E Komo Mai! Welcome to my blog.

I'm delighted that you dropped in! E Komo Mai: WELCOME! This blog is basically an online visual journal is modeled after a concept I learned of in psychology 101... waaaaaaay back in college. That concept was somewhere in the chapter on The Significance of Dreams, where it mentioned someone's theory on dreaming about a house usually means that the house represents you. So I have used my actual house (Mauna Lea Manor) to structure my blog. In different rooms you will find different aspects of my life; different interests I like to blog about. This is a way to bring a little organization into my life and thoughts for myself... (dreams are in The Bedroom, Family updates are in The Living room, etc.)
This also, I would imagine, make reading this blog more convenient for you as well. If you are a grandparent interested in seeing photos and hearing stories about my boys, but maybe not so interested in my bellydancing obsession: you can just read what goes on in The Playground. But if you are an Art Collector more interested in my latest work and information on collecting, but not especially interested in my personal life: you'd enjoy The Office. Mauna Lea Manor is sort of the foyer to all the other rooms. If you would like to tour my online portfolio, please visit: www.stephaniebolton.com.
I hope you enjoy your time here ;) & continue to stop by!



Wednesday, July 14, 2010

What I have to work with...

Remember
leave a comment answering this question for a chance to win
an Indian necklace & earring set from Divine Goods Hawaii- Oasis of Beauty.

If "they" would come- What would YOU build?

I always ask for four images to work from.
That gives me some variety for my composition but also allows me to see my subject from a few different angles, which can help a lot- especially if I have never met them in person.


This profile shot was taken by Pixie Vision Productions.
This outfit has shot many well-known belly dancers and taken some signature photos, you probably would recognize. Really stunning work.

For almost a decade, the insightful lens of Pixie has captured the essence of the performer and created some of the defining images of the lucid dreamer in the modern world.

She has toured with numerous bands documenting life on stage and off, but it is in the studio where the veil between model and photographer dissipates. Her inner dialogue as a photographer is a dance between the character of her subject and her perception of their desire.

Pixie holds a Bachelor of Fine Art from the School of Visual Arts in New York City and her work has been featured worldwide in publications including Variety, Pulp Magazine, Playgirl, Metal Edge, Complete Woman, Skin & Ink, Modern Drummer, Revolver and Rolling Stone.

In photography, I've found a way to make people happy... besides the creativity, this is what I love most about it. The feedback seems to tell me that I make people feel better about themselves, love each other more... If this is my life work, I accept it.

"Make me look beautiful..." a mother of four asks of me as we find poses, angles and fabric to hide her size. Her friend writes me secretly days later how much the shoot meant to her, how desparately she wanted to FEEL beautiful, not just look beautiful. I saw the pleading in her eyes the moment I met her. We both turned it into fierceness... It is both of us working through fear... that is the psychology of photographing people...

My fear is easier to sort through... Will this person let me in? Will I capture that moment that she is brightest? Am I making the most out of a set, out of lighting and angles, of colors, props, clothes? Their fear is one of exposure... Each person gauges instantly what they will show me, what they will hide behind.. A big showy smile, wide scared eyes... Almost all of my clients begin a shoot this way, always with held breath. They all need permission to drop it, to be themselves, to shine... Tapping into people comes natural to me. I try to break down barriers faster with each successive shoot.

-Pixie


This one and the first one were taken by John E Powers.

This is more work by Pixie Vision Productions.

I have ended up taking bits and pieces from all of these photos and creating a collage, not just physically but compositionally of Kalae.
I'll show you some details of the painting tomorrow- so drop back in!

And remember to leave a comment answering the question...

If "they" would come- what would YOU build?

2 comments:

DBolton said...

If "they" would come, I would build whatever it takes....There is such a special feeling when one feels that someone has gone out of their way to make them feel special. Doing for others is the easiest way to find happiness in ones self and in the world. A simple kind gesture from human to human, even just a smile with eye contact, can sometimes make all the difference in the world. So when it comes to caring for others and building something to entice "them" to come..... cover the floor with plumerias, light the tiki torches, and let your most heartfelt smile shine....let "them" know that you are willing to do whatever it takes....to make their heart sparkle.....and they will come!

alealani said...

If "they" would come, I would build a picture of what the world was before industry, pollution and corruption. I would build a picture so clear that "they" would be inspired to help me achieve the vision of renewing this earth back to her most resplendent natural beauty. Who knows, "they" could be "us" after all.