no longer pregnant, a shoot with a new couple, and a shoot to create photos used for a sexy flipbook. More news on that later.

February 12: Boyfriend gets older.

Sometime mid-late February: Shoot with a new couple

February: Cajun Ralph comes to visit? (I can't remember where we left that...)

Second week in March: Mom and Spousal-Equivalent come to visit

Third week in March: Pseudo-in-laws come to visit

March?: I think I have another shoot in there, but I can't remember

April, hopefully: My partner in crime through HS and college comes to visit. Watch the news.

April 21: Auction at the gallery (More on this later)

Some art stuff, mostly social stuff. But now you know why I'm terrible at posting on the blog.

Look! Photos!

2006-12-29T02:04:00.000-05:00

Ok, mini-rant before I get to the good stuff. I am sick. Sick sick sick sick sick. Like, the Bubonic Plague has re-emerged just to infect me. I can't remember the last time I was this sick, it's that impressive. I've weathered a lot of stuff, but man, I CANNOT handle getting sick. I'm a total wimp. Grumble, grumble, grumble. I think the only solution is Godiva (or more cowbell, I haven't decided which.)

But I'm an impatient gal, and I can't tolerate complaining, even my own, so we're moving on.

Photos! Lots and lots of photos! Mwahahaha! This couple was fan-fucking-tastic. Really. Totally uninhibited, very, very much in love, completely adorable, and schtupped like teenage bunnies. I'm not entirely sure I've ever had a shoot where I was just as tired as the couple at the end of it all. I mean, we're talking Energizer Bunny-level. If they ever decide to write a sex guide, I'm providing the illustrations.

I took over 650 photos of them, and I very deliberately eschewed anything traditionally pornographic. Anyone can take a photo of a blowjob. I've always been a sucker for good personality, anyway.

These are a few of my favorites. My absolute favorite is awaiting approval by the couple, and might be posted later.

Happy Chanukah!

2006-12-17T01:00:00.000-05:00

Oy, I'm a terrible Jew. I completely forgot it was Chanukah last night. Have I gotten presents for anyone? No. Have I gotten presents for myself? No. Do I even want to attempt to shop? No. My boyfriend leaves for Paris on Tuesday and won't be back until Jan. 2, and you couldn't PAY me to shop so close to the holidays, so I'm waiting until he comes back, then dragging him around with me as punishment for abandoning me during the holidays. No, he's not evil--his younger brother, who he hasn't seen since August when they were at a funeral, is spending the year in Paris for school, so they are spending the holidays. See? Good excuse. Besides, it will give me lots of time to read, submit work to galleries/magazines/publishers, blog.....

Photo updates:
No, Erotic Signature didn't accept me. Heathens.

I have a shoot with a very cool couple tomorrow. And as soon as I get approval from another couple, I'll be posting pictures. See, that was supposed to happen a while ago, as soon as I mailed off their disk, but I didn't know the envelope was hiding under our sofa, and that I actually mailed off a Netflix disk.

Zeugma Magazine will be sending me a copy or two of the Fall 2006 issue. I hear they're hand silkscreened, which should be awesome. I also hear I should be "pleased with my placement", whatever that means, but I'm sure I will. I also also hear they inadvertantly made a collector's item. One of the two EICs emailed me to say that the other EIC, bless his Polish heart, thinks Vs and Ws are interchangeable, so I am listed as "Samantha Wolow" in the magazine. No biggie. I mean, my business cards at work say "Samantra Wolov", and I'm actually supposed to try and make money there. So, think I'll be famous someday? Get yourself one of these mags, or get my card!

This doesn't have anything to do with photography, but I would really like Warhol's
"Siberian Tiger" for Chanukah. Or a solo gallery show. Anyone out there think they can swing that for me? I'll bake you my highly addictive oatmeal/peanut butter/chocolate chip cookies, or my ooey-gooey brownies. Yes, I'm comparing my baking to a Warhol. Yes, my baking is that good.

And to the model who sent me an ADORABLE Christmas card, who's now pregnant, but I can't actually say your name: Thanks, and congrats again! Hooray for babies and cards!

Shameless self-promotion: Hate shopping? Can't think of anything cool to get? Want to freak out the Normals? Buy erotic art! From me, hopefully. :)

I swear, if anything cool happens to me in the next few days, I'll blog about it. Otherwise, just consider me a slave to my gallery, but I'm alive until otherwise noted.

