Yoga Mom Mori Girl: A Very Rare Up-Doo [Orange Gradient Filter] 001

I don't generally like to wear my hair up. I generally only wear my hair this way for job interviews, or for dance class, or dance related situations. This was a loose one.

You can see that my hair was also still wet. This set was shot in 2012. I was experimenting with yoga looks, office looks, and makeup, with Tribal Fusion. Like I have mentioned often previously before, I'm an artist, and I often experiment with all kinds of things.

I don't always like my hair up, because I feel it unflatters my face, and prefer my hair to frame my face which you can see how my long bangs are left draping to frame my face.

 
Mori Girls LOVE PHOTOGRAPHY!  

This style of photography is called "spontaneous self portraits" which I use hand-held at close range to my face, giving an often warped, forced perspective to my facial features from various angles. The entire point of this exercise is to not know what will happen, and each time I shoot is a surprise.

Even when I try to set up the situations to increase the probability of something like what I was intending to get, something entirely different can occur. It pulls me FAR OUT of my comfort zone, since I'd, by nature, prefer to have total control, this forces me in the other direction. Many interesting frames can show up completely by accident, which is what you would want. You can learn just as much from a bad shot than a good one, and yet still be subject to randomness, or other times expect randomness and get all the same. A TOTAL SURPRISE. I'm actually NOT a "spontaneous person" I'd rather things to be more practical, so long as they are NOT BORING and MUNDANE and lack spirit & life... however, I also don't care for persons whom profess to be a "spontaneous person" as I find them to lack responsibilities, accountability, consistency, maturity, and scruples and are often fickle. I like a balance, and a variety.

Maybe it's due to my Solar/Sun Zodiac sign being a Virgo a week away from Leo, and both my Ascendent & Lunar/Moon signs are both Libra... of, maybe it's all nonsense? Who knows? But, I fit the profile... maybe there's something to it.... *shrugs*

I also tend to think of myself as an Earthy person with my feet firmly on the ground, but my mind often in the clouds, and at at times I can just abruptly be like the wind... living like the wind just isn't my total ideal, however. I like permanence with the option to move about, and return. Also, in my artwork (my drawings especially) I often incorporate wind, wind swept hair & clothing, as well as animals with wings, or that fly.... If you want to see a sample of some you can check my art blogs, or my DeviantArt gallery. (The links should be in the side bar)

There is a variety of these. I think I shot these around anywhere from February-May in 2012. We'd had warm and cold days, and then a warm spell... I think these were more around March-May because I recall their being flowers popping up outside. I had a few other days in which I experimented with similar styles, but with different makeup.

These are the old analogue 55mm Orange Gradient filter that I used, which I'd purchased on Amazon. At the time most photographers whom I knew were very bedazzled by anything NEW and DIGITAL, and Photoshopping EVERYTHING... I first learned photography & video in the 20th century, so I was familiar with things like filters on old film analogue SLR cameras. And, my father gave me his old vintage Japanese 1972 CANON FTB QL SLR camera with his old filters. Once I realized I could use an adapter from the old camera to my DSLR lens I started looking into other old fashioned filters. Most of the digital camera pro photographers seemed to only use filters like UV, and many other folks WAY OVER USED THEM thinking it would 'protect the lens" which I find to be stupid, because you wouldn't need a UV filter AT THE MUSEUM, or indoors, at all, EVER. or, it was the Polarized or Polarizing filters.... which you don't usually need unless you had a reason for it, namely when shooting car windshields or if your on the water like a boat in mid day during summer. Using those kinds of filters also PROTECTS YOUR EYES.

So, naturally, I was nonplussed when those calling themselves to be pro photographers, with credentials, or even avid hobby photographers would ask me how I always got this style... It seemed obvious to me that I not only used a filter, and proverbially the oldest tricks in the book, but also an adapter... I can just tell by looking at it. Couldn't they??? How does a pro photographer NOT KNOW the gradient filters??? I still see them used in television and films, altho' mostly in older content. But, what can I say? people become bedazzled by digital technology and forget themselves...

