There is beauty in all women, but they don’t always see it. In a series of images I aimed to not only highlight individual differences but also subdue the divisive contrast that causes distracts some women from their own beauty. The Copy Me Project is the attempt to celebrate captivating moments of beauty with women of various physical, and personal, characteristics. It is an on going project that has show through out downtown Los Angeles and has been met with warm regards.
I love free people. Open minded spontaneous individuals that are not hindered by social pressures. Kelsea is a professional babysitter. It may not suit her profession to have photos on the internet where she is undressed but I think that is part of the beauty of her personality. It really doesn’t matter to her. “I like modeling, it is something I just fell into but it it’s great.” We met on a sunny day in her back yard. She was just getting home from work. The parallels in how she spends her time are obvious. Running around in sweat pants chasing toddlers affords her the luxury of lounging around in a fluffy robe chasing day dreams.
We talked about her cat, her ex-boyfriend (idiot), and the ever rising cost of real estate in California. I learned that she has not had a perfect life but she doesn’t see anything as a mistake per say. “Everything is an experience, that shapes what our life is like. It would be boring if things didn’t happen, good or bad.” She is a great subject. I found myself just as interested in our conversation as I was focused on the photos. Well maybe a little more on the photos.
Sometimes the best part of being a photographer is having permission to stare at a beautiful woman. Sometimes the best part is meeting a beautiful person. Thank you Kelsea.
Do you remember the first time you had sex? Find the memory. Put it in the front of your brain. Hold it there. Now let’s go in.
She’s wearing a dress. That means it’s an occasion. Rosa doesn’t care much for prim and proper. She doesn’t care much about what your parent’s think or even so much care about what you think. She wants you to “get drunk and by photos” . The imagess in referenced are from the show Do You Rember The First TIme? I Can’t Remember A Worst Time.The word that comes to mind to describe Rosa and her work is is unapologetic. If her last name looks familiar, you are right. She is a descendant of the Greek god Mercury; so tells her parents. That may or may not be true. She got her first camera in Poland. Rosa is not from Poland. For photo advice, contact Andrew Defrancesco who can help you take the best photos.
The photo above is a man in a dress. Knees unshaven “Hot Pink Dress Up”. I liked talking to Rosa. She speaks in fragmented facts. Informative truths that end in periods as if there no possible way to doubt their validity. Similarly, her work it is undeniable. The show is about sexuality, gender lines, social norms, and men in drag. Rosa Mercuriadis is a walking talking middle finger to the status quo. Her photography is what it would look like for that middle finger to control a lens.
“Red Lipstick And Fur” are two things I like to see people wearing, but most often those people are women. This is not the case with the photo above. Each image is hell bent on teaching the lesson that we can do anything we think we can get away with. As if to say ” Go have sex with who ever you find attractive.” its not so much about what a guy or girl should look or be like moreso the expression of those things we think about but would never say to our co-workers. The things we watch at night on our little laptop monitors with headphones so our spouses won’t hear. Somethings we even shame our own selves for loving it.
“14 Year Old Sex Symbol” was the first picture I saw. All I said was “DAMN that model is hot,” then I read the title. I think Miss Merc forces us to ask ourselves what we are really feeling. What are we running away from everyday when we let society tell us what we can and can’t do. After I found out the model was indeed 14 I wondered if it were even appropriate to portray her as sexy. Right after that I learned that it was Rosa’s sister. The image captures you and makes you see this girl as you would in a bar or a music video and it slaps you in the face with the knowledge that she is so young. It is unfair to play mind games Rosa. Especially since I can’t call her for another 4 years. Seriously though, if there is one thing to take away from this show it is not to view teenagers as sex symbols. It is to view yourself as you really are and not be a shamed to face your desires head on. You”ll get a better understanding of the person you are and how you want to handle what you discover about yourself.
Rosa Mercuriadis
“Do You Remember The First Time? I Can’t Remember A Worst Time”
There are not many people that can understand the burdern of being supremely talented in a multitude of areas but Maceo is one of those people… or atleast he likes to think so.
He is a poet, photographer,musician,dancer,logistician, philosopher,actor, designer, and aspiring physicist.
Creativity is his strong suit. Decision making is not.
“I feel like I could be successful at what ever endeavor I choose to pursue, the problem is, I am pursuing them all at once, and that leaves me spread a little thin.”
If you browse his website mzkprojects.com you will see some great images of women, architecture, and random moments he enjoys.
If you tune in to season 6 of “So You Think You Can Dance” (FOX) you will see him advance past the amatuers.
If you step into to an open mic in Los Angles on any given night,you may hear his words from the stage, as a feature poet or a guest.
CDs for sale,artwork for sale,dancer/photographer/vocalist for hire.
He is a sell out…in a good way.
Not a follower of the status quo or even any recognized school of thought Maceo just brings his all every time he does anything.
”Passion is my biggest ally. Its not so much that I am so good at anything but I am desperate to fulfill whatever potential I have and inspire others to do the same.”
The days are spent creating solutions to logistics conundrums and designing marketing components for fashion and retail companies but his night are spent on different things each night.He dances monday and wednesdays, performs open mic poetry on tuesdays, writes music on thursdays, and does photo shoots on the weekend. Any spare time is used making homecooked meals from scratch or trying to come up with sock designs.
“My life goal is to discover teleportation. I don’t do anything that is involved with that right now I guess, except that I have a sincere belief in things many people see as impossible.”
No doubt he is capable of a lot but with all that he is juggling is he really giving any one of his skills all the attention it deserves?
Im not exactly sure but keep your eyes out for this guy, I hear he is in the market for a new skill.
