Angelize Photography

I just want to point out a few important things.

First…I do have a camera again, but will not be diving into photography that quickly. I have a lot of past work I need to catch up on. I also don’t have much free time on my hands. I have a tiny handful of people that I do want to work with already, mostly personal friends…but not ready to take on more at this time.

Second…after my year long hiatus, I want to return as an artist only. NOT a service. My time is valuable and I’d rather focus on what feeds me artistically than simply being a photographer for other people’s ideas that I don’t even share an artistic vision for. Money “might” talk if it’s worth my time.

Third…this somewhat ties in with the last paragraph. No family portraits, No maternity pics, No glamour, No fashion, No weddings, No cliche conventional anything, No freebie band shoots, list goes on.
If you’re a close personal friend or an artist who sought me out because we agree artistically, I can bend these No’s.

My time away has caused me to rethink the time I invested into my art in the past, and I’m doing things my way now.

Yeah, I haven’t updated in about a year. But I’m not gone. My creative juices still flow, but I’m waiting. I still don’t have a good camera. I’ve taken my crappy point and shoot to shows and photograph for documentation purposes, but nothing great looking.

I could buy another camera in the near future, but I probably won’t. My funds are going elsewhere. I’d simply like to get a used version of what I had before. I’m not ready to afford anything fancy. I just want something to work with. But even a used version of what I had costs around the same to pay for my registration to the world championship Spartan Race in Tahoe, and that’s more important to me.

But I am not done with photography by any means. You may all forget about me now, but you’ll remember me when I return. I’ll be washing away my former ways and return to create the art I was meant to create. No more settling for less, no more modeling shoots that look like senior portraits, no more freebie band shoots without proper creativity invested, no more wasting time. I’ve done things in the past that I’ve put more time into than I was pleased with the end result. That’s not happening now anymore. Being a service to anyone isn’t worth my time. I don’t care if I get offered money to do a shoot. If it doesn’t feed me artistically, I’m not interested. That, I’ve learned.

Until then, I’m gonna work on uploading pictures from shows taken with my crap camera. They’ll be on my Facebook. It’s taken me so long to do anything with them, I hope I remember what shows they are from.

I did one last shoot with Mischa and Carma using this camera. I have mostly been on a hiatus, doing other things of interest in my life. Even though I wasn’t using my camera much, I still don’t like that it is broken. I did abuse the hell out of that thing, I must admit that. Here are two of images taken from the last shoot this camera ever partook in:

More will be posted on my Facebook page when I have time.

I do plan on getting a new camera. With the new camera, I will change a lot of the ways I have done photography. I reflect back on when I first started and what things I experienced and learned up to now. Again, I no longer wish to be a service. Just an artist. I want to create art. Unless it’s collaborating with close friends, I want it to be art straight from my own mind. No more meeting people from Model Mayhem that are not on the same page as me. Although it gained me experience, I have had little luck on finding people who are on the same page. I grew as an artist and that’s basically the direction I want to go.

I also have a new thing I want to try with my prints, as well. I cannot wait to do that. I still have many sets from shows and shoots that I need to get finished. I am just too distracted these days, my interests are elsewhere.

I’m still on hiatus, but don’t worry, I’m still very much alive.

To be honest, I lost some interest in doing photography. Less fulfilling and no time for it. So I’m stopping for now. Not forever.

This was slowly building up, as I started doing less modeling shoots. I started shooting with friends only and didn’t even make the time to come forward with as many edits as the sets deserved. I hate sitting at my desk for a long period of time now. Can’t stand it. Even the sets I did of live music are extremely backed up. I have twenty folders on my desktop that need to be edited, some from 2012. I haven’t even been bringing my camera to shows lately. Got tired of dragging that fat camera loaf around. Any my apologies to everyone waiting on these.

My goal is to finish those before I take on anything new. I may be tempted to take my camera to certain shows, just depends how I feel at the time. I do plan on taking more pictures of what ever interests me, but mainly adventure documentations, like trips to the river, hiking, or certain gatherings with friends.

As for my shifts in interests, I have taken up obstacle course races and have been training for them almost every day. That’s my new excitement in life. I might possibly do some volunteer photography for some of the races I don’t partake in. Some volunteer work for those events get free or discounted registration for future events, so that’s something I’d be interested in.

Anyways…until next time, keep looking on my Facebook page for some of these long awaited photo sets from shows I photographed. And sorry I lag.

I am extremely close to getting a new camera. I have had the same Canon Rebel Xsi since 2008. It’s still alive and kicking, but I know I need to upgrade and let the old one function as a back up, or to use at shows. This old camera has brought me much joy, creativity, and exploration. I look back on my old work and how I have learned so much since I first got that camera.

Getting this new camera will mark a new change for my photography. In that past, I have offered photo shoot specials for paid shoots. I have bartered photo shoots with people. I’ve done some shoots outside of my preferred artistic genre…I was pleased with some, others I wasn’t. Some of those shoots had almost nothing to do with a creative vision of my own, leaving me feeling like time was wasted. Model Mayhem has worked well for me most of the time, but it’s not so easy for me to find people that click with me on a creative level these days. Just like most artists who have collaborated with others, you sometimes get a vision that, once mixed with another persons, it doesn’t look so much like what you originally visualized any more.

