DaveL

I finally got around to making new calendars for 2012:

2012 calendars available

I've published some calendars for 2012.  You can see them and buy them at my store:  http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/wayward  And check out my blog post about them:  http://davelevingston.com/2011/11/21/its-calendar-time/

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I'm one of the 15 named plaintiffs in "Free Speech Coalition et al v. Holder" which has been filed in federal court in Philadelphia.  A news release about the lawsuit is here:  http://www.freespeechcoalition.com/pres … -2257.html  This lawsuit is aimed at having the law known commonly as "2257A" declared unconstitutional.  I blogged about how upset I am about this law here:  http://exposedfortheshadows.blogspot.co … -rant.html

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Attention Models:  I am not going to pay you to pose for me.

I do a limited amount of work using models.  Nearly all of that work is figure studies of one kind or another.  I'm not interested in working with a lot of models.  I tend to shoot only a few models who I know well and work with over and over again.  I also sometimes use this site to find models to shoot when I'm traveling.  And I don't pay my models.

If you think you'd like to work with me, these are the sort of qualities that I look for in models.  If you have these qualities and are interested in making art and becoming friends, please contact me:  Maturity, intelligence, genuine interest in making art, a good sense of humor, willingness to try just about anything, ability to contribute ideas to a shoot, willingness to get cold and wet and dirty, completely comfortable with nude work, and a reasonably attractive body.  I'm much more interested in real people with real bodies than in some abstract ideal of what someone else thinks the female body should look like.  I find that older models tend to be a better fit with my work than most 18 year olds, but there are exceptions.  And did I mention that I don't pay my models?

I am an old guy.  I've been doing photography a long time.  Longer than you have been alive.  I am not politically correct and I have no interest in being that boring.  But I am pretty boring anyway.

Things I'm NOT looking for in the models I work with:  Diva attitudes, issues, drama, jealous boyfriends, uncertainty about doing nude work.  Seriously, if you are uncertain about whether you want to do nudes, I won't work with you.  I won't try to persuade you to pose nude.  That's your personal decision.  If you haven't worked through what all is involved with doing nudes, please do so before you contact me.  And, really, I have no interest in participating in any drama you may be involved in.  I don't do drama.  Please don't try to bring it to my studio.  And if you are looking for someone to photoshop you into a body with plastic skin and perfect curves, that isn't me.  I don't do that kind of retouching, or much photoshopping at all beyond the basics of exposure and contrast.  I'm much more interested in what things really look like.

If you think this is all a very serious venture, then we probably aren't going to be a good fit.  Life is much too important to ever be taken seriously.  I do photography because it is fun.  I try my best to make real art, but I also think it is important to have fun in the process.  If I'm not having fun then I really don't know why I'd be doing this.  I'm looking for people who can relax and enjoy what we are doing and still work to get good photos. 

My favorite models tend to become my friends.  If you want a strictly "professional" relationship where all we do is shoot and then go our separate ways, well, I'm probably not the right photographer for you.  If you are a traveling model who is passing through my area and looking for a shoot, well, that's possible, but not extremely likely to work in to the things I'm trying to do.  And I won't be paying you.

I understand that there are a number of models on this site who make their living from full-time modeling.  I wish you all well with that career.  But you are probably not the models that I'm looking for.  I understand that you need to pay your bills.  But I'm not the guy who is going to provide the money for you to do that.  I just don't have enough left over after I pay my bills.  Yes, there are exceptions, but they are very rare and involve some very special people.

I don't change my photos on here very often.  But lots of models have my photos in their portfolios.  So, I've added a list below of a bunch of those photos.  You can go there and see more of my more recent work.

I like to make beautiful photographs.  I don't worry about whether or not what I do will be accepted by the "art world."  I'm just interested in expressing my own vision of the world.  I feel that when I make a beautiful photograph, in some tiny almost, but not quite, insignificant way I've added just a tiny bit of beauty to the world.  That's good enough for me.

I consider my models to be co-creators of the photos we do together.  I'm serious about that.  I share copyright with my models.  If you shoot with me you will get a disk with all the photos and full rights to do anything you want with the photos.  I also don't think it should ever cost a model anything to work with me, so I'm always willing to cover expenses and buy lunch or whatever else.  But honestly, there is no money in this kind of photography, so there is simply no money to pay model fees.  You aren't going to get rich shooting with me.  Sorry.

I'm also shooting a good bit of dance photography these days.  Primarily modern dance and ballet in performance.  I also shoot dance in my studio.  I started photographing dance in the 1970s.  I've studied with Lois Greenfield in NYC.  I shoot dance because I love it.  I normally get paid to photograph dance performances.  But, if you are a very talented dancer and would like to work with me to create some exciting dance photos in my studio, contact me and we'll talk.

You won't find me in the forums.  Life is too short to waste any of it with that foolishness. 

I've published a book which is available here:  http://www.lulu.com/wayward

I also do calendars every year that you can get at that same site.

I have a blog.  It's the best place to see my most recent work.  You can check it out here:

http://davelevingston.com/blog/