The book my image “Solar Energy” was published in has now been released by 1x.com. 205 different photographers with one photo each are all included inside this collective. You can purchase a copy by going to http://1x.com/photobook
Jazmine Dominique is the beautiful model in the photo.
Solar Energy - @2007 Zoe Wiseman - Model: Jazmine Dominique
I’ve spent a lot of time in the desert. It’s fun to walk around and see pictures, make pictures and be away from society. It’s quiet. Wind and critters are all you can hear. It’s always nice working with someone who likes to look for pictures too. Meghan’s like that. No jabbering on, just looking with me. It helped tremendously when she saw a Manzanita bush and commented on how cool it looked. I wouldn’t have paid it any attention. I did though because I’ve learned to listen to what I like to call “desert magic.” Subtle hints that lead you to something profound or magical. Her mention of the manzanita bush was that. There was a dragon there in the shadows.
The Dragon - @2010 Zoe Wiseman - model: Meghan Claire
For those of you who expressed interest in purchasing my book, you can do so at A&I’s website. A portion of all sales benefit the Weingart Center.
Fiat Lux ~ Fine Art Nudes by Zoe Wiseman - The Book
Opening Reception
I have always wanted to print a book of my work that I could be satisfied with. When I think of art books I envision each page to be a representation of a print that I would make. So many self publishers fall short of this goal and really don’t care about the quality of each page, but more so the quantity of books they can get through their printers which aren’t usually calibrated frequently. When the printers aren’t calibrated frequently this causes each book to be printed different from the next which could be one of the issues, but there are several. As you can see on my site I sell a book printed by Blurb. I’ll be taking that down and “discontinuing” sales of DISCONTINUde as the quality is not up to my standards. They missed my deep blacks in ALL of my prints. There is no detail. It’s just black. One of the prints I’m attaching in this posting … Achilles Knee (model, Stephanie Anne)… none of the trees to the left of the picture even show up in the book. They are just a black blob, as are each of the prints in the book. And that’s a shame because the size of the book is really cute and square (5×5) like my photos and I wanted it to be a nice little book one could keep. And many of my sepia toned images turned green. So, even if I used a little color to try and get their printers to behave in a manner that would look good for my prints, nothing worked. I even calibrated Photoshop to use their color calibration. It was really disappointing. This was also to be a book that they would showcase at an event so people could see the quality of their work. It was so disappointing for me that I told them they couldn’t showcase my book. I spent days and weeks putting that book together too.
Achilles Knee - ©2007 Zoe Wiseman - model: Stephanie Anne
A&I had printed a couple of my photographs in their books for group shows they had which I was a part of, and both of my photographs looked excellent inside of Nude X and I Spy With My Plastic Eye. When asked to do a show of my work and a book, I went into the book making process with a lot more optimism and was not sorry for it. Creating a book is a lot of work. It’s much more than just slapping an image on a page. It takes time to create a flow, work out where you need to put type, what font to use, which image should represent each theme. So when you spend that much effort to layout and creating an art piece with your photography and then paying for it, it’s so nice when it all comes out perfect. My book Fiat Lux is beautiful. And I’m not tooting my own horn or A&I’s because they gave me a show. I’m blunt… if something sucks I usually say so straight away. I’m not getting paid to say this either. They aren’t sponsoring me, I’m paying for my own publishing. They really do care about quality and it’s obvious that they all enjoy seeing a great product come from their lab. In fact, I’m sure they would be embarrassed if something subpar ever exited the building.
I’m very excited for people to see and purchase this book during my opening… and will not hesitate to add my signature to it because it is something I definitely approve of. When I held it for the first time yesterday, I turned into a giggly little girl. See you all next Thursday the 18th!
Fiat Lux - fine art nudes by zoe wiseman
On February 18, 2010 I’m having a solo showing of my work at A&I Photographic in Hollywood. I think I’ve picked out a few “THESE ABSOLUTELY MUST BE ON THE WALL” images. I’m also thinking of making little series of 5×7′s in boxes to sell at the opening reception for very reasonable prices. I’ll post some of those series here as the time draws nearer. But, these are absolutes.
Before arriving to Australia I found this amazing park online during my searches for locations. I fell in love with it 6 months before our arrival. It’s basically dilapidated ruins of a Spanish estate. Jose Paronella started building this for the public in 1929 and it is a magical feast for the eyes.
