Behind the Scenes: Tie-dye Photoshoot in Valley of Fire

It had been one heck of a whirlwind weekend... We drove out to Mesquite and explored the area, checked out a new fishing park they had, scoped out some of their local casinos, then gone out to St. George, Utah, and played in the beautiful Historic Downtown park and water facilities, checked out a crystal and gem shop while discovering where Vanticore won't fit (the hard way), climbed upon a giant rock, driven through so many little off-freeway towns and rural areas... and now, at the end of our second day road tripping (yes, it's only been two days!), we found ourselves at Valley of Fire state park trying to squeeze in that damn photo shoot I'd been angling towards all day. Not to say I didn't enjoy the rest of our day- I absolutely did! It was so much fun exploring the new towns and areas, seeing a side of our state and the Southwest I don't normally get out and see. Absolutely awesome! But all play and no work makes Nau go cray. So despite the odds, and the waning sunlight, and the packed campsites and scenic areas, we found a place to pull over and guerilla-style shot the shirts. It went pretty well, and we made a point of it to be well out of the road long before any cars came close- which was exceptionally easy to manage because the place we stopped had excellent views (and acoustics) so we not only heard the cars long before they approached but were able to spot them, too. It's not unusual to come around a bend in the park and find a family posing for a shot in the middle of the road, and we did NOT want to be those people. Like, I get it- the photos in the road look cool. But you've got to plan for them, and plan for the fact that roads are primarily intended for cars to travel upon. Don't stand around a bend, where cars won't be able to see you until it's too late. Keep your ears and eyes open and be hyper aware of your surroundings. Not only are there cars, but rattle snakes, scorpions, random places you could trip or hurt yourself. It's wild out there, so be smart, my friends. 

We didn't have long to work, and the moon was bright long before we were even halfway through our quick shoot. Antho was able to get some photos of the big pearl in the sky which aren't half bad considering he didn't use a tripod and it was taken with my little point-and-shoot digicam. Someday I'll invest in one of those fancy, expensive, cameras, but this trusty little Casio has been through the ringer with me and keeps on clicking so I've got no complaints. If you like what you see, the shirts are available in our Etsy shop!

NSFW Bodyimage project with Marshall Bradford

Note: This post was originally written back in February 2016, but I removed it. I've chosen to share it once again because I think it's worth commemorating, regardless of how (ironically) insecure it might make me feel. 

Antho and I recently did a photoshoot with local photographer Marshall Bradford as part of his Bodyimage project. No photoshop, just us. He's done quite an extensive series now with a cornucopia of shapes, sizes and styles so we felt comfortable volunteering for it. While I doubt I'll ever feel 100% comfortable prancing around in the buff, it was a fun adventure and I'm glad we did it! 

Rather than try to awkwardly word my way around it, I'll include Marshall's statement about the project as he wrote it:

"Image is everything. If you don't look like the media tells you to you will never make it in the world. Forget about finding love and happiness. That's what the pretty people get.

Or that's what we are told. I don't really feel that way. As a photographer in Las Vegas I have shot my share of high polish perfect modeling photos and I'm not saying I won't shoot stuff like that in the future. I am also an artist and to that end I have the need to try new things with my art. 

My thought with this project I wanted to show what we really look like. I wanted to photograph people simply being themselves and being proud of that. People should love how they look and love themselves first. No matter the way you look you should remember that your happiness comes from within. That's the goal of this work. To allow the subjects own beauty to show. I have learned a lot starting this project and I'm excited to see where it leads me to. 

The project is simple. Straight nude portraits and body scapes of anyone who wants to volunteer. I won't be telling you how to pose or nudge the shoot in any particular direction. My goal is just to let you be you. That's going to be the hardest part for me. All my training is telling me to control the shoot to get the look I'm going for.  

In this world of photo editing and "fix it in post" mentality theses are going to be as close to pure as I can get them. Shot and edited for black and white then done. I'm not shooting theses in B/W only because I want a certain tonal range.  

