TeddyRay wrote:
Q: Udor, what in your opinion has been the brightest day or best thing to happen for MM during your term as a moderator?

First... thank you so much for your kind words and the interview.

I'll try to play along as good as I can.

A: This question is not easy to answer... because over the past 27 months on MM, I have seen that site grow way beyond expectations.

Right now, I can't think about one single event that would qualify as the best thing happening to MM.

If you don't mind, I'll refer to my thread Udor's TWO YEARS MM Anniversary - A Retrospect! that will highlight several events that I remembered at the time when writing that thread.

jonathan ledeux wrote:
Udor, did you know you were the biggest stud here and are you using that to your advantage?

To be honest... I don't feel very studly... (I used to be "studlier" and will become so again after my sabbatical ends and I return to the industry) and besides cyber talk... of female members who are fooled by my avatar... I wish I had some "advantages"...

TRIPOD  wrote:
Udo, if you can have an ideal location shoot, where would it be and why?

Anywhere in NYC!

I love the city as a backdrop to my photos... I get inspired by a mural on some building, or a structured housing entrance and always have the model in my mind, what she is wearing and the mood we are in... so, I love to walk with the model and assistant, MUA or stylist through the city and keep my eyes open... and suddenly somewhere, it clicks in my head and the model fits into that environment.

The city inspires me... studio shoots don't feel organic to me... I do them of course... especially when working with designers for their look book etc... but to challenge the artist in me... I need inspiration... maybe I have a slight form of artistic ADD, that's why I am glad to have the medium of photography to express myself... I tried painting as a teenager... but painting just takes so damn long...

kiana's place wrote:
Ok who is your favorite mod and least favorite mod? Be honest we'll know if your lying.

No comment!

Udor wrote:

No comment!

You chicken

Udor wrote:
No comment!

kiana's place wrote:
You chicken

No, not really... there are mods I don't condone their actions or style of interacting with members who caused me a few times to come near quitting (that may include ex mods) but I respect them as people and maybe friends with.

There are a few mods I have total respect for as moderators and artists and overall, I don't have problems with the fellow moderators...

We all are working and sacrificing our time and individual skills and judgment varies and depends on personality and experience (especially life and business) and that sacrifice, including my knowledge on what's going on behind the curtain... gives me a lot of respect for those who are doing this job.

!Tiger! wrote:
when are u co ming shooting w me u bugger?

I will think of a concept and let's see what this summer brings...

Garry k wrote:
Udor , what do you think has been your biggest achievement as a photographer , what has been the most rewarding and brought you the greatest satisfaction ?

Wow... what a question... rather complex to answer...

I don't think that I have "a biggest achievement"... I mean... I was one of two photographers who were admitted (invited) to the Polish Consulate to photograph the former president of Poland and Nobel Prize Laureate Lech Walensa and he posed for me and the princess of Morocco posed twice for me and invited me to her estates in Spain and Morocco.

But I still don't consider those as even close to being big achievements.

Almost all my photographs during my photographic career are commissioned and even for portfolio work, I try to make things happen with the limited tools I have available and let my imagination and creativity do the rest.

However, it's still done to satisfy someone else's needs... I am satisfied when my client truly feels that I have taken some of the very best photos they ever had... or when seasoned models, are getting excited working with me... that's cool too and makes me feel good.

What satisfies me the most tho... is when I can do my own art projects and the ones that I collaborate with Andy Golub, where he uses the models as objects and I shoot them my fashion editorial style.

Our "four girls" photo became photo of the month of the World Body Paint Association out of Austria within 2 weeks or so after we finished it... that was nice. This photo is now part of two galleries, one in Montreal and the other one in New Orleans.

My "Disgruntled Bride" project, which is shot but still unedited is something that satisfies me a lot, because the entire concept was developed by me... but the initial idea came from Reby who wanted to shoot some stuff in a bridal gown for her portfolio... then I asked her how much can we get that gown dirty and destroy it... then I developed it from there...

I am still on the beginning of my photographic career as I see it... and I have a great vision for the future.

Now, there is something that makes me kinda proud... I was one of the judges at the 28th International Model of the Year Contest, organized by Linden New Day Associates, the publisher of Today's Black Woman, Black Men's Magazine, Hype Hair and eight other magazines.

