Ashley Lebedev | Bottle Bell

You are not 'inferior' or 'superior' | If you read this, you WILL feel better. | A free helping/excerpt from "Project Muse" Masterclasses

2011-12-15T22:49:00.023-06:00

the constraints you have in your life, you have put on yourself, and that's the truth. so, let's talk this out, alright?

bear with me, because 'self' work can feel so heavy. the viewfinder can begin to show us this part of ourselves, but if you are being honest ... that's only the beginning.

the most useful thing i've been reminded of these last weeks, is how important it is to lose your man-made facade. that's not your identity. your true self is something so sacred & lifts you up from within. it is no judgement and it tireless and completely endless. it is without rank. it's not screaming crowds or the lack there-of, or recognition, or lack of recognition or external affirmation that somehow keeps you afloat. that is such an ego trip (which is, btw, NOT you) and it's a never ending battle with yuck. yes, yuck.

why use words like yuck, instead of more poignant words like fuck? because i'm speaking to the kid in you and, if you don't want me to speak to the kid in you (do you want me to speak to the adult?) then that word's really just no big deal.

oh my gosh, ashley, sweetheart ash?! (the bottle bell?!) just swore.

let's be honest, do you really think i got to be sweet and become an artist because my life was some innocent, easy, PG, cake walk? ::shrugs shoulders:: do i have a story for you.

anyway, back to yuck and that inner youth in you.

have you locked that kid away that i'm a'talkin to? did you turn them into some sort of bully? gosh, did you turn into a bully of yourself? how's that goin? i bet you're lacking that creative energy you once knew, yah?

or maybe it goes like this: "I reallllly want to create, but i'm just SO tired these days..."

oooh oooh ::Raises hand:: and how about this one:

"I suck at my job. I have no creativity or time for creativity."

Then, there is this culprit:
"Noone liked that picture. (or song, or whatever, or STATUS, or whatever, etc) I'll change so that next time, they will."

these 'inferior' / 'superior' thoughts you have and anything mentioned above are all transient, impermanent things. the true you is perhaps the reason you began this profession and this endeavor (whatever makes you just COME ALIVE, whatever profession you are in) but it's a good practice to ask yourself why you continued it, down the path you chose (was it because of external recognition? if it was, then your success is dependent on the continued approval of others and, god, what if they fail you? What if they fail you when you are already feeling so low, and what if they fail you once you are up at the 'top'?? | the goal all good artists should aspire to work towards is practicing how to create truest to yourSELF. (part of creating for yourself is in living a life behind that lens that honors that).

If u do that, you're not only a better artist, but a better human being. do you know how simply FULFILLING to the core it is to feel like a good human being? NOT an important human being, or a FAMOUS human being, but a good ol' fashioned beautiful human being who was good to others and good to yourself?

i'm talking love, sex, life, kids, travel, career, money, stress, everything. these are not conquests, they are experiences, feelings, beliefs, etc.

if you don't think they are one big circle, all related, think again.

take yourself out of that place (that rank) that you find yourself placed at. the more successful you become (externally, to others, etc) the more of a tendency you have to scream how incredible you are or, sadly, live like you are above others, because it starts to wind it's way into your identity. do not let 'success' change you because, oh, IT WILL.

and it will ONLY be able to do this to you if you let it or if you need it to. i don't recommend either, but i see it all the time. i have seen it in lovers, family, bestest friends forever.

but don't let that be a low point, a point of no light...

let it be a bullet point. upward and onward.

the less successful you find yourself (and by that, i mean, publicly/monetarily/showmanship stuff - because that's really all 'success' is, for the most part) the more you find yourself adhering to kissin' ass or to the will of what other people, maybe the entire public, perceive you as.

this is all just a dance you are having in your head.

clear the ballroom.

let's use photography as an example. let's take the camera out of their hand (imagine a person you feel inferior to, and then just.... take their talent out of their hand (in this case a camera, but it could be a musical artist, or hairstylist...anything).

would this STILL be a person you aspire to know or be like? is your desire to be 'like' them because they are liked or because they are good people? do you like the way they present themselves? do you like the way they talk? are they compassionate, inherently good? do you like the way they live? are they roll models? are they good to people, genuinely, or are they good at playing 'the game'. would you BE PROUD TO BRING THEM AROUND YOUR CHILDREN? would you let that person (or industry standard, there are many) watch your child while you took a nice long vacation? does that person inspire you?

I mean, does the core of you say yes or no? learn from these lessons. sometimes it'll be a "yes, gosh, this person is amazing, i can't get enough" and then sometimes it's going to be "Oh, yah...no."

when it's a no, walk away. (metaphorically or other)

wash your hands of it, and drop it. just get over it, however you have to, and as gently as possible.

the idea that things are hard is a MYTH and usually it's a myth taught to us by people we REALLY looked up to, people who couldn't possibly be wrong. maybe they were if they made it hard for you to move on.

if you are rockstar enough to do it quickly, do it quickly. all limits are self imposed.

if it's a part of yourself you need to walk away from, don't look back. that's a trap.

seriously, visualize them walking away. good riddance when / if you actually get to watch this person walk away, this metaphorical weight which feels so, so real if only because you made it so, so real. (i'm not saying it isn't real. fear is VERY real and so is pain.)

do you know the psychological reason we can't let things (ideas, people, thoughts, etc.) go?

it's so simple. it's because we think we need them. we somehow think they define our sense of identity or happiness or freedom or worth. now, if that thought is something like 'i'm a crappy photographer' and you can't let that thought GO, then you know something really profound. why are you thinking something so negative about yourself? and, why can't you let something so negative about yourself, just... go? that's where the REAL work comes in.

so, take a deep breath. you earned it by reading this. this is not usually easy/breezy work.

seriously DON'T KEEP READING LIKE YOU DON'T REALLY NEED THAT BREATH. Pause. breathe.

exhale. okay.

if you apply this to your love life, it will carry to your work. if you apply this to your work, it will carry to your love life, and so on and so on, forever. apply it to anything, watch that ripple. it can't help itself. that is the nature of it.

you must create in a separate place from that voice that speaks "CREATE FOR THE CROWDS!" "LIVE FOR THE CROWDS!" "CREATE LIKE A SCREAMING VOICE SO THEY HEAR ME AND THEN I'LL BE WORTH IT" [or] you might say: "If they don't hear me or love me, I'm nothing, that creation, that endeavor wasn't as worth it or good." (notice how those sad thoughts are lower cased? - because that's how you feel when you have them -- you feel totally lower cased...)

Don't live for that egoic result. EEK.

and some people catch this. if this speaks to you, you're farther than you think. kudos.

and then, some people just don't, and they won't and it's not up to you (don't burden your beauty) to change them or let them hurt you or change you or tell you you aren't good enough. people have to know and find that for themselves and, let's just hope, in time, they do. and some don't (it's okay).

that's like settling for a leaf, though, when a tree is what you want. a tree that blows in the wind and stands steadfast, knowing that it is fulfilling it's purpose. it has ZERO doubt because, i mean, what else would it do?

wouldn't that feel AMAZING??!!

let those leaves fall where they may because, metaphorically speaking, they're going to blow away with the next season. that's just what leaves do. they are not sustenance, but they are ever so dazzling. but, once they leave their solid base, they are lost. do you understand what i'm saying to you?

but you know what stays solid, through every season? the tree. it might not be as showy, but why do you NEED to be showy? ego. fear. the external search for validation.

be the tree.

oh pretty, pretty please be that pretty, pretty tree.

be you.

hell, even pick your kind. change it up, why add constraints?

don't create with the intent of doing anything other than whole-heartedly pulling your spirit up by the boot straps (hey, dust it off if you need to) and saying 'heck yes, i'm sooooo doing this for ME from a place and for a place that is nurturing and constantly re-seeding my inner strength and total sustenance, like you are filling a pool of creative freedom which, by the way, lives in all of you.

ALL OF YOU.

when you fulfill your own freedom, which is often and most easily felt in things like art, creativity, love (love is so important you guys) (and you already know this if you've EVER created ANYTHING you enjoyed or truly loved).

you are just ... you are so beautiful. you are really embodying all of you, not some false version chipped away over the years by convention, industry, debt, money, people who weren't (or AREN'T) good for you, and societal concensus. it's a nasty beast when it becomes you.

it's especially hard on artists, these thoughts, because we became artists *usually* having already been people who felt SO MUCH, already being people so hard on themselves. Artists are MADE. I feel so passionately about the beauty (bittersweet though it is) in that.

it's such a step backwards when people lose themselves to the industry abyss, which is almost ENTIRELY ego driven, money driven, soul chaos.

the sense of entitlement and rank is false identity, no matter how you cut it, no matter how real it seems. would you really choose to look up to people that are lost in a false identity and need for things like judgement and rank? (whatever industry ----> JUST FILL IN THE __________.) | i have seen / met, especially recently, so many incredible human beings (i'm talking at their very CORE = AMAZING) totalllllly lost in this recognition thing because it feeds this need for inner approval. in these cases i found myself surprisingly very quiet (2011 was a year in which i was determined to listen, even when i didn't want to) because in EVERYTHING they spoke to me, i was listening and thanking my lucky stars i saw outside of the blinders. these are people i give thanks for, because without them i'd have zero lessons to learn and no matter how hard the lesson, there's a chance for some real growth. it's the kind of growth that, if you master it, will put you to sleep with a smile on your face and, of that, i promise.

you know what else is so good with realizing (after the fact) that you simply listened and didn't bite back? simply that you did just that. you broke a pattern that was terribly difficult to break out of.

but, you can't feel that beautiful light if you don't live it. you have to live it. be the beacon. sometimes beacons are the minority, but beacons are gorgeous and much better places to visit.

want the truth? guess what, you are already perfect. you are totally enough. TOTALLY.

hey, feel that pressure dissipate a little? now, just when you feel like it might save your life, such a SIMPLE, KIND thought, you feel that doubt IMMEDIATELY creep in and it takes it away. if that just happened to you, at least you know that now.

you want to hear something even more perverse?

you are beautiful, too.

you don't even believe me, do you? it was just one sentence that threw you off.

god, but what if you did believe it. because, you know what? I mean it. and you should live a life where you can FEEL beautiful in YOUR OWN BEING. take every SINGLE thing out of your life that doesn't feel beautiful or fulfilling and, if you can't, work towards it.

let it breathe JUST A LITTLE LIFE into you, today. feel how much energy immediately comes back into you?

yah.

of course you do. that is what it is to be human.

::and, please, steal this, swipe it, share it, live it, use it, smile about it. this isn't *my* truth (though it is my truth, because it's everyone's and i'm a part of that pool, which is where we all connect)

taste it, find that deep breath you've been looking for, god why keep yourself without those deep breaths? how many years are you going to suffocate yourself?

how many moments, minutes, years are you going to be stifled by the limits that others put on you? (and that you allow them to put on you.)

find relief in it, LOVE it, and be effing proud of yourself! (by proud i don't mean beating your chest and screaming how awesome you are (again, that's ego parading itself as you) | by proud i simply mean sitting back and catching those stars, for once, smiling in honesty when you see yourself growing inside or walking by a mirror.) | so many people suffer from these same, repetitive, patterns, but noone really talks about it. life can be so daunting. (!!)

and a couple more of these: !!!!!!!

i am not saying something to you that i somehow missed out on, that i didn't go through or experience first hand. i crawled through the swamps of this stuff, you guys. i really, really did (underline, italicize, bold bold bold).

do you know what rules about you? about YOU, you unique creature who is the only one of YOU ever created in the history of ever? did i mention EVER?

how cool is THAT?

mull it over. there is ONLY ONE OF YOU, you know? live in that. live in you. it's what you have, why not USE it.

what is that one thing you feel pretty amazing at? is there one thing that you like in yourself, right now, today?

if you know that ONE thing you kinda/sorta like if you let yourself breathe into it, others will follow when nurtured.

if you don't yet know the answer to that, then seek to know it. seek to be true enough to yourself where that is a beautiful journey of sensual self discovery, a real no-holds-barred inquiry.

cry if you need to. move if you need to. let it work itself through you, not bury itself IN you. you deserve to live a life in which you feel okay with what's happening in it.

embody yourself. don't embody others. it's such a mess. don't let others embody you through judgement, money, rank, fill in the blank. if they do, good riddance, no need to raise your voice. that's precious energy and it's also not necessary.

life is not a conquest, nor are people, or things. you have nothing to defend. it is all an opinion. these are all false senses of identity and we seek them for REAL reasons. we seek them from fear or loss or habit or just not really knowing.

let's play cause and effect with an example:

Sole Cause: my parents never validated me, growing up, and i wish they had, even once.

Ripple Effect: i have an overactive tendency to validate myself, sometimes outwardly.

(or perhaps we see this tendency in others and how they use it on us, our work, our very world or, god forbid, our vulnerable hearts...)

everything has a cause and effect.

this industry, creatives especially, are just CHOCK FULL of cause and effect. ;)

usually in the ever-so-dramatic domino effect.

we are dramatic creatures, the lot of us, with the need to scream with self expression.

but do your best to channel it into your work, not your life or at people/events/possibilities in your life.

gosh, it feels so good to talk to yourself like this, doesn't it? really getting to the pulp of you.

maybe, kind of? yes.

you wanna know why? cuz it's feeding the REAL you.

- A few pages from my "Project Muse" masterclass. Class group is here.

