Wooded Melissa

 1. Melissa is a college friend & we shared many an Art History class together.

This was taken years after our respective graduations along a trail in my hometown during one of her periodic forays back to NY state.

The dress she's wearing was originally intended for use at a mutual friend's wedding but I got fired when the bride freaked out thinking I was blowing her off when instead I had no reception due to living near mountains. Bummer but at least that firing saves me from the drudgery of editing.

*shrugs shoulders*

That might have been one of the last times I ever shot a wedding. Not for the bridezillas but more because all the pressure I put on myself. I'd quote the editing turn-around 3-6 months but I'd damn near kill myself getting it out within 45 days WHILE ALSO having a full-time dayjob. 

I just don't like having stuff hanging over my head.

2. I'm currently selling my work. If anything particular shot, any model, or any set interests you, please email me at farenell.photography@gmail.com. 

Just tell me what interests you & I'll see what I can do. I try to work within people's budgets but I'm also not going to like give them away for pennies on the US dollar.

Imperfect Audrey

 1. We all change. I'd LIKE to think its human nature. Yet the pic of Audrey often get criticized for being terrible.

So what's wrong with it? 

If you'd believe some people, just about everything. 

Though the subject matter is pleasant to look at - the lighting is poor, my shooting angle is wrong, the high film speed (to use an archaic term) creates unnecessary grain, there's an unsightly lenses flare going on, I haven't presented the model in a flattering angle, her pose is wrong, etc, etc. 

And if I'm being honest, they're right!

Why do I bring all this up?

This piece is another pivot point in my work where I no longer completely care. Those very imperfections add to an interesting mood specifically when I & others see a sultry yet mysterious vibe. 

From my experience, one can learn all the technical things. But if a person doesn't have that spark to make whatever they're creating interesting or the capacity to convey whatever it is you're trying to convey, there's only so much stale technical mastery can do salvage the situation.

Will this cause me to lose clients or turn off people off? Maybe. But would they have hired me to begin with? Probably not. 

Everyone has an opinion on everything these days EVEN WHEN they've prefaced it with "Well, I'm not an expert but-" & then goes on to pontificate for the next 4 minutes why their NON-expert opinion should matter. Great job on undermining your own crediblity.

Experts who've dedicated their professional lives in their chosen field are dismissed and rank amateurs are lauded for opinions on topics THEY THEMSELVES have said they know nothing a about.

I guess that's simply the age we're living in.

2. Currently selling my work. If anything particular shot, any model, or any set interests you, please email me at farenell.photography@gmail.com. 

Just tell me what interests you & I'll see what I can do. I try to work within budgets but I'm also not going to like give them away for pennies on the US dollar.

Anonymous Couch Bum

1. During my undergrad senior year, I chose for my photography series artistic nudes.

I had previous worked with a female classmate of mine in a PG-capacity & tried to recruit her but no joy. However in this failure, she pointed a couple of her sorority sisters in my direction. & we were off to the races.

This here is, well, an anonymous raven-haired girl. I don't think she'd care if she's identified but am respecting her wishes given at the time.

We shot at my sister's place who also lived in the area. She hated the entire series because, I guess, all she could see was the gaudy orange couch. Yet when I presented them for critique, it was met with overwhelming approval. Familiarity of that couch breeds contempt, I guess.

Later that year, the model put me on the phone with her mother where I was met w/ a flurry of compliments. "I've never seen my daughter look so beautiful in such a tasteful manner.". Getting the mom-seal-of-approval definitely ranks up there in my career highlights reel.

There's more to this story but think I'll save it for another time.

2. I'm currently selling my work. If anything particular shot, any model, or any set interests you, please email me at farenell.photography@gmail.com.

Just tell me what interests you & I'll see what I can do. I try to work within people's budgets but I'm also not going to like give them away for pennies on the US dollar.

Playfully Inviting with Lisa

1. I'm currently selling my work. If anything particular shot, any model, or any set interests you, please email me at farenell.photography@gmail.com. 

Just tell me what interests you & I'll see what I can do. I try to work within people's budgets but I'm also not going to like give them away for pennies on the US dollar.

2. This is Lisa.

When this was shot, she was coming off of a not-so-great relationship & wanted to do something fun & suggested as part of her own psychological liberation of doing a boudoir type shot. I was invited to her house & saw this lovely overcast sunlight shining through her bedroom window & knew I had to use it.

I like this shot because it suggestively reveal yet remains playfully & am happy that the model herself loved what was produced.

