BH Neely's Photography

Opera House, Budapest, Hungary

I'm sure you've heard, as I have, people extolling the virtues of digital v. film. Many allege that film is dead. That digital is technically superior to film in every way. To them, I present this as evidence. Shot with a 20-year-old Pentax 67 that I picked up with a lens for under $400, on Ilford HP5 film, you simply could not ask for a better photo. It is as sharp a photo as you could hope for. The tonal gradations are smooooooooth and rich. I think I need a moment alone.

It's one of the sphinx women flanking the State Opera House in Budapest.

Many thanks to Panda Lab (www.pandalab.com), whom I used to use when I was just starting to shoot b&w in the mid 90's. They were the friendliest lab in Seattle, and they only did b&w. When I bought the 67 and needed to get the film developed, I looked them up, hardly daring to hope they'd weathered the storm that took down so many good labs. Not only had they weathered it, they appear to be prospering. They do everything, develop color as well as b&w, scan film, make contact sheets and work from digital files.

Press Officer Still Life, Kandahar, Afghanistan

My friend Mireille (I'll tell you how to pronounce it later, give you a chance to work through it) and I were stuck at the military base at the Kandahar Airport. We got bumped from what would have been an interesting visit due to lack of space. Mireille is a Press Officer in the State Dept. Her job is to herd journalists, write exciting press releases about Embassy activities and speak officially for the Embassy. I'm sure there's more, but that's a good basic description.

This photo could be called a portrait through still life. Her world on these junkets is made of PDA, cell phone and notebook. Sometimes she's working with all three at the same time. I'm sure many journalists, press officers and publicists will see themselves in this one.

It's pronounced mi-RAY, though being French, the RAY is less emphasized than all caps might indicate.

Hurricane Glass and Teapot, Leesburg, FL, USA

We recently helped clean out my wife's grandmother's house. Nana passed a few months ago, leaving a full house several states away from where her children and grandchildren live.

The hardest part was trying to find those things that spoke to us, while respectfully leaving for the auctioneer the detritus of a life well-lived. Naturally, I was moved to document, while those more deeply affected sorted through things.

If you're interested in an album of this, visit my Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/bhneely, and while you're there, click on the Like button.

Sammy, Shoestring Gorge, Kyrgyzstan

I had a red 4x4 Nissan Patrol turbo diesel that I loved. I loved it so much I named it after Sammy Hagar, who in the 80's you'll recall was known as The Red Rocker, because he always wore red and even wrote a song as a paean to the color.

Sammy and I drove to the top of a 14,000-ft mountain right to the Kazakh side of the Kazakh-Kyrgyz border. We drove across the open steppe, multiple times. We got stuck in a swamp (you read about that a couple posts ago). I learned about 4wd hi and low and how to drive on "roads" that make the forest service roads in the Cascade Range seem like highways. I drove on highways that make the forest service roads in the Cascade Range seem better than highways. In the city, I could drive as aggressively as I needed to, because he was bright red and had a no-bullshit look. I could say, "Yeah, I'll take out your Mercedes if you won't let me into the traffic stream."

Sammy was awesome. And I miss him.

The Heart Collector, Evans Creek, WA, USA

I like metal. Well, that's a bit of an understatement. My running music includes bands like Megadeth, Metallica, Motorhead, Iron Maiden, Godsmack and more (it also includes lighter stuff like Zeppelin, The Doors, CCR and even some ridiculously poppy stuff like Kelly Clarkson and Avril Lavigne). Anyway, as I'm running and running and running and listening to this stuff, I sometimes get photo ideas. I know, crazy, a photographer inspired by the music he loves.

In this case, the band is Nevermore, who write poetic songs that are image-heavy to begin with. They do a killer version of "The Sounds of Silence" that's far more menacing and less-depressing than the Simon & Garfunkel original. But this image is based, strangely enough, on "The Heart Collector."

The vision that was planted in my brain was that of a tall, thin, American West kind of guy who's seen a lot of miles. And who just might be Lucifer from western monotheistic mythology. My friend Jerry is absolutely unlike that character, but is a tall, thin, American West kind of guy. So while we were out Jeepin' (remember those pictures from just a couple weeks ago), we found a dark grove of old-growth fir and shot a bunch of frames. I have since processed and reprocessed and rethought and reprocessed this photo. Finally, after not looking at it for a week or so, I opened it today and knew what I had to do. It took layers and layers and layers and a couple redos, but the idea was so fully formed that it only took about an hour to make it happen.