-ashes

ps. extra credit if you just want to have a giant, awesome party to conclude reading this blog, to level the heavy whirlwind emotion a bit.

go put on your favorite piece of clothing, or spritz yourself in your fav.o.rite cologne/perfume and just have an impromptu dance party to a song you feel SO ashamed for liking. (hey, i do it too ;)

oh, come on, go be a kid for a few minutes. noone's looking.

and, by the way, there is no wrong way to dance.

Unwritable Girl ..

2011-12-03T04:14:00.027-06:00

Can you all just tell my ambitious and beautiful Ashley she shouldn't leave her accounts signed in when she falls asleep, writing Workshops, if she doesn't want someone who loves her to post a blog of her angel face without permission?

Ash, I'm hijacking your blog to say I love you.

This is what you get for

: Being BEAUTIFUL

: Being kind

: Never letting me photograph you when you're awake

: Being so smart and awesome

: looking like this when you sleep

: Inspiring the hell outta me

: Talking to me in inconceivable poems

: Cooking for me at 6 am

: That smile

: Making me see the world in better ways, through your flutter-by eyes

: Having cheeks that are even sharper than your eyes

: Your voice

: Always falling asleep too damn early.

;-)

Here now, I'll sing this back to you, I'll try.

Heck, I'll scream it.

I'll even play the damn fiddle if you do that spin thing yer bound to do ..

"That full bellied moon, She's a'shinin' on me.

She pulls on this heart like she pulls on the sea ..

And you came on strong like some running wave."

;-*

something recent. something imperfect. something simple.

2011-11-28T05:50:00.013-06:00

::self portraiture, no matter how imperfect, is an honest reflection into the moment, the person, and the message you chose not to pass up::

kiddos,

i had a moment, a few days ago, in which i had it out (snapshot style) with my camera, and only a few minutes between a busy schedule & a busy schedule. this photo (above) is that moment. this is what 28 year old ashley looks like in diffused, early morning, autumn light. it's also a good exercise in learning how faces aren't necessarily very symmetrical (freckles, eyebrows, cheekbones ;)

35 mm f2 & terrible compression/low quality internet what-have-you(s) (blogspot might have just beat facebook in her quality...) but it was a raw moment and an honest moment & i kinda have a thing for those. it's the holidays, call me sentimental.

hope you all had a lovely thanksgiving. photo blog coming very soon of my Autumn behind the lens, & thank you for the psychotically awesome support both in my writing and imagery over the last 2 months.

a couple of notes for those who aren't on facebook or twitter, etc... :

** workshops *and* retreats are tentatively sold out, pending deposits. please drop a note if you'd like to be wait-listed.

** i'll be hopping a train in the next few weeks and traveling west. nothing will feel more beautiful than writing the novel while looking out a window, new imagery in my catch-light's.

** shooting for "Dust Bowl" will resume in Jan. after some much needed t-r-a-v-e-l. :)

** meow.

talk soon,

ash

Recently Featured in Dolce & Gabbana's "Swide" Magazine!

2011-11-21T11:33:00.004-06:00

Friends!

I recently had the honor of doing a (very fun) interview w/ Dolce & Gabbana's "Swide" Magazine and definitely wanted to post the screenshots from that. A huge thanks to them & to my interviewer for making this, among many, a great time.

To read the article over there, click here.

Otherwise, here are the screenshots:

I hope you enjoy!

ashtree, x

NOW ACCEPTING HOLIDAY PRINT ORDERS

2011-11-14T12:12:00.004-06:00

guys & dolls! <3

how's fall been treating you? here, it's been pretty much divine. i can say this much: much tea has been consumed, and many long walks during the blue hour with pens and journals. additionally, i'm sitting (currently novel writing) in a stack of 100 year old poem books and doing my best to write several pieces of each chapter, just for the fun of it, on my antique typewriter :)

just wanted to post a quick blog, as I get a lot of emails around the holiday season(s) regarding imagery, sizing, and what I offer.

i'll keep it short & sweet!

sizing for prints are as follows (in inches)

8x12

10x15

12x18

16x24

20x30

**and so on**

:: when pieces are square format (a few in my port are) images are rounded to the nearest square offering, staying as close as possible to the above mentioned specs.

my imagery comes on fine art archival papers, and I offer both limited and non limited editions.

everything comes hand signed (of course) and, if applicable, numbered.

additionally, framing & matting are available w/ about a 2 week turnaround time (as of now) on top of about a 1 week for a simple print order.

please find below a small sampling of my pieces created within the last year (or so), though I'm sure blogspot is just going to break my heart with her ever-so-low quality ;)

feel free to clickity click to make'er just a bit bigger.

the entire roster of my work can be found on my WEBSITE, save for "Dust Bowl" which is (for now -sorry for the inconvenience) only viewable upon this blog as well as my 500 px. (though, this blog is the only place in which it's posted in it's entirety).

feel free to email w/ questions or to place an order. buying art shouldn't be scary or daunting, but fun. ya here? ;)

email:

ashleylebedev@gmail.com

and that's all she wrote!

*smooch*

ashtree, x

Faerieland Outtake | October 2011

2011-10-24T13:45:00.008-05:00

Friends.

Just a quick outtake from a recent Faerieland Shoot:

(Hooded Maiden - "Nairn" Sequence)

There are so many of these that never leave the cutting room floor. My shooting season is winding down (writing season is about to kick into full swing!) and if time allows i will edit a few more of the outtakes from this saga and post here or on The Rendering Well, along with a ton of new writing that is about to happen over the late Autumn and long Winter.

There are several from the Dragon's Egg sequence that i'm still working on as well.

I plan, as well, to leave many of these 'outtakes' for the book, exclusively, so that when you open it you will have unseen imagery to further bring these characters to life.

Additionally, for those who haven't heard or read on facebook or twitter, I am writing a novel over the Winter. I've romanticized the entire notion to the max and cannot wait to get this story out of me. It's been building for 20+ years.

**NOTE: Faerieland is almost done for the season (Autumn falls so quickly and before you know it, leaves are gone and the days are too cold to shoot within) but I anticipate shooting as long as possible and Dustbowl will likely continue into the colder months, as it's a lot grittier.

Ashtree, x

PS: BIG news on the horizon, but I'm biting my tongue for now.;)

**Model: Olga Ivanova

**MUA: Lacey O'Sullivan - L.Mae Artistry

Assistants: Karrah Kobus & Kristi Frazier

Photography | Editing: Myself

Designer: Joy Patterson

Flowers by: EARTH ;)

X

2011-10-06T11:29:00.003-05:00

do not allow others to define your identity for you. do not allow them to write even a portion of it. they can be a mirror that shows *you* who you are, but they cannot tell you who you are. they will always, somehow, get it wrong. nothing & noone can write that part better than you. define *yourself* and believe in that. truly. you are unrepeatable, perfect, beautiful and so much closer to knowing that that you even know.

"be yourself. everyone else is taken" -- oscar wilde

ashtree, x

Dustbowl Continues...

2011-09-15T03:04:00.009-05:00

If you are new to this collection I cannot recommend highly enough to read THIS POST before you continue. (A description of what "Dustbowl" is as well as the first images, which are not included within this post.)

Some collections can be appreciated for their visuals alone but, as mentioned before, this particular collection (truly) loses so much of the message and value without knowing my intention, vision and motivations to begin this series.

----

Alright then, back to "Dustbowl".

A few little notes I wanted to touch on:

This collection has really been an amazing endeavor, thus far. It's been a really fantastic balance in my life that I, though I was much looking forward to beginning it, never anticipated having it affect me so greatly. I truly never thought I'd say that about a contemporary photography collection.

To elaborate, through my entire career (thus far) I've made it such a habit to be sure to get 'the shot' and pick the most beautiful shot of the roll (the best eye contact, the best composition, the most visually splendid, otherworldy, out of time, etc...) but with dustbowl it's been a bit of a re-write in those habits. Unlike my other (very stylized and whimsical) collection "Faerieland", where everything is nothing short of a completely idyllic world of characters who live in beautiful abundance (heavy emphasis on scenery, bold colors, perfect beauty in every new character and sense of the word, perfect darkness in their symbolism, perfect light and perfect innocence, props, makeup, hair, etc...) "Dustbowl" is the exact opposite. It's been an interesting Summer creating for both of these (vastly different) collections, oftentimes shooting for each within the same week. One is a giant production (and I LOVE that) and one is (Dustbowl) a very purposeful effort to avoid a large production.

This entire collection is, of course, also intended to be visually (I hope) arresting, but I want this collection to maintain complete authenticity in recreating what those brave people (and that era) went through, and so I have consciously (before, during, after planning) every shoot, said to myself: "Ashley, don't do the most beautiful. do the most authentic". Beyond that, I have truly wanted Dustbowl to actually feel like one is looking at an old photo album, maybe something they found in their grandparent's attic, and much of the imagery during that time was a very 'snapshot' style. People weren't posing. Instead, they were being caught on film. In keeping with my desire to really honor that spirit, when I go into choosing selects from each shoot, after they wrap, I find myself having to pass over that really incredible, power beauty shot (which is soooooo hard, when I've trained myself to see it and edit that one) in favor of one that is a bit 'uglier' or grittier, and bit more spontaneous (eye contact, emotion, clothing, off center, etc...). I have very much tried to select and edit the pieces that are the lot less obviously 'beautiful' choice and possibly more haunting because of it. Mid gaze. Turning away. Unflattering poses. Overly simplified concepts. New (more contemporary) compositions. Less is more scenery. Lack lack lack. Experimental vantages. Breaking the 'beauty' rules, so to speak. Just... all around, more real. Almost like I'm shooting the entire thing by accident, or chance. And it's been tough, but such a fulfilling venture.

Lastly, I am just happy you guys support such different styles of my work. One day I'm talking about dragon's eggs (will post that shot verrry soon ;) and getting lost in faerieland and the next day I'm posting dirt poor portraits and talking about the 30s. ;)

This collection will slowly build and become more and more intricate in the messages, and imagery. I'm so thrilled to continue as Fall begins to wake. There is much to come, a great deal of which is just a big heartbreaking surprise. I'm leaving it that way. This collection, above all else, is not just suppose to be pretty. And, so, it will continue to become less so. Of course I will always do my best to maintain my sort of photographic mantra: "light amidst the darkness".

(And, since blogspot infamously mangles image quality, I will have an actual high res. gallery for Dustbowl, on my website, very soon. I've even chosen the new accompanying music! I'm so excited to share these there, with that audio. It took forever to find a suitable soundtrack. ;)

For now, please enjoy this next sequence.

an example of playing with less emotion, opting for a more vacant moment:

an example of trying to catch someone mid gaze, before the full emotion:

an example of experimenting with a new (more contemporary) vantage, and choosing just a slightly unflattering pose:

an example of an overly simplified photo:

"project muse" workshops

workshops group

**smooch**

Okay, kiddos, this little filly is off to bed. The farm is blanketed under the very first night of cold frost and a perfect silence. The kind of silence that you notice. I'm finishing this jar of tea and going to bed under warm quilts and soft piano. Ash x

ppps. THANK YOU FOR SELLING OUT "PROJECT MUSE" WORKSHOPS IN JUST OVER 24 HOURS!

A note to my registrants: You are all so brave. If you maintain that courage, while experiencing the class, you will find yourself changed because of it. xo

"Project Muse" Workshops are open for enrollment! | Finally.

2011-09-09T08:14:00.025-05:00

***4th Update: November | 2011 -- WORKSHOPS ARE RE-OPENED FOR ENROLLMENT W/ *ONE* space of 4 still remaining. As mentioned below, please email: ashleylebedev@gmail.com to secure your spot. (This status will remain UP TO DATE)

And, though it seems obvious, please be sure to read what is being offered (below) before signing up. I also recommend (though don't require) those interested in learning & growing through "Project Muse" to have followed my work & personal posting for 3-6 months, to get a better idea of how I live and work. :)

This is a *life class* w/ an emphasis on photography, NOT the other way around. ;)

Thanks!

ash x

*** 3rd UPDATE: 9.13.11 -- WORKSHOPS ARE TENTATIVELY SOLD OUT (deposits pending).

If you would like to be contacted when spacing once again becomes available, please join the Facebook Workshops Group! (and place an "X" on that wall).

The facebook workshops & retreats group is the first place announcements are posted.

If you do not have a facebook, please email: ashleylebedev@gmail.com with "Project Muse" in the subject line, indicating you'd like to be contacted. :)

(For those new to the blog, this workshop's description can be found below)

Thank you to my new group of 15 for each being brave enough to endeavor into this class with me next Feb & March. Additionally, thank you to my Nov/December group of 12!

I look forward to working with each of you!

Ash x

--------------------------------

*** 2nd UPDATE: 9.12.11 --

Now only 1 space left for the Feb/March masterclass. (Course description below)

Please inquire within:

ashleylebedev@gmail.com

These updates will remain current. (the most current being at the top of this blog post).

--------------------------------

***UPDATE: 9.12.11 --

Lovely peeps!

Workshops are nearly sold out in just over 24 hours. I've two spaces left, pending deposits. | This status will remain current.

Email: ashleylebedev@gmail.com

Thank you! x

_______________________________________

Original post ...

(Course Description)

"Project Muse" | The Process of Inspiration and Awakening the Artist Within is a one on one masterclass, able to be taken from anywhere in the world and, for the most part, at your convenience.