I've been asked how I did this in Photoshop... but, these are untouched, and shot on RAW sRGB and uncompressed. The only technology filtering going on are the electronic components inside the camera apertures and device. Also, my reaction to divulging that i used filters was a mixed bag. because usually on the hobby end, they are often happy about it, and have even looked into investing in gradient filters also. Where as pro photographers will scoff at the vary idea of using a filter since many have this disease in their minds that EVERYTHING MUST BE DIGITAL, and MUST BE edited in a graphic program like Photoshop.

No offense, but editing EVERYTHING in a graphic software program takes the JOY out of Photography for me.

Surely, I do use it... but I also mostly use it for art & graphics... and YES, I have used it for touch-ups, and playing around with HDR and tone-mapping bracketed sets.... But, WHY would I waste ALL OF MY TIME on editing my photos when I could try or challenge myself to getting better shots/frames WHEN I SHOOT THEM? To me, a simple gradient filter is a time saver, and also affects & effects the mood.

All of these photos are untouched, uncompressed, shot on RAW, and you will be able to see every flaw in them.

Ever since I persistently started intentionally, stubbornly, and frequently began shooting with my gradient filters, most especially my orange one, but also my blue one, and also publishing them to my Photography blog, Deviant Art, and Flickr and even submitting my photography of the many sites in Greater Philadelphia and Greater Boston, as well as in Deleware and New Jersey to weather apps, and other online social media starting in 2012 I've noticed an uptick in photographers actually USING gradient filters.

Not only that, but, NOW in 2012, when I search Amazon for them the price has doubled, trippled, or gone significant up! When I went searching for these old filters online in Amazon, and other merchant outlets on the internet they were dirt cheap, and just usually old left over stuff sitting on someone's stock shelves just TRYING to get rid of them... so, I only paid a few dollars for mine and even took advantage of the sales on Amazon. Not only that but many of my Flickr friends LIKE using gradient filters now, I frequently get new followers/friends on Flickr, and people even seek to recreate their own inspired versions or things that I have done & published on Flickr. I know because they privately tell me, or ask me questions.

And, even the snobby pro photographers have made trips to Philly just to try shooting the things I did, and even used the SAME kinds of blue or orange gradient filters.

Gypsets Love ART!

But, that's what I like about art. You can do something, and people can or will like it, maybe not right away, but eventually someone might, and then it can inspire people, even if it's slowly, over time. 

I'm often inspired by others, or I just stumble upon my own things by accident... and just like many humans, I share what I did, or do...  And, right now, if you're looking at this, or reading these words, you're also participating in that. In a way, you are a part of, or a piece of the art just by viewing it... 

Wow! That's deep! Like Duchamp's exhibit in the Philadelphia Art Museum... kinda Zen...

One day, I'm collecting old fashioned analogue gradient or vintage filters that I scraped my pennies together to buy cheaply online, and daring to shoot DSLR with analogue low-tech styles  amid a sea of jeers & scoffs that disagreed with the idea just by being me and doing "my art", and fusing Tribal Fusion, Bohemian themes, rave, and nature with makeup & bling, and NOW filters are "in", the price went up, they're in production in several companies, now, and I also have a blog that fuses all those things that I didn't have a name or cohesive category for... Boho chic, Bohemian, Mori Girl, Gypset, etc..

It's funny because so many of the things I liked are now popular on Tumblr, Instagram, and Pinterest, and the kids ask me how I did what I did, or even like what I've done. Every day now I get at least 1 new follower on Twitter, sometimes more, and I frequently get followers on Google+, Flickr, Pinterest, 8Tracks, and Flickr... All i can say is, I'm just usually the type of person that tend to be true to myself.... 

But, job searching kills me... because I must pretend to be something marketable, and phony, which doesn't sit well with me at all. I'd rather have employment doing what I'm naturally good at... but, it just never happens... -hence why I have so many blogs...


Well, if you were, perhaps interested in getting an Orange Gradient filter for your DSLR camera, perhaps you might be courteous enough to klick one of the links I've provided and help a girl out to make a few pennies.  I'd appreciate it, and so would the sellers, and Amazon for your business. 
You can also Flattr this blog if you like the content. 


I do have MORE of these photos from this set, and also a variety of them with or without filters, and differences in my hair, etc. Expect to see more of that. 

