Laura MyersSince moving back to the USA I have taken an interest pushing my work in a more avant garde direction. Recently, I worked with model Laura Myers. If you ever have a chance to shoot with Laura, do yourself a favor and don’t miss out on that opportunity. She is really great and she usually shows up with a lot of accessories and ideas. In this case, a long red wig and some twine.
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Seven day suspension from Facebook for this image of Tara Ryze
Remember when you were a kid and you got suspended from school, usually your parents grounded you as well, depending on what you did. The only upside was not having to go to school, but it was still a bummer because you would miss out on things like TV, dessert, soda pop, seeing your friends or whatever your parents decided was punishment. Well, I have been suspended from Facebook for seven days.
The image above is what got me in trouble this time, in the past I have had other suspensions and I have been warned not to post content that violates Facebook’s ‘Rights and Responsibilities’ policies. Except, in this case, I can’t understand why this type of content would be taken down as it does not contain nudity or pornography. I have seen much more revealing images on Facebook and I have even posted a few myself that passed previous scrutiny.
Another possibility is that the image was either deemed some sort of copyright violation or it was reported by someone for any number of reasons. I would be very disappointed if that were the case.
I am curious to hear about other’s experiences. Have you been suspended from Facebook? What were the circumstances, why were you suspended? Did you keep some screen grabs of the incident? Use the comments below to shar your story.
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Ljuba shot at my former studio in Winterthur, Switzerland, corset by www.entrenous.ch
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During some downtime at my Tuscany fine art nude workshops, I took Katy to the Bagni San Filippo, a natural hot spring in the middle of a forrest in Southern Tuscany. We got there early in the morning so we could get some golden light. The water is full of minerals and the landscape of this natural formation changes each year I visit. Katy certainly added to the beauty of the place and there are many more images from this series to come.
Thanks for reading my blog, you can follow me on my Facebook Page (the irony), on Twitter, onTumblr, and my Fine Art Nude Newletter
Look into the future, model Francesca.
Yulia shot in BudapestEroticism is a philosophical contemplation with a focus on the aesthetics of sexual desire, sensuality and romantic love: ‘the very word “erotic” implies superior value, fine art, an aesthetic which elevates the mind and incidentally stimulates the body’.
I happen to agree with this definiton. It’s exactly how I approach my own erotic nude photography. I aim for artistic value, aesthetics, and I am trying to turn on the mind.
I think these days, the mix of nudes, erotic art, porn, fetish - and whatever else is out there - has blurred the lines. How you define one genre in comparison to another is completely subjective. I tend to classify erotic art as something that is sensual and suggestive without being too overt in sexual content. It’s a broad definition to say the least, but it’s one that allows me a certain amount of creative freedom as well. I have to trust my own judgement and sometimes I do find that I have gone too far. Other people may approach erotica very differently and what we used to think of erotic in the past, well, we see that everyday in advertising and on our TV screens.
How do you define Eroticism and Pornography? I am curious.
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So, as I am getting settled in down here, I will keep all of you posted. I am planning some great events and workshops for the coming year and beyond, so stay tuned.
To start off, I want to let you know about my new friends here in Fort Myers at Boller Brothers Rental Studios. Kevin is running the show and he has setup a dream studio about five minutes from RSW International Airport. There are three rooms to shoot in, plus an outdoor area. The shooting bays are incredible, with high ceilings and garage door access for cars and motorcycles. This is a pro shop!
The help these guys get off the ground, I suggested they do some free events, so coming up on April 13th, 2012, we are going to host a Critique Night. If you are in the area, you should bring your best images and come along to check the place out and meet the people involved, even if you can never imagine renting a studio. Why? Because Kevin is a little crazy and he is giving away a free day rental at this event. Even if you don’t win the drawing, you still win because you will gert $25 off your first half or full day rental.
Please check it out and come on down, you’ll find more info here and you can RSVP here. If you are busy that night, don’t fret, this will be a regular event, so go to the RSVP link anyway and sign up for the mailing list so you don’t miss out.
]]>UPDATE: Our workshop base will be provided by Dr. Laura at the Sin City Gallery in Las Vegas. Check her out!