This course consists of several one on one online chat sessions with myself and is chalk full of surprises, which I believe are so important in the process of creating. It also includes a very extensive package, via mail, for you to learn from and follow along with, in your own time. The in-the-mail 'kit' comprises much of the masterclass. Our individualized chat sessions add to the extensive package sent, and are where we get to interact, one on one. The chat sessions will tackle any problems or issues (also any questions) that you may be having, offering help to you in your journey as an artist, both personally and professionally, at whatever level.

Want to know more?

Project Muse is a course that explores (through my own life and work experiences, techniques, exercises, and approaches - the ones I've utilized over the last 6 years) how to find and then master yourself as an artist and person and how to continue to learn and grow. It's a course that shows you not only how to become inspired, but also fulfilled in your own creativity, whether you are a commercial photographer or fine artist, whatever your goals may be.

It's a very spirituality based and hands on approach to not only mastering your camera and becoming a better photographer, but also an immersion in who you are as a person and what that means for your vision and message and art. Further: how to apply that to your photography and get it back out of your camera and lenses.

This is not an Fstop class. This is a life class for Photographers.

Simply put, "Project Muse" is a journey back to yourself, through so many new doors. It's focused around you and your camera, but it goes so much further. You could also consider it a photographically focused ‘life detox’.

*Beyond the process of inspiration, Project Muse will include my natural lighting techniques (I work 100% on location and in every condition possible) and further insights into getting the most from your shoots, from concept to your model.

*Lastly, Project Muse will also offer an intro into my processing techniques and recommendations. We will also venture into finding your own techniques.

The rest is a surprise.

This is not a class you've taken before and that's a very, very good thing.

**OF NOTE: I recommend anyone wanting to take this course to have already followed myself and my work for at least 3 months, so that you already have a basic understanding of how I work, in front of as well as behind the camera.

**THINGS TO KNOW:

Q: Do I need a fancy schmancy camera to take this class?

A: I couldn't care less about the camera that you have. This isn't that class and, in fact, by the end of the course you aren't going to care, either.

Q: I notice some of your offerings have been women only. Is Project Muse something that a guy can take?
A: You bet.

Q: What do I need to bring with or make sure I have before I sign up?
A: Just bring your heart and own any sort of camera. Truly, that's all. We are getting back to basics.

Q: Is this a class that explores many areas of my life?

A: Yes.

Q: Is this class unconventional?
A: Absolutely.

------

Enrollment for this class is very limited.

I will be taking deposits to hold places now. The other half being due after the 1st of January, 2012.

Project Muse will be offered (this year is already booked) in February/March 2012.

For further questions or to book your space, please inquire within:

ashleylebedev@gmail.com

- Ash

Faerieland Resumes. | BTS & A TEENSY SNEAK PEEK. ;)

2011-08-24T01:15:00.011-05:00

Friends.

In the midst of so much traveling (nearly solid since April) and struggling to find an internet connection nearly every day ... I assembled a team yesterday (in the middle of nowhere, as usual) and (drum roll please) "Faerieland" resumed.

Tonight, I find myself in Air Conditioning and PJs and eating a sumptuous orange, glazed with lemon juice and honey (I know, right?!) And, I thought a quick blog post was in order.

Anyway, It was a solid 11 hours of prep. to execution and I'm exhausted. But, I'm smiling in this night like the billion stars above me. I love what I do and I cannot wait to share these next characters. My imagination has been allowed to run wild. It continues to run ahead of me so often that I only ever hope I can keep up and jot the impossible idea down, before it disappears from my sight and goes back to the world from which it came.

Of course this is just a tiny teaser BTS with a realllly tiny cropped cell phone screen shot at the very end, of one of the final images from this sequence of the fairytale.

[***side note & inside joke: tons of flowers were involved in this shoot, and flowers reminded us of hippie's, so the running joke on set was that we should have this character do a hippie peace sign and some protesters picketing in the background (while I shot) to really shake up faerieland.]

------

I have asked myself (and am very often asked) what I want (exactly) to do when I finish this collection. People ask if I want to exhibit the entire story, or? Honestly, I really feel that this particular series (not over by any means) will eventually be a very dark fine art tome for both children and adults, accompanied by music to accompany the visuals. Will the book be a limited edition? Likely, though I don't know for sure.

That said, I have at least 11 more characters in drawn out storyboards, and so many unseen landscapes yet to come. So, hold tight. x

Sneak Peek from a super cropped cell phone screen shot of one of the final images from this particular sequence, just after I nabbed it from OOC:

And that's a wrap.

A SPECIAL THANKS to:

MUA: Lacey O'Sullivan. I adore you.

MODEL: Olga Ivanova (what a wonderful model ;)
DESIGNER/SUEDE BONNETS: Joy Patterson (fantastic artist, to say the least!)

ps. As long as I have you here, just wanted to offer a huge THANK YOU (underline it. bold it. italicize it.) to those of you that sent some of the most astonishingly beautiful messages I've ever read/received regarding my new endeavor, "dustbowl". I had the idea after years of being transfixed by that era of history and in reading books like 'the grapes of wrath' and even just traveling this country (so many times over), immersing myself in its rich history, with every failed boomtown and lost highway. There are so many. (Route 66, anyone? how about Appalachia?) | It just seemed like an idea that I had to take on. The next shoot for that collection is this Saturday, and it's quite the contrast to "faerieland". These two series' are a nice balance and keep me on my feet. ;)

Living out of a suitcase,

Ashes x

Welcome to "Dustbowl".

2011-08-18T13:43:00.007-05:00

::whispers::

"Black Blizzards are coming.

And the bread lines.

Poverty is everywhere, now.

Shantytowns are a-springin' up...."

::whispers::

Friends.

You don't have to read all of this, and you can just skip to the imagery below...

BUT if you do that, there are two things I want to mention:

1.) You're heart won't begin to race with the stories that have gone into this.

2.) You'll never understand this collection.

If nothing else, if you reallllllly aren't the reading type - at least read the 'facts' section.

This is one of those collection (truly) in which knowing the backstory to it, is actually knowing the whole story.

INTRO:

I have always loved history and the wildly beautiful, torn-up past. There's something (nothing short of) yearning & terribly haunting about things we cannot change, and something incredibly perfect about how photography can stir the memories of the past, like echoes; like it's rousing a symphony of ghosts. It's one of the only things (the only?) that can.

Enter Dustbowl.

What is Dustbowl?

The term "dustbowl" refers to an area in the United States stretching across the great plains (think Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas and the surrounding plains states) that were known for their incredibly violent and massive duststorms and everlasting droughts, during a period of time (approx. 1930-1936) in which those massive storms interwove themselves against another heartwrenching occurrence: The Great Depression. (approx 1929 - 1941).

The Great Depression (though a worldwide occurrence (also known as the: "Dirty Thirties") began in the USA, preceding WWII and was thrown into full motion when the stock market finally crashed on October 29, 1929. This date is forever known as: "Black Tuesday".

It remains one of the most heartbreaking and trying periods of American History, to date.

Facts:

*Unemployment in the USA rose from 3% to 25% and over 13 million people lost their jobs.

*Incomes, on average, were reduced by 40%.

*2 million people became homeless.

*Thousands of schools found themselves with reduced hours and help, or were closed down completely.

*750,000 farms across the country were lost, due to bankruptcy.

*People in the mountain regions of the country, during this time, were often reduced to eating diets of only dandelions and blackberries.

*Many people became nomads, traveling across the country via highways and railroads. Many walked.

*20% of children were hungry and without any clothing, and many went without warm clothes in Winter.

*In coal mining regions, the % of malnourished children reached as high as 90%.

*40% of youth were neither in school or working.

*People set up working camps from scrap metals and boxes. These camps typically were in poverty, without proper sanitation, which quickly (and often) led to outbreaks of malaria, typhoid, smallpox, and tuberculosis.

*THE GREAT PLAINS STATES (THE "DUSTBOWL" REGION) WAS HIT THE HARDEST, due to it's violent windstorms that annihilated crops & homes.

----

Enter My Collection.

Now, you know my work and how I like my bittersweet and terribly sad imagery. And, If you've been following my work, you also know how I love historical imagery.

Earlier this year, I began to really fall in love with the human element in all things & The Great Depression is just such a skyscraper and testament to the human element.

I decided I wanted to begin a new collection - a storyboard, over time, that would be a nice contrast to my other work.

Stark B&W portraits. places. things. Just them - no clutter. Just their stories.

POIGNANT. HAUNTING.

The Great Depression *is* a time of great struggle and sadness, but it's also a time of great strength (of human spirit) and great perseverance, showing what can be done (hard workers, migrants, nomads, homeless, illness, poverty, no money, no home, even. BUT, never giving up.)

I had to make this collection. This time in history fascinates me.

So what is this collection?

Simply this:

In "Dustbowl", I intend to recreate, image by image, the people, the courage, the stories, the untold moments, the strengths & weaknesses, and the REALITIES that existed during The Great Depression Era (Dustbowl Region) of American History.

This is a dirty, simple collection. It's not glitzy or stylized. And, It's nearly out of camera. It's purely the human element.

I thought it was the perfect time to begin B&W collection.

Don't look for pretty. Look for perseverance. People had to play roles.

Women were tough. Children were starving. Men were trying.
Love existed.

And, as with all of my work, look for the beauty and that small glimmer of grace and balance, because even in times like the Dustbowl, it was there.

It.

Was.
There.

I present the first 4 images of MANY MANY MANY to come.

These do not have names. This is a full story and it's just beginning.
Every image is untitled and I want all to be known simply as....

"Dustbowl"

(to see these larger and in high res, please visit my 500PX account, for now)

I hope you are haunted. More to come.

With much love & West Coast Bound,

Ash | x

picture perfect.

2011-06-29T10:29:00.008-05:00

let me just paint the scene of where this blog is being written:

i'm in skinny jeans & a blue vintage crop tshirt i got somewhere far far away. the buzz cut i sported last year, just to see if i could do it, has become about three inches longer by now. i run my hands through it as i sit on the floor to begin this.

the sweltering georgia heat hasn't touched me today, finding solace in the most wonderful air conditioning vent on my toes, but my face bears evidence of the last 9 days, when the sun brought out the freckles, just across my nose and cheeks, reminding me of when we played in the woods, all capturing on our camera, pieces of ourselves we wanted to remember...

i'm exhausted - the kind that takes weeks to catch up on. i've dubbed this 'travel tired', because i'm 99.87345% sure it's a different kind & at this particular moment i know i'm feeling it with extra exhaustion, as i'm just about to hop into the car w/ karrah and raleigh and drive 20-24 hrs. back 'home'.

i'm sitting in a pile of my own bags that are sitting in a pile of other peoples' bags. my feet barely peek out from the heaps of things and props and costumes and cameras and computers that line the entire floor of alex's room.

the melancholy slips into the morning when i accept that all of these things i am sitting upon are slowly disappearing, as people begin to leave, because our trip (this trip) has finally coming to an end. everyone grabs a quick bite to eat from whatever is left in the kitchen and we slowly begin to trickle out. hugs, smiles, phone number exchanges, and poof... we are gone, scattering to the wind, with our dreams and gleaming eyes. maybe we will see each other again, maybe not.

the last years (maybe 3?) i've become accustomed to more than my fair share of airport goodbyes, kitchen goodbyes, driveway goodbyes, waving, hugs, etc...

whenever they are about to happen i just tell myself 'ash, hug them, turn around and thank your lucky stars you got to have another experience. learn from this, apply it to your life, and smile smile smile smile smile, because you are luckier than you know'. | i always try to balance this bittersweet reality with how amazing the interim was/is/will be. the "hello' moments and everything that leads up to the moment i drive away. that's the pulp of my entire life - all of those moments...

these days, i so often find myself in foreign places, beds, kitchens, forests, somewhere so far outside of a normal reality, in the wild side of living - both outside and from within. these places speak to me, and all feel more like 'home' than home really feels these days.

they say the secret to life is to just 'keep letting go', and to be honest - i'm 100% in agreement, and for the most part, this is how i live my life, but the challenge always arises in putting that into action when hearts become involved. i love these places i visit, these people i meet, these beds that are warm, these kitchens with so much life & laughter in them, where we sit until the late hours when we all just fall asleep sideways on a bed or couch or floor, halfway covered in sweatshirts and needing showers.

this trip was no different and i leave giving thanks for what i've seen, the moments my muscles will always remember, and finally: for the moments i captured on camera. those are what i'm excited to share (in the coming days) before the next big thing and those images, sitting on cards, are what i have as evidence it all really happened.

most thankful for everything, i'm signing off and hopping into the car... thank you, georgia. you've been a peach.

and that is what (that is all) i know for sure.

a tiny visual narrative until i get home from about .00000001 percent of my time here:

the tickets for karrah's ticket dress:

molly in karrah's ticket dress at the fox theatre shoot:

my beautiful soultwin from alabama/texas, sam, editing one night:

raleigh, one of the funniest people i know:

my feet (in legwarmers ;) on everyone's piles of things, as i write this blog...

molly:

at an abandoned house that raleigh, myself, alex and karrah played all day at (so many images from 'dustbowl' to come from this location. i am standing in the window, as raleigh reflects light onto me, as karrah photographs from outside the window:

karrah photographing me (in a nightgown she was still wearing from earlier in the day when i photographed HER for 'dustbowl') from the ladder outside (another vantage of the previous shot)

one of the many foster dogs we stayed with when at Alex's house:

karrah, alex, raleigh, making a candy dress for an upcoming shoot:

everyone making candy dress:

myself & my new heartbeat, rosie (a rescue this family is fostering) one night just before bed:

ash x

I LOVE YOU.