If you would like to be a part of this please message me and let's set up a day to shoot. I'll be working on this for the next few months. At first I thought this would be a quick project because I wouldn't get a enough interest from people. I thought I get a few and that it would be it. I am extremely excited at the response I have gotten and the number of people willing to come along with me on this journey. Its been amazing and I can't wait to see where it goes. 

Thank you to everyone who has stepped up to be a part. It's a very brave thing to allow the world to see you as you really are. I could have not done any of this work with the trust my friends place in me. I'm on honored to be able to photograph the subjects in this project. 

Marshall"

Without further ado, here are some of the photos:

My absolute favourite!

Antho in a nutshell.

July 2017 Summer Tie-Dye Session

Lovecraftian nightmare of a sea creature/alien, or a shirt in the making?

Sometimes it can be hard to tell...

I mean, look at all those nubby limbs in strange and unusual shades melting together, like a band of multicolored worms of unusual size, or especially flambouyant space octopi having an arm-wrestling contest! 

Tie-dye is kind of like a Rorschach test if the inventor had gone to fry parties and listened to records of The Doors in the back of a converted school bus, I suppose. What do you see when you look at the shirts? Some crafters go for more intentional designs, using the fabric to draw things- a face, a bear, an alien, what-have-you. I respect this and know it's not an easy thing to do. When you draw on paper, you're using an almost entirely flat medium (depending on the paper and texture/weight) whereas with fabric you're putting your designs onto an item meant to drape across a human body (or a wall, a bed, so on). You have to be meticulous in your folds and plan ahead, often drafting out your intended results on the fabric beforehand. Then you get to the actual tying part of the process, using either sinew, rubber bands, or sheer force of will to constrain the fabric into those predetermined patterns you've plotted out... Prepare, measure, mix and pour the dye...

This is to say, it's quite a process. Measuring the dye and hydrating it is an art in and of itself- do you mix soda ash into the dye solution or no? How hot do you want the water to be to activate that specific dye to get the exact shade you're hoping for? 

It's a lot of work. And I respect that.

But me?

I like chaos.

A little uncertainty, following an intuition, an impulse. 

I'm not saying I'm a full on anarchist...oh, heavens no. Not this girl. Chaos, without any order, can descend into confusion... Chaos AND confusion?! Nope. I like some planning, and I do ever so love a good steady routine in some areas of my life, when it comes to making art I find I'm a bit sick of precision and planning ahead after years of drawing people for work, I just want to relax a little and make pretty things happen that can be shared with people who want to wear those pretty things. Tie-dye, if nothing else, is an exercise in a patience and delayed gratification, and while there is a time and a place for being meticulous I find I quite like being more abstract and seeing what the dyes and the fabric do without my trying to overthink their interaction. Considering that our Etsy shop is rated 5 stars suggests I might not be the only person who enjoys the end result.  We're certainly not in the top tier of sellers on Etsy by any stretch of the imagination, though, so I know there are things I could be doing differently. All things in time, though. For what started as a one off idea for a date night has turned into a passion that we've been able to share with other people all around the world, and for that I couldn't be more grateful!

With this batch, I wanted to experiment with using gravity to distribute the dyes. We have several containers that we use when we ice dye, and instead of simply tying up the shirt and putting it fully inside the vessel I draped some of it over the sides and under, so that it held itself in place. As the ice melts and the dye is hydrated, it would drip through the center and up/down the sides as they hydrate. This created a really neat effect and I'm super excited to experiment with it more in the future!

More photos after the cut!

Project: Tie-dye 2016/02/13

Antho and I have been doing a lot of tie-dye recently. These have all been posted in our Etsy shop so if you see any you like be sure to check it out! We're both quite pleased with how we've been progressing through experimentation and practice. ^_^ Hope you like!

Winter Tie-dye 2016-02-05

It's been awhile but now that it's starting to warm up again Antho and I made some tie-dye the other day. I'm quite pleased with the results! I'll be posting them on Etsy in the next few days.