Dreamy Raver from BlackUniGryphon on 8tracks Radio.

Boho Chic Feather Earrings Raver [Indoors] 001

Boho Chic has changed quite a bit over the years, and so has Rave culture.

These are some photos I shot to test out my various camera equipment. I often experimented on myself because my daughter became uninterested in posing for me as she got older. I also have no interest in becoming a "stage mom".

I've actually been posting several of these frames cropped on Instagram, and they tend to be very popular.

Since I tend to get the most questions about my makeup and clothing, I will tell you here:

The Vintage Arden B. Blouse Top:

This top was by Arden B. which has been discontinued & shut down permanently. It was from the mid 2000s, and I believe this one might actually been from the period when they actually STILL produced fashion/clothing inside the USA, but around that time they would start to import some items from China, and attach the Arden B. brand label to them.

Actually, this top was a very very pale pink top with very light gray floral design patterns on it. I hand died it turquoise blue with a blue dye packet from Wal-Mart.... and their is a splotch error in the dying on one part, which no one ever notices... generally people are too eye-struck by my cleavage. I think I died it around 2008-ish...

The Turquoise Blue Feather Chain Earrings:

These were some earrings that I just HAD TO GET at Charlotte Russe. I got them around 2010 or 2011. Actually, I could probably make some just like them myself, now, because I've learned so much since then... You can also see some hoop earrings that I am also wearing with some chicken feathers which I also got at Charlotte Russe probably in 2009 or 2010. I really liked them, and they were similar to one of my dance teacher's.
I also have a yellow pair that looks just like these, but yellow. ;)

Makeup:
My eye makeup is by Maybelline New York Eye Studio which I believe they still make & sell. But, they called them "Pro" makeup at the time I bought them.
Yes I am wearing some L'Oréal makeup, but I hate this brand, because it's toxic, and I no longer purchase anything by them. I am also wearing Physician's Formula mineral powder.



If you look closely, you can probably my Christmas tree. I believe the year I shot this was a warm year, and you can see my DJ daisy light/lamp shiny some colored disco-tech lights in the background.

These were all experimental practice stuff for me... I'm an artist, that's just what I do. I experiment, I practice, I try to see what I can get, or do, or learn...

I also have other frames from this set with filters, and various kinds of lights. No ring-light in this one.

Comments & Questions I tend to get:

* Are you a model?

No, I'm not  model, per se.... I have modeled for my artists friends for sketching. I'm an artist.

* Have you ever been asked to model?

Technically yes I have been asked several times, and approached by photographers, and even given or exchanged business cards. this has happened the most to me in Los Angeles in 2005, but also in Philadelphia, and also somewhat in New Jersey.... however, it was ALWAYS by a male photographer, nothing ever happened, no follow-up ever took place, and it seems to have always been some other notice involved of a sexual nature... there was a gay photographer that also approached me in LA but folks in LA tend to have multiple jobs, and are scatter brained, so once I left he stopped replying my emails, or maybe went to Europe.

* Do you want to be, or have you ever wanted to be, a model?

Actually no, it has never been a goal of mine in life, at all, ever... I am an artist, and I express myself. That can include sharing photos of myself, whether ugly or prettied-up, or video blogging, or blogging, tweeting, photography, written works, research sharing, philosophical discussions or arguments, or making & creating stuff. I also draw a lot, and enjoy music, singing, etc.

* Are you a makeup artist?

No. Never.
I am not a cosmo girl, I never studied cosmetology, and I have no intentions, nor goals to do so.
Honestly, at times, I hate makeup, and also often find it to be gross. I started to expand my knowledge of makeup when i took up dance, especially bellydance, which also expanded to other things like cosplay, stage performance, karaoke, conventions, photography, and professional job seeking.
NEVER ask me to do your makeup. I can't do makeup on other people. I'll most likely poke your eye, or make you look like a clown, or bruise you. I could demo it for ya, but doing anyone's makeup or hair is something I HATE. the only person I can kinda do is my daughter... but, generally my spouse prefers to for her hair, and hates what I do with her.
I also hate doing my own hair, and just prefer it to be FREE! ...however, I do put my hair in a ponytail when I'm doing art stuff.