SK Saturday: Wolves of the Calla

Okay I have a confession to make. I'm not actually done with this, the fifth, installment of Stephen King's The Dark Tower series just yet. I'm about halfway there and it's very slow going for me.

Part of the problem is I feel no sense of urgency with this one even though I don't remember everything that happens. Of course, the fact that there is more to the series tells us at least Roland carries on the quest after this tale. Another reason may be that it is a slow tale. There's much telling going on and at least three different threads. 

First we have Father Callahan's story. To muddle things up he is the priest from Salem's Lot. That wasn't a problem for me the first time I read this but time has had a way of changing me as a reader. It kind of bothers me now that SK decided to put so much of himself in this book. I know there's much more later on but had forgotten how much was in this one. Not only is Salem's Lot mentioned, but also characters from a few others. It's not confusing to me just kind of annoying.

Second is the story of the Rose sitting in an abandoned lot in New York. The ka-tet has to save it by buying the lot to prevent an evil corporation from doing the same. Right now their plan is simple in word but difficult in deed. It involves time travel, which I'm not a huge fan of in stories, as well as for the cosmos to align correctly and shine favor on them. That's not something SK is known for. We'll see what happens.

Third is what the book is named for, the wolves who are on their way to Calla Bryn Sturgis. The farm/ranch town has been suffering from these invaders for centuries and need heroes to save them and their children. Roland and his crew arrive just on time to do so, but will they succeed? Time will tell.

So right now I'm at the point where all of the stories are told but it still remains to be seen where the chips will fall. I'll get back on it this week in the hopes of finishing by next Saturday.

Happy reading!

Shutterbug Sunday: Marlen Boro

Today's offering is the amazing Marlen Boro. In my quest for shutterbugs I've come across some outstanding images. What I love most about Marlen's site is how real these men are. Marlen offers boudoir photography for men, so these aren't necessarily professional models. As I perused his gallery I almost felt as if I was in the room with them, waiting for the subject to overcome their inhibitions and show off their best side.

How long have you been capturing the world around you, either professionally or from the first time you picked up a camera?

Photography was always the family hobby - so my first camera came at age 10.  But it really was digital photography that changed things for me.  So many photographers talk about the magic of the darkroom, but I couldn't stand it.  The tedious timing of the steps, and the chemical smells.  So it was 2009 when things really changed for me.

What/who is your favorite subject? Do you find humans difficult or intriguing to shoot?

My favorite subjects are real men.  Of all shapes and sizes and ages.  They are both difficult and intriguing to work with - and that's what makes it amazing.

If you could choose any one person in history, alive or dead, to do a full photo shoot of, who would it be and why?

It changes so often.  This week it's Paul Newman - at just about anytime in his life - as a dashing 20-something/30-something - to his silver fox years.  But I think it's one of my favorite things about photographs, and nude photography in particular - the camera doesn't care about your fame or your accomplishments - it shows each person as a unique piece of magic.

Do you have a fantasy location you would love to shoot? If so, is there a specific subject to go along with it?

I would love to spend a day at the infinity pool in Singapore (http://newslite.tv/2010/07/02/infinity-pool-on-55th-floor-of.html) - just me and Daniel Craig.  We'd start with those square cut swimming trunks from Casino Royale.

http://maleboudoir.com/

 

SK Saturday: Update VI

So, I nearly forgot to post this today...I was reading. I hate to admit I wasn't reading Wolves of the Calla, though I'm not done with it. I picked up a paranormal romance to balance out the acid trip feel of SK's 5th installment into The Dark Tower Series. Don't know that it worked but I promise to get back on it tonight. I'm finally at about the halfway mark. Next Saturday will bring a review whether I'm done or not, promise.

Shutterbug Sunday: Mateo de la Rioja

Today's offering comes from another amazing photographer, Mateo de la Rioja, and definitely leans toward the more erotic. His work is sensual, enticing and can be very graphic. Enjoy!

How long have you been capturing the world around you, either
professionally or from the first time you picked up a camera?

I have been fascinated with photography since I was a young child. My first camera, which I received when I was about five years old, was a Fisher Price. I later got a Polaroid camera as a gift from my grandfather, and when I was in high school, I bought my first SLR. This was before digital came along and revolutionized everything, so back then I was mostly shooting Fujichrome Velvia color slide film. I put the camera aside when I went to college, and only reconnected with photography some years later when I first had the opportunity to play around with a digital camera. When I realized that I could focus on capturing moments without the need for any intermediaries, an entire universe of possibilities opened up. I have not stopped making images since then.
Bestiary, the project that I’m currently working on, was started in 2009.

What/who is your favorite subject? Do you find humans difficult or
intriguing to shoot?

I will always prefer to shoot people. I think photographing humans entails performing an extrospective exercise: you have to connect with the model, communicate your vision, and then transform it into an amalgamation of your idea and the model’s interpretation of it. In other words, the end image is the product of a dialectical dynamic between model and photographer. This does not really occur with other subjects. When shooting landscapes, for example, the process is much more introspective: the image is the product of the photographer’s deliberate choice to put a frame around a section of nature. In that respect, there is no communication, no tension between subject and photographer.

Moreover, how a person is framed reveals as much about the photographer as the model. A good portrait, in addition to capturing the essence of the person being portrayed, should also reveal something about the photographer. What the photographer chooses to highlight of the model, the setting, the mood, and so on, reflect a great deal about the photographer’s disposition.

In short, I believe photographing people can be a great exercise of self-exploration.

If you could choose any one person in history, alive or dead, to do a full
photo shoot of, who would it be and why?

I would love to photograph the olympic athletes. I am fascinated by the story that each of their bodies can tell. I would love to be able to convey in images the long hours of training, the sacrifices made by these athletes to shape and condition their bodies to do the amazing things they do. There is a story in every every limb, muscle, and scar.

ESPN, of course, has already done something along these lines in their body issue.

Do you have a fantasy location you would love to shoot? If so, is there a
specific subject to go along with it?

I would love to do some underwater photography in a style similar to the work of Elena Kalis, except mine would involve nudes, naturally. The perfect setting for that would most likely be some remote island in the Caribbean where water is translucent and the sand is white. If I could throw in a sailboat and some surfing into the mix, I would be a very happy guy.

Erotic photography by Mateo de la Rioja

SK Saturday: Update V

As I sit here writing this it's actually Thursday evening. However, the current installation I'm working through, Wolves of the Calla, is a massive tome and I'm not even to the halfway point yet. So, I promise to read more and hopefully more quickly, this next week. But my muse has been active and I can't ignore her when she starts yapping in my ear.

Happy reading!