The day we arrived, the major paper in the area, The Cairns Post, did a little fluff piece on all of the photographers and models who were there in the area. They interviewed me and my friends, Candace and Cameron – Cameron took the picture for the paper. It was fun. I had picked the paper up at the local news stand on the drive out to the park and read the article and smiled about it.
Whilst in the park there was a particular park ranger who kept eyeing us, especially me, looking me in they eyes and asking what we could possibly be doing standing in one spot for so long, as he was taking a tour group to the bat cave (literally). We just smiled and said we were admiring the sound of the water. And as the tour group passed – Ivory Flame and Stephanie Anne would disrobe as one kept look out for passersby while I photographed the other. (You definitely need more than one person in a place like this.) Our code word was Spider. If people were coming, Ivory Flame or Stephanie would yell “SPIDER.” And then the other would quickly get dressed. It makes for excitement! haha.
We went round with this through the park photographing in various spots as you can see in the photographs. When I took the last frame of Ivory Flame and said that was a roll and started to wind the film… I was crushed. I had gone through the entire park making pictures (so I thought) with no film in the camera. I almost cried. Ivory Flame was so sweet and said… “Oh Zoe, it’s OK… we can just do it again. Don’t worry.” Sincerely concerned and amazingly reassuring to me. So we went round the park again (haha) yelling “Spider” and setting up and such very quickly and made the pictures you see here.
We ran into this park ranger on several more stops he made. Once in the big trees where I photographed Stephanie (with only 2 frames left on the roll, not bad Stephanie!). Ivory Flame yelled “Spider” and Stephanie barely got her dress back on as the tour group with the ranger walked up. She was putting on her blouse over her dress and the ranger said, “Nearly busted.” And Stephanie said, “But not quite!” And with three girls giggling and smiling, what could he do but smile back?
The park has a little restaurant with a beautiful porch where you can sit and overlook the grounds. We grabbed some pies and coffee and sat to rest and eat a bit before driving on back to our spot at the beach. As we were eating the park ranger came up to us with the newspaper I had my picture in and asked, “Is this you?” And I smiled giggled and said yes that it was. So he asked for all our autographs and we all signed the newspaper for him.
And that’s the backstory.
I thought I’d blog about this because I’m sure I’m not the only photographer who has a hard time choosing what images to put in a show. I mean, it’s hard to separate ourselves from our work sometimes. Sometimes we are overtly critical with ourselves, while other times we aren’t critical enough. How do you know when you have a healthy balance? The moon is also in Scorpio (my sun sign) which probably isn’t helping all that much because we Scorps are a passionate lot.
I’m having a showing of my work in Hollywood on February – the 18th being the opening reception. So, I have to narrow down my work to about 30 images. The last time I had a show it was easy… I was teaching a Holga workshop in the gallery and the show needed to be about my Holga work obviously. No problem picking out prints for that. But, now… and 5 years rolling by since that show… I’ve shot A LOT OF WORK! And the photos that were in that last show, they probably won’t even make the cut now. Maybe one.
So I sit here with negatives up to my neck, my hair frazzled like static electricity from the negatives rubbing together then touching my hair (well pulling it out) is creating a funny image of myself.
My plan started with making a mock up drawing with pen and paper of the gallery space. Drawing out how many prints I could fit on the wall. Then once I looked at all the photos I wanted to include, and thought about all the models I didn’t want to disappoint if they weren’t hanging on the wall, and the economy, I thought, “Well, maybe I can make a little piece of the wall a group of 5×7′s that people could afford to take home.” But, subliminally I think it was only so I could add more photos to my show. With 16×20 pictures framed I can fit 30. With a little piece of the wall dedicated to 5×7′s or 4×4′s, I can fit 40. And if I have a couple of really BIG prints say… 36″, I can fit 36. All the things you must think of!
Then I started freaking out thinking I needed to make it all about one project. Or even all about one place or model. (I know it isn’t going to happen, but, in my head that’s what was happening)
So, this is my self doubt blog. Putting it out there and letting it fade away to the confines of cyberspace, if they are even confined.
Please tell me I’m not alone.
Playboy cover model, represented in NYC and Milan. She was in town for a job and stopped by for a shoot and these are a few of the images that were made. It was a rainy day so I wanted to take advantage of the rain on my studio windows.Â
Marketa is from the Eastern Block, Czech Republic… so these are a set of images called the Eastern Curtain.Â
All images were made with Kodak Tri-X 400 Medium format Black and White film and a Rolleicord.Â
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Waiting for use
So gradual their expansion
Until the fall
Then once spread fullyÂ
The wrinkles are pressed against the sky
This is learning to fly…
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