I was the only fashion photographer on the panel of judges and my fellow judges and VIP guests where Bernadette Stanis aka Thelma of "Good Times", Karen Domino-White (fashion designer and daughter of Fats Domino), Will Packer (producer of "Stomp The Yard") and many other celebrities.

That was certainly a nice recognition for me.

My coolest tearsheet EVER is this one, because it's all in Arabic:

JNB Photo wrote:
Can you really lick your armpit?

I just tried but I can only reach the top end of it.

My infamous picture shows me licking my biceps tho.

I wish I could lick my eyebrows!

Christopher Hartman wrote:
Who is your favorite MM member of ALL TIME? (there's only one right answer, don't blow it!)

Errr... you?    ? ?

Tom Linkens wrote:
Per your announced hiatus. Exactly how long will it be?

I really don't know!

I have a lot of old stuff and obligations to deal with and I want to rearrange several things, gaining new perspectives etc.

It can be several months... it could be a year or years... I want to keep it open... whenever I feel that I have accomplished what I was looking for... and those obligations being taken care off and I feel it's the right time...

I simply know what's ahead of me... but I am unable to quantify a timeline... actually... I am unwilling to put a timeline on it... not this time.

Sorry that I can't be more specific!

Udor wrote:

I simply know what's ahead of me... but I am unable to quantify a timeline... actually... I am unwilling to put a timeline on it... not this time.

Sorry that I can't be more specific!

No big deal. In fact that sounds a lot like my constant dilema of who I'll shoot with, and when.

Udor wrote:
No, not really... there are mods I don't condone their actions or style of interacting with members who caused me a few times to come near quitting (that may include ex mods) but I respect them as people and maybe friends with.

There are a few mods I have total respect for as moderators and artists and overall, I don't have problems with the fellow moderators...

We all are working and sacrificing our time and individual skills and judgment varies and depends on personality and experience (especially life and business) and that sacrifice, including my knowledge on what's going on behind the curtain... gives me a lot of respect for those who are doing this job.

i'm happy to resemble that remark. except I'm pretty sure we don't respect one another.

Udor wrote:
No, not really... there are mods I don't condone their actions or style of interacting with members who caused me a few times to come near quitting (that may include ex mods) but I respect them as people and maybe friends with.

There are a few mods I have total respect for as moderators and artists and overall, I don't have problems with the fellow moderators...

We all are working and sacrificing our time and individual skills and judgment varies and depends on personality and experience (especially life and business) and that sacrifice, including my knowledge on what's going on behind the curtain... gives me a lot of respect for those who are doing this job.

And I am proud of it.
I have respect for all of the mods,
We all make mistakes,
all have made mistakes,
All have baggage.

I always respect the truth.
I hope it happens here.

Christopher Hartman wrote:
Who is your favorite MM member of ALL TIME?

Udor wrote:
Errr... you?    ? ?

Awww thanks man!!! That's mighty kind of you!!

Alex Davenport wrote:
What is your favorite thing/event/genre to photograph and what is your least favorite?

I actually like all forms of photography, as long as I can create images...

However, my most favorite thing/genre is photojournalistic portraiture aka environmental portraiture.

I'd love to shoot persons who have had a major impact or played a major role in history or influenced our culture. As such, I would love to shoot Henry Kissinger, Kofi Anan or Bill Clinton or someone like Morgan Freeman.

I also like to do my own art projects as I described in a post above, where I have free range for my own ideas from the initial concept to the final retouching... I have yet had too few of those, but will eventually be able to do more of my own projects.

Least favorite... hmmm... I got a job assignment by a company to digitize their forms and accounting papers... so I was photographing every few weeks documents in their offices... that was the weirdest, most boring assignment, but in the end... it paid my bills...

dgold wrote:
Do you read the Bible ?
If so, what is your favorite passage..

I am guessing you are not talking about Harper's Bazaar...

I studied the Christian Bible (old and new testament) as a teenager, but I also read the Q'uran, The Tibetan Book of the Death and studied Taoism, Buddhism and read about Sufism and Hinduism.

I came to my own conclusion about the Bible after starting to question passages that contradicted each other and begun questioning priest about my observation and then I studied also Church/Christian history and actually, by the age of 15, I decided that I don't want to have any longer part of it and at age 16, I was legally able to remove myself from the Christian belief in Germany.

I still am interested in the history of Christianity and enjoy documentaries about it by scholars of many disciplines...

But, I don't believe that JC was born to a virgin, that died for our sins and I don't believe that he ascended to heavens on Easter.