Without seeking prior permission, here is the chorus of "The Heart Collector:"

Nevermore to feel the pain
The heart collector sang
And I won't be feeling hollow for so long
Nevermore to feel the pain
The words fall out like fire

Leda II, Studio, Athens, Greece

  This shot of Leda is obviously very similar to yesterday's, but it represents an extra couple days of working with the results of the shoot, and some experiments with colors and other treatments. My goal is to mimic the effect of a very subtle use of post development treatments such as selenium on a black & white print. I think I arrived where I wanted to.

I hope your 2010 is as beautiful as Leda. Happy New Year.

Leda, Studio, Athens, Greece

Zeus was so taken with Leda's beauty that he turned himself into a swan to seduce her. From their union came Helen, Clytemnestra, Pollux & Castor. Helen, of course, was so beautiful that after she ran off with Paris to Troy, Menelaus and his brother Agamemnon got the Greeks together to cross the Aegean to storm Troy. It's easy to see why, if her mother looked like this.

In the modern world, I was so taken with Leda's beauty that I approached at an event at the ambassador's residence, and asked if she'd be a model for my Faces of Aphrodite project. She agreed, though it took 6 months and two intercontinental flights to make it happen. But I'm very happy with the results.

Jenara, Studio, Athens, Greece

They go by their individual names - Jen & Barb. They will accept, with a strained smile, combinations such as Jenandbarb or Barbandjen. Their favorite is Jenara, though I keep trying to force Barbifer on them. Whatever we call them, my beautiful friends let me shoot their portraits yesterday. They've seen the initial cut of shots good enough for a second look, but this will be the first time they've seen one of the processed photos.

More to come.

Jodi II, Studio, Athens, Greece

  As promised, Dirty Harriet. Jodi warned me that she was much better at smiling than at not. And she has a great sense of humor about it. If this is a non-expression, I would be utterly terrified to see her angry.

Jodi, Studio, Athens, Greece

Jodi jumped at the chance to do a shoot with me. The day of the shoot turned out to be mildly disastrous for both of us.

I discovered that due to user stupidity, one of my flash heads was dead. I have the Hensel Integra 500 watt heads, which I like very much. They cycle fast enough for my style of shooting, I can trigger them by cord or by flash...and I'm sure I could look for an adapter to trigger them by radio. They're light, they pack away easily, and they aren't very expensive. And, for a traveling photographer, they can shoot at 110 or 220 volts. All you have to do is flip a switch, change a fuse and change a modeling lamp. For most of the past year or so, I've been moderately frustrated, because the modeling lamps have been cycling on and off, and the heads have been tripping the circuit breaker. I blamed it on the electricity, because Greek apartments are notoriously under-served...for example, we can't run two high-wattage items simultaneously - the dryer, the vacuum, the microwave, a hair dryer...pick one. It turns out, I still had my lights set for 110V. Idiot. Luckily, nothing bad happened, and hopefully all that the dead light needs is a new internal fuse. Send it back to Hensel for repair. No big deal.

But that means shooting with just one light for a while. C'est la vie, at least it didn't explode or catch fire or blow out the circuit board.

Jodi's difficult morning is her own story to tell, but frankly, I was impressed that she showed up after the morning she had. She had previously warned me that she doesn't do good non-expression photos, which is what I like to shoot. I like the intensity, the quietness, of a calm stare, a set mouth, a relaxed forehead. I think it makes you look at the eyes more. After a bunch of no-smile portraits, I realized that I had a remarkably self-aware subject, and that she did indeed have challenges with the no-smile look. So I asked her to smile, and BOOM the studio lit up.

There are more of these at www.facebook.com/bhneely, and tomorrow I'm going to put up a Dirty Harriet portrait of Jodi.

Amelie: Ensemble Deux, Studio, Athens, Greece

  As Amelie and I talked about her first sitting, she expressed dissatisfaction with my work. I'd made her "cute" and "soft." She wanted a shoot to express a more powerful her. I'm not sure that this one is more powerful, but there's a coquette in that smirk. And with Amelie's hairstyle and dress, I'd have to say that this photo expresses all that was good about the 70's.

More in Amelie's gallery at www.facebook.com/bhneely.