2011-06-18T01:23:00.003-05:00

happy father's day dad.

Helping one person heals the world. | Calling all photogs.

2011-06-15T20:18:00.027-05:00

two things before i begin:

1.) please read all of this. a few paragraphs in and it'll read itself. i promise.

2.) i suck at commas. i know... and i've come to embrace it. ;)

well. get out your boxes of Kleenex because this is just one of those posts that i've a feeling will pull at your heart strings.

my mother arrived home yesterday evening w/ a story that left me aching inside, and after a lot of back and forth within myself about what i could possibly do to help with what some might call a hopeless situation, i had an idea.

*enter this blog post. enter art. enter you & me.

now, before i get to that i want to share something i fundamentally believe in:

art (any medium/from the heart) has the ability to shift one's thinking & change us at our core. it comes from the core of us, which is a powerful place. art is beautiful for this reason (and for many others) - because it makes us question our lives and our ideals & can awaken (or re-awaken) us, reminding us of what is important and perhaps save us from what is not. at the end of the day, it can transform. we are in an industry that more often than not already knows this. still, it's good to be reminded.

over the years i have received letters from people all over the globe who have shared their own stories of personal hardship with me (a total stranger) - expressing to me that my artwork (in their case) had stirred something in them. i became an artist simply because creating had that effect on me, but it's through these emails and over the years, that i've grown to understand how the power of our own messages (our vision) can affect the lives of others; of strangers.

so, kleenex boxes. grab them.

alright, here it is:

my mother got home yesterday and updated me on a story about a family friend that has a terminal condition and who is (as of last night) suffering, greatly. she has been very sick for some time, but in my mother's recent visit, it became apparent how much more dire the situation has become.

to respect this woman's privacy, i will omit her name, but i want to share with you a very short part of her life, in hopes that you might help me w/ something i've never done before, with artwork.

this woman is just shy of her 50th birthday, with a disease that is congenital and very rare in adults.

she has had 18 surgeries, is on dialysis every 3 days, deals weekly with blood transfusions, lab testing, terrible chronic pain, is on a slew of debilitating meds (in themselves) and because of these disorders (and so many i just cannot begin to cover) is confined to her home - a city apartment where she must stay to continue receiving care in the way that she needs, just to live.

but, here's the kicker that i just cannot get past: she's alone. she doesn't really have anyone.

now, obviously when i heard this story (with my bleeeeeding heart) i wanted to bend the sky and stars and barter w/ nature about what could be done, and i don't know... just HELP HER in some small way with so little idea as to how. i can't take away this woman's illness. perhaps at this point, noone can. that's not my area of expertise, though, and i'm going to choose to believe otherwise.

but, in thinking on it tonight (a lot), I am also pretty sure i'm not totally helpless in doing something.

well, what can an artist do? what could i possibly do for this woman (even for a day or two hours) to liven her spirits (which at this point are incredibly low/too low/unbearably low) ?

she loves ART. i happen to know she loves it.

and the thing about art is that it's got a beautiful momentum, and ... it heals.

i'm going to surprise her with one of my prints. i'm going to choose my favorite print of them all - something from my heart & and bring it to her. it's that simple.

here's why i'm sharing this story with all of you:

i was thinking for those who were as moved as i was/am by this story, that you might want to add to that folder i am bringing her, with one of your own prints. i think in cases like this, it's the thought that counts more than anything, and i don't think it matters the size or the subject matter, or the paper (or bla bla bla) but just...that there is something from the heart intended as a gift to this woman.

if you'd like to help me in just bringing this person, who is very much struggling, a little bit of beauty - please drop me a note on facebook or email me at: ashleylebedev@gmail.com and i will get you an address to send a print of your own to add to that gift. there is quite a message in numbers, as well as through our vision, and i am calling my network to add to that (very personal & poignant) message. that's what i'd like to do for her. for now, that's all i can do for her.

it's my hope that i can go to her house before i leave for europe (mid july) w/ a folder of beautiful prints of all sorts of different stories, ideas, signatures, etc... - from all over the globe and say: "these people just wanted you to have these."

and i just know (regardless of circumstance) she'd smile; that for at least a short time her thoughts wouldn't be about being ill, or feeling pain or fear (she is), or about how she is going to get through even one more day, but maybe just maybe she'd get to feel special and the energy boost of a lifetime.

and, i have a feeling, with as much energy as being terminally ill takes out of anyone, that this might just be what she needs. if nothing else, it's worth a damn try. remember why you picked up a camera? remember when it pulled you in and you fell in love with art? do you remember the reasons why you began to do what you do? don't forget the importance in all of it.

so, why help a stranger - someone you've never met?

...well, why not?

and, because maybe one day you might find yourself in a similar boat and wish you had something to boost your spirits. maybe one day this will be your mother or sister or wife or maybe as you read this, you realize it already is and it'll really speak to you. but honestly, even if you are never touched by anything in your life that is this trying or seemingly hopeless (i hope you never are) you now know of one person who is.

at this moment, she's alone. and, she feels it.

she does not know i'm posting this.

***quick notes: things to bear in mind: her place is very small, so perhaps little pieces might even be better. perhaps something she could put near her in a journal or folder, to be on hand at any moment.

additionally, we aren't all artists with gallery representation, agents, or 1000000000000 dollar cameras. it doesn't matter if this is some fine art piece. do you have a snapshot that you love, that you took w/ a point & shoot? awesome.

this isn't about flashy this or that. if you want to contribute, contribute.

that's my two cents. are you an artist in your heart? good. that's enough times 10.

the message carries. the message always carries.

And, as for me, i am getting her a big one. i want her to have at least one piece she can jump inside of. so, i'll see to the big one if a 4x6 is what works best for you.

and, even if there are only 5 people in the wrrrrrld that choose to send something over, for a woman you will never meet, i know i am in absolutely incredible company. in contrast, think if there were a thousand. i'd weep.

email me.

ash x

e: ashleylebedev@gmail.com

facebook: http://facebook.com/bottlebell

ps. for those that made it this far, without a single photo, i adore you.

Woman's Retreats | BTS Imagery | COED Retreat | Workshops!

2011-06-08T07:49:00.022-05:00

Well, the time has come, friends!

My first woman's photography & wellness retreat concluded just a few weeks ago, and let me just say this: It was a weekend to remember. There are fun weekends, but this was something different. These are not only incredibly fun, but also moving and intimate weekends. You will come as a stranger (I did) and you will leave with a bunch of best friends. I am quite sure all who came not only left inspired with a renewed perspective, new images, and some 'oomph', but also as good friends. There is something almost magical when a bunch of women gather, that are like minded, to create and to renew and it was an honor to have led that and to have been able to be a part of it. Thank you to my new friends Merrilyn, Sam, Lianne, Ella, Brooke and Karrah for being the brave first few. I adore each of you, to pieces.

So, I'm going to hop right in, as I have so much to cover regarding this last retreat (including the BTS imagery which really speaks for itself) as well as touch on the next retreat and even on next years COED weekend. I'm excited for these upcoming events, and it's my hope that through offering these few upcoming weekends that I get to meet as many of you as possible, who are looking to connect and grow through life and through creating imagery, in a forum that is founded on no pressure and getting back to one's roots, as you reconnect with yourself and with your creativity.

As of this blog post, enrollment is officially open for both retreats, and spaces are already becoming limited for both.

So, let's get to it. There are so many images and I think they are a better narrative than much of what I could say without them. Is a picture worth a thousand words? In this case, I think so. :)

~ Taken at my first Woman's Retreat, May 13-16th, 2o11 ~

...

So, when is the next Women's Retreat?

*When: October 28th - October 31st, 2011 (a friday night - monday morning)

*Where: Retreats take place on the North Shore of Minnesota (Lake Superior) in a luxury 3500 sq. ft. cabin that offers three bedrooms, three baths, a private beach, expansive views of the lake, a flat screen television, jacuzzi, and fireplace. Additional cabins of the same description will be added depending on the number of registrants.

The location, while luxury, is also very remote and at the mouth of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (one of my favorite places on Earth). To get a better idea of the atmosphere of the Boundary Waters and to see imagery of the actual cabins we stayed/stay in, please view THIS BLOG where I go into depth about the atmosphere of the Earth up there as well as the landscape.

*Tuition: $800.00/person or if you are willing to bunk w/ someone (yes you can come in a group of two / come with a friend ;) for $950.00, you are able to split the cost of attending down the middle, bringing each of your individual costs for the WHOLE weekend down to $475.00 per person.

*Deposit: Half of tuition is due to at time of registration to secure your spot. Once registered you will be sent a welcome packet as well as a Q&A regarding your weekend. Once fully paid you will be sent the address to our location. The retreat locations are kept a secret to not only ensure our safety, but also to maintain the intimacy and integrity of these weekends. The rest of tuition is due no later than 3 weeks prior to the event. I wanted to post this early enough (still 5 months away!) to give everyone a chance to have this be affordable, allowing enough time to secure your spot and pay the rest down the road.

*What's the layout of the weekend?

Friday: Arrival. You will be able to arrive and settle into the cabin as you enjoy a home made dinner with views of the lake. The food during this weekend is delicious and fresh. Several attendees from the first retreat have requested I put together a 'retreats cookbook'. ;)

Saturday: A day of wellness. The morning begins with a home made breakfast and then introductions, as we get to know one another and enter into our weekend. The day is filled with wellness activities led by myself and designed to allow you to not only unwind, but also to get back in touch w/ yourself. The process of creating (imo) is very tightly wound with being able to connect with who you are, and so Day 1 is all about who you are and renewing that connection. In life we often lose that link with how fast life tends to flow with things like work and being overworked and deadlines. That's also why I've chosen such a remote location; so that it really does give you a 72 hour break from life and the opportunity to recharge. We all need it to be better photographers and we all deserve it. After a homemade lunch, we finish introductions and continue wellness activities and a few secret things I have planned, while each person gets the opportunity for a massage. We head into the evening with an incredibly good (and again homemade) dinner, before a night of another top secret activity ;)

Sunday:

A day of shooting!

After our homemade breakfast, you can watch as my MUA and model prepare for our long day of shooting. Once ready, I will lead the group, allowing attendees to watch how I shoot and watch how I work with a model, before everyone gets their own opportunity to shoot as well. My MUA/MODEL/LOCATION/PROPS are all provided. I bring a widely adaptable idea to the shoot, with many props and areas to shoot so that you are allowed to mold it into your own concept, very easily. I also will teach (as this is how I shoot) a variety of my favorite natural lighting techniques and teach you how to make the most of shooting on location, regardless of time of day, and natural lighting elements/challenges.

After shooting wraps, we head back inside for a homemade dinner (these days are long and fun and you are going to be hungry) and a night of editing.

Monday: After we wake and enjoy our last homemade meal, there's another very quick top secret activity before you are free to depart as your itinerary demands.

*What does tuition cover?

lodging

all meals

snacks

retreat materials

wellness activities

shooting/model(s)/location/makeup artistry/wardrobe, etc...

*What doesn't tuition cover?

travel to and from the location (ie: gas/airfare/driving/etc...)

incidentals

alcohol

phone calls from the cabin

---

A few shots made by attendees at my first woman's retreat!

My image from the retreat ... (& thank you to Karrah for being such a great model!)

photo below by: Ella Grace Bell

photos below by Sam Nandez

photo below by merrilyn romen

photos below by Lianne Viau

photo below by Brooke Anne Reynolds

For those who would like to participate in my next all women's retreat, please email me:

ashleylebedev@gmail.com or feel free to message me on facebook or RSVP TO THIS GROUP

Spaces available: 7-14

My last event sold out in just under 24 hours, and I anticipate this one will book very quickly.

I have increased the number of available spots to allow more people to attend as well as to allow people to come in groups of two if they choose.

----------------------------

***Now, just to touch on my COED retreat.

My COED retreat will take place in MAY of 2012. (exact dates, tbd)

Tuition is the same ($800.00)

The format will differ slightly from these all women retreats to better accommodate the needs of a COED group.

I am accepting deposits now for my COED retreat, as well.

Spaces available for coed retreat: 5-7

Please email: ashleylebedev@gmail.com or message me on facebook to secure your spot.

---------------

WORKSHOPS:

I will be accepting deposits for workshops within the week, so please stay tuned.

Workshops will range between 3-400 dollars and will be one on one in 4 areas of focus and will take place over several sessions online over a course of several days. If you'd like to secure your spot for a workshop, deposit is half of the course fee. Thus far, I have nearly 400 workshop signups, so these offerings will be first come, first serve the moment they become available.

Please email me at: ashleylebedev@gmail.com to secure your spot w/ a deposit.

Workshops are more intensive (teaching/interacting/lesson plans/FUN) and are able to be taken from anywhere in the world, for those who cannot travel, and who desire to follow a specific curriculum. retreats are more hands on. workshops are more intensive, masterclasses.

Again, I will be blogging about full details of workshops (likely tomorrow or friday) but feel free to message to put down a deposit, securing your place in line.

Ash x

PS: PLEASE "LIKE" THIS AND HELP ME SPREAD THE WORD.

Thank you!

...floating. | 6.1.2011

2011-06-01T09:19:00.007-05:00

after 4,445.2 miles, 33 days, luxury cabins, trashy hotel rooms, rest areas, oceanside campsites, tea in the rainforest, late night guitar & endless piles of new imagery to be edited, this leg of the journey finally tapered this AM w/ teary eyes in an airport goodbye. all i know for sure is that i love what i do, life is amazing, people are beautiful & there is one hell of a photo journal coming your way. for now, though - a long nap to unwind & a giant bowl of ice cream.

ash x

ps. to everyone: thank u.

dreamityoufuckingdreamers.

