Roger Waters of Pink Floyd fame is coming back to Toronto to perform The Wall again on June 23rd. And I'll be there. Front and fucking center. Actually, even more front than front as I am there as an official photographer for the event. To say I'm excited is a huge understatement!

Am I the only one getting bored of these statement pictures?

Well, I'm glad to be back. You guys continue to surprise me. Sure, I'm disappointed at the increase in the cheap, cam-whoreish nature I see infiltrating the site, but the old-guard is still around and is putting out their high caliber work. And don't get me started on some of the new faces! Definitely glad to be back.

Going to try dA again. I've become pretty disappointed with this place over the past months, but I finally realized that dropping dA when it's getting questionable isn't going to help. I've never claimed my work to be anywhere near the best on dA, but I hope there's enough people still around that like it at least as much as the recent influx of.. well.. never mind that.

Sometimes you give someone a chance even though you're warned about it by others. Everyone deserves a chance, right? Perhaps it's naive, but you go into it hoping that it will be different, that your friends were wrong. So why is it surprising or hurtful when it turns out they were right?

Maybe.. I hope so. Things got busy. Really busy. Then I got very behind here, and wow. So yes, I've cleared my messages out and am starting from scratch. Sorry if you've submitted something expecting me to comment on it, but wow, there was way too much. Drop me a message or reply here if there's something you need me to look at!

It's been a lovely return as well. I put up a picture, something I've not done in a long time here hah, and it was almost immediately requested by #monofacture .. cool! What's next, a DD? Naw, not likely. It's been over a year since my last one!

Le SAG tagged my in this: [link]

I got her tag before SAMLL's tag, so you fail Tori. For that it's a spanking. It'll hurt me more than it hurts you.. Oh wait, no... I'll enjoy it more than you.

10 random facts about me.. Well...

1) My hearing is fucked. This is from years of being in a touring band and standing in front of nearly 2 kilowatts of bass amp.
2) I'm ridiculously, painfully shy in person.
3) I started getting *white* hair when I was 18, and I love it.
4) ...
5) I'm too lazy to procrastinate
6) I flirt like a motherfucker. Watch yourself.
7) I am obsessed about symmetry in certain kinds of pictures.
8) My models are my best friends
10) I failed math once in highschool due mostly to liberal self-medication.

SAG, I'm not tagging anyone. Pffftttt

I know that many of my watchers love Sami almost as much as I do, so if you're on the facebook, why not like her fan page? I know you want to! GO NOW! [link]


And while you're at it, you can add me as a friend! Just make sure you include your dA username! [link]

Ok ok, you don't *have* to vote for Sami/Samantha, but if you don't I will cry. Click here: [link] and look for the picture shown below. If it's not on that page, click on the NEXT link at the bottom and keep looking! You have to have facebook and allow this page/app access to it.




DOOOO ITTTTTT

(and while you're at it, ADD ME! [link]

It's time for another spotlight of some truly incredible work that some of the various people I watch are putting out. So, with that shit said, let's get started!

First up is =TMarieWinters. I've respected Tiffanie's work for a very long time and count myself lucky that I will be able to shoot with her this summer, though I am even luckier that I am able to count her as a very dear friend. :hugs: She has a gift for subtle but effective editing and bringing some true emotion into her work. Let's explore:



Her skills aren't limited to working with others. No, not in the least! She does some *incredible* self portraits that also bring vast emotion as well as incredible beauty. Observe!


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Next up is probably my favourite person on tumblr, or at least the person I harass the most *Desaturated-Desires. Margaux's talent isn't limited to photography. She's gifted in so many aspects, but for our purposes here today I am highlighting her photography. She, like Tiffanie, brings a wide range of emotion to her work. Margaux goes from desperation to whimsy at the drop of a hat. Her self portraits are stunning, full of emotion and beauty.



And two of my favourites:

:thumb203943685:
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And here's some amazing work from ~karolanegb who is skilled at many mediums. Her latest image quite honestly made me sit back and stare for minutes.



Wow. Simply. Wow.

Family.... if they aren't there to constantly borrow money while never actually, you know, paying it back, what are they there for? My youngest sister owes me enough to buy myself a Canon 5D mkII, along with a second one to use as a backup. That would be nice to have as I'm rocking a T2i right now. It's frustrating since she has no job and no real prospects for one. She, her boyfriend and her son live with my mother and step-father, who aren't by any means loaded so I end up having to help them out as well. That's fine, they've helped me in the past. Still, it frustrates the hell out of me. She and her son also lived with me for a year, kicking in *maybe* $50 a month for rent/groceries/utilities.

I have no problems helping people out, and often times I don't actually expect to be repaid, but enough is enough. So, how does one tell family to back the fuck out of one's wallet? Here's the tricky part - she claims it's for a prescription.

** Fun fact - I desperately need a new set of studio lights, I managed to destroy one of mine and the other one will no longer sync wirelessly. And of course that fund has been depleted, once again.