Moving forward, I do not wish to offer myself as a service. I don’t want to rent myself out for weddings, baby bump or kiddy pictures. I don’t want to offer paid shoots to inexperienced models who look like scenester kids so they can have pictures to upload on Facebook. I’m not going to throw a concept out there to have someone butcher it and distort the outcome. All I want is to be an artist. I have been sketching out many of my ideas these days, and I want to use them to completely customize my visions so I know my subjects are clear. I’m not going to seek out models to shoot with me. I have friends who already understand my mind and are perfectly capable collaborating with me on projects I have in store for this path I’m on. No glamour or fashion. Just grit and fucked up shit. No compromising anymore.

Back in March of this year, I did a shoot with Lord Vast of Lluvia in the forest to be used in his album Premonicion De Guerra. As much as it was an honor to photograph him for this, my main excitement would be to receive a copy of this album! I finally received a copy today and am mindblown! I do recommend you purchase a copy of this album through Fallen Empire Records. The album and packaging is beautiful and it also features three images from my shoot with Lord Vast. I ordered two copies…one for myself and one to RAFFLE on my photography page Angelize Photography…so please stay posted on your chance to WIN this amazing album.

This image may not be used (stolen) for any website UNLESS proper credits are applied.

Artist: Lord Vast/Lluvia

Label: Fallen Empire Records

Photography: Angelize Photography.

I have mentioned on both Facebook and Model Mayhem that I am taking a hiatus and I’ve also had people ask me about it, so I thought I would write a little about it. There are a few people that I have discussed shooting with prior to my decision to go on hiatus, and I am still committed to shooting with them when the time comes. They do not need to worry about me backing out on them because of this hiatus. And “hiatus” does not mean I won’t be doing photography whatsoever. I am setting some time aside for myself to focus on a few other things and personal projects. 

Most photographers and models already know that some shoots require some funds to be spent on them. Props, accessories, liquids, textures, backdrops, stuff like that. I’ve done shoots where I’ve brought nothing at all with me, but I have also done shoots where I’ve purchased things to make the look happen. Doing this can lead to a very rewarding end result! I enjoy getting what I need to create beautiful images. My car really needs a little TLC right now, and this hiatus might help me save a little. I’ve been trying to cut back on extra spending, especially since this is a slower time of the year for me at work.

Another reason I am taking a break is because I am really backed up in my edits. Mainly live music images. I have folders from shows I attended in 2012 that still have yet to see the Internets. I’m sure the bands and fans will be happy to see them when I finally get them uploaded, but I wish I didn’t take some long. I used to be really good about getting sets uploaded in a timely manner, but I completely lost it at some point. Sorry. I want to catch up and also be able to revisit some of the sets I have done with models and give some of those unseen gems the attention they deserve.

Another thing I would like to mention is where my mind is at with my art. I am first, and foremost, an artist. In addition to photography, I love to paint, I love to draw, I love to make things. Sometimes I feel bound to my photography. I would like to spend time in other areas before I fall more out of touch with them. I have had an affordable modeling shoot deal for a few years now. It’s an extremely rare occasion that I ever make money from doing photography. I still have yet to see any of my work published. I heard I have been in one zine, but I have never physically seen it. The only thing I have seen is CDs of local bands who feature my work, and I am extremely grateful. But, no, I don’t really make money off photography at all. Maybe once a year I will get a paid shoot. With that being said, I can’t honestly say I can consider myself a “service”. I am an artist and want to create art with my own perspective. I want to work with people who call on me because they enjoy the way I see and capture things. I work very well with people who are compatible with me on creative levels.

I have been trying to mold my portfolio into something that reflects my style of art. During my hiatus, I am going to be sketching out ideas. I have a project in mind and I will be working on it in my spare time. They will not be “modeling shoots”, they will simply be conceptual. I have friends who are eager to help me with this project, and all I require from them is body language and an understanding of my vision. This will all be done in my spare time, no pressure, no expectations. I am very excited to start this project and have art to show for it.

If anyone is interested in shooting with me, I suggest you send me an e-mail. I am on hiatus, but depending on my availability, concept, distance, etc., I may be available or at least keep you in mind for when my hiatus is over.

This is really all I have to say for now. I haven’t really updated my Model Mayhem much, and I need to at some point. I do a lot of updates on Facebook. It’s Autumn and I plan on taking a lot of pictures. Just not so much “shoots”. Just doing my own thing.

Before I go, I want to share a picture I took recently at a shoot with Reine Kaos. She asked me to do a fae type shoot with her a while back and we finally met to do it. She had me meet her in Penryn in a forest type area. It was really pretty and we had a bit of an adventure. Anyways we took quite a few pictures and she had a few different looks going on. I want to work on that set more when I get free time, but this is one of my favorites from it!
She is very fun to work with, and I would like to consider her one of my regulars, hoping that we’ll do much more art in the future!

This is all for now, e-mail me if you have any questions.