Seeing the Forest for the Trees, or Something Like That...

Music | Flame Trees by Sarah Blasko

Photo Privé has always been about producing the finest images with the idea of creating pieces of art. Just yesterday, a friend made a comment about something I had said about photographing young naked women in France when I retire. She asked why only young women, why not women in their 40's +. Then another friend agreed as she was in her 50's...

You know how a light bulb lights up above your head when something pops into your mind? Well, I have to thank Anne and Alina for stepping up and putting the obvious in my head. While I know not all women want to be photographed in provocative poses, nude or implied, I would think everyone would love to have a fine photograph or themselves. A true representation of themselves or something totally opposite, in a portrait format.

Photo Privé has just created a Portrait category for services we render. On the site will be a great representation of my favorite photography genre, Portraits. I hope to showcase a variety of portraits, women of all ages and celebrate the beauty that is, Woman.

Beauty and Twilight...

Music | Lonely Woman by Ornette Coleman

I photograph women for the sake of capturing beauty. Saturday mid evening, the sun slowly setting over the hills to the west, twilight suddenly cast its light upon us. It really is a magical time as the sweetest light envelopes everything. Lay a woman upon the ground upon a dry like river bed and what do you have... Beauty. We know the sun sets to the west, giving a directional light, left to right, but when the source of light hides beyond the horizon, the entire sky turns into the light source. It isn't only it's softness that defines Twilight, it is also the colour - An indescribable hue that mixes blues, reds and yellows... A time of calm, a time to take in a deep breath and be with beauty...

Photo Prive

Music | Big Paul by John Coltrane

Photo Privé

This is the latest incarnation I've come up with where creativity, art and commerce is balanced and where I feel I am not selling out my vision as an artist. That is also the basis of Photo Privé, more so about art and the provocative nature of women, than the 'sexy", "pretty", "gorgeous" adjectives used to portray other photographers that are photographing women in the "boudoir" style.

I don't think Photo Privé and boudoir have anything in common. But to reach the women who want to step up and in many ways, create art for themselves or to the masses, we have to start somewhere. I do in fact think Photo Privé is far beyond where boudoir ends. And so today is born the phrase, photographing women in the Privé tradition...

A Muse...

Music | Lontano by Jose Padilla

Sherri has been a long time friend and muse. I remember seeing her around various art events we would both attend. Then, in the neighborhood, a new café opened up and it just so happened she had her mornings there, quite often. Needless to say I found a new place to sip my americanos as well. Over the next few months, we finally got to know one another. In more instances than a few, Sherri has pulled me out of artistic lulls and it is easy to see why.

We've made various photographs together from simple studio portraits, candid shots out in the park, and photos that would be appropriate for at the time a non existent Photo Privé.



This photo is an great example to a question I often get about shooting with Photo Privé. "Do I have to be naked?" My answer would be, no. There are so many ways of making a statement without having to be nude. Often, the perception of a nude body can as provocative as a nude itself and sometimes even more so.

of Women in Art...

Music | Danny Boy by Bill Evans

I love the lines and shapes created by the light and shadow of a woman.

The Movement of Time...

Music | Hold you in My Arms by Ray LaMontagne

Time wasn't so important when I was younger. I remember thinking time moved too slow... A school year seemed like an eternity and even the summers over stayed its welcome. As I watch my child grow up, I know my perception of things have changed, not anything else.

I would hope to think that my time has made me more of a better person, wiser, more mature, more excepting... Ok, maybe not...

Tick, tick, tick... I do perceive now that time is moving faster, that there just isn't enough hours in a day to be able to get the things we need to get done, done.

Our children are turning into young adults, anniversaries and birthdays seem to circle closer and closer. Does anyone know where last June went?

Tick, tick, tick... Technology has turned things on end as well in regards to time. Each day, a new discovery turns last years fad gadget into obsolescence. Things are no longer repaired, just replaced. In the hopes of making our lives simpler and easier, have we gained any more insightful perspective?

So as we move forward into the unknown, with both time and technology seemingly to be not an ally, but more so a foe, what do we have?


A polaroid print, which can no longer be reproduced because time has deemed it obsolete.

The World is Watching...

Music | Unlike Me by Kate Havnevik

In finding ways to market a new business, the most difficult is hitting your target audience. However, I still do get a kick out of having my work seen all over the world. Without even trying, I've managed to have 9 foreign countries view my website in the short of amount of time it has been up.

Some Women...

Music | Yoyo Waltz by The Cinemenatic Orchestra

Boudior... What We Are Not...

Music | Close the Door by Teddy Pendergrass


In finding ways to promote our services and site, it seems what most people look for regarding this type of photography is, Boudoir. I know for me, I see really bad photos of women in uncomfortable poses with feather boas, overly propped non realistic bedroom sets, soft focus images that are not representative of the modern woman.

Our photographs are not at all about fantasy. As in a fine portrait, our approach to photography is to capture the essence of our subjects. Photo Privé is here to create a piece of art that will move thru time, thru generations. Not only as a provocative photograph, but a piece you can be proud to display in your own private space or gallery setting.

Getting to a Place of Comfort

Music | Lost and Found by DJ Shadow

One of the biggest concerns I have with a client is to make sure they are comfortable. I've shot in opulent hotel suites to a bedroom in a small apartment. It doesn't matter how grand a space appears if the client isn't comfortable.

Jenn is no wall flower by any means, but again, I wanted her to be in a comfort zone wear she could get lost without feeling self conscious. Some of the best expressions with just the tiniest nuances can make a nice photo so much more.

From last week, here is one of our favorties...

First Shoot

Music | Dusk by Andrew Hill

My first shoot under the name of Photo Privé took me back to my hometown of Chicago, Illinois. Barbara has been a client of mine for over 12 years. We go way back during our Vintage Motorcycling days of riding BMWs. We had talked about doing a shoot like this over 5 years ago, but I didn't really have the experience to do so. Fast Forward to this year, I was talking to Barbara about launching a business like this, but hated the term, Boudoir and anything that had associations with that word. She agreed and within moments came up with Photo Privé. Without batting an eyelash, I secured the .net domain.

It has been awhile since I flew back from Chicago photographing Barbara, but with her permission, here is one of my favorites from the shoot. The room had fantastic light pouring in from the window, which led to the great lighting.

Photo Privé

Music | Avalon by Roxy Music

I don't think I have been more comfortable starting a new business than starting Photo Privé. I've worked years to get to the point where I am and have gained confidence and abilities that only experience can bring. This is not to say that I don't have butterflies in my stomach as I launch the website and even this blog. I'm putting my soul out there, parts of me that I know of and others I do not. This also rings true with my subjects, the commissions that have entrusted me to bring to light something special, to emphasize little nuances and the subtleties that first are not yet apparent. I too take my uneasy steps on terrain that will take a little time to get used to.

Photo Privé
Private Photography or Private Photos... When thinking of names for this new ambition, it was appropriate that a friend of mine put me in the direction years ago to start photographing women in a more sophisticated, provocative manner come up with Photo Privé. I was immediately taken by the name as it expresses specifically what my photographs are...

I hope to post recent shoots (with clients permission of course), events and news that pertain to photographing women in this way. If you have any questions that I might be able to answer, please feel free to contact me via the blog or website. Otherwise, please come back often and visit, write a comment now and then if you are so inclined.

Thanks!

Ted