Nettie's Interview

Nettie is a model from Indianapolis that contacted me for a shoot here in New Orleans. She is fearless, sweet, funny and creates great art. She actually gets upset when she hasn't done a shoot in a while.

Univers D'Artistes

A really nice feature on my work by Chris St. James the European editor of Carrie Leigh Nude magazine.

http://www.universdartistes.com/2008/11/michael-siu-nolaphoto-studios-first.html

This is the feature, the interview is still to come. This is a monumental honor.

Thank you Chris.

Anticipation and tattoos

The lovely Bella again, someone emailed me about using this for a tattoo. I would have never even thought about that. Of course I said yes. Oh and those vintage Bakelite welding goggles are the first item I actually won in a bid off of ebay.

Being prepared is one of those things that I strive for. It makes the shoot more productive, creativity happens but around a structured style. Today and tomorrow I have two beautiful models coming into the studio and I don't feel fully prepared. I have my typical concepts that I want to shoot but I don't have a crystal clear shot list and schedule to work with. Then there is the dynamic of two models. If they do not interact the shoot fails. Having two models is two poses that have to be in sync, two looks that have to be good, two emotions that work together and two expressions perfect.

I have a new ginormous(thanks Brittney for the description) printer that I have been struggling with for the last couple of weeks. With a gallery show in a week and 1 print of 10 done I am really behind the eight ball.

Soul Searching

Every once in a while the model and the photographer touch each others soul. This is a brief encounter and not a romantic one. The model with her beauty and grace. The photographer with his creativity and vision. Add in serendipity, fate and a cat named Jim for something that is way beyond the sum of it's parts. The inner beauty of the model and her personality shine through transcending the medium. The model entrusts the photographer with her sensuality, beauty, and for the brief time together the photographer holds that close and protects it.

Bella Blue



This is a quote that I heard from a photographer:

I don't photograph anything unless it's an important challenge to my own sense of being or my own sense of life or existence.

I am not that deep, sometimes I just like the pure beauty of the moment.

More Pictures

Great news for those following my work here. I am working on posting sets of images and adding more images to the blog to help generate some more interest. I also have some wonderful new video interviews with my models who offer amazing insight into their work and lives. Now, if I could just get YouTube to accept a clip longer than 10 minutes. Many of these beautiful and talented women have more to say than a quick 10 minute interview.


Here is Nettie an amazing young lady from Indiana who is here working in New Orleans.

Case Dismissed

My model and myself remain citizens in good standing.

I love this town. It finally paid off in my favor. I took care of a necessary evil. Righted a wrong. Cured an injustice.

An inappropriate charge for a victimless crime. What we did was neither heinous nor lewd, it was simply an expression of freedom, an expression of beauty, a capture of a second in time.

I stand appreciative yet guarded as I wonder how this will effect my creative freedom. I expect that I will be shooting in the studio more often now tethered to the limits of black, gray and white backgrounds.


To those who helped, I thank you.

Lewd Conduct

In the French Quarter, New Orleans. God forbid.

Anyone who has modeled with me, knows that I have a passion for location work. Shooting nudes in the studio is good work but location nudes always trumps studio anytime. The extra element of location adds multiple layers of interaction, risk, architecture, and environment.


WTF? I have seen so many naked women in the quarter I can't even count. There are armed robberies, violent crimes and yet last night I am accused of lewd conduct for trying to shoot some art nudes in the French Quarter. We are released with a ticket to appear in court.

Will my creative passion be limited to just studio work from here on out?