Sigh

2006-12-12T11:36:00.000-05:00

Once upon a time, I was an artist....

Possibly a shoot this weekend, hopefully posting photos tomorrow, when I have my day off, and taking 10> photos for Box in Oakland tomorrow.

I'm also in love with a Warhol trial proof hanging in the window of my gallery. Probably not getting it for Chanukah.....

Because I have a spare few minutes and I'm not exhausted

2006-12-03T22:57:00.000-05:00

Sigh. Once upon a time, I was much better at posting. Now, not so much. I'm just insanely busy at the gallery, but I'm pretenting I can still be a photographer.

I swear, I actually have new photos to post from a shoot about a month ago. Problem is, I show the couples the photos first and get their approval, which is usually through email, 'cept I haven't had the time to send the massive email, so then I was going to send their disk, except my computer rejected, like, five blank disks, so now I have to email all the photos to them tomorrow on my day off before my commissioned nudie shoot. Whew, twas a mouthful. But there will be photos!

I actually need a few models for the aforementioned Box shoots. I need:
1. An athletic (or at least moderately fit) looking guy so I can take a picture of his penis, then his butt. The idea is that it's the same picture, just from the front and back. If you have a jock strap, you're hired.
2. A couple who wants to have sex for a flipbook. Meaning, you have sex, I take rapid-fire photos, and we make a flipbook.

I need to flee. Dinner (and my goofy boyfriend) await.

I have emerged....

2006-11-30T12:06:00.000-05:00

Yeah, I'm alive. Sort of. At least, my doctor says so. I'm actually fine, just obscenely busy (and not in a good way.)

Ok, quick update before I have to go back to work:
1. I had a shoot, like, a month ago. The pictures are good, but I haven't actually mailed the couple a disk yet because of the aforementioned icky schedule, but I'm getting there, I swear.

2. The shoot I was supposed to have this weekend has been postponed. I will be sleeping instead.

3. I have a commissioned figure shoot on Monday, but I doubt those will be public. Sorry.

4. Box Mag (www.box-mag.com) and I are trying to work together again for one big suite and two smaller projects. Anyone wanna be in a flipbook?

5. I have been terribly lax in trying to make art, get it out there, and pretend I'm a successful photographer, so unfortunately, I don't have any exciting news to share. Except that I was in L'Hebdo Magazine in Switzerland. Supposedly. I haven't actually seen them. But it was for an article on orgasms, so it was probably good.

Is there a "Ms. Wolou" in the house?

2006-11-07T10:54:00.000-05:00

This has nothing to do with art. Sorry.

I'm really bummed. I got myself excited about voting in California for the first time, I read all the packets they gave, me, filled out my cheat sheet, went to go see where my polling place was, and.....discovered they had misspelled my name. Samantha Emily Wolou. Wolou?! It's five letters. How can anyone screw up five letters? It's such an easy name! My name gets misspelled a lot (Wollov, Wollove, Woluv, Wolor, etc.) and mispronounced a lot (correct: "Wall-of" or "olive" with a "w" in front of it), but I never cared. In fact, it weeded out the idiots. But goddamn it, I want to vote! They may still let me, so I have my fingers crossed.

But in the meantime, get thee to a polling place! Go go go go go!

Cleaning house...prints for sale!

2006-11-06T18:25:00.000-05:00

I have two prints that have been floating around my apartment since I moved in August, and I don't really want them here anymore. They're both from the "Lingerie" series, and they're both for sale.

The first is "Panties, Beige and Black Floral Mesh." It was professionally printed by my favorite printing shop in DC, an 8"x12" image centered on 11"x14" paper, signed, and has been sitting in a frame for a few months, so no scratches. However, one of the corners is ever so slightly bent. Just a teeny, tiny amount, I swear. If you mat it, no one will see it. Even if you don't, it gets flattened out by the frame anyway. It's a very, very small flaw, but a flaw nonetheless. I usually sell prints for $150, but given the crease, I'm selling it for $115. Here's a photo:

The second print is "Panties, Green and Purple Floral Mesh." I printed this back when I was testing printing alternatives. It is printed on 16"x20"paper, and is almost that same size, but the white border looks a little odd (two sides are about an inch thick, the other two barely have any white space at all.) It's been sitting in the travel tube all this time, no scratches, no creases, no imperfections at all. It's signed, too. Given that I didn't use my normal printer (the paper feels like generic photo stock), but it's much larger than my usual prints, I'm also selling it for $125. Here's a photo:

I actually really, really like these prints, the colors fantastic and the images are crisp and clean, but they don't quite fit in with the rest of our decor (ecclectic mod with a touch of irreverent femininity, whatever that means). Besides, I've already subjected my boyfriend to two MASSIVE faux-vintage "botany" (read: pretty flowers) posters, and I'm not sure he'd appreciate photos of my panties on our walls for when his parents come to visit.