2011-05-10T19:25:00.004-05:00

there have been exactly 3 messages in my career (5 yrs) that have moved me to tears with how (often surprisingly) beautiful the process of inspiring & CREATING can be in impacting the lives of others. (photogs, artists, dreamers: it is *so* important what we do) | read that over and over and over again.

i got that 3rd message this afternoon, in a target store dressing room and had to sit down while i read such an incredibly personal message about one woman's heroic life journey that ends each night in her coming to my work for her solace.

And it got me to thinking that I really wanted to share this thought with others.

Anyway, artists/people who endeavor: this is LONG overdue:

i'd like to make a toast: ::raises glass:: TO ALL OF YOU WHO CREATE, INSPIRE, DREAM, ASPIRE, And Spin like you are still a child: here's to YOU. Because, guess what? - you inspire ME.

and readers: when you write me messages about my work inspiring you, i'm just floored. (really)

you better know and believe that i take those messages and spin them into my writing and imagery. this is the journey of the artist.

There is an incredible quote about life that goes something like this:

'dont ask what the world needs. ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. because what the world needs is people who have come alive.' - howard thurman

so much love.

ash x

Faerieland 2011 -- BEHIND THE SCENES!!

2011-05-04T17:20:00.005-05:00

friends.

i'll keep this short, because i have another blog to post on the rendering well this evening as a journal for the traveling/shooting/set building and life living i've been up to, but i did want to make sure i posted a few behind the scenes from yesterday's first shoot of the season! weather has disallowed shooting again and again, and finally yesterday was 60's and sunny and magic happened.

as you can see, the shoot was incredibly fun and i had the opportunity to work w/ the lovely Rae Weisz from ANTM (again) as well as one of my favorite makeup artists: Lacey O'Sullivan.

i've been mulling over this idea of a brownie in faerieland for nearly a year and am absolutely thrilled it finally came to fruition. by these shots, you'll definitely be able to see some hints as to what this shoot consisted of location and prop wise (i'm going to leave it, for the most, a secret ;) and i cannot wait to share the final imagery with you in the next two days or so.

blogspot really mangles quality, but will be posting to flickr when this full storyboard is processed as well as high res in the faerieland gallery on my website. :)

behind the scenes:

just after rae arrived, we took to the tiny bathroom and began hair and makeup...

a detail shot of how i wanted my brownie's hair...

and, the remaining (above) shots were just quickly snapped after we were out on location, goofing off as well as a few much needed touch ups. faerieland is incredibly dark this year, and so we found ourselves joking around out in the woods after the mention of her motivation being a 'cannibalistic brownie' ;) | it was a nice contrast to the images you'll see from this shoot. i think nature is a perfect indifferent contrast, so faerieland, though fantasy, is also the representation of light amidst darkness.

a big thanks as well to my partner (and mum) in set building, Waunita Shaw.

just when i think i cannot build something or don't know how, she swoops in with an idea that makes it possible.

again, i will be posting journals about my travels on the rendering well this evening. i wish time allowed for one a day, but perhaps i can manage about 1 a week.

right now, I feel as if my life is in the eye of the hurricane (in an amazing way) and i will touch more on that in a few hours, with a personal photo or two. ;)

hope you all are well!

ashley | bottle bell - x

Powerhouse Women Photographers & The Changing Face of Photography

2011-03-28T14:40:00.021-05:00

Friends.

One of the most common emails I get (daily, and many) are usually ones in which I am being asked what I do to become inspired, and further - to stay inspired. In looking at my own work, I bet you can guess a few of my favorite things (and that I draw continual creative energy from...)

Subjects occupying the very top of that list of things, of course, would be: (in no particular order) women, history, simplicity, the forgotten, storytelling, gracefully sad beauty, and fantasy/fairytales.

I can honestly say... everything speaks to me, and much of everything inspires me. I think in life and to create pieces that speak to a broad audience, everything has to speak in some way to you and move you, deep within. Being moved deep within is the catalyst from which all amazing imagery is spun. That is the basis of great work and creativity. This is where I create from. This is the opinion that becomes the resounding image.

And, photographically speaking, there are a few visual artists that I've decided to feature today, having personally found them to be sources of continual inspiration, since I began shooting, back in 2006. I didn't know all of their work back then, but I know all of their work now, and if you want to be inspired, you should too.

To be consistently inspiring as an artist (a stream on flickr, for example, that I know I can always come back to) is not only a talent, but a rarity.

Today feature centers around 13 women, many of whom are friends, and a few I don't know, but who's work I consider to be among the most reliably inspiring in the industry, today - not only for their talent and unique vision, but also because they have that fleeting ability to deliver the elusive and continual dose of creative wonderment. I also respect these women for being themselves and doing something I think is *key* to any lasting career: putting in the time to refine and stand behind your own unique vision, whatever you find that to be.

These women are not only photographers that pack a punch, but women who are changing the face of photography in it's various mediums, from every walk of life, and from every corner of the world. To be pioneers in an industry is no small task, continually putting up your diary for public review. Further, to relay that diary with some dignity, sincerity and consistency, is something else.

Many of you may already know these women (if you don't you are in for quite a treat) but this would be my own list of women to follow and to continue to follow, as you develop yourself as an artist. This isn't a full list by any means, but definitely some of the pillars. Some of these women are well established and a few are still up and coming.

Before I begin, a couple of notes:

1.) Please don't swipe their work. These artists have been kind enough to share so much of themselves with you, already. Be inspired, instead.

2.) This list is in absolutely no particular order.

3.) To view more about any particular photographer, click on their name to go to their website or online portfolio.

Enjoy.

...

*Zemotion | Zhang Jingna

Location: Singapore / Toronto, Ontario, Canada / International

***

*Brooke Shaden

Location: Los Angeles, California

***

*Rosie Hardy

Location: Manchester, UK.

***

*Natalie Dybisz (Miss Aniela)

Location: London, England

***

*Lara Jade

Location: New York, NY / London, England

***

*Lucia O'Connor-McCarthy

Location: London / Dublin

***

*Anna Osk

Location: Sweden

***

*Jessica Flavin

Location: London, England

***

*Lauren Withrow

Location: Dallas, TX

***

*Rebekka Guðleifsdóttir

Location: Iceland

***

*Lucia Holm (Miss Lulu & The Teaspoon Shortage)

Location: USA

***

*Anastasia Volkova

Location: Moscow, Russia

***

*Bella Kotak

Location: Brighton, England

***

Also, last but in no way least, I want to direct you to a young and wonderful powerhouse photographer by the name of: Nirrimi (see port here) and though I couldn't get in touch with her before I needed to run this, be sure to check out her amazing vision.

And that does it for today! As for me, I'm just beginning a new season of shoots, the first of which was yesterday 0f 33 slated, thus far...

I'm shooting for two collections (one new & top secret & the other: "Faerieland").

I promise I won't disappoint. ;)

Ash | Bottle Bell

ps. I may run another of these as my shooting season slows. If you know someone who you feel deserves some recognition, feel free to leave a note below. (male or female)

PRINT GIVEAWAY... (!!)

2011-03-16T15:28:00.009-05:00

Friends. I'ts been forever since I did a giveaway, and ... well... it's nearly SPRING! Seems like a perfect time to hold another, just before another season of shooting begins. (and man do I have a season planned ;)

I'll keep this short and sweet, but here's what's up for grabs:

I'll be giving away two prints, this time.

The first: "Summer Hymnal" - (Version 2)

The second: "Elemental" - (from my "Faerieland" series)

SO. How do you go about entering?

Very simple and just a few things:

1.) Be sure you are a fan of my facebook fan page. (my personal profile doesn't count)

2.) "Share" my facebook fan page on either your facebook or twitter. (in your own words, why you like it, are sharing it, etc...)

3.) Lastly, just leave a comment in this blog post that you did both, and you are entered!

Extra Credit: Well, for those who are feeling extra spectacular, you may get (1) additional entry, by doing any of the following, in addition to the above 3 steps:

*featuring my work on your blog
*following this blog from your own, but clicking 'follow' to your right

*featuring my work on flickr (yes you have my permission, but please only use watermarked imagery ;)

Simple, right?

Awesome.

I'll be holding this giveaway beginning this evening - march 30th, 2011 & announcing the winner(s) (being drawn at random) the following day on all networks.

Be sure when you leave your comment/entry that you also leave where I am able to get a hold of you (ie: email, facebook, etc --- but be safe about things, and don't post your telephone number ;)

Thank you & best of luck!

Ash | Bottle Bell

flickr

twitter

Faerieland Returns...!!! | 2011 begins...

2011-03-01T10:51:00.007-06:00

Friends.

After a long Winter slumber, I'm so proud and excited to announce that Faerieland has begun to wake up.

With so many new places, characters and story lines, I hope you like this first piece of imagery, as I begin endeavoring into shooting for this collection, throughout Spring & Summer.

... As the woods begin to thaw and as the forests begin to rouse.

This year, I simply want you to get as lost and mesmerized as I have over the course of the last year.

Let this collection sweep you away.

With what I have planned, all I can say for those that have been following this collection since it's inception is: be excited.

For a refresher course about Faerieland (what it is, when and how it started, and why) you can read my 2010 interview w/ The Examiner to catch up on the metaphors, motives, and symbolism within this growing collection.

For those that don't want to read that full article, here's an excerpt:

"I took notes. I slept outside underneath briars during a normal work day. I sat on the forest floor looking up at the canopy, right in the mix of animals like deer and rabbits and birds. It’s amazing when you sit there long enough, what becomes comfortable with you. I recorded what I heard everywhere I went on my mp3 player, and put it on repeat with solo piano tracks for a full month. It was all I listened to. I wanted to understand nature as well as how far we stray from it, and how I was going to visually relay what it meant to come back to it, metaphorically..."

I hope you'll join me as I return to the dark woods...

I give to you:

"Elemental"

As with all pieces of my work, I wholeheartedly recommend viewing them as high res. on either my website or on Flickr, as part of the entire set, in order. Blogspot has a tendency to greatly reduce quality.

"Elemental" is my first nude shot (Faerieland or other) in the (nearly) five years I've been behind the lens. For those who are familiar with my work, you know that I often hint, but rarely shoot nude w/ models & never myself. That being said, I'm not averse to nudes in any way. Bodies are so beautiful and completely natural (this collection screams natural and coming back to one's roots) and certain segments of this collection will absolutely call for it. Am I happy to have done it? Absolutely.

My philosophy on nudes in photography are these:

"Is it elegant?"

"Is this appropriate?"

"Does nude add or detract from the photo?"

Now onto more about this piece...

"Elemental" is the culmination of what Winter felt like, to me, this year.
In the midwest, Winters are rarely three months -- usually closer to 5 or 6 with a short and bittersweet Autumn, and then very early cold and snow that often lasts into mid March. This year saw temps as low as 30 to 40 below.

I wanted this shot to represent the depths of the quiet, lonely, cold, white, hazy, pale, epic Winter, as I've experienced it, and to hold (as with all my work and messages, within themselves) the contrast of beauty amidst hardship. This is so easily represented by nature, and was my goal for this piece. That's my goal for all of Faerieland.

This year, when I stood on the 12 acres, here, where I type this now, I couldn't hear a sound, beyond the wind at the tops of the tallest trees, and when I closed my eyes this is the image that represented all of it...

------

Additionally, last year, there were two images shot that never made it over to this blog and it's about time they do, though many have seen them by now, in publications or interviews.

Without further adieu, I also give to you one of the very first landscapes of "faerieland" as well as an image comprised of over 40 individual photos...

"Pigeon River Falls"

The above piece is a panorama.

Vertical Panoram's don't get very much real estate on the internet, so here's another (cropped) below. This is actually about 7 different images, shot on the trembling cliff edge minutes before dark, just short of the Canadian Border. I had to shoot a long exposure, but had trouble doing so, since my camera was on the edge of such massive water movement and the entire ground would shake my camera and tripod. I got lucky that one full Panoram was crisp. ;)

Detail Shot, "Pigeon River Falls"

Everything in Faerieland has secret meanings, different motives, hidden symbols, and though this face (in the above rock) is visible, it's a nice hint to how dark I intend for this collection to be as I continue weaving it together. This is a world in which natural is normal, and where dark is normal.

Nothing beyond nature exists or ever has. No time. No technology. No inhibitions.

But, just as nature has two sides: serene and graceful beauty amidst a world fraught with things such as death and an order that must be respected in order to flourish within it, so will "Faerieland" be its representation & ever present reminder of that (sometimes) struggle.

With this collection, I want you to think: "That is so beautiful. But, oh wait...that scares me a bit". What is my hope? Which is my goal?

Both. I want you to feel both.

Lastly, the final shot I'm sharing today did make it over to Flickr last year, but didn't make it over here to my blog, so I'm posting that today, as well with a few notes on how I made that image.

"Sentinel"

"Sentinel" was an amazingly fun and very difficult piece to make. I had an amazing designer make that leaf mask you see, covering the eyes of the watcher. This shot is comprised of countless images; probably somewhere in the ballpark of 40, total. Each leaf was handpicked during the Fall and hand colored, and finally - individually photographed. In post, I had to stitch each one into the photo, around the watching eyes, in a way that would present a strong composition and offer enough variation, to be believable. "Sentinel" took about 5 days to complete, in post alone.