Amelie II, Studio, Athens, Greece

  As soon as I saw Amelie's boots, I knew I had to get a shot with them, somehow. Footwear and jewelry don't work very well for the intimate sort of portraits I usually like to do - it can be challenging to get a good look at a person's face and their shoes simultaneously. But this time it worked out beautifully.

There are more Amelie portraits at www.facebook.com/bhneely.

Amelie, Studio, Athens, Greece

As soon as I pressed the shutter, I knew that I had my light placed wrong. But I like the effect a lot.

Amelie is a French woman I met at Starbucks. Not only is she beautiful, she was a lot of fun to work with. With any luck, I'll be able to think up some ideas so that I can do more portraits with her.

Effie, Studio, Athens, Greece

I've been wanting to do Effie's portrait for a long time. She has a personality much bigger than her ... we'll go ahead say 5'4" (163 cm) frame ... and an even bigger heart. So when she called and asked about having a session I said "hell yeah." Or something like that.

She was worried about looking like a "granny." She's of an age with Madonna (not exactly, but close enough), and frankly looks a helluva lot better to me.

More of Effie is of course at my Facebook page.

Lena, Studio, Athens, Greece

Another from my shoot with Lena. I enjoy working with her, because I never quite think I get what I'm looking for, then when I look at the shots later, I have a lot to work with.

More at BH Neely Photographer on Facebook.

Living Statue, Studio, Athens, Greece

Lena said, "Hey, let's do another shoot." I decided to keep it simple - mostly too lazy to set up the lights, and I have this great north-facing floor-to-ceiling window with semi-translucent sheers, so that was the light.

She works in an art supply store, and every time I go in, I feel like I know her. She has an easy, relaxed manner, so I attributed it to that. Then she put on this black dress that drapes like a toga, and I realize that she *is* Aphrodite, or Athena or any other statue from 2000-2500 years ago. It isn't often that you get to use the phrase "classic beauty" in its most literal sense.

When I've processed a few more, I'll add them to my Facebook page.

Zeno the Stoic, Corfu, Greece

Zeno was the first existentialist. But unlike Sartre, the void didn't make him sick, it made him thoughtful. Essentially, if you accept the universe as it is, it leaves you free to think deep thoughts rather than worrying about what you can't change. He did a great deal of his teaching in the Athenian Agora, at one of the stoa, thus earning him the title Stoic.
This is at the Achilleion Palace in Corfu, a giant summer home (5 stories tall) of an Austrian princess who was obsessed with Achilles.

Self-portrait with Morris Cooper, Athens, Greece

There's a modern Mini parked near this original Morris Cooper that shows just how monstrous the Mini is. But what I really like is that the hood closure is a leather belt. A leather belt.

Penelope, Studio, Athens, Greece

I'm not sure what to say about Penelope. If she were emotionally damaged, and I were a predator and connected in Hollywood, she could be my Marilyn Monroe. She is attractive enough to make you look twice in real life, but her espresso-dark eyes and perfect facial structure make her ridiculously photogenic. This is the sort of simple portrait that you can't stop looking at because of those eyes.

Stella's Eye, Studio, Athens, Greece

This is the last one of Stella that I'll "make" you look at. I wanted that hyper-intimate feeling you get when staring into each other eyes, and I feel pretty sure I captured that.

Victoria III (Aphrodite), Studio, Athens, Greece

No long-winded explanations. Just enjoy the beauty.

Victoria II (Aphrodite), Studio, Athens, Greece

One of things I'm really enjoying about Aphrodite's Hair is the ideas that my models have come up with as we shoot. Usually it's related to how they like to wear their hair, as when Victoria asked if I had something to put through her hair, like pens, to hold it into a loose bun. Chopsticks!

I'm not completely satisfied with my processing of this one yet, but it's been a few days and a "daily" blog should have stuff more often than every few days. Sorry about that. I've been working on www.bpsphoto.com and got a little obsessed and forgetful of everything else.

In a completely unrelated note (hell, it isn't even about photography), if you like "The Sounds of Silence" by Simon & Garfunkel, and you're a metal fan, you really ought to check out Nevermore's Dead Heart in a Dead World album. Not only does it have their classic "The Heart Collector," it has an absolutely incredible version of the S&G classic. I think even if you're not necessarily a metal fan, you'll appreciate their treatment of the song.

Aphrodite (Victoria), Studio, Athens, Greece

As a photographer, I often see women whom I find strikingly beautiful and whose portraits I would love to make. Victoria is one such person. I was very happy when she agreed to be a model for my Aphrodite's Hair series. Though she looks vaguely like Kate Winslet from Titanic in this particular pose, they look nothing alike. You'll see.

