The Most Important Photos I Have Ever Taken:

Clickbait aside, I really do have some strong thoughts about these last few photos of 2017. Please forgive me while I wax poetic for a little bit. 

I'm pretty lucky, all things considered, to be able to have made it this long and still have all four of my grandparents still alive and in mostly good health– (as far as I know anyway).
They have been around for my entire life to this point, and aside from a few minor complaints–

(we don't see eye to eye about politics, I'm probably not getting married anytime soon, certainly not having any children, and sometimes I only need to eat one plate of food instead of an entire stove's worth)

they have always been there to learn from and to love. 

So where did all this come from? Strap in, this is gonna get a little dark.

Earlier this year there was a death in my extended family, and although we weren't very close it still hit a little closer to home than I would have liked it to. I looked at the social media feeds of my grandparents– (they SOMETIMES use facebook to...I dunno...look at old people memes or something) and came to the realization one day they will die.

(That realization came to me a while back, but just bear with me...I tend not to think about the death of my loved ones on a regular basis).

When that time came, it would be up to Myself or another member of my family to find a photo of them for a memorial service of some sort. And very quickly we would find that the photos that existed were either very old or taken with some sort of smartphone with the resolution somewhere between a potato and an iPhone 5. And to be honest, I just couldn't let my loved ones have to be remembered that way. So I made it a point while I was home for the holidays this year to sit everyone down for a formal portrait session. 

I got about 5 or so minutes each before everyone got a little antsy, but I'm fairly happy with the results none the less:

James "Jimmy" (Paw-Paw) Griffin

Gladys "Granny Grump/Nana" Griffin

Lula "Granny Lu Lu" Wilkerson

Olin "Papa Charlie" Wilkerson

If you ever wondered what I am going to look like in 40 years, here is a pretty good idea. With each passing day I see more and more of these four people every time I look in the mirror.

I wish they could be around forever, but at least I have a record of how they will always be remembered by me. 

Is it a little dusty in here for anyone else? Or is it just me?

On a happier note, I would just like to wish everyone a Happy New Year in the next few days. 2017 has been an interesting one in many ways, and I want to thank all of you from the bottom of my heart for your support.

I may be consistently tired, I may be a little grumpy sometimes, but I always enjoy my time spent behind the camera. Whether you are my subject or just a follower on this journey. My best wishes are to you and yours in the coming year. 

See you all on the other side.

-B

Top 5ish Photos of 2017 – A Year in Review.

This was a year of many firsts. First trip out of the country, first book cover, first album cover, first fan art, and even first sighting of my photos in "The wild". 

I worked with a TON of new people this year, and each though a connection made from past clients. I've become a name on a great number of tongues this year, and I hope to keep growing. If I had a dollar for every time I said: "But I'm not a _______ photographer" while shooting a particular subject matter this year, I'd be a rich man. 

When the numbers all add up, I averaged a shoot every 8.4 days this year, on top of working a full time day gig. So needless to say, I'm a little bit tired. But to be honest I wouldn't trade any of it for the world.

The Netherlands

My year may have started in the US, but my first First of the year comes from my trip abroad. I may have been sent for work, but that didn't stop me from taking the time to give myself a self-guided tour of my accomidations. 

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Talon's Grasp
(Book Cover)

This wasn't just a year of firsts for me. A close friend Zak had his first book published this year. 
He asked me to shoot photos for what would end up being the cover of this book. Zak also allowed me to test out some new equipment (for me anyway) the results of which became his Author photo seen below. 

The photo below was an outtake that didn't end up making the cover, but I still liked it anyway. Talon (Lex) went above and beyond to bring the titular character to life.

Be sure to show some love to Lex and Zak by picking up your own copy of the book on Amazon.

Lust
(An Album Cover)

Regular client and friend Hada Pixie, as well as her partner TG Mondalf invited me to take part in a special event as well. TG being a big fan of my work wanted partner up and shoot a full album's worth of images, a few of which appear below: 

You can pick up your own copy directly from Latex Records

It was through this shoot that I also met with Sakura Stars, a model I hope to do some more with in the near future. A photo of her appears in the bonus section at the end of the blog.

First "Fan Art"
"...but I'm not a Cosplay photographer..."

I'm consistently astounded by Evin from Apologue Media and am so happy to have been introduced to him and his work. Last year I met for the first time a group that would become regular clients in 2017. Solar Phoenix (as she is now known) shot multiple sets ranging from television, to anime, and even branching in the realm of video games. 

Even though I had no idea what the source material was about, it was her Hotline Miami costume that really made an impression on me this year. 

In the Wild

Through various cosplay shoots this year I was brought to the attention of a couple of groups in the Atlanta Burlesque/Nerdlesque community, and have been introduced to many wonderful people with whom I now consider both friends and clients (and even more that are on the docket to create something magical in the years to come). 

The photo below was snapped at the opening show for The FanDOM, Under The Cowl, which I also shot some of the marketing materials for. 

Kali Fornication, Benjamin Unbutton, and Désiré Èvoquer are just a few of the lovely foks from The FanDOM that I have become close with. Please keep your eyes peeled for more exciting work coming from these guys in the upcoming months. 

As a bonus, I'd also like to share some of my favorite images from a Game of Thrones burlesque show that I was invited to work on (and subsequently got me noticed by what would become FanDOM). 

The Game of Thrones: Winter is Stunning event was one that shouldn't have been missed (and if you missed it, that was clearly your fault because I talked about it a lot). 

Shown are just a few selects from my time in Westeros. Solar Wolf, Solar Phoenix, Risky Sour, and Roux La La are shown here in their wonderful costumes, with Désiré Èvoquer appearing above as Joffrey. 

Bonus Photos
(Because I quickly learned my "Top 5 photos of the year" post ended up with 30+ images in it)

A giant thank you as always to everyone who I shot with this year, I tried to make sure I grabbed a couple of photos from every shoot (and if I missed you it wasn't on purpose). And other great thanks to all of you out there whom I interact with on Social Media and in real life. I love your feedback and interactions. Thanks for reading all of the blog posts, and commenting on your favorite images. 

See you all in 2018.

Seven Black and White Polaroids (and a few Color too)

Unless you have been living under a rock, you probably have seen some variant of the "Challenge your friends to post 7 Black and White photos" post floating around. 

Usually, I take it upon myself to do one of these independently, but this year I was tagged by two friends to complete a week of Black and White photos. This year, however, I had a box of the new Polaroid Originals B&W film for my SX-70 to play with.

This post is a collection of the photos I posted throughout the week of November 12-November 18, 2017.

Along with the B&W film, I also had a pack of the color option as well. I find the color SX-70 film to be much harder to work with (but this current formulation seems to render color a little better than it did in the past). 

Désiré Èvoquer - 2017.

I'm fairly certain this is the first time I've shot with Désiré where she isn't wearing some sort of costume, and that's not a bad thing by any means.

She is a strong and powerful performer, costumer, and all around badass and when she came to me looking for something new for her portfolio I was happy to oblige. 

I'm so glad she gave me the chance to get back to my photographic roots and shoot something a little more risque. 

Makeup, Model, and Styling: Désiré Èvoquer

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