And that's it for now...

New work on the horizon line. I've been building and continue to build everything, as well as casting, and working with great designers, from all over the world. I and am ready to go.

Today is March 1st (!!!) which means Spring is this month & the moment it warms even a little, these secret characters, new models, dark stories, and beautiful world are coming to life.

Welcome back.

Ash | Bottle Bell

Sneak Peek! | Faerieland Returns...

2011-02-26T12:52:00.006-06:00

Faerieland has just risen from a long winter slumber, with new characters, new places, new stories...

New imagery early next week.

Here's a tiny sneak (and cropped) peek of one of several shoots.
Head back over here on Tuesday, for new imagery to kick off a return to the dark and magical woods....

Ash ;)

WOMEN PHOTOGRAPHERS ONLY | PHOTOGRAPHY & WELLNESS RETREAT!!!

2011-02-14T09:54:00.018-06:00

***Update: 2.16.2011 -- As of today, this retreat is SOLD OUT, pending deposits. My sincerest thank you to all for making this a reality in less than 48 hours. I'm so honored, excited, happy and humbled.

If you'd like to be put on a cancellation list, or receive a note when other workshops or retreats become available (co-ed is in the works as well) please email or message on any network {or} feel free to join my workshops group, while the official site is still being built. {workshops}

Members of my workshops group or on the mailing list will be the first to receive a note when new offerings become available and before being announced to the public.

ash x

----------

Original post - 2.14.2011...

women.

you are radiant with the beauty of your own being.

If you ever doubt this, just look down at your own two hands & recall all that they have done.

Please don’t read another detail of what’s ahead until you have reread what I just wrote.

And then again.

***

Alright, how exciting, and here we go…

I remember the first time I visited the northern most stretch of Minnesota, when I was a young girl.

The deep forests were stark – full of pine & birch; a land full of canyon lined rivers and rugged boulders, covered in wet mosses and polished agate; deep green marshes knee deep in moose and loon, who called out by dawn and twilight; valleys full of gliding eagles whose shadows would linger in my wild, youthful eyes; fresh wolf and bear tracks lined the gravel back roads, each leading further into the wilderness - hinting that its first inhabitants were still abound if I wandered off the path; sometimes, even in midsummer there was a crispness in the air that I couldn’t shake no matter warm or cold; so rich it would permeate my skin; so thick & palpable, I could actually draw sustenance from it.

The shores of the Great Lake Superior were rugged - born of rock & driftwoods; The horizon line, a gorgeous sweep of heavy blues that lulled my eyes further and further into its cold and ship wrecked waters. And then came the night, with the warmth of campfires, popping like fireflies in and out of existence; the scent of evergreen and ash woods, burning away, and built from our own hands - cut only a stone’s throw from the woods that sheltered us. I would wrap in my sweaters as the night began to cool, and laugh with everyone who would also be wrapping themselves in their own warming layers. We’d all seemingly glance up at the same time, somewhere late into the night as we would endlessly talk and our words would cease as the cosmos took the stage, like shimmering diamonds, every one of them visible against the darkest backdrop that only exists in the middle of nowhere; the sound in those nights – a pure silence, beyond the cascading waters and the wind that hummed from trembling branch to branch; a profound silence; the kind that offers up the deepest breaths and truest healing; and once every few years, when we’d wander the muddy trails to a nearby road – only as bits of echoes & laughter gathered by the night… the lot of us would lay down on the dirt road & look up to find the aurora borealis forming, for which (at 27 years of age, and many many many visits later) I’ve still no words to describe what it means to see it. None.

As morning would commence in its buttery dawn light, we’d peel ourselves from our warm beds, as the weather would suddenly turn from sun to fog to rain to sun to rain to fog in a matter of minutes, over the sweeping, unapologetic valley views and endless lakes the north woods are renowned for; everything so full of an irreverent and uninhibited beauty; repeating itself day after day, and forever.

This is the Boundary Waters.

[**Note: These are NOT my images & I do not claim them as mine. I've pulled imagery I felt properly represented the beauty of the north woods and where we are going. These are from a google image search]

***

This is the most unspoiled, secret piece of Earth I’ve ever seen, unique in light and palette, animals and vegetation.

This is where we’re going.

***

Well, I’ve been trying for months to get together a “Women’s Only” blog post, but I finally realized: why do just a blog when I could offer something so much more amazing for a few brave women, ready for a bit of adventure and growth.

The idea for a woman’s only Photography & Wellness Retreat was born from a few principles and things I hold dearest to myself and my life: photography, nature, spirituality and wellness - each key factors not only in deciding to offer this retreat, but also in choosing the right location to host it. This was the perfect place for what is being offered and it just so happens to be my favorite place on Earth; Endless quiet and expansive views to die for, and wellness drawn from every meal to everything we do. I’m a firm believer that the truest moments of growth and creativity will happen in the silence, where ideas are allowed to be born; in that pause between all of the [sometimes, seemingly] inundating, chaotic thoughts and worry of today’s world of deadlines and business; when you’ve a moment to take a step back from it all – replacing it with nourishing food and new surroundings; inspired by new people with similar intentions and goals, and with no pressure to perform or be judged; in a place that commands and reflects the same beauty and respect, that we possess and require as women.

The Details:

Where - a 3000 sq. ft. luxury - 3 level log home that sits quite literally on the beautiful (and private) beachfront shores of Lake Superior, offering views from every window. This home boasts a grand stone, wood-burning fireplace in the great room, built from two story vaulted ceilings of exposed beam work. This home offers a loft that looks over the great room that also houses one of its beds and baths. In addition, there is also a master suite with whirlpool tub and 2 other bedrooms with various sleeping arrangements from twins to queens. Additionally, this home has a beautiful family room, dining area, and fully equipped kitchen.

[yes, this is our cabin & that is THE view we have]

What - 2 days and 3 nights of relaxed wellness activities and hands on photography fun. It is my intention in everything offered to meld the feeling of connectedness and wellness to the activities and process of creating. The greatest creations are not born from your camera, they are born from YOU.

*Day 1 (Friday) - Arrival

The fun will begin with a welcome dinner for the group, as we overlook the uninterrupted views of Lake Superior by dusk, offering a great opportunity for relaxed conversation and getting to know new faces and then settling into our new luxurious living quarters for a night of restful sleep, listening to the break of water hit the rocks outside.

*Day 2 (Saturday) – A Day of Inspirational Wellness.

Your day will begin with a nourishing and whole breakfast, made from the earth in our own kitchen, followed by a morning of mindfulness techniques that I will lead, allowing for an opportunity to clear all of the static within, resulting in a better you, when it comes to your life. When you gain that focus, it’s amazing what begins to creep into your life, yourself, and your work. During the lunch hour we will eat and then break (maybe you want to take a walk down the beach and take a few photos of your weekend) and will reconvene for an afternoon filled with projects that are meant to be the take home treasures of this retreat and tailored to spark the connection between you and your camera; you and yourself. This is also a day to embrace ourselves as women, and the projects are very much geared to the girl in us, no matter the age. I know you know what I’m talking about, ladies. The day will end with a beautiful dinner as we trail into the night by the crackle of the fire and crash of the lake. This day will be a day about reconnecting with yourself and with others. It will result in becoming centered and inspired for what’s to follow.

*Day 3 (Sunday) – A Day of Photography.

Following a morning of another fresh and beautiful breakfast, made from our own kitchen, we will spend the day covering:

*becoming inspired

*defining your style and finding the artist within/refining your vision

*concept to execution (conceptualizing a shoot from the early stages of building your idea to wrapping a shoot, location scouting, props, designing a set, working with a model, etc...)

We will break for lunch and reconvene, finally having the chance to put what you’ve learnt to the test:

*photoshoot | will be working with one of my own models (fully costumed w/ props and styled by my MUA). If you decide you don’t want to photograph a model, and instead would like to photograph the land surrounding us, a map of the points of interest for favorite landscapes in the area will be provided at this point, and you may venture off for the afternoon. This trip is for you, and you should photograph in the way that speaks to you, even if that isn’t with our model.

We will be shooting in natural light, and using my favorite natural light techniques on our own private beach, making Lake Superior our backdrop for the model (OR) at a location as yet to be determined.

When - Friday, May 13 – Sunday, May 15th, 2011 (you would leave on Monday, May 16th after a night of rest).

How many spaces available? - 6-10.

***Note: After registering, paying your tuition, and filling out the mailed Q&A (as mentioned below) this number is subject to change as I determine what is best for the group.

Tuition (and what’s covered) - $800.00/person | Additionally, because this is my first retreat and you are my first group, I'm offering a deal for those that are willing to bunk together as a group of two, helping to split that cost up a bit. That will be available as an option for this group only, as you are being the brave first ladies to make this journey. x

*Tuition can be paid in two payments. Half of the tuition fee will be due upon registration and the other half due, no later than 2 weeks before the date of the retreat.

If you are interested today, please send me a message on any of my networks or email: ashleylebedev@gmail.com

[As soon as registrants pay their deposit - a Q&A will be sent to fill out, ensuring a more intimate and personalized experience during the retreat. You are each different and seek slightly different things. I want to know them and the questionnaire will help me to know you better before we meet]

What's being covered within your tuition:

*Lodging. | Lodging will cover the 2 days & 3 nights in the cabin.

*Meals. | As follows: On the day you arrive (Friday, May 13th) only Dinner will be provided. On the day you leave (Monday, May 16th) breakfast only will be provided. On Saturday and Sunday (May 14/15) breakfast, lunch and dinner will be provided.

*Course Materials. | You will receive a welcome ‘kit’ when you arrive with a few special gifts prepared just for you, as well as your itinerary for the weekend. | Additionally, there are several projects in which your own materials will be needed and those will all be covered within your tuition and given to you as part of (and throughout your) stay, as needed.

*Photoshoot & Teaching. | See the above, detailed outlines.

What is not covered -

*Travel to and from our location. | Airfare to Mpls. Or Duluth International Airport will not be covered or for those who are making the road trip, your travel expenses to and from the cabin will not be covered outside of the days outlined, above. Our location is about 90 minutes north of Duluth at a location that will only be given to those participating in the workshop. The exact location is being kept off radar for my wellbeing, your wellbeing, and to preserve the authenticity of the retreat. I may arrange one pick up caravan on my way up to the cabin and one drop off caravan on my way down from, depending on needs and schedules, though as of now that is not the plan.

*Alcoholic beverages

*Phone Calls

*Meals outside of those offered above or in addition to what is offered

*Incidentals

*Trip cancellation or interruption, for any reason.

Requirements –

*You must be at least 18 years old at the time you reserve your spot.

*You must be a female. Sorry, boys, you wouldn’t even like this trip. This is a girl’s weekend doing girl things. ;) | Co-ed retreats are something on the roster (I’d even love to do Men only retreats, but then I couldn’t attend ;) - so please be patient as this year unfolds. I love you all, and all in due time.

*You must send me a link to your website or any online networks. This will help me to ensure all who come are who they say they are.

*Requirements as far as being a photographer: Experience isn’t a requirement and neither are your make and model - as long as you 1.) Own a camera (preferably a DSLR only for their vastly improved shooting capabilities) & 2.) Work at least part time as a photographer. I’m not a gear snob and this isn’t that kind of weekend, but this is specialized and fine tuned specifically, for women photographers.

*Respect and an open mind are essential in being a part of this beautiful retreat. Women are coming to grow as photographers and people, with likeminded goals. This is a weekend that will meld new ideas, wellness and spirituality into the process of creating your imagery. Photography for me isn’t a ‘job’ - it’s a lifestyle that goes way beyond the image, behind the lens and spills into every facet of my life. We don’t freeze those moments for nothing. There is a point and a purpose, whether you realize it or not, and this retreat is to awaken or rekindle that for all involved. This is the way I work and this is the way I’ll be presenting the weekend. The atmosphere is going to be incredibly candid and relaxed.

Things you will need to bring -

A list of what to pack & bring with you will be mailed to registrants of the retreat.

Is this retreat for you?

I wanted to touch on this for a second, because there are so many workshop offerings from so many different realms of this industry and in so many different styles from who teaches them to what is covered. First, I wanted to say: this isn’t a workshop. This is an EXPERIENCE that you may decide to call a workshop, but you may decide to call it a vacation. You aren’t required to attend all that’s offered or you may choose to venture in and out of the cabin on your own time.

My advice is this: Do you feel moved by what you’ve read? Were you intoxicated with inspiration or the need to make this happen when you read the description about my beloved north woods? Do you want to experience the mind, body and wellness connection that this retreat offers as well as endeavor into the realm of photography with a group of women?

If this retreat idea speaks to you on a level beyond these words and somewhere deep within - I’m a FIRM believer on following your intuition If your gut says “Yes”, then ladies, make it happen for yourself. Come with a friend if you like. Come with two. Have fun with this. Take a road trip instead of a plane if time allows, and begin endeavoring into yourself a bit early, taking in all the inspirational sites you will see on your trip up, down or over. I don’t do anything flying if a road trip is an option. There is soooo much to experience on a drive.

If you'd like to participate, again, please message me today and as logistics & tuition are set (within the next 48 hours they'll be set) I will contact my list with further detailing as well as posting it here under the 'tuition' tab.

If this trip isn’t for you, please help me spread the word, since it’s going to SPEAK to the right group of women and the right group of women will absolutely make it happen. I’ve great faith in this style and teaching through life as a whole. This is how I live my life.