Red-haired Aphrodite, Studio, Athens, Greece

I really can't believe I get to do this sometimes. Angela's not Greek, but then Aphrodite has been claimed by every Mediterranean people from the Etruscans around to the Egyptians. We had a great shoot, and some of the ideas she had worked out better than my own ideas. This one is mine, tomorrow's will be hers.

Gina #4, Aphrodite, Studio, Athens, Greece

And this one. Wow. When Aphrodite was borne up from the foaming sea, this must be what those lucky Cypriates saw.

Gina #3, Aphrodite, Studio, Athens, Greece

Really? Did I get to make this portrait? There's nothing better than a beautiful model, perfect light and that one moment. Except, of course, for all the other things in life that are just as good. But seriously, I can't believe I get to do this.

Gina #2, Aphrodite, Studio, Athens, Greece

See, look at Gina's eye, is that not a gorgeous shade of nearly black? Wait until you see both eyes - they're like two demitasses of the darkest espresso. This portrait is probably in 5th or 6th place for use in Portraits of Aphrodite, but it could go up. I like the composition quite a bit.

Aphrodite #2, Studio, Athens, Greece

I had an Aphrodite shoot this weekend with Gina. She was incredible - she has the ability to switch from laughing to smiling to not smiling with no difficulty. And her not-smiling looking is amazing. With probably 60-70% of people, when I tell them to not smile, I get something between a frown and a look of hostility, but with Gina there was all kinds of nuance - some smoking sensuality, some looks that asked, "Oh, really?" some simple, frank looks. We shot for about an hour, getting 130 frames or so, and on first edit, 34 of them are good. This is one that's good, but won't make the final cut, because while I like the beatific look, her eyes will blow your doors off.

I bet you're wondering why, if I only have a 30-40% success rate, do I ask people to not smile? It's worth it for that .350 batting average. Besides, it's only film or memory. Gina's rare in that she looks great with all kinds of facial expressions. Others only look good when they're smiling or laughing or not smiling.

Dyma, Studio, Athens, Greece

During an Aphrodite shoot today, Dyma decided he wanted to participate. So I got right down with him and shot this portrait. It's only taken me 10 years to get a picture I like of him.

Aphrodite #3, Studio, Athens, Greece

One last one with Christina. I'm at one of those moments when none of the words I can come up do the photo justice, so I'll just let you look at it and decide if you need your own story for it.

Aphrodite #2, Studio, Athens, Greece

I was quite taken with Christina's eyes. Which isn't to say her other features aren't equally lovely, but her eyes sparkle, even when she doesn't have 800 watts of light blasting at her.

Aphrodite #1, Studio, Athens, Greece

I've been talking about doing a set called "Portraits of Aphrodite." Mostly, it's an excuse to make portraits of beautiful Greek women, but also it's a reason to explore ways of making various types of studio portraits. Christina was skeptical about holding her hair across her face like a veil, but I think it worked extremely well. Thanks Christina. You make me look good.

Landscape Painter, Seattle, USA

I'm participating in a group exhibition with a theme of Autumn. Nothing says "autumn" to me more than wet, gray Seattle in November, so I'm going back through some shots I did last fall at Pike Place Market. Looking at these pictures makes me ache. I'm sitting here in short sleeves, all the doors to my apartment open to get the cool, 80-degree breeze blowing through on yet another sunny Athens morning, and looking at this picture I can smell the patchouli and coffee and damp air. And I miss it.

Jerry

At the Index Wall, a cliff about 1000 feet high above the town of Index, WA, you can usually see for miles. When the clouds are low, dense and misty, though, it turns out that you can't see 50 feet.

A little diversion

  I've been in a bit of a lull lately. Between the day job, the Greek classes, the Greek homework and DC getting into its summer groove of average highs close to 90 and humidity up there as well, I just haven't had a strong urge to go out and shoot anything. Knowing the best way out of a funk is to just shoot something, I looked around the apartment. The next few days are the result of that lookaround.

Bird Crazy

We like to think of our pets as nearly human, until we see this glint of pure carnivorous joy in their eyes as they watch the sparrows and wrens and cardinals flit past.

Turtle

  From 100 yards away, I thought this was cow flop. That seems like a pretty good natural defense.

Cow Portrait