Dream Hotel

I was standing outside the Dream Hotel on 10th Ave a few weeks ago when a handsome older gentleman walked by and sorta gave me the once over. I figured his scrunched face was more about his distaste for my pink hair and less about the left over sun peeking through the buildings. I was wrong.

 When he came back around the corner I figured he lived close by (he does), but when he approached me I wasn't sure what he was gonna say..."I have to tell you, I love your hair, and your pale skin, with the black [dress] and the tattoos. I'm a photographer currently working on portraits focusing on the profile and I would love to shoot you if you're interested." He quickly opened his iPad case and showed me some of his work. A few portraits that looked painted (which I love photos like this) and then some beautiful body shots that come to find out are of escorts. These statuesque abs and booty shots were so beautiful, I said yes and introduced myself. He asked what I did and he was even more excited. I gave him my card and finally our schedules worked out and we shot on Sunday at his home studio.
This is his favorite so far. I remember him saying "fix your hair it's going flat" so in a very sarcastic, faux sexy way I fluffed it up and said "like this?" in my breathy voice. LOOK AT THAT JAWLINE hahah Just sayin.

I'm actually glad he wanted to do some black on black shots. I too have come to love my pale skin and it's contrast against the dark. Especially with the pink hair for added effect. I don't love this pic, but I get it. Did you notice my beauty mark? I had laughingly said "aw man I forgot my mole" after we wrapped the day and he said where do you usually wear it and I informed him that it changes, but pointed to my cheek. Well, thank you post production, I look like a totally different person!

While chatting post-shoot he was telling me about how he's gone through this total shift from artsy still life or architecture to portraits. The more he shoots people the more apparent it becomes (which I totally agree) that he is meant to have a person in front of his camera. He told me how fascinated he is by people, to which I quickly shouted out "ME TOO!" I confessed my love for biographies and how inspired I was by people more than anything else in the world. The good in them and the bad.  I was proud of him when he told me that he was finally getting more confident in just going up to someone he found interesting and asking to take their picture, sometimes right then and there. He had this beautiful shot of an old woman sitting in a cafe whose hair was perfectly sculpted resembling the Sydney Opera House. No lie. That picture will be in a book someday. Good thing that's his bill paying job: publishing, editing, "essentially I put together coffee table books".  You can check out more of Tom's work here. Too bad for you I got to see some of the good stuff not on his site yet!!

I just started reading Clara Bow's biography by David Stenn (Clara Bow: Runnin' Wild) that I got a birthday present from my friend KB. It's already so sad, her childhood was much less than desirable to say the least. I was crying on the subway. I'm so corny haha I'm just getting into the beginning of her career though. Also, it's a first edition hardback from the 80s that she paid a few cents for at a yard sale...total score!! I had no idea Clara was from Brooklyn. It's pretty amazing to hear the mention of some streets at the turn of the century that I actually walk down today and how she worked at Nathan's hotdog stand for 1 day only. Crazy right?!

Well, I'm off to work. I interviewed for this great opportunity for a 2 month project but I didn't get it. I'm sorta not surprised and could understand why they went with someone else but it would have been a really great job to be a part of. Oh well, what can I do except keep trudgin' along!

Ciao for now,

TT