These are the only two I have, so if you're interested, the sooner you email me, the better; it's a first come, first served thing. The prices include shipping, don't worry. Email me if you're interested samantha at his dot com.

I work hard for the money.....so hard for the money....

2006-11-03T12:43:00.000-05:00

I have a job interview today. I don't want to say anything about it yet, just in case it's a total bust (ahem, like the major technology magazine who called me in to meet the senior staff to see if I would "click" as their editorial assistant, then cancelled the second meeting because I had too much art experience, because, you know, I had accumulated another 16 years of art experience between my first interview and that phone call.) But I have my fingers crossed. I'm a little worried about scheduling and how it will affect my photography, but if they offer me the job, I'll discuss it with them. They're art people, so maybe they'll be sympathetic.

And, speaking of jobs, Box hired me to do another spread. This time, I get total creative freedom (as if I didn't before--they're fantastic). The pictures for this issue won't come out for a looooong time (spring?), so I don't want to ruin the surprise, but I think I'm going to have a lot of fun taking these pictures. Now, maybe I can find a costume store that still sells fake blood...

Also, I have a new* bodyguard. His name is Lee, he's utterly fantastic and adorable, and he'll definitely come in handy in my line of work. Get it? Handy? Erotic Photography? I slay me...

*No, I didn't have an "old" bodyguard. My boyfriend works during the day at his fancy-schmancy, super-secret internet browser paradise (I know you're reading this, J), and he never comes to my shoots (loo-zah), so he was never considered a bodyguard.

I might need to do bodily harm to someone, I'm not sure

2006-11-01T18:10:00.000-05:00

It's days like today that make me want to quit the photography and go to law school or something. I'm going on pause for a few days, or until bludgeoning highly unprofessional models and myopic, self-richeous German teens is legal. Long story.

This post has nothing to do with Halloween

2006-10-31T16:47:00.000-05:00

First off, none of you got my Monty Python reference. Shame on you.

I'm on my way out the door to take my sixth and last of the masturbation portraits. I'm surprised by how hard it's been finding models, but everything seems to have worked out. I'll let you know when the magazine is out.

Also, My interview with SexTV is tomorrow. I still don't have a couple lined up, officially, but I think I have two prospects. Maybe. Maybe maybe. I'm actually hoping that the producer and his crew won't be too disappointed if I bake them brownies.

I also have a shoot on Saturday.

My Secret Eye

2006-10-30T17:04:00.000-05:00

My two copies of "My Secret Eye" ("Mein heimliches Auge") arrived in the mail today! They look awesome. Claudia, the editor, used about 12 photos, including five or so in a two-page spread. According to the contributor pages, I also seem to be the youngest person in there. The whole book is in German, so I'm missing out on all the text, but there are lots of photos, drawings, and paintings. Yay!

If you felt like ordering a copy, you could go to Konkursbuch's website. I'm in Erotic Yearbook XXI (21)

Also...

2006-10-30T02:23:00.000-05:00

According to amazon.com, Best Women's Erotica '07, the first of my three book covers, seems to have been published and is ready for purchase. Even if you don't give a rat's patoot about the art, buy it anyway because:

1. Cleis Press is a local, very cool erotica publisher who gave me a shot when no one else would.

2. Violet Blue is fantabulous in a major way.

3. What's wrong with erotica?

I think I may go buy a few copies and give them to my cousins at Thanksgiving. Because nothing says "family bonding" like the distribution of literary porn at wholesome family gatherings.

Response to "Scotsman" (are you on a horse?)

