Craven Angel Photography

Going to see THE WALL

Joe — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 05:27:28 +0000

Back in high school, I was a total Pink Floyd geek. I spent many an evening listening to the DARK SIDE OF THE MOON, which is one of the greatest albums of all time. When THE WALL came out, the band toured with a huge, elaborate stage production during which they built an actual wall around the stage, as marionettes, lasers, and a ton of other stuff enacted the story… before the wall was demolished at the climax of the performance. Alas, I was too young to go to Los Angeles to catch the show. Dammit.

Yeah, they made a movie based on the story told by the album, but frankly, I thought it was depressing and … sort of boring.

Shortly after that, the band broke up in a rather acrimonious split, filled with legal battles and very hard feelings all around, and my chance to see them live was pretty much over. Yes. there was an entity called Pink Floyd, and a separate entity called Roger Waters, but really, it just wasn’t the same. Waters had been the primary song writer, and losing him left the band somewhat dissipated. I found their subsequent albums rather lightweight. Although his ego was likely the force behind the breakup, Pink Floyd without Waters had gone to the GREAT GIG IN THE SKY.

Now, 35 years later, Rogers Waters — 25% of the original Pink Floyd — is taking THE WALL on the road again! And it’s coming to Phoenix on May 15. And they’re bringing all the bells and whistles! They’ve “kept what works” and updated to the latest technology, so the show has been revamped. They’re definitely gonna put ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL.

I figure this is probably my last chance to experience The Wall as it’s primary author intended. It’s pricey — the ticket set me back over a hundred bucks — but this is the real thing. And there’s a considerable spectacle to be seen. It’s not like Waters is just doing an acoustic ukulele rendition. I have a decent seat, and yeah… sometimes you just have to splurge.

Because there is no dark side of the moon, really. As a matter of fact, it’s all dark.

The Sacrilicious Sounds of the Supersuckers

As a special DOUBLEWIDE bonus, while I was online getting my ticket, I noticed that the SUPERSUCKERS were coming to town! I’ve wanted to see these guys live for years!!! My KICKASS LIFE continues! So on June 5 at the Rhythm Room, well, I have my ticket already. The show’s gonna be BAD BAD BAD.

Anyone care to join me?

Finally! An Update!

Joe — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 08:21:41 +0000

Hey people. Sorry, I’ve been busy and distracted and working on a few personal goals and such, and have been slowing down on the photography for the past year or so.

First off, I just updated the ABOUT ME page with a retrospective of my past video projects. I sometimes forget how much I’ve done over the past few years.

Here are some other general updates…

Gypsy

First, the worst news: Last November, my cat Gypsy’s kidneys failed her. She passed away suddenly. In a matter of days, she went from totally healthy to deathly ill. It broke my heart to take her to the vet the last time. I haven’t cried so much in years. She was only 4 years old, and she was my dear companion. It’s hard to put into words, but you know how you love any pet you have, but a precious few you truly click with and they become yours?

Gypsy was that for me. She was nearby every moment I was home. She came to greet me when I pulled into my parking space. She was the cat who reminded me of how very much I missed having a cat in the years since my first kitty, Genius, passed away at the age of 15.

I thought I’d have her for another decade or more, but she’s gone. Even though it’s been 5 months, I still feel a pang of sorrow as I write about her.

Gypsy and a friend in happier times.

She was a beauty, too. But she had a knack for shutting her eyes every time I tried taking a photo of her. So I have fairly few pictures that show off her blue eyes.

The vet gave me Gypsy’s ashes, and I wanted to do something special with them. So I contacted the artists at Circle 6 Studios and had them make a hand-blown glass egg. It turned out even better than I had hoped. Gypsy’s ashes are encased in a beautiful memorial, and her glass egg sits in a place of honor in my living room.

Gypsy's memorial. The blue matches her eyes.

It’s good to have her near. But I still miss her terribly.

Photography

When I look at what I’ve shot over the past year, I guess I’ve done more than it feels like. I’ve been shooting about once every two or three weeks, and it does add up. Also, it seems that models have become harder to find, although it may simply be that I haven’t been putting in as much energy to find them as I used to.

A new one. I still got it, apparently.

I’ve also been working on shooting some natural scenes, using High Dynamic Range (HDR) imagery. It’s sort of the latest “fad” that a lot of photographers have been taking up. But that means the tools to work the HDR magic are becoming easier to get and to use. The results speak for themselves:

Canyon Lake, Arizona 2012

I shot this at Canyon Lake, Arizona. It takes me back to my roots, almost like shooting on black and white film again. But without all the muss and fuss of chemical baths, timers, washes, and drudgery that old analogue photography entailed.

I’m hoping to take a model out into the Superstition Mountains in the near future to shoot some nudes out in the wilderness. I’d like to do it before things get too hot, too. So I better get a move on.

Alwun House

Goddess: One of the pieces I had in the 2012 Alwun Exotic Show.

The 2012 Alwun House Exotic Art show closed a few weeks ago. I had 3 pieces in it this year. I wanted to upgrade my presentation a bit, so I printed my work on canvas. It was pricey, but the pieces looked great. Alas, I think the economy is especially unkind to artists. Nothing sold this time around. But the opening and closing ceremonies were fun, and I’ll be back again next year with new material.