I do believe that there was a historical person that was most likely a very wise man with great insight, but I also know that many stories attributed to JC are recycled from other spiritual leaders that existed up to 200 years before JC appeared (Midas).

The Bible does have some common sense messages that can't be denied and are positive, but it's not a coherent book and since it's so unstructured it is being able to be interpreted as proof for all kind of theories...

You probably wish now that I don't come back from my sabbatical, huh?

theda wrote:
i'm happy to resemble that remark. except I'm pretty sure we don't respect one another.

Just because I just don't see eye to eye with you on most issues and can't identify with your art (except two or three of your recent work, especially the subway shot by Will) doesn't mean I don't respect some of the things you do.

I also realized a long time ago that you can't stand my guts, views or my work either... but that's perfectly fine with me.

Toodles Lady theda!

M.hana wrote:

And I am proud of it.
I have respect for all of the mods,
We all make mistakes,
all have made mistakes,
All have baggage.

I always respect the truth.
I hope it happens here.

Very well said Mark!

We have often enough clashed in the backoffice... but never the less... I always respected you... and after we've finally met... I even like you...

Not enough to get a room... but you are a'ight

slave to the lens wrote:
Udor-

1) Are you allowed to give input on a successor?

As it has been before, I can give input and make suggestions when the question arises about new moderators.

Some of the people that I wanted to suggest, those that are involved in the fashionside as much as I am or more, mostly declined in the past.

When certain professionals are being discussed... one or the other mod did already discuss this with them...

I don't think that me leaving will automatically cause to "fill a gap"... and don't forget... I will come back, but I am not certain when.

Garry k wrote:
Who is your Favorite Supermodel and Why ?

I don't have a specific supermodel... there are several... but I must admit from a personal hotness level... someone I would probably agree to date if she bribes me with fast cars, expensive clothes and an apartment, well... that person would be Adrianna Lima...


                                                                                       

Vintagevista wrote:
With the wide range of photographers represented here on MM - Have you found yourself suprised by the quality of the work of some of the part time/amateurs that you see here? 

Or, was it to be expected that a certain percentage of "Non-Pro" (whatever the hell that finally ends up meaning - lol) photographers turn out interesting and visually exciting work.

As in the movie "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" - have you had moments of "Who are those guys?" when looking at MM photographer portfolios?  And without the trouble (for you) of naming names - have you seen ports here, and had those moments of "Wow, who the hell is this?"

VintageV

No, no surprise at all!

The quality of someones work doesn't depend if they get a paycheck out of it.

Let's take a look at the part time/hobbyist artist who has a well paying job that leaves enough time to develop his/her own vision. Rent is paid and there is always enough money left over to buy new gear and accessories and takes the skill development of his/her photography serious...

I think that those people can excel as artists even faster than the professional photographer who is hassling from one assignment to another and to squeeze a buck out of a tight market.

The latter may have less time for his/her own personal projects.

If I may use myself as an example... for the last several years... I could do only less than a handful of my own art projects... one of them is the "Disgruntled Bride" series, which I shot last year in late summer (or early fall?) and to this day, I have not selected the photos for the final series and didn't retouch any of them yet.

But those kind of projects, where I can do absolutely my own vision and thing... and trust me... I've got a ton of ideas that really excite me... have to linger on the backburner because I have clients demands to fulfill.

So... again... no, no surprise at all... and I love to see other photographers work... and I often enough think "Wow"... what great stuff.

Just today, I left a tag on BYS' profile because I totally love his stuff.

Udor wrote:

I don't have a specific supermodel... there are several... but I must admit from a personal hotness level... someone I would probably agree to date if she bribes me with fast cars, expensive clothes and an apartment, well... that person would be Adrianna Lima...


                                                                                       

Have you ever photographed Adrianna Lima? Seeing's believing.

Tom Linkens wrote:

Have you ever photographed Adrianna Lima? Seeing's believing.

Oh, no... I never worked with her, I didn't understand that I had to have worked with a supermodel to have a favorite!

However, I shot with a cousin of Adrianna, who is on MM and in my port.

Udor wrote:

Oh, no... I never worked with her, I didn't understand that I had to have worked with a supermodel to have a favorite!

However, I shot with a cousin of Adrianna, who is on MM and in my port.

No I was just wondering if you worked with her. I didn't either, believe it or not.