Theater Portrait with Ciara

1. This is Ciara. I forget how or who found who but we were doing this session at her college.

Most of my shoots have a pretty loose structure. Enough to get something done but not so bound where we're not able to toss the book out the window if a situation presents itself.

We were wandering around the performing arts center where the theater hall itself gave me an idea. I lugged out my photo-strobe light (a piece of equipment I loathe using simply because it changes my shooting style) & set it up & shot.

Afterwards Ciara expressed how happy she was because "As a theater major, it never occurred to shoot in the very theater I've loved." If my model friends are happy, so am I.

2. I'm currently selling my work. If anything particular shot, any model, or any set interests you, please email me at farenell.photography@gmail.com.

Just tell me what interests you & I'll see what I can do. I try to work within people's budgets but I'm also not going to like give them away for pennies on the US dollar.

the Pretty Little Blonde Jennelle

1. I'm currently selling my work. If any particular shot or shoot or set or model interests you, please email me at farenell.photography@gmail.com.

Just tell me what interests you & I'll see what I can do. I try to work within people's budgets but I'm also not going to like give them away for pennies on the US dollar.

2. Back when I was in school, there was this pretty & fashionably dressed blonde that I'd often see around campus who kept being all friendly w/ me. Try as I may, I couldn't place where I knew her, nor figure out why? So one sunny day, I stopped & asked where she knew me from. W/o skipping a beat, this once strange pretty blonde replies, "I'm in your philosophy class."

Sometime later that semester, I not only got her in front of my camera doing "artsy-fartsy" stuff (her words) but also met her roommate Meg. After the semester ended we went our separate ways, I continued at the university while she transferred to a school up in Montreal til many years later she contacted me through a social media site & eventually set up a photoshoot where we shot this pic.

Some subjects even after a many years lull, still just feel right.

Shadow Lines with Naureen

1. I'm currently selling my work. If anything particular shot, any model, or any set interests you, please email me at farenell.photography@gmail.com.

Just tell me what interests you & I'll see what I can do. I try to work within people's budgets but I'm also not going to like give them away for pennies on the US dollar.

2. This is Naureen.

I found her after she posted an online ad seeking a "real" photographer to shoot boudoir-type pics as a gift for a recent ex. It sounded like it was an amicable split, him moving across the country & her staying behind to finish law school...but I digress. I found the phrasing humorous but in an era where everyone has a camera & can call themselves a "professional," I get why. 

I emailed her back with several website links, giving samples of my work, met her criteria, & set something up.

I get there & do our shoot, doing a variety of sets. & come to find out later she was utterly astonished at how (& I quote), "here I was half-naked, hugging you, & flirting with you, & you were super professional. My (college) friends think I'm full of sh*t." My response was & I quote, "Sweetie, I'm Italian. We hug everyone." 

We had lovely little friendship but the distance, combined with us both being in college, combined with us being on very different life trajectories, it was simply not to be. 

Kiss in Waiting with Benny & Moni

1. I'm currently selling my work. If anything interests you, don't hesitate in email me at farenell.photography@gmail.com.

Just tell me what pics or sets interest you, I'll see what I can do. I try to work within people's budgets but I'm also not going to like give them away. 


2. The story behind the "Kiss in Waiting."

The models are Benny & Monique. They were based out of Rochester at the time & were also involved.

There was a creative phase where I didn't want to be known by any one-shot. I felt it was to limiting to say nothing about having my creative interest in being all over the place.

During one of my visits to Western NY, I met up with Benny & a bunch of his friends & I would also be introduced as "the guy who shot 'Kiss in Waiting'." Their eyes would immediately light up with interest & they'd nod & smile.

The lesson being that there are certainly worse things in this world than being known for an iconic shot.

Columbia the Muse

1. As a lark when I was getting my Bachelors, I posted a flier looking for models. It went vaguely something like-

 

Wanted Photo Muse

Benefits:

1. Copies of the Pictures
2. Inspiration for the Arts
3. Fun Story to Tell your Grandkids when You're Old & Grey
4. Everlasting Glory.

I wasn't expecting much of any response but as happens so much in life, the model found me which led to the start of an exquisite work relationship. It was creatively hot & heavy & petered out once we went our separate ways. But man, was it memorable!

This shot below was a source of several different media variations, one was pastels & another was mixed media. I wish still had any of my collegiate (nonphotography) portfolio but they didn't survive several moves. Such is life.

2. I'm currently selling my work. If anything interests you, don't hesitate in emailing me at farenell.photography@gmail.com. 

Just tell me what pics or sets interest you, I'll see what I can do. I try to work within people's budgets but I'm also not going to like give them away.