Other Projects

Aside from photography, I am getting back into video production. I have a couple of ideas for documentaries that I plan on putting up on Kickstarter.com. These would be simple, but important documents to capture some history before it vanishes.

Goofing around on the set.

Also, a friend has me working on pre-production for a new TV series. She’s got a great idea, and I think there’s real potential there. If it gets picked up by a network, I may finally be able to work on creative stuff full time. So far, the crew she’s assembled is awesome, and I really feel that something good is going on here.

We’re keeping the details hush-hush for the moment, but I’ll post more as the situation develops.

Blogging

This has turned into a longish post. But here are some final thoughts…

I started this blog as a means to show off and promote my photography. Then I took a step away from my photographic work and it all slowed down. To be frank, I am at something of a crossroads. I want to push into a new direction, but I haven’t quite found my Muse yet. The HDR nature work seems to be filling my thoughts, and I’m going to go with it and see where it takes me.

Aside from photography, I also will be making this blog more personal, with more thoughts, news, and events from my life that don’t necessarily tie into my photography. When I have new photos to share, I’ll put them up. When I just have something to say, I’ll do that.

That should ensure more regular updates, at the very least.

Been a While…

Joe — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 04:40:45 +0000

I’ve taken some time off my photography. It wasn’t entirely planned, but it sort of worked out. Some of the models I’ve worked with had life events that interfered with creating art, and I had just enough family things come up that there were few opportunities to shoot. So I decided to take advantage of the natural down time and recharge.

But now, it’s summer. Life has freed up a bit, and I think the time is right to get back to the studio. Working on scheduling shoots now. Woot!

2011 Exotic Show Closes

Joe — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 10:46:27 +0000

So the Alwun House’s Exotic Show for 2011 has drawn to a close. The ending ceremonies were very enjoyable, and the cherry on the top of the experience was the sale of one of my exhibited photographs – entitled “Whip”, and pictured above.

Ah! Economic recovery is just around the corner!

The Alwun House marked the closing with their annual Spring Ball. A good time was had by most, and I’ve included some photos so you can feel like you were almost there. Ain’t I thoughtful?

Maybe I’ll catch you there next year!

Provacatease at the Alwun House: 3/4/11

Joe — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 04:43:12 +0000

Tomorrow night – Friday, March 04, 2011 – the Alwun House will host a very special evening with Provacatease as they perform their “Naughty to the Nines” show.

I will definitely be there. I may even have bells on.

Doors open at 8-ish. Show at 9.

Alwun House flyer!

Joe — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 06:06:11 +0000

The flyer is up at the Alwun House website… and will soon be converted to paper for passing around in meatspace at First Friday in downtown Phoenix. Hope to see you at the Spring Ball on March 11!

BTW, I updated the Nerdyrotica and Glamour galleries – just click on the tabs near the top of the page.

I also added a few new page header/banners that will rotate every so often, and added the Angel logo to the top of the website. Enjoy!

Rites of Spring Ball @ Alwun House

Joe — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 20:30:30 +0000

The Alwun House is having their Rites of Spring Ball on Friday, March 11 at 7pm. $10 advance/$15 at the door.

And to make it just a bit more awesome, they’re using one of my photos to promote it. Yay! The Spring Ball will feature a performances by several hot/cool artists and groups, including one of my personal faves: Romantasy Cabaret.

Join up with the in crowd, dig the local art scene, and celebrate the climax of the 2011 Exotic Arts Show, all while welcoming Spring… those few short weeks before “too damned hot” season sets in.

I hope to see you there!

Alwun House Exotic/Erotic Show!

Joe — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 19:00:35 +0000

Several of my photos will be on display at the 2011 Alwun House Exotic/Erotic Show! From Feb 11 until March 11, this is the strange and sexy show you mother warned you about.

The Alwun House is Phoenix’s oldest independent art gallery, and their Exotic Show is one of the most popular exhibitions they have every year. They also have special events just about every Friday of the show:

Feb 11: Exotic Phantasmagorical Spectacular with Annie Sprinkle as Goddess of Ceremonies!
Feb 18: Erotic Poetry and Music Festivus (doors open @ 7PM)
Mar 11: Rites of Spring Ball

Doors open @ 7PM for each event, and the show starts around 8-ish. Advance tickets are recommended! Buy at the Alwun Foundation website.

Last shoot of 2010

Joe — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 06:21:35 +0000

While I’m on the subject of first and last, I had my last shoot of 2010 on Dec 19.

I had actually planned another shoot with a new model between xmas and the New Year, but it fell through and was rescheduled. It fell through again on Jan 2, and thus failed to be my first shoot of the year.

The shoot is setup for tomorrow (Jan 6), but I am not counting on it until it happens.

But if it happens, it will be the second shoot of the new year. And I’m sure it will be well worth the wait.

First shoot of 2011

Joe — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 20:52:34 +0000

I had my first shoot on Monday. Pretty simple, using available light. The shots turned out fine, except I need to remember to use my tripod! About half were a little too “soft” from camera shake to be useful.

Live and learn. I’ve been shooting in black light for too long. 2011 will be the year of white light!