I am currently seeking participants for my first Erotic Nude Workshop in Las Vegas, Nevada on September 10th and 11th, 2011. For those of you who will be attending the PhotoshopWorld Conference, this is an excellent opportunity to extend your educational experience with hands-on photography learning.
What is Erotic Nude Photography? Let’s use my definition: sexy, sensual and suggestive photography. It’s a simple idea, build a rapport and trust with your model, then guide the experience in front of your camera while controlling the light and composition. Erotic photography does not need to be complicated. This workshop will focus on these key points.
This will be a very limited workshop with a maximum of four participants and two models. The schedule will be intensive and we will pack as much information into the program as possible. The main goal of this workshop is to help you develop and improve your eye for tasteful erotic nude photography. We will also discuss how to select and work with models, how to communicate with and direct models, how to visualize and compose your images, and how to edit and post-process.
Each day will include two three to four hour shooting sessions, one in the morning and one in the evening (locations to be determined), in between, we will have time for discussions and critiques of work shot.
If, like me, you love to shoot fine art nudes, do not miss this special opportunity to work closely with me in Las Vegas. Contact me directly at info@bryonpaulmccartney.com to register.
Additional Details:
If this seems expensive to you, please keep in mind that you will have plenty of shooting time and plenty of one-on-one guidance. I know from previous workshops that this kind of intensity can really benefit participants. Limiting the numbers gives each participant the chance to go deep into the topic with my guidance. If you are looking for a model sharing opportunity, this workshop is not for you. I am looking for participants who want to learn how I approach and shoot in the genre of erotic nude photography. If you have questions or want more details, contact me to setup a skype conference.
Register Today! Space is limited to four participants only! Email info@bryonpaulmccartney.com to for more details and to register.
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The disputed image - Gio under the waterfall at Bagni San Filippo
The other day I received an email from a former workshop student. The message was in reference to an image I had on my website (a version of the image above) and the student was asking why I had put my copyright info on his image and used it in my portfolio.
I was a bit surprised because I clearly remember taking the image myself and I would certainly never knowingly take credit for someone else’s image. As soon as I was able, I got on my computer, reviewed the metadata and the date/time stamps of the image and I verified that I had many similar images from the same sequence. The images were taken by my camera as verified by the embedded serial number and camera information.
I reported my findings back to the student, who, naturally, found it difficult to accept that he could have some of my images on his computer. I do not think anything untoward happened, I recalled borrowing a memory card that day and I assume that when I returned the card, it may still have had my images on it.
Honestly, I don’t know for sure, it’s a complete guess how he got them and frankly, it is totally irrelevant to this post. I don’t think he stole my images and I certainly did not steal his, it was just a simple case of mistaken attribution.
Unfortunately, during our back and forth emails trying to sort this out, I received the following email message from another party:
Why would any photographer copy another photographers work and tag it as their own? Just how many stolen photographs do you have in your portfolio?
Chris…
I don’t know ‘Chris’. The contact info he provided was just a fake number and a fake email. Chris, if you are reading this, it’s really easy to make accusations, false accusations in this case, without knowing all the facts. However, in this case, you made a very wrong assumption, and made no attempt to ascertain the facts.
I don’t take such accusations lightly. I have never copied someone’s work and claimed it as my own. It makes my blood boil that some nameless, faceless person may be shredding my good reputation without the facts or truth of the situation.
However, this episode certainly brings to light an important lesson if you are attending a workshop. Be sure you take care to guard and protect your images.
If you borrow a memory card from someone, be sure to format the card before using it and after you are finished with it. Do not let anyone copy your RAW files. If your camera allows you to enter copyright information, be sure it is entered so all of your images are copyrighted upon creation, with your name and any other relevant data. Take all steps necessary to ensure you have your work properly organized and verified.
In the end, I know these images were mine. It was never really a question for me, I remember many details about that day and this shooting sequence in particular. In fact, I can recall many details about most of my shoots, they are burned into my brain. However, because of some carelessness or sloppy handling of a memory card, I have so far spent several hours trying to collect proof that these were my images. That’s time I could have been doing something much more enjoyable and constructive.
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