2006-10-29T22:03:00.000-05:00

Ok, I couldn't actually find where you had commented, so I couldn't post my response, and it would be rude of me to not answer your questions, so you get your very own blog post. :)

I LOVE the D200. I wouldn't say it's idiot-proof, but it's fairly easy to use. It's an incredible machine, and it fit my needs perfectly. However, my needs may not be the same as yours. Because of the photojournalistic element and how many pictures I take during a shoot (my record is the equiv. of 37 36-exposure rolls of film), I needed something that could take lots of rapid-fire shots without getting "tired", I could easily modify the ISO speed to accomodate light changes from different locales during the same shoot, and I needed it to be able to make really nice, large prints (it's 12.9 megapixels.) It's a sexy, sexy machine. If you already have a Nikon, it will also fit some of your old lenses, but if I remember correctly, macro lenses might develop a slight fisheye look. It's also fairly expensive. As far as I'm concered, the camera paid for itself after my second shoot, but I use cameras more often than a lot of people. It's a pro camera, and as much as I love it, I wouldn't recommend it as a gadget to play around with--WAY too expensive. I'm not sure where you're located, but some equipment stores (like Penn Camera in the DC area) offer rental services so you can test out the equipment. So, rent the D200, try it out, marinate, then decide if you're comfy with it. I feel like cameras should "fit" like a pair of jeans or shoes. I know that sounds crazy, but using it should feel really comfortable. When I graduated from junior high and really started to show interest/promise in photography, my parents got me a Nikon N70, and I really liked it. When I graduated from HS, and was REALLY interested in photography, I asked for a second camera as a present, the idea being I could have one for color film and one for black and white so I could play around during shoots. That was 2002, and digital cameras really weren't what they were today, and I wasn't interested in a hefty digital camera at that point. So, my mom took me to the camera store, and they had recommended the N80, a step up from the N70 (which had since been discontinued, I think), and supposedly much better in many respects. I took it home, but it didn't feel right. So I brought it back and got a second N70.

The D200 is right for me, but it might not be right for you. If you're nervous about digital SLRs, getting the D200 would be like learning to drive on a Ferarri. Try before you buy. Do you're homework, ask around, find a reputable retailer with informed, educated, trustworthy salespeople and tell them what you need. Find someone who rents equipment, and test as many cameras as you need to in order find the one that feels right to you. Feel free to shoot me an email if you have any other questions: samantha at his dot com. Hope that helped!

Update

2006-10-29T11:45:00.000-05:00

1. There's a story circulating in the art world about a Holocaust survivor who wants the works she made for Dr. Mengele back, and the museum at Auschwitz won't give them to her. The story is, Dr. Mengele needed to illustrate his "theories" about Gypsies, and the photographs he had weren't good enough. He approached this woman to make a series of paintings for him. She agreed, but in exchange, he had to protect her and her mother from the gas chamber. He agreed. They lived, and he got his paintings. They are on display at the museum in Auschwitz. She wants them back. They won't give them to her. Now, if it were any other situation, I might be siding with the museum. Technically, those paintings were commissioned works, and thus the ownership lies with Dr. Mengele (or at least his estate.) However, THIS WAS NOT VOLUNTARY. She could either make these paintings, or die. As my boyfriend so aptly put it, "if you get mugged, and they catch the person who robbed you, you get the money back. Yes, you gave them your stuff, but it wasn't voluntary." The curators are arguing that her paintings are helping to illustrate Auschwitz, that these paintings are a part of Auschwitz history. Auschwitz was not a fucking children's book! It doesn't need illustrations! To use these paintings to "illustrate" life at Auschwitz is no better than how Dr. Mengele wanted to use them in the first place. Those paintings tell a story that, while I think it should be told, it should be told at the discretion of the artist. Simply tacking those on a wall could never come close to revealing their true meaning than if she were to present them herself, if she chose to show them. And if she decided to keep them, hide them, burn them, or somehow prevent anyone from ever seeing them again, that's fine too. Can you just imagine what those paintings might mean to her? What they represent? Good or bad, they must be incredibly intense. Now, in situations like this, emotion and sentiment rarely play a role. I appreciate that the curators are loyal to the stories their museum is trying to tell, but their lack of sensitivity to the circumstances, and more importantly, their blatent stupidity with the lack of realization that, you know, maybe she didn't actually want to make these paintings because, you know, they were terribly hateful and she would DIE otherwise, just baffles me. Goddamn it.

2. My shoots on Friday averaged out to be only so-so. One was good, one was bad, there was lots of exhausting travel and that bus accident, but I got a good shot for the magazine, which I desperately needed. I have a lot of mixed feelings, but I think it'll make for a good story. A good story that will be included in the book....

3. The book is going well. A little slow, a little directionless, but right now, I'm more concerned about just getting it all out on paper. I'm thinking it will be divided into two sections, one section on stories about actual shoots and pictures, and one section on thoughts and essays regarding erotic art.