So, no matter what, there’s something you can do!

Participate [OR] pass along the word to women you feel might benefit from this format & group.

Please click the 'like' button below and share this post with your network.

We are a group of Women.

We are a group of Photographers.

Those are two very specialized and beautiful things.

I cannot wait to meet my group!

- Ash x

ps. Happy Valentines Day!

A new, immersive feature | take 1...

2010-12-06T10:44:00.003-06:00

Over on "The Rendering Well"

Please join me over there for a new immersive feature of simple writings, sounds, and imagery. The Rendering Well is my personal inspirational blog, and a more simple contrast to my beloved bottle bell inner-workings. It's definitely a behind the scenes of the camera sort of blog. x

If you dig it, let me know, and i'll make it a regular feature. Also, be sure that if you like it, my upcoming workshops will be right up your alley, especially the inspiration offering, but I'll save the details of the workshops for another day. ;)

ash x

Help Portrait | 12.4.2010

2010-12-02T11:15:00.007-06:00

Friends & PHOTOGS:

I just wanted to post on here to remind (as well as introduce to those of you who don't know) that the incredibly inspiring, moving "Help Portrait" -- a worldwide movement of photographer's, is this Saturday, December 4th, and I hope many of you will be doing this with me. It's a worldwide effort to help just one person or even a family in need, by doing what we love -- taking a photo.

What you'll need:

A camera.

Your time.

The Motivation to help someone (or even a family) in need.

I will keep this post short, but encourage all of you to step outside of the box & do this as well as share the message to every photog. as well as the vid.

The website is here (a project started by the very well known photographer, Jeremy Cowart)

HELP PORTRAIT

And the video of what it is, what to do & how to do it, is here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KILK5a2wkis&feature=player_embedded

Ashley | Bottle Bell

SNEAK PEAK! | from back in Summer...

2010-11-02T15:39:00.003-05:00

Friends!

Though I'm traveling throughout the USA for the next month, I wanted to touch base on here to post a sneak that I'm finally getting around to processing (taken back in early summer) for my beloved, "faerieland" collection.

Though travel has me running in a million different directions, I should have this processed by week's end to release along w/ the first landscapes of Faerieland. When they are finished, I will post on my website, flickr, and my personal blog, "The Rendering Well".

This is nearly OOC, so I'm really thrilled to begin processing more of the maiden sequence, to see what evolves. The light that day, was nothing short of magical.

I'll touch base as internet & travel allows.

Hope you enjoy!

Ashley | x

Lake Michigan Shoot | Sneak Peaks/Behind the Scenes!

2010-09-28T11:13:00.003-05:00

Friends,

Last week, I had the pleasure (truly) of driving 8 hours east w/ my sister to collaborate w/ the entirely beautiful Ford Model, Hayley McCune. This particular model and myself have been trying to work together for well over 3 years. Our location, we decided, would be a hidden beach on Lake Michigan - a location I'd never seen until moments before our shoot. The day was very hectic, so I didn't have too much time to shoot many 'behind the scenes', but the day was also incredible (as was the team I was working w/) and so I wanted to post just a few sneaks from what that day entailed. I hope from these few shots, you get the idea of what shots came out of it and what's to come...Be excited.

I'm just beginning my edits and will be posting the final shots on my inspirational blog, The Rendering Well, in the following days, as a storyboard of sorts.

A huge thank you to my sister for assisting as well as Michael Macaluso.

Below:

My sister, Hailey, filling up a rain boot to continuously keep the models hair wet when the wind kept drying it out...

My beautiful model (below) (also named Hayley) after being drenched with freezing cold, great lakes water... | I always make a deal w/ my models that if I put them into uncomfortable situations such as water or cold, I go in with them - and so I was just as drenched behind the lens (and COVERED) in sand, head to toe ;)

Playing in the rocks in between shooting...

Hope you've enjoyed this little post, and remember the final images will be on my non business, inspiration only, words & imagery blog within the week.

Ashley | Bottle Bell

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The Rendering Well | A new personal endeavor...

2010-09-09T23:03:00.001-05:00

Hello Everyone,

After several years on the backburner of ideas, I've finally gone ahead and done it.

I've created a more filtered blog focused on one thing and one thing only:

Inspiration.

I hope you will join me now & again at this secondary blog.

As a slower paced, quieter home of words & imagery for myself and Bottle Bell, this secondary space will deal not only with my photography, but also writing and inspiration and will be exclusively reserved for only areas of my company that are non commercial/business related.

The Rendering Well was created to escape & to cultivate raw creativity.

See you there.

Ash x

2010 RECAP - TOUCHING BASE - UPCOMING PROJECTS!

2010-08-04T20:52:00.006-05:00

Hey you.

Yes, You.

Hope this post finds you all very well!

Sooo, I thought it would be a good idea, as I've been a little out of touch with Flickr/Facebook/Twitter, (other networks, etc...) over the last few weeks to touch base on my goings on, both in front of and behind the lens...

I've decided to separate them, by topic, below, including:

*The worldwide creatives (and non creatives) collaboration I alluded to and that many of you put an "X" by on my facebook pages a few weeks ago.

*Faerieland

*My collaboration w/ Brooke Shaden

*Publications/Features

*Bookcovers

*Travel

*Getting in front of the lens for other photographers for a personal inner beauty/outer beauty feature

-----

And, for some visual stimuli to go with this post, here's a small photo I recently made, entitled:

"The Memory Jar"

So, let's get to it!

1.) Faerieland. (if you've not yet seen it, click here & here & here to catch up ;)

Alright, for those of you who've been following this storyboard and fairytale I've written in pictures, good news! I have two more characters I've written into the story and are slated to be shot this month. These are elaborate shoots, and have been very fun to conceptualize. These are some very different characters, and I'm really excited to be able to share this darker concept with you all. :)

I hope you've been enjoying it on my website or on Flickr.

This collection is a bit different than anything else I've done, and I've begun to sell very limited edition prints of the characters and pieces within. Very fine art papers and signed/numbered.

I've shot two landscapes of 'the realm', as well as one more character I've yet to reveal in the next week or so. It's been a bit hard to shoot out on location in my area of the country (MN - Midwest - USA) due to (believe it or not) how bad the bugs have gotten. I'm hoping as the weather turns a bit cooler (dare I say it?!) that I can resume shooting as often as I'm use to. The twelve acres that I live on have had so much rain, the mosquitos are absolutely out of control. =/ Putting models (or anyone in my team) out where I'm having them would be nothing short of cruel.

Thus far, creating it, has been an absolute blast, though after these two characters are shot, I'm going to be taking a seasonal break to do a few other things, and to replenish my creative flow...which I'm about to touch on next...

2.) My collaboration with the wonderfully talented and kind photographer, Brooke Shaden.

Earlier, this year, as the fates would have it, I connected with a fantastically creative and wonderful artist/photographer via flickr named Brooke Shaden. Many of you may know her already, and you should. She's also a conceptual photographer. :)

I featured her on one of my artist spotlights in May, and have been lucky enough to get to know her better over the past few months. You can check out her work/flickr stream here.

Long story short, Brooke and I discovered, though our styles vary greatly (processing & content wise) we actually have very similar taste is just about everything art related, and so we've decided to put our very different creative minds together on a collaboration, which as of now looks like it will be happening sometime in September!

She, of course, doesn't live anywhere near me, so I'll be heading west to California to collaborate with her. We already have our idea in mind, but I'll save all the details, so that it's a grand surprise. I will say this: It's very much a team effort, and we are going ALL OUT. I love what we are planning, and can't wait to put it into motion.

3.) Bookcovers

I've been very fortunate (and this year, especially) to have sold quite a few of my images to publishing houses for use on authors' bookcovers. I actually created the image above in hopes that it would one day grace a bestselling book cover. ;)

Here are the books I know of, in no particular order, and I'll list them by country in case you want to venture to your local bookstore. My work sells all over the world, so I've only been able to actually go to my own bookstore 1 time to have that moment where I see my work on the cover of a novel.

1 word in that moment. HUMBLED.

Here those are, of the ones I've been able to scrounge in my google searching...

French Bookcover ...

(the original image w/ the background I shot it in)

USA bookcover for the novel: The Sister Wife, by Diane Noble!

The is the one I've been able to actually go into my own Barnes & Noble (eee!) and find myself. This was the cover where I had my 'wow, cool' moment ;)

I spoke with Diane the other day, briefly in an email, and she is going to be sending me a copy of this. I'm very excited to receive that. Similar to the above image, but they removed my background an put her in a field. I love what they've done :)

UK Bookcover, "Told in Silence" by Rebecca Connell

Hoping to have a friend or two in the UK able to find this either in their own bookstore or on amazon, and send me a copy.

Italian bookcover, which I would love to get my hands on a copy of (as well as anyone who might speak Italian enough to translate the cover for me?)

UK version & bookcover (of an american novelists best selling book) "Home Safe", by Elizabeth Berg. | Thanks to a wonderful friend in the UK, I actually have this book sitting on the bookshelf in my room, here in the USA. In bookstores here, this same book has a bluebird on it.

I've a few other bookcovers floating around out there, that I've not yet been able to find in my searching.

I'll keep everyone posted (facebook is always the best place to stay current :)

4.) Features & Publications!

I've been lucky in 2010! I'm soooo thankful for that.

I'll cover just briefly, for those who may want to read a few features/Q&As I've done w/ magazines & media outlets floating around right now out there.

*As many of you already know, I had the pleasure to do an extensive Q&A (as well as having pieces featured) by the media outlet, The Examiner. It was, probably, to date the most candid and in depth interview I've given about myself, my creative process, and my opinions on the photographic arts/industry. You can check that one out HERE.

*Additionally, I recently had the pleasure of doing another sort of Q&A (also w/ selected works) with the artist organization (mostly photography) called: "The Nonsense Society".

In that interview, I was able to answer questions that were so much fun to answer covering the gamut of what there is to cover with my work :)

*Photo Technique Mag (huge grin on this one!) decided to feature me in their "Underexposed" Emerging Talent section. I was so happy for this feature, because they chose to feature this years primary focus, Faerieland. To see that gallery and bio, check it out HERE.

*Blue Canvas Magazine Spread -

This one thrilled me. Getting an email from one of the most artist friendly publications around (print mag & online) was awesome. I'm currently featured in their quarterly magazine (Blue Canvas - Issue #5 - July through September, 2010) at all major bookstores. I have 5 pictures featured. I hope those that get to the bookstore will enjoy it. As an artist, it's always such a treat (understatement) to see one's work in print; something that can actually be held in the hands. Additionally, I would recommend getting a gallery on their website and trying for a feature yourself!! It's free, and they have a great setup. I also like that it's not just a photographers mag, but ALL artists. As for my feature within it, you can see a very small, badly scanned in image of it on my flickr stream, HERE.

For those who do end up over on Blue Canvas, putting together your own gallery, please feel free to come and say hello over there. I have many different albums over there (and hey, what artist doesn't love a disabled right click feature? ;)

5.) Travel

Well, I've covered my traveling down to Cali' to work with Brooke Shaden in September, but have a few more places on the roster. I found with how much I worked in 2010 (so far) that I'm in need of some MAJOR downtime.

This just means I'm switching gears for a month or so (as mentioned from faerieland to other endeavors, creatively).

And here's where YOU come in. I would LOVE to know where everyone is located, so that if I find myself in the area, I can meet other great creatives! Maybe for a lunch, or maybe for a shoot. I'm always looking to shoot, and learn. Meeting people and travel are huge components to how I become inspired. Please don't be shy!!

6.) Getting in front of the lens for OTHER photogs! (Nude & otherwise)

It's no secret that a great way to learn (or get better at) photographing others is to hop in front of the lens yourself once in awhile. Well, I intend to do just that. It occurred to me as someone who's done quite a bit of self portraiture over the years, that I'd love to see how others interpret me through their lens. While I travel, I intend to endeavor down this path quite a bit. That being said...

The first part of this has become a personal project that is going to be a series of nudes of... yes, .... (DRUMROLL PLEASE...) Myself. I plan to get in front of the lens for a few verrrry talented photographers (whom I trust) in conjunction with running a personal "inner beauty/outer beauty" personal blog feature with those images crediting them. I have three photographers (all very different styles) that have offered to collaborate with me on this little project. And one, whom I was lucky enough to offer to do this with me is the very talented (understatement of the century) and incredibly well known photographer, Erik Almas. He has a beautiful balance of fantasy and reality (and processing to die for) in every single piece of his work. If I shot commercially, this is how I'd do it, because he brings a sense of fantasy and adventure to every single concept. If you don't know him, google him. The others I will leave as surprises. I know that every time I get in front of a camera for someone else in this particular project, I will be allowing someone else to see all of my flaws and vulnerabilities, as well as a part of me that I've purposely kept out of the public until I could understand how it might play a role in my life. I think I'm ready to go there for just a short while. Wish me luck!!

I'm currently in the process of trying to coordinate times to meet with all three of the photographers I'm going to be brave enough to let photograph me naked. I'm nervous and excited, and think that's pretty appropriate. We only live once, so why not live a lot? ;)

The second part of this that I'd like to extend to everyone is getting in front of the lens for photographers who might be interested in collaborating with me in front of the lens (clothed ;) as I travel. If you are, please message me on any of my networks w/ a link to your port. :)

7.) WORLDWIDE CREATIVES (photog/artist/non artist) COLLABORATION/INSPIRATION PROJECT!

