New site theme!
Hot on the heels of my latest post, I’ve installed a new theme. Bear with me while I replace the sliding door graphics with images of my own and fill the pages with content.
- Ray
You are currently browsing the archives for March, 2010.
Self-reflection or a moment of Indulgence?
I’m not sure which this really is, but..
I am a good photographer. I say this factually because I believe in truth and people (not just friends and family) tell me such. I also believe it because of the 8+ million views my galleries have received on PBase (http://www.pbase.com/hmetal) and the comments on those very galleries. Any photographer worth the time he or she has spent learning and honing their craft and worth the money people spend on their services should be able to say this, “I am a good photographer.” It is not cocky or egotistical to say this. If you cannot, then keep practicing and keep reading and learning. One day you will be able to say so with conviction.
Some people tell me my work is awesome, amazing, beautiful, creative, sexy, erotic and a whole range of terms from comments my images have received on the Photo-A-Day project the I first embarked upon back in 2005 (http://www.pbase.com/hmetal/pad). Since that defining moment, I have purchased studio equipment, lighting, speedlights, remote transmitters, light modifiers such as soft boxes, strip boxes, snoots, barn doors and spot/focusing grids and whatever I needed at the time, in order to sharpen my techniques and capture the world through my eyes. I practiced lighting techniques, studied the masters, mostly in the genre of nudes and glamour, even posting my to photography forums and contests.
I have a beautiful model and muse who has accompanied through this journey that I am still embarking upon, my wife Sharon. Her involvement in my photography hobby and professional career has made me the photographer I am today. My passion is capturing beautiful portraits of people, the desire of freezing a moment in time, perhaps the tears of a bride’s mother as her son or daughter takes their wedding vows, or the expression of great achievement a sprinter experiences as he or she makes it across the finish line or the pride and joy on a pregnant mother’s face as she poses for maternity photos with a light piece of flowy material obfuscating her most private parts or the liberation she feels as she stands with her beautiful, glowing skin and a new life in her tummy, nude as intended from birth. These moments are just small parts of a life’s journey through time. What a beautiful thing it is to be the guy who has the ability to capture and provide those moments, those memories, those slices of time on the roller-coaster of life!
I will not feel like I am a great photographer until I reach a point of personal satisfaction, some milestone where I can stand up and say, “I am done learning.” that will likely never happen for I am still learning even now. I have tutored others but I am myself still on a voyage of discovery. I still study the work of the masters, of my peers, of my competitors and the work of creative, artists and photographers worldwide; Moulin, Belloc, the paintings of Delacroix, the great nude masters such as Helmut Newton and Peter Lindberg, Ralph Gibson and David Hamilton and even the pinup art of Alberto Vargas. There is an endless supply of inspiration from which to draw. My journey will be just that, a journey that will hopefully never end, that it will go on through my work appreciated by others long after I am gone.
I don’t know what spawned this moment of self-reflection, but I think it is in part because of a few photos of a beautiful little baby named Kyleigh and the joy a young mother expressed about the pictures. That’s a good thing.
I’ll post more photos soon but for now, click this link to view my recent blog post with photos of Kyleigh: http://rayakey.posterous.com/introducing-kyleigh
Thank-you Kyleigh and thank-you to my family, friends and followers for supporting what I do. To my beautiful wife Sharon, I love you and I thank God for you daily.
- Ray
Senior Portraits, Fashion’s New Vogue? Feature Models and more..
As I sit reading the latest issue of American Photo, an issue about senior portraits coming of age I’m thinking that this is a great thing. You should check out the Mar/Apr 2010 issue if you are a photographer or a senior coming of age yourself.
It details how social networking sites and the internet have affected senior portraits. No longer are senior portraits limited to plain white background or that pretty (ick) blue/cloud pattern background that still makes us all scream “tacky!”
The youth of America, aware of many of the aspects of photography, demand more. They want their personality to show in photos, they want our best work. They want to be photographed not in a shirt and a tie (although we can shoot those too, just as good as the other aspects of our work) but the point is, why not try something different? Why not make it fun for them?
Finally, I see hope for the future of senior photography. A glimmer of creativity once again shining through, hinting at yet another paradigm shift in photography, another search for beauty in photographic art.
So, I’m thinking, this is right up my alley! These are the kind of photos I shoot and they are the ones that I still love to shoot. Images that show personality! If you’re interested in football, why not don a little dark makeup under the eye and show some football love in your senior portrait. Or perhaps, you’re a country girl who wants to show off that cowgirl side of yourself so you put on the cowgirl shirt, hat and boots. Why not do a couple formal senior portraits and then break free and shoot some personality shots?
So, if you want to get senior photographs where the photographer invests the time and effort to get to know you, to “see” how you will fit into the surroundings and isn’t afraid to discuss with you what might help us get the best out of your photo session, give us a shout. You just might find that you like it enough to become a model yourself!
Speaking of models and other stuff, I should take this time to also mention that we’re also looking for feature models for stock photography shoots, that we’d love to call up once we enter our expansion phase. We’ll be making two announcements soon. One is a feature model search with a nice prize for the lucky winner, and the other details of a book project we’ve been planning since late last year, which will include a casting call for some TF* work with room for hairstylists, makeup artists and models along the Windsor-Toronto corridor.
In the meantime, here’s some recent portfolio work featuring Sara and Laurenza.
Stay tuned!
Posted via email from rayakey’s posterous
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Jayme and a Little Fan Contest
I am having a Stephen King moment. I am feeling oddly inspired at 7:29 AM and haven’t slept yet. I am seriously hoping that neither “the Dark Man” nor “Randall Flagg” are standing anywhere in my vicinity.
While getting ready to get some shuteye before tomorrow’s photoshoot with Kareem and Sara (whom I haven’t yet met and hope I spelled her name right), I began to think how I have neglected this blog lately. No longer. So to kick off this renewal or rebirth, let’s have some fun!
I have spent a great deal of time working on a business plan in order to secure government funding to expand, relocate and rename Luminescent Memories Photography. I won’t give the new name away yet since I don’t want someone to snag it out from under me but it is more fitting than “Luminescent Memories” and it leaves no room question about what we do .. and it is a _lot_ easier to spell than ‘luminescentmemories.com.’
But now for the fun part. Some of you may have seen the new name. I will not reveal where but I have hinted at it quite a lot recently. So, for those reading this blog who live in the Windsor, Ontario area (Windsor, Lasalle, Tecumseh), I have a little contest. If you can guess the name of our new business or the domain name of the new business, I will give you a 1 hour FREE photoshoot (you do your own hair and makeup this time around) and all photos on a DVD. Comment on this blog or eMail your answer to ray AT luminescentmemories.com and we’ll respond as soon as we get your answer.
While you think about it, here’s an image from a recent photoshoot with the lovely Jayme. Jayme has a very classy, old hollywood glamour look and we love working with her. You will see more from Jayme in the near future on this blog, so stay tuned!
And now, I am off to bed,
-R
Jeff and Sarith’s Wedding – Coffee Table Book
Click here to buy your own copy of Jeff and Sarith’s coffee table Wedding book.
Introducing Kyleigh
My great niece, Kyleigh. Daddy Jeremy and momma Megean are proud parents. Jeremy is taking the job of “baby daddy” very seriously. Respect earned.
You will probably see Kyleigh again as she grows..
- Ray