4. I've received about 15 emailes from people about modeling, but I haven't actually scheduled anything yet, including anything for my interview. My fingers are crossed.

5. I have five masturbation portraits done, and I'm looking for a few more. My deadline is Tuesday, but I should be fine. They look good.

Pregnancy photos, as promised

2006-10-28T12:16:00.000-04:00

Hooray for pretty pictures! And in color, too....

On pause, oh so briefly

2006-10-28T00:51:00.000-04:00

I'm exhausted. I had two shoots today (er, yesterday?) for the masturbation project, one of which involved over five hours of travel, round trip (the pictures were a bust), and the bus I was on this morning got into a minor accident, and a few people got hurt. Yeah, I was one of them. We were lucky, and everyone was OK, just either a little shaken up, a little bruised, or both. I'm OK, but my knees are fairly bruised and sore. You know how the front half of the bus has the seats lined on against the sides to make room for wheelchairs, then the have seats that are perpendicular to the wall right after them? I was in one of the perpendicular seats. When we lunged forward, I got thrown forward fairly hard, but I was stopped when my knees smashed into the side of the seats in front of me. I really am OK. I'm just really tired at this point, which means PLEASE let me take care of some photo updates tomorrow or Sunday. I'll show off the pregnancy photos, talk about the masturbation shoots, everything. Right now, I'm taking my legs to bed.

Oddly enough, I was too short for anything really bad to have happened (I'm 5'10"). If I were 4-6" taller (or if I were my boyfriend, which would be odd), the seats would have hit the softish part of the knee where the joint is, and I could have done something serious. As it is, I have these two two bruises that look like thinnish stripes on my knees. They look kinda cute, actually. Blueish purple always was my color....

Blog Update

2006-10-25T16:12:00.000-04:00

Look! I changed my links! I've only been meaning to do it for about a year.....

More new things

2006-10-25T13:32:00.000-04:00

1. I've decided to write a book. Nothing too complicated, but given that I have so many stories and essays surrounding erotic art or being an erotic artist, I thought it might be nice to document everything (my mom has been trying to get me to do this for a while.) We'll see what happens. At least it gives me something to do.

2. My new business cards came! Black and white, minimalist, oh so sexy.

3. I swear, there are pregnancy pictures coming. As I said before, the couple sees them first, then I show them off publicly. Though I have to admit, I'm not sure how I feel about how fervently people want to see them.....I'm going to pretend it's because people can't wait to see more work...

Pregnant Sex

2006-10-24T23:25:00.000-04:00

Fabbo erotica writer Rachel Kramer Bussel at Lusty Lady (lustylady.blogspot.com) weighs in on this myopic article on sex during pregnancy. $50 bucks says when I'm pregnant, my husband will WANT to fuck me, and not out of pity. Why? Because he will be infinitely more of a man than Mr. Mudede.

Dear Mr. Simms

2006-10-24T21:43:00.000-04:00

I received your email the other day, and unfortunately, my email responses keep bouncing, so hopefully, this note will reach you.

I just wanted to thank you for the very kind note you sent me. I'm very pleased to hear I helped you somehow. It made my day!

Update

2006-10-23T21:58:00.000-04:00

Goodness, goodness, goodness, busy, busy, busy. Here's the scoop:

1. Had some short shoots a few weeks ago for the masturbation project. I met C and L in Oakland, where they informed me they would be having the shoot in the Berkeley Rose Gardens. OK. So we take the BART to Berkeley, then walk to the gardens. Now, I'm usually game for lots of walking. But that day, I was sick with flu-like symptoms, having "woman trouble" (really, this band of little old ladies kept following me around--REALLY annoying), and carried my monster of a camera bag uphill for what seemed like forever (it was probably only two miles or so, but ick.) Seriously, I have never sweated so much with a non-workout activity EVER. So, so gross. So then we get to the gardens, and we find this tiny, out-of-the-way woodsy area next to a creek at the bottom of a ravine. C is supposed to be the lookout while L and I go hide in the woods. L is lying on the ground, head in a big patch of ivy with who knows what in it, I'm standing, straddling him, trying to focus in the cloud of gnats we were in, and he just starts jerking off. That was picture #1. We started to walk back to prepare for the second shoot when we realized we had just been about 30 ft. away from a kid's pirate-themed birthday party. Arrgh, nothing says "erotic" like a band of little people with eyepatches and silly hats. OK, shoot #2. We get to his apartment, set up the backdrop, which was fabric that needed to be hung from a shelf. Given that he was standing, and not lying down, I had some concerns:
Sam: Are you a shooter?
J: What?
S: Are you a shooter? Or does it just sort of....come out?
J: I don't know, sometimes I am, sometimes I'm not.
S: Ok, see, I'm going to be standing in front of you, like, less than a foot away, and, see....
J: OHHHHH......I'll be careful of your clothes, don't worry.
S: I appreciate that, but I'm more worried about my camera.
J: OHHHHH....That makes sense. I'll be really careful, don't worry.
S: Thanks.