2015 in review

2015 has come and gone! Rather than prattle on wistfully about the passage of time and the ephemeral nature of existence, let's focus on some of the highlights from the past year!

Antho and I were both pretty busy this year! Between our trip to Hollywood to perform at the Whiskey a Go-Go, and the subsequent backpacking across L.A, the Holi-festival of colour, Blinking Man bike ride downtown, our trip to San Francisco (01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23...), our multiple tie-dye sessions and all of our liquid light performances (01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16...) combined with my volunteering with Critical Care Comics, art gigs (01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06...), private commissions, tutoring and blogging it's been an enlightening and mostly enjoyable year full of learning, colourful creations, travel and nesting.

We moved into our adorable little townhouse around Valentine's Day and our lease is rapidly coming to an end... I had originally planned on moving to Korea (and Antho following!) for work, but due to the passing of my grandmother I've had to postpone as I attempt to get her affairs in order. I've started a GoFundMe campaign trying to raise funds to get her buried...if you can contribute anything, anything at all, I would be so grateful! It's awful knowing she's just sitting there, stuck somewhere in Florida, when her last wishes were to be buried next to the man she loved in Ohio and there's little to nothing I can do about it at this moment. That put a real damper on the end of the year for me, as I struggled with feelings of hopelessness and helplessness on top of mourning the loss of my last grandparent. Creating the campaign helped me to feel like I'm at least trying, so I've been slowly crawling out of the depths of my depression of late, but it hasn't always been easy. Antho lost his grandpa a month later which left us both rather down and out during the holidays...

As heartbreaking as it is to lose someone, it's an unfortunate consequence of getting to exist at all, isn't it? Normally I prefer to focus on all the good experiences we shared and the memories they've given us, which helps, but the lack of closure in this instance is especially difficult for me to deal with. Antho's grandpa is already having his service later this month while my grandma's is still unknown, unscheduled, despite her having departed over a month prior and it pains me. Our bodies aren't intended to last forever, especially once we've evacuated the premises... *sigh* every day that passes is another day she sits alone and lost.

Well, look at this.... After starting this post with a vow not to prattle on about life, the universe, and everything, here I am waxing philosophic. Oof. 

In the end, 2015 had a lot of good in it. There were some truly beautiful, exhilarating, eye-opening moments that I will be forever grateful for having the opportunity to participate. The year ended on a real downer note, but that doesn't mean the entire year was a bust. You have to try and take the good with the bad, right?

Hope your 2015 was a good one guys.

Much love.

XOXO Nau

Vegas: We are the Music Makers Open Mic Night

Every Monday night We are the Music Makers open mic night that takes over The Beat coffeeshop in Downtown Las Vegas.  Hosted by our good friend Diego, you're guaranteed a wide cross section of the many music talents inhabiting our city. From tie-dye clad Hamlet rapping newbies to seasoned pros belting out covers of classic bluesy tunes there's something for everyone, and all are welcome. 

It's pretty groovy. The coffee and grub aren't half bad, either. If you're of a particularly stoney mindset, give the Slap & Tickle sandwich a try; peanut butter & homemade jam with smoked bacon and pickled jalapeños on simple white bread. It's an unholy medley of sweet, smokey, savoury and your forever tainted childhood. 

Antho and I rolled out with our light show, 710 Visuals, illuminating the event's proceedings. We had a lot of fun and the music was ever-so-delightfully coffee house chic, which means I felt like whipping out a sketchbook and doodling most of the evening. Next time, sketchy, next time.

We're definitely going to be doing more of these in coming weeks!

I'm looking forward to it. ^_^

Have you ever been to an Open mic night?

Did you perform?

I don't think I'd ever be brave enough ^^;;

Drawing is kind of a quiet, solitary thing, compared to music, isn't it?

But then again, Bob Ross made a career on his happy little trees, so there is potential there.

