An Xmas Gift of Another Kind

The gift? Well, over the holidays I discovered a lost relative who is also a fiercely-spirited photographer. She wasn't actually lost, of course, but I haven't seen her since she was a young child so she was, in a sense, semi-lost... to me, that is. I credit Facebook (and a 'heads-up' from my daughter) for the discovery.

Gina, who is my 2nd cousin, is most serious about her photography. She shoots with a Canon (natch... we're both apples from the same tree, after all) and she just recently purchased some PCB AB lighting gear. I'm happy to say Gina also plans to buy a light meter. If you're a regular reader, and whether you agree with them or not, you probably know my views on the importance of light meters.

Gina's father is the oldest son of my Dad's older (and only) brother. My Dad had 6 sisters as well. Old school Italians, being mostly Catholic, often multiplied unabated-- Church doctrine re birth control and all. (Vatican Roulette notwithstanding.) But hey! The more the merrier! Besides my immediate family, I have (well, had) plenty of aunts and uncles, and I have dozens of cousins, dozens more 2nd cousins, and probably even more 3rd and 4th cousins and who knows what/who else!

While growing up and into my 20s, Gina's father and her father's brother and I were quite close. But we all kinda lost touch. You know how that sometimes goes: We get wrapped up in our own, immediate families, careers, friends, that sorta stuff. No excuse, of course. What's more important than family?

Nothing.

Gina is a very serious hobbyist and also hopes to shoot professionally-- photographer-speak for getting paid to wield a camera. While Gina has another career, photography is what she's really passionate about. Sounds like a few of you, no? I've already, of course, encouraged her to read this blog, especially since pin-up and glamour are two of the genres she's very interested in shooting and, even more especially, because I've got this sometimes-outa-control ego and all.

Besides FB, Gina is also on MM. She goes by "Strapped Photography." I'm pretty sure she's being metaphoric, inferring she rolls "strapped" with a camera and not a gun. You know, in the way gangsters refer to being "strapped." If I'm wrong, I'll be sure not to piss her off! :-) If you have a minute or two, how about stopping by Gina's MM page and giving her a shout, friend her, whatever! Tell her cousin Jimmy sent ya! Click HERE to visit Gina's MM profile.

Coty, the pretty girl in the oh-so-dramatic head shot at the top, is a model I've lost touch with. I shot Coty a number of times back when I still had my studio and (because I did have a studio) was more apt to occasionally shoot some TF stuff; when the spirit moved me, of course. Looks like the spirit is moving Coty in that pic up top, no? BTW, a key light directly overhead, like in that pic of Coty and in cinematic lighting jargon, is often referred to as a "God light." I'm just saying.

Here's another of Coty, this one also in my studio, also TF, and also dark and dramatic but somewhat more revealing in certain ways. (Wink, wink, nudge, nudge, know what I mean?)