Breaking my own rules w/ Marie Devilreux and Alan Graves!
I have a pretty iron clad rule on my shoots. No boyfriends, girlfriends or significant others. In my 16 years of shooting, I’ve had enough bad experiences to make that one of my conditions. Escorts, I’m fine with. It’s a scary industry, littered with scumbags and predators, especially with a large demographic of male photographers. I encourage escorts. Bring a friend, cousin or GBF, but I don’t want your jealous fiancé giving me dagger eyes when I say “…bring your finger tips to your collar bone.”. It’s not good for me, or you, or her.
Every year, I travel to Las Vegas for the biggest rockabilly convention in the world. Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekend. I book shoots for the five days I’m there, and get to meet incredible pinup models and vintage enthusiasts rom all over the world. I don’t drink, or dance, and I don’t particularly live the midcentury modern culture, so it’s work and shoots, but it’s never dull.
A few months prior to last year’s VLV, I was contacted by a lady named Mariana who nabbed my last available booking for the event. She was a fetish/latex designer/burlesque dancer/model. We took care of everything and locked in her shoot, and I didn’t give it much thought until I was in Vegas.
I got a text on WhatsApp the day of our shoot […Mariana was coming from The UK and that was previously how we’d set up our shoot], and then I got the ominous “…my boyfriend and I will be at The Artisan Hotel in two hours.”. Typically, I’d have set that boundary early on. Of course I’d meet him, but that he’d have to stay in the lobby while we were shooting. I’m strict on that rule, but I also tend to go with my gut, and for some reason, I felt better about this situation. I decided I’d meet Alan and see how it went, before banishing him to the downstairs bar while we shot.
Mariana and Alan arrived at the hotel and I let them in to my room. Immediately, both were welcoming and kind. Mariana is Brazilian, and Alan is originally from Barcelona. Hugs all around, and nothing but positive energy. Alan presented me with a hardcover book of zombie art from illustrators and painters all over the world; a book he published! He’s also an incredible tattoo artist, horror enthusiast, charming demeanor and resembling a youthful Billy Joe Armstrong. Needless to say, Alan could stay. He won me over in record time.
*Behind the scenes photo while shooting Mariana's Marie Devilreux line of custom latex fetish fashion
The rest of the afternoon was creating moody photos with two powerhouse creatives that shared my love for dark esthetics. We explored all of The Artisan Hotel, making pictures along the way. Mariana had an endless selection of wardrobe options, many of which she made by hand for her latex line, Marie Devilreux. I loved seeing both Mariana and Alan perplexed by my ability to make photos in near impossibly dark conditions.
Our shoot wrapped, feeling great about new friendships, outstanding photography and the rest of my shoots for what would be a brutal schedule over the next four days.
That Monday, I would be driving from Las Vegas to LA for a few more days of shoots and as it turned out, Alan and Mariana were trying to find a bus to Los Angeles as well. I offered them a ride, and we packed all five full size luggage bags in to my tiny Ford Focus rental car and embarked. I still laugh thinking about Mariana’s relentless jokes about my bromance with her boyfriend. Four hours of conversations about zombies, reanimation, classic horror, ghosts and the paranormal. It was a great time, and welcomed company.
I dropped Mariana and Alan off in Hollywood, and made it back to a friends, crashing on her couch for a few hours before waking up to shoot the following morning.
I’ve stayed in touch with both of them, and while writing the script for Cryptopia, my Steemit inspired comic book project, I decided Alan and Mariana would make perfect additions to the cast of characters. Read more about that in my previous post, “Full script of issue #001 of Cryptopia, my Steemit inspired comic!”.
Thanks for reading, and following. You can follow my blog for more photography, illustration and thoughts. @Kommienezuspadt.
Great shots. I love the dark, retro-sepia aesthetic. Shot 6 makes me incredibly uncomfortable in the way that good art should.
Has the experience made you rethink your stance on S/O's on set?
Wow!