Last but not least, the WORLDWIDE INSPIRATION PROJECT & a collaboration of sorts. I know this particular topic is something that got a ton of interest and a major reason a lot of you are over here. So, here are those details:

How many of you keep an inspiration notebook? You know, stuff you find and love. Some of you, maybe?
Well, how many of you keep a desktop folder called "inspiration" or some computer folder you save all the pretty things you come across that inspire you, while you peruse the internet? I know I do for.sure.

About a year ago, I was perusing blogs and came across a blog that was running this project that was basically one large inspiration book, assembled by tons of different people. After seeing the results of how well that one went, I'd like to try the same thing in the photographic/creative/arts communities.

So, here's how to participate, and I hope the bulk of those who messaged and put an "X" on every network, will, because the bigger the better.

Everyone who'd like to, gets a two page spread in this Inspiration Notebook.

What you'll need:

*Two, 8.5 x 11 pieces of printer paper

*Imagination

What to do:

Once you've gotten your two pieces of 8.5 x 11 inch, regular old (or if you'd like to use a bit more durable) paper, fill those two pages up with ANYTHING you like. Pictures; words; textures; fabrics; strings, etc...

Make those two pages - YOUR two pages, totally yours. It can be even a bit 3D, as long as it is able to stick or stay on those pieces of paper and not SO 3D that it can't fit possibly inside of a larger laminated portfolio/book sleeve (message me if you have questions ;)

What defines you? What represents you? Are you someone who loves portraiture and philosophy? Print out a couple of 4x6 prints you took, and use them for your pages, and then write little quotes all around them. I mean, whatever you want. If you are a makeup artist, make a color palette in eyeshadow, and cover it with laminate, so it doesn't get rubbed off when put into the book. Are you someone who's got an affinity towards old things, sew lace to your pages, and fill it up from there. The point is, it doesn't matter, just as long as you make it yours.

Now, I'm also going to do this. I'm going to reserve my two pages and fill them up with everything I can think that inspires me, and be a part of this book, too. :)

ONCE you've completed your two inspiration pages:

Alright, once you've finished up making your two pages in this inspiration book, make sure that everything is perfect, and that it's durable enough to send, and then SIGN YOUR WORK. Sign your page(s) as your own. Be proud of your creation, and claim your work.

Next, if you'd like to be a part of this inspiration book, you're going to send those two pages to me w/ a note included, that mentions your name, location and one primary link where people can find your work.

Please contact me for the address to send to when you are finished.

My email:

info@Bottlebellphotography.com

Messaging me on facebook is a good bet:

http://facebook.com/bottlebell

Now here's the fun part!

Once I receive everyone's (or close to everyone's) two page spreads (get creative, friends! - I mean creativity is the industry that we are in!) I'm going to assemble it into a physical book, and scan it in, at my studio, page by page, with your two page spread on my blog and with credit to you (with the contact info & link that you included, upon sending to me).

It'll be a long blog post, but it'll be a fun one!

DEADLINES:

Now, everyone has very different lives, including myself, so I need to make a deadline to have it postmarked to me by, and anyone who falls outside of that will miss the opportunity to be included in the Inspiration Book.

I want to give you guys enough time to make those two page spreads your own.

Deadline to have these in the mail (again postmarked) will be (write this on your calendars!) SEPTEMBER 1st, 2010!

Get to work!
Be creative.

Do this, and enjoy it...!
It'll be great. ;)

It'll be unique.

It'll be YOU.

Can't wait to see what you all come up with, and again, for an address to send when you've completed your two page spread to be included in THE INSPIRATION BOOK, contact me.

Ash | Bottle Bell

"Faerieland" | 3rd Sequence | "The Maiden by Moonlight..."

2010-07-19T14:24:00.006-05:00

Friends!

Welcome to my third installation of "Faerieland"...

If you missed the first post ("Faerieland", The Beginning...) regarding the beginnings of this collection, the languages used within the storyboard, the inspirations behind it & first pieces within it, I encourage you to read that here before continuing on with this blog post, so everything makes sense ;)

Additionally, before reading on, I encourage you to read the second sequence as the story continued, and another character appeared, as well as the details behind the making of those shoots.

Now, if you are all caught up and have seen the pieces: "Faerieland, The Beginning...", "Lith", "Elberberry", and "Crown of the Boundary", please find below my next character, "The Maiden", who will be a recurring character throughout this collection.

Before I begin, just a quick mention - Please be mindful of Copyrights and don't swipe. ;)
I hope you enjoy!

------

As usual, the text below the image is Sindarin Elvish, and reads...

"The Maiden, by Moonlight"

Please enjoy a bit larger below...

"The Maiden, by Moonlight" was shot about 20 minutes before the sun disappeared over the horizon line. I had an assistant with an entire bag of dandelion heads that took me nearly a day to gather, one by one. She stood just out of frame, profusely blowing handfuls into the picture. It took a LOT of trial and error.

As I continue this storyboard, as promised, the story gets a bit darker, and it's my hope that this piece begins to show that direction. My vision for The Maiden was to create a timeless character, who is perhaps always looking off into the distance awaiting the return of something or someone. She's very wistful, and though this is my only picture of her for now, there are more shots of her inside of "Faerieland", that I cannot wait to share. ;)

---

I would like to thank my creative team on this shoot:

Model: Juju Steege (Wilhelmina)

MUA: Wendy Zarate - Frank

Assistant: Nita Shaw

Without the help of my teams, this entire collection would not be possible.

If you prefer to see this set on my Flickr, please follow THIS LINK. :)

For high res. versions, I recommend Flickr. I also plan to have these available in a new gallery (still in the process of being built) on my website in the coming weeks, larger and without the watermark ;)

See you very soon. I plan to unveil another piece later this week...

Ash | Bottle Bell

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My Interview/Feature w/ The Examiner!

2010-07-08T20:46:00.003-05:00

Friends!

I hope you all are very well. :)

Just a quick post...

I recently had the honor and privilege of being interviewed by an editor over at The Examiner and wanted to share that with all of you! They've chosen to include some of my newest works (yes, previously unseen ;) from my newest collection, "Faerieland" to accompany the feature.

***On a personal note: This feature is definitely the most candid I've ever been in an interview and touches a lot on how I work, behind the camera - as well as I how I work, personally. Please head over to check it out if you have a moment. Very grateful for any feedback. Definitely put my heart into answering those questions and into the featured collection.

Please follow THIS LINK to read the feature/interview shown in the above screenshot.

And I hope you all enjoy!

Ash | Bottle Bell

"Faerieland" | The Story Continues...

2010-06-09T00:13:00.012-05:00

Friends-

Welcome to my second installation of "Faerieland".

I've been busy at work, here on the farmstead, slowly bringing to life this storybook & fairytale behind the lens & in front of it.

If you missed the first post ("Faerieland", The Beginning...) regarding the beginnings of this collection, the languages used within the storyboard, the inspirations behind it & first pieces within it, I encourage you to read that here before continuing on with this blog post, so everything makes sense ;)

For those of you who are caught up, you will find the first few images the same as the last post as well as 1 to 2 new pieces every few weeks to continue the story...

I truly hope you enjoy! Shooting for this collection thus far has proven to be verrrrry challenging and incredibly fun.

And lastly, before I get started with the newest pieces... all images contained within this blog, on my website, flickr, facebook, etc.. regarding this collection or any other are © Ashley Lebedev | Bottle Bell Photography ™ 2007-2010 and may not be copied, blogged, or used in any way without the express written permission of the artist.

Let's begin.

Welcome to:

"Faerieland"

...

The book above is the beginning of this story, and is actually an old antique book that someone sent to me dating to 1850. Though the words are not so visible with this smaller version, the elvish words across the cover read:

"Faerie Legend"

The text above are real words that I've translated from English to Sindarin Elvish.

The left page of this book is my dedication for this collection. It reads as follows:

"This collection is dedicated to being lost, being found, childhood innocence, and to perseverance"

Below the photo on the right page of the book, the line simply reads:

"faerieland"

I wanted the first piece to be a self portrait. The headdress in the above shot is made of leather and apple blossoms from three different colored trees and took me 4 hours to make. I wanted to work with elements from nature in everything that I shot for this story. This piece, entitled "Lith" (a shortened translation from the elvish word for Ashley ;) is one of my only in studio shots, but this will be a recurring character within the storyboard.

-----

And now for the newest two pieces...

The above page, as with the last posting, are real (though perhaps too small to read here) Elvish words.

The left (above) page reads: "Crown of the Boundary"

The right (above) page reads: "Purple honey is a great delicacy of the realm"

And, below that image, simply reads: "Elderberry"

A better look at both of those images, below, as well as details about each piece below that image. :)

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"Crown of the Boundary"

The above creature would not necessarily be the highest in the ranks of Faerieland, but she would be very regal with ties to royalty and highly regarded. (Perhaps w/ a duty of watching over only a certain part of the woodland realm). I decided to name it "Crown of the Boundary" to indicate her responsibility over an area called The Boundary.

The headdress on the above model was made over a week's time with grapevines that grow throughout the property. And, as mentioned in my last blog, I'm really trying to incorporate elements founds within nature into every shoot. If possible, even elements that might only be available for that small portion of the season. So for this piece, not only was her hair brought up into the headdress of grapevine, but honeysuckle was also picked and placed within the wreathe.

For weeks, I wasn't sure what clothing I wanted to put onto this particular elvish creature, until it very plainly dawned on me that either a nude or almost nude would be the most authentic to the story. I wanted to use leaves to do this, and finally decided upon the beautifully multi-toned leaves of Sweet Pea that not only were a shape that would enhance the figure, but also soft like clothing. Hair and makeup took about 3 hours for the look above to be what I'd envisioned.

------

Below:

"Elderberry"

This collection is so important to me, not only for the larger conceptual shots but also for the details, and so throughout this storyboard I've been shooting a lot of 'detail' shots. When I was conceptualizing several months back now I remember thinking 'what would they eat', 'how do they spend their days'? I not only wanted this to be a picture book of these creatures with strong conceptual portraiture, but also into each of their little details.

I quickly came to the conclusion (drawing inspiration from not only this property and old faerie books, but also from my own Native American heritage) that honey would be a delicacy within the story.

To add to the magic, since this is a fairytale, I decided to have the honey be the very rare (but does actually exist in reality) purple honey.

Purple honey does exist in real life, and is rumoured to be much sweeter with a very different sort of taste.

There is much debate throughout beekeepers as to what actually causes (in a blue moon) some bees to produce a purple honey hive. One of the more popular theories is that the bees feed on elderberry during a very short time in the season, producing that elusive purple honey.

------

And that does it for this weeks unveiling! I hope you've enjoyed this new little installment and two more images.
I have another in the next week, furthering the story - and in a much different way with a much different character.

Of course Blogspot isn't the best for seeing high resolution images, so I will be posting these to my Flickr momentarily, as well as assembling a new part of my website, so that these can not only be seen without the watermark, but also in larger sizes.

Thank you all for visiting and continuing the story with me...

There is a LOT more to come. ;)

Ash | Bottle Bell

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"Faerieland" | The Beginning ...

2010-05-24T22:47:00.007-05:00

Friends-

Finally.

I've been so incredibly excited to begin sharing this new collection w/ all of you!

A little background about "Faerieland"...

The idea to do this, I mean really do this type of collection started about 3 months ago when I was walking my 12 acre property. I was wandering long trails, endless fields, listening to the newly melted streams trickling along, and laying on moss covered logs in quiet forests that were just about to come alive. The concepts began slowly, just like the green that began to show itself over the days that turned from frigid Winter to radiant Spring.

Everything was opening up. The frost melted, and the green began to show. Everywhere. I felt like a child again and began to take walks everyday with a notebook and my mp3 player with Solo piano on repeat. I was determined to listen to the forest and allow it to influence whatever was about to happen. It did.

As the days passed, ideas began to unfold. I stopped seeing things as just a photographer or a woman, or even as myself. I wanted to see them how a child would see them, or how a fairy would see them. What started as one very ethereal fairytale shoot quickly became two, then three and four, and before I knew it, I realized I had a written a book in pictures w/ ideas that were nurtured to the core.

This is the largest, most intricate storyboard & collection I've ever taken on in my life, and I couldn't be happier or more excited to begin sharing it with you. The first few are just the beginning. I'm working with an entire cast of characters from all over the United States, wonderful indi designers from all over the world, and a 12 acre estate that wants this to happen. I've even taken off the entire summer to allow myself to bring this to fruition, the right way. Creativity I find (for me) is something that cannot be forced, and so I've allowed it to come to me, in moments, minutes, days and weeks. To become immersed in an idea and nurture it until every one of those ideas are captured by my camera. This project was heavily inspired by the poetry of John Keats & the beautiful paintings by my absolutely favorite artist, John William Waterhouse.

Lastly, by the end of this story, I will also have a piece of music that I'm currently in the process of composing to play along with the storybook.

I can't say any more for now. But this is just the beginning. A glimpse.

Welcome to Faerieland...

"Faerie Legend"

The text above are real words that I've translated from English to Sindarin Elvish.

The left page of this book is my dedication for this collection. It reads as follows:

"This collection is dedicated to being lost, being found, childhood innocence, and to perseverance"

Below the photo on the right page of the book, the line simply reads:

"faerieland"

My goal for this collection is to reveal a new piece of the story every 1-2 weeks throughout the entire Summer.

Please enjoy. x

Ash | Bottle Bell

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Ashley Lebedev | Bottle Bell

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