Queer AF w/ Nadi A'marena!

Good evening, Steemit! Sitting in my comfortable spot here at @caffetto in uptown Minneapolis. The weather is perfect. Most my friends are succumbing to seasonal effective disorder, but I love it. I don’t mind winter [...even in Minnesota, and if I did, I wouldn’t have moved here]. As I promised in a previous post, there’s a big EDH/Commander blog coming but I can assure you, Magic games have been going very well. That’s also keeping me in good spirits. Trial by Comics is in week four and the participation has been unreal. If you haven’t already, check out the winner of “Superheroes” and the announcement of this week’s “Super-villains” theme in my last post, “Trial by Comics winner for "Superheroes" week and next theme announced!”.

Getting back to photography, I wanted to share some images from a recent shoot in Minneapolis. Firstly, I should state that I don’t actually shoot in Minneapolis that often these days. I’ve been to cities across the countries where the art/work ecosystem has collapsed. TF [...or trade for print shoots] are good in building your portfolio with models, make-up artists, hair stylists, etc., of a similar skill level as yourself, but in some cities, the spirit of TF shoots has been exploited and accepted as the default approach within the industry. Minneapolis is one of these cities. Living here, I can provide a list [...I wont, but I could] of photographers [male, in every case], that prefer the company of beautiful women in a free exchange of time for pictures, rather than charging even a nominal fee for the service. On a long enough time line, models expect the same from all photographers in said city, which...how can you blame them? Ultimately, what perpetuates a crumbling industry even further is that many of those aforementioned photographers are pretty good. They’re not just GWC’s [...guy with camera]. Now, not only are free photos available to any attracted aspiring model, the free photos are portfolio grade images.

This isn’t sour grapes, and that’s not why I’m bringing it up. I work in NYC and LA, almost exclusively. The competition and expectation to pay for quality work isn’t more understood and accepted, than in those two coastal cities. I made the decision a long time ago [...especially as a single dad trying to provide for my son as a freelance artist] that my time was worth being paid. I funneled the energy I “would” spend shooting in my home city, to booking trips, travel and lodging in LA and NYC. The work I’ve done in those two cities over the last five years has elevated by career to a height far beyond what it would have reached in Minnesota. I settled on what I consider a fair rate for shooting in Minneapolis, given that I wouldn’t have to get on a plane, which still seems to be far too high for most in the Midwest, but I’ve stuck to it. I may only shoot with those clients willing to invest in their portfolios, but it’s quality over quantity. I’m able to dedicate far more time to the clients in Minneapolis that do hire me, and in turn, get them the best possible photos for their money.

With that little rant out of the way, tonight’s post is from one of those clients. As you’ve more than likely read if you’ve been following my posts here on Steemit, I’m an active alley to many groups including minorities, immigrants and and the LGBTQ community. When I first moved to Minneapolis, I worked for a feminist, female owned, sex toy retail and education store. During my time there, I met so many gay, lesbians, trans and queer individuals that ultimately became […and still are] my closest friends. Nadi, a queer model and burlesque partner here in Minneapolis, and her partner came to me to book a shoot in celebration of her birthday.

It’s sad that I don’t shoot more here in the Twin Cities, because I do love it. I love not having to travel, or get on a plane, but when a client like Nadi hires me, I get really excited about working in my home city. She brought with her a gorgeous collection of unique lingerie, even latex that resembled a fetishy nurses outfit. @mada was kind enough to allow us his space to create our own brand of dark pinup with a flavorful queer twist. I had the opportunity to move around elements of the room, come up with bizarre poses, like positioning Nadi under a piano, laying atop of oval mirror. I never get tired of shooting unususal scenarios like that.

Thanks for reading. I post daily, so for more photography, art, illustration and the stories behind the work, follow me here @kommienezuspadt!