Beautiful Bodies

Photographing the human body can be a tricky business. Art students at both the high school and college level routinely take "figure" or "life" drawing classes - in which the human body (often unclothed) is the focus of study.

But in photography, the line between art and its less respectable cousin, pornography, is more blurred. Where does one end and the other begin? Ask 10 different people and you'll get 10 different answers.

My photography web site advertises itself as "student friendly." This means students may use my images freely in their school assignments, without worrying about copyright infringement.

But does being student friendly mean I should censor the work I display there? I surely don't want to cause problems for those wonderful teachers who now tell their students about my site.

Isn't it odd that the human body still has the power to discomfit us so?

Download wallpaper versions of this image and see more here:

http://www.TripodGirl.com/2009_1/beautiful_bodies.php

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Self-Portrait

Here's the backstory to my latest attempts at self-portraiture: My husband and I spent the past few weeks in Hawaii and, after having flown from Honolulu to the Big Island in order to view the active volcano, came up short on a rental car.

Twenty-four hours and a fortuitous cancellation later, we found ourselves behind the wheel of a Ford Expedition - one of the largest vehicles in which I've been a passenger. I mean, there was room for an additional six adults and their luggage in this gas-guzzler.

Refueling, it turns out, was a bit of a production. The automatic gasoline dispensers demanded a numerical zip code in order to verify our credit card, but we're from Canada and use a system that includes letters as well as numbers.

So while my husband was sorting out matters with the filling station attendant, I amused myself by shooting into the Expedition's gigantic side mirror. It provides the frame in the above image.

A few more shots in the series may be viewed here (freeze an image by placing your cursor over it; remove your cursor to cycle to the next one).

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Riches

I took this photo a few summers ago, and it remains one of my all-time faves.

For me, it encapsulates the idea that many of the things that bring us the most joy are simple. To a child who loves animals, what could be better than two furry kittens?

Wallpaper versions of this image may be downloaded here:
http://www.TripodGirl.com/downloads/riches.php

See more of my cat photos here:
http://www.TripodGirl.com/cats.php

Barista Portraits

Last year, the friendly folks at my favorite Starbucks invited me to hang some of my photography on their "art wall" for a month.

When considering which images to display, I thought it would be fun to photograph members of the staff - so that it was their portraits on the wall.

Scheduling issues prevented some people from participating, but in the end eight staff members were able to take part. Six separate photo shoots were arranged and everyone was a fabulous sport.

some of these portraits may be viewed here

(Unlike traditional art galleries, Starbucks provides display space only. Promotion, sales, etc. are left to the artist. So if one sells a piece through Starbucks, one keeps the entire fee - rather than splitting it 50/50 with the gallery.)