the works of alain paris...

I have been a huge admirer of Alain's images for 15 years and I know of several photographers and artists who share my sentiment. The images of his that I love are in his Black Mirages body of work that he shot in Africa. I find his captures to be inspiring and his collages to be, especially, provocative. I've included a few of his collages here, but feel free to check out the rest of his works here and here!



The following are paraphrased excerpts from his bio...

He is not a photographer but, as he is pleased to say, he goes in for photography. For he combines the technique of the professional with the original joy of the dilettante. In the proper meaning of the term: Italian word, present participle of "dilletaro", "delight", hence "the one who practise an art for love". For the pleasure of the photographic art or rather of the "photografrica" art. Because Alain Paris unceasingly puts this continent in images.



What he shows us of Africa is truly unique. In full modesty, and very subjectively, he attempts to reveal to us its very beauty. That of its women, of whom he shows the stare, the skin, the hands, the muscles...

Yes, Alain's Africa, is unique. It is woman, mother or mistress, naked, strange and sensual. With Black Mirages, he gives us to see the most beautiful and most evident of what Africa undoubtly has, but that which no one can describe. A stomach. The fertile one of a mother or the stretched skin of a dancer? Hands. The ones of an Ashanti princess of Ghana or of a Diola countrygirl of Casamance? The nape of a neck. The one of an amazon warrior of Congo or of a parisian model? Suppleness of bodies, frankness of a stare, raw purity of Africa to which these "Black Mirages" send us back.




True lover of a female Africa that he locked in his darkroom, he invites us to only see her beauty and campaigns, in his own way, and better than others maybe, for her survival.

shea...earth mother....

When I met with Shea, she said she really wanted to do a pregnancy shoot but she did want do one that was limited to the typical portrayal of being nude and draped in white...you know, the usual.

Well we did a few of those anyway, but that not what these captures are about. A wife beater and blue jeans was the style for this set. I liked creating these images because I approached the look of each shot differently and was pleased that we could produce an array of looks to the images from one wardrobe styling.

Shea's had the baby since this (a boy.) We are planning another shoot soon.

Eric Shelton...Artist Inspired

I've known Eric for almost 20 years and I've always been impressed with his work. A mixed media painter and found object sculptor, he was one of the artists I called out to, personally for images inspired by the sensuous beauty of Earth Sistas.

Feel free to check out some of Eric's works here. He exhibits, regularly and his works are available for purchase. And if you any images that you'd like to contribute for viewing at the project, feel free to share!

the artist model series - xian: the first muse in locs & white

Xian was the first.



At Apache, she was the first model I created images of (first as sketches, later as photos). And while I loved the images I captured, there were so many quality concerns with the digital images that I was inspired to solve the problems and get it right. The solutions are technical, having to do with camera sensors and lighting techniques.







But I was inspired to go the next level. Create better images and new ideas. Grow.

I guess that is what a Muse does for you.

the artist model series - sonia: curves & locs part 1

As I've mentioned before... the vision for the images in Pangea's Garden all started with my captures at the Apache Cafe & Lounge. This pictorial is part of a short series of retrospectives of how what I've seen has influenced and inspired me.

The model goes by the stage name DarknCurvy and you can find her on MySpace.

Vanisha in Lollipop...

a tongue-in-cheek pictorial from my favorite "professional dancer/performer/model" and real-world-star-in-waiting.

Check out her blog at Dailey on the Daily

Danielle at Mas Camp...

So I am at this urban upscale pizza joint called Slice. I am there with a couple of my favorite models after a later afternoon photoshoot. We'd stopped by for a beer and a slice to unwind. One of the models, a brother named Lewis, couldn't help to notice that I noticed a beautiful sista with gorgeous locs sitting at the table next to us.

"You want to shoot that don't you?" Lewis asked.

"Huh?" I said.

"You've been talking about this most of the day." he returned. "Women with locs and naturals and curves...how you want to shoot'em and create hot images of them...all day."

"Yeah, I know but I can't just go up there and ask her for a shoot. It'll sound like I'm coming on to her." I told him.

"Not if I do it for you"

And he did. The rest is history.




Danielle's driving passion is helping people. Along with being a professional social worker she is also writer who is putting the finishing touches on her first novel and is well into 4 others. You can check them out on her website.


I took to a joint that, at the time I had only recently discovered called Mas Camp. Its a Caribbean hangout that I really liked because of the colors. I host a regular meetup there now called the Shooters Lounge for my fellow Photogs and Models. I like the images but I wasn't sure she enjoyed it. She later told me she did, she was just a little shy because she'd never done anything quite like that before. Soon after I found out she LOVES being in front of the camera. Now that we've done our first shoot, l look forward to shooting her again soon.