A shoot with the wonderful =TMarieWinters this summer? OHYESPLEASE!

I'm sure there's an icon on here somewhere for dancing, but I'll be fucked if I can find it. But I'm doing a dance. Yes.

And if I do not miss a part of you, a part of me is dead.
If I can't love you as a lover, I will love you as a friend.
And I will lay a bed before you; keep you safe until the end.

(Dammit I love la dispute way too much.)

I love when my best friends doubt me.
I love when my best friends doubt my word.
I love when my best friends doubt my intention.

These are some of the things I love. Oh yes.

Hannah is another of those deviants that doesn't get much notice on deviantART. Is it because her work is lost amongst the noise of gratuitous flaccid crotch shots or camwhores taking pictures of themselves in filthy bathroom mirrors? I would hope not, but it is likely the case. So I call upon you again, my lovely followers, to show Hannah here some proper dA love.

Yesterday I uploaded my 500th deviation! Yay! Here's #500

and #499



ALSO WATCH!! [link]

I've recently watched ~XbrokenXopenX, for which I am eternally thankful. Ania has posted some of the most incredible images I've seen in quite a long time. Check. This. Out.

:thumb195962000:
Crazy awesome, no? OK. WATCH THIS


Ho.Lee.Shit. FAV THAT. NOW!

How can it be that in 10 months she has less than 2,000 page views? Friends, followers and Shelby (heh) I call upon you to put right this tragedy.
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I received a wonderful, very incredible message from one of my models today. I won't go into the message, because it wouldn't be proper, but it was wonderful. I <3 her all that much more now. You, my dear friend, have made me smile, and almost brought a tear to my bitter and jaded eyes.

In other news, a few times over the past couple of weeks I have been taken to task for using a backdrop that has wrinkles. This isn't due to laziness I assure you. I do have backdrops that are as smooth as my own behind (I moisturize daily) but I find them to be devoid of interest. They are useful for certain types of shots, I suppose, but I am not a commercial glamour photographer, nor do I strive to become one. As some of you know, I love playing with textures, and if I can sneak in a bit of texture into the backdrop in a way that isn't too distracting, all the better.

However, the models have all loved the pictures with the wrinkled backdrops, and that's the only thing that matters to me. Those who have attempted to educate me are entitled to their opinion just as I am entitled to think they are full of shit. It's like Canon vs. Nikon (Canon wins, of course), no one is right. It's a matter of personal opinion.

I am helping out ~clemur with a contest she is running. Check it out here [link]

There's POINTS and shit. Unless you don't like points.
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Unrelated, #monofacture: Guys, you really need to get a handle on your shit. What's the deal? It seems if a deviation doesn't have a kitten, that annoying Danbo fuck, or some nekkid chick then it's "Not Extraordinary"? UGH.. Fuck your kitten loving cardboard boxes. I'm off to higher, more consistent grounds #devPREMIUM

*Yes, I did just have yet another deviation declined, but it's in #ModelProPhoto so I'm not terribly concerned about Monofuckture, but I've heard close to a dozen complaints over the past week alone relating to the decline in consistent, extraordinary images coming out of the group.

Well, my previous journal was somewhat more popular than I had thought it would be. It turns out people want me to talk about them and potentially make up embarrassing stories as well. So be it, but man was it a lot of work! So this is to replace it, to take it off the main page where people will hopefully not notice it any more.

And what's the deal with :dev and :icon not working? WHO FUCKING BROKE dA?

SPOTLIGHTS!@!#



I may have spotlighted Jessy previously, I don't know and am too lazy to check.

Honestly, one of my favourite images on dA EVAR.

Either way, check out this stuff, seriously great work!


So, go drop by ~JessyRae-Photography's profile and say hi!

FIRST! As I write this, it's -FUCKING30C outside, without the wind. That's -22F for my backwards American frands. When I go out for a smoke, my nads jump into my throat, and that isn't as pleasant as one would think. My heating bill is going to be awful. Ow my wallet hurts.

NOW!

Taken from *LifeWithARedhead who took it from *so-fiii

1. Tell you something I've learned about you by looking at your dA page for 13 seconds.
2. Tell you which color you remind me of. (it will likely be yellow)
3. Tell you my first memory of you. (I will probably make this up, my memory is shite)
4. Tell you what animal you remind me of.
5. Ask you something I've always wondered about you.
6. Tell you my favorite thing about you.
7. Give you a weird nickname.
8. Tell you my honest opinion about you.
9. Confess something to you that I didn't dare say before.
10. Challenge you to post this on your journal.

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SPOTLIGHT!

SAG!

Courtney (if that is indeed her real name) is a walking case of Tourettes Syndrome. I wish I had Tourettes, but nooooooo. And she can, you know, take some pretty spectacular pictures and shit. CAN YOU SEE THAT I AM SERIOUS?



I blame for pointing me in her direction. Dammit, Tory.