So we have the shoot. And he's standing, doing his thing, and I'm standing right in front of him, getting him in frame, focusing, you know, doing my job, then all of a sudden, BAM! He drops to the floor. I asked why, and he told me he was so worried about getting anything on me, that when it "came" down to it (har har), he had to aim elsewhere, so he dropped and aimed downwards. That was nice of him. Until....
J: Oh man, I'm so sorry!
S: What?
J: Oh jeez, I'm really sorry!
S: What?!

Ladies and gentleman, I got jizzed on. On my pants leg. The right one. It wasn't a lot, and it wasn't too weird for me or anything (occupational hazard), and he was really sweet about cleaning me off, but that's what happened. At least there weren't any pirates involved.

2. Had another masturbation shoot today. Very nice. Met another Box editor, took some pictures of a very nice girl who, if in bad, bad lighting, kind of looks like Haley Joel Osment (in reality, she's much cuter), and played Carcasonne with Ivy Guy and Jizz Master J.

3. Had the shoot with the pregnant couple! Good lord, these people are great. Seriously, I can't say enough good things about them. I've done the preliminary editing on them, but now I have to go through and make sure they're done. "Duh" comment of the day: Pregnancy changes how you have sex. You're big, you're not as nimble as you once were, and squishing your child is generally frowned upon. But you can still have amazing sex. The pictures themselves are sweet. Pretty, still a little graphic, but not the raw and animalistic I'm hoping to get back to. But you know what? I'm very happy with these pictures. These two people obviously love each other very, very much. They're sweet and tender with each other, and those are often elements that are eschewed in erotica for something that's more immediately arousing. They're nice pictures. I like them a lot. You'll see them soon and know why.

4. I had an epiphany: The people who post ads in the "Casual Encounters" section on CL seem open enough with their sexuality that they might make good models. So I've been busy looking for models there. So far, no responses. I'm also a little wary of meeting some of them. I can handle the couples. It's a different dynamic. But given that I only have three shots completed for the masturbation project, I'm apprehensive about contacting men who say they really want to masturbate in front of a woman. I mean, it would be a great way to get models, but still. So, J doesn't know it yet, but I'm going to bribe him with brownies so he'll be my chaperone at these shoots.

5. I had a job interview for a company you wouldn't expect me to work for, but I really wanted the job. I don't want to get into the details, but something has happened that needs to be worked out.

6. Happy belated birthday to Kim! Kim is the uber-sexy blond who I shot at Caltech making out in my boyfriend's bathroom and on the roof of the Physics building. She is the awesome.

Crunch time: Models for Canadian TV

2006-10-16T18:41:00.000-04:00

OK, I don't like getting into specifics when it comes to new opps that haven't been finalized or fleshed out yet (pun not entirely intended), but I have more details on the Canadian TV show thing.

Who: SexTV through CHUM television, Canada
What: 6-7 minute artist profile. Interview, footage of me taking pictures, sexy fun all around.
Where: San Francisco. My apartment? Good God, this means I have to decorate, doesn't it?
When: Sometime during Monday-Wednesday, October 30-November 1.
Why: Why not?

Very exciting. They know I've been having trouble finding a couple who is comfortable being seen on Canadian TV. They understand it's a question of maintaining anonymity, and that ensuring the comfort of my models is my first priority. They wish they could guarantee anonymity, but they can't. So I'm still looking for a VERY open couple in the SF area to be filmed with. If you don't want to volunteer, that's fine, but if you happen to know anyone who might be interested, please let me know. I've talked with the producer, and can assure you he's very nice, so you'd be surrounded by very nice people. Plus, I'm going to bake brownies for all of us, so you have gooey chocolate yumness as an extra incentive!

(I'm also looking for models aged 18-40 to model for the masturbation project. Same thing: if you know anyone who could do it, let me know.)