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

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!

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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. ;)

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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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Other recent posts of interest:

My interview & feature with The Examiner

My Interview/Feature w/ The Examiner!

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...

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.

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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.

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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.

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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 ...

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...

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.

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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Words & Imagery

Behind the Scenes w/ ANTM's Raina Hein

Win a Photoshoot with me (and my creative team!)

Artist Spotlight - Brooke Shaden

Greetings, Friends...

For those who've been here before, welcome.

For those who are just visiting, welcome ;)

Today is the 6th... The 6th of May.

And, with another month comes another Artist Spotlight!

Today feature highlights a photographer who's not only mastered the art of conceptual storytelling (such as last months spotlight), but also the art of digital enhancement to better relay a story through the photographic medium. Her works are often a bit darker in processing or concept, and are brought to fruition through her use of post work tools & textures. I'd like to introduce you to May's Artist Spotlight, Brooke Shaden. And I know I needn't remind you that all work contained within this blog is copyrighted by myself or the featured artist. Please feel free to enjoy, but please don't swipe. ;)

Brooke was lovely enough to sit down with me for a little Q&A, and has included within this blog post, works that she feels best represent her as not only a photographer, but also as an artist and person.

Alright, let's roll...

The Artist, Brooke Shaden...

Q: What is your full name?

A: Brooke Shaden

**Funny story, before I got married my name was Brooke Mastromatteo. We had talked about taking my last name because we didn't prefer my husband’s, and in the end decided to completely make up our own last name that had meaning to us as a couple. So, Shaden is neither my maiden name or my husband’s last name.

Q: Where in the world are you located?

A: Los Angeles, CA, USA

Q: Self taught or schooled?

A: Self taught in photography. I went to school for film and English and graduated with two degrees. The English helped me a lot with storytelling, and oddly enough the film degree stifled my storytelling abilities if anything, but I learned a lot of great technical skills insofar as film cameras are concerned.

Q: You are absolutely an artist. What made you want to express your artistry through a photographic medium?

A: From as early as I can remember I wanted to be a writer. I would spend a lot of time writing poetry and attempting short stories but something never clicked. I could write descriptions and create aesthetic scenes, but I could never incorporate plot or conflict into my writings. When I was a senior in high school I took a videography class for the sole reason that my husband took the same class and got a bad grade, and I wanted to show him up. I ended up excelling in the class and winning a local film festival, and decided to major in film in college. All through college I thought I was going to be a cinematographer, but something never felt quite right. It wasn’t until I graduated from college and picked up my still camera that everything fell into place. It was as though everything that I had tried to do in my life came together – the storytelling was there, the imagery…everything that excited me about writing and cinematography.

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*Selected Works*

Below, "Sleepwalker"

Above, "Hierarchy"

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Q: How would you describe your style and vision as a photographer & artist?

A: In every photograph I create, I want the viewer to question what it means to be alive. I think that is a very profound question to pose and a brave question to attempt to answer. Sometimes it is only through examining death that we realize we were never really alive at all. Living is not simply breathing; it is a whole experience that some people miss out on. I want to deconstruct what is beautiful. I want to portray disturbing images in a way that will make people think twice. I want people to redefine what ‘beautiful’ means to them. Aesthetically I want to make the viewer forget about the medium, and, as Marshall McLuhan famously said, focus on the message. I try to incorporate a painterly style to my images. I hope that the painterly aesthetic paired with the square format will take the image to place that is not necessarily photography but instead a whole new world.

Q: Many of your works are often macabre in concept, processing, or storyline. What compels you to create this type of imagery?

A: To put it simply, I want people to question the definition of “beautiful”. I hope that someone viewing my photos will see a macabre scene against an aesthetically beautiful image. I find that contradiction fascinating.

Q: Who are you behind the lens? Where would people find you in your downtime?

A: Behind the lens I am completely and 100% me. I draw inspiration from my mindset, I think that I see the world a little bit differently, and I think that is what every artist needs. When I am behind the camera (or both in front and behind) I feel like I am home. In my downtime I am behind the lens. It is all cyclical, you see If I am not shooting, and in the off chance I am not thinking of concepts…I love watching Dexter, Mad Men, and Lost. I also very much enjoy my bi-weekly trips to Costco with my husband Free samples, yum!

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*Selected Works*

Below, "In Formation"

Above, "Depth Perception"

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Q: What gear do you work with? What piece of equipment in your kit could you just not do without?

A: I have a Nikon D80 with a 50mm f/1.8 lens. I also have the kit lens (18-55mm) that I use for underwater or overhead shooting. I have a tripod. When I light my photos I use 200watt bulbs from Home Depot with Ikea paper lanterns for diffusion. But the thing that I love the most is my C-stand! It is on loan to me, but it comes in super handy when I need to hang a sheet behind me or I just need another hand when shooting self portraits.

Q: In your career thus far, what has been your single greatest memory? (ie: award, publication, comment, shoot, etc...)

A: The day that I quit my full-time job. I remember walking across the lot to my car on that last day and feeling such a sense of joy, knowing that the next day I would wake up and be able to focus on my passion instead of what just so happened to make me money. I only worked in the “real world” for a year after college before I decided to pursue photography full-time, but it was enough to show me how that world can kill someone’s spirit and creativity. Now I get to live in my own little fantasy world, fully equipped with a camera and an imagination and time to put all of that to good use.

Q: In contrast, what has been your biggest lesson or revelation?

A: My biggest lesson most certainly has been learning about print edition sizes. When I had my first batch of prints made it was suggested to me that I number them out of 100. I thought that seemed extremely high so I numbered them out of 50. But, to my surprise, even that was far too large. I went to a gallery in Laguna Beach and was told that they would not exhibit me unless my editions were changed, and I have since changed them to be out of 5, 10, and 15. Lesson learned, for sure.

Q: What is your favorite piece of work you've created? Why?

"The Aftermath"

A: This piece is my current favorite. I am always hesitant to answer that question with a recent image, but this one doesn’t feel as recent as it is. This has been a long time coming for me, it is so intrinsically my style and theme that I am surprised it did not come to be sooner. I like the painterly feel of this one and I think it is acted beautifully by my two models. It really represents who I am as an artist, and it is exciting to come across pieces like that in your portfolio that so wholly represent who you are as an artist. I have had many pieces that speak to me in that way, but for now, this is my favorite.

**But, a whole new question completely – which is my favorite printed piece? Hands down, this one:

"The Little Sleeper"

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Q: Who are your greatest artistic inspirations? (photographic or otherwise)

A: I adore the Pre-Raphaelite painters and I take a lot of inspiration from them. I study brushstrokes and try to see how I can incorporate them into my photos either through texture or otherwise. Photographically, I really enjoy Julia Fullerton-Batten, Robert and Shana ParkeHarrison, and Gregory Crewdson. Bringing it back to flickr, I love the works of Genergohl and Mariel Clayton.

Q: Do you have any advice for those that look up to your work, you as a person, or are just starting out in photography? What message would you tell a newbie?

A: The thing that has propelled me through this journey has been finding solace in the fact that anything can be learned. When I began editing photos I found it very overwhelming but I never questioned whether or not I could do it. I always knew that any idea I had was possible, that is the beauty of the technology age, and so I would never give up on a photo until I had figured out the trick behind it, whether that be