Anyway...if you're local, you should certainly give it a shot!

Everyone's very friendly and accepting, so don't be shy. 

Hope you have a happy little day!

Thanks for stopping by! 

XOXO Nau

Candy Warpop & 710 Visuals performance 11/2015

Candy Warpop recently put on a righteous show at 11th Street Records in Downtown Vegas and invited us to throw light at them. We happily obliged, and here's some of the results!

Josh, their guitarist, was a bit under the weather but still managed to do an excellent job of it. He even threw in a pretty rad solo later on!

"Exterminating Angel"

Vegas: 710 Visuals @ Halloween House Party

 This year we were asked to provide visuals for a private Halloween house party orchestrated by Germ of Ossum Possum, and we obliged. Live music, free beer, festive costumes and scary movies are generally a winning combination. 

Naturally, Ossum Possum performed, as did Sojourner, and I've got plenty of videos after the cut for you! 

Las Vegas: Candy Warpop & 710 Visuals at the Beauty Bar 2015-10-18

Antho and I went out to the lovely Beauty Bar in Downtown Las Vegas recently to do visuals with the badass band Candy Warpop. Jonas on bass, Amy on vocals, Josh on guitar and Anisa on drums, these guys always put on a great show and we're always happy to throw some extra-sensory fun into the mix!
They're all multitalented and ambitious individuals, so it's incredibly inspiring to work with them. 

Las Vegas: Candy Warpop & 710 Visual at the Triple B 2015-10-09

Candy Warpop, if you guys didn't know, are a gang of badasses who rock the stage and sometimes give us the privilege of blinding them with pretty lights. 

On October 9th they performed a fantastic set at the Backstage Bar & Billiards in Downtown Las Vegas and asked us to light them, so we did!

Jonas was unable to perform for the evening due to another event with some Cirque du Soleil related business, so the very talented Angelica Santis stepped in on bass!

Unfortunately for us, their giant neon sign kind of drowned out our visuals, but the effect is still pretty neat. More photos and video after the cut!

Members: Amy Pate - Vocals, Guitar Joshua Cohen - Guitar Jonas Woolverton - Bass Anisa - Drums 

Las Vegas: Electric Coronation w/710 Visuals @ the Womb Room 2015-10-03

And to the headlining band, Electric Coronation!

This highly talented group was celebrating the release of their album, so naturally 710 Visuals had to bring the lights for this momentous occasion.

Electric Coronation is comprised of: Joshua Chévere Cohen & Brian Gathy - Guitars, Assorted Trickery Ethan Gathy - Synth Torture Ramy Almerie - Percussive Time/Space Manipulation

Las Vegas: Whenskiesaregray w/710 Visuals @ the Womb Room 2015-10-03

Following Periskope came Whenskiesaregray. Hailing from Baltimore, these guys were on the tail end of their tour and experiencing van difficulties. Even with the technical difficulties weighing on them, they busted out a great set!

Brandon on guitar & vocals and Eric on bass.

More photos and videos after the cut!

Las Vegas: Periskope w/710 Visuals @ the Womb Room 2015/10/03

Antho and I have done several shows at the Womb Room now, and it's one of our favorite venues. Being somewhat small, the intimate vibe encourages people to mingle and meet one another on friendly terms. We've met some truly amazing people there!

There's less pretense and I've yet to see any arguing as none of the bands want to ruin their good standing with the hosts. It's an invite only kind of shindig, so if you lose your invitation you're out!

And with so many talented acts coming through on a frequent basis, that would truly be a shame. 

Talented acts like these guys, Periskope!

A self described "psycho-surf-rock instrumental reverb-disco" band featuring:

Sonia Verde on Bass 

Brandon Fansler on Drums 

Jake Lasky on Guitar 

Justin Ptak on Guitar 

and Hank, the Band Dog.

While some members weren't really visible during the show due to lighting angles and proximity, they all did their part and put on a great show. 

More photos and video below the cut!