May I take your picture?

Playapixi
Originally uploaded by Qathi

Pretty please? I am really really sick of taking pictures of myself (unless they're really good of course)

Project One: Straight Portraits
I would very much like to schedule portraits with other folks. Here's my schtick, classic sit down portraits in nice light - I don't want to see your nekkid junk, or you in bed, strung up on a device of some kind. Nope, I want to take the kind of picture you'd send to your grandparents... but funky Q stylee. Once they're edited I'll share the files with you so you can do what you will, and I'll maintain rights so I can do what I want with them, at your consent, simple. For the cost of a pint of ice cream - no fruit, please.

Project Two: Guided Self Portraits - The Exorcist
I am preparing a series depicting the long term results of abuse, neglect, rape, molestation or any other really dark and scary hard shit we're asked to suppress. Do you have something boiling beneath the surface?

This is probably more like therapy in which I hand you my tools and walk away for a bit. I am not a councilor or therapist, I am a good listener and have an active and creative mind. I have found taking self portraits to be very cathartic. Over the last two years I've peeled away thin, thin layers of myself often reveling some really delicate and difficult shit and because I want to maintain relationships with other humans I find a way to exorcise it. I somehow muster the strength to just dig in and pull it up to the surface. make a picture of it and fucking talk about it (blog it really). I've found people genuinely want to know me, even the creepy fucked up shit. By making myself more transparent, I've become more real, more tangible more something without victimizing myself in anyway.

Making these pictures comes in stages and takes time to conceptualize the image. 1. I foresee talking a lot of time talking about what you'd like to manifest. 2. We'll pick at it a bit and talk about how to make it into a photo. 3. Pull materials together for the shot 4. I'll show you how to use the gear then dismiss myself for hour. 5. I edit and we review them, you make the final call as to whether it gets used or not. Maybe we do it one day, maybe we do it over the course of weeks - that I think will depend on you.

Project Three: Performers
I started this whole picture taking thing when I broke myself with the intent of eventually taking pictures of all my performer buddies - as I cannot perform/spin/dance/hootchy-kootchy anymore - I know what you want to see of yourselves. Promo shots, studio shots, performance shots, I know how you want. Comp me in and I'll make you look awesome (you know I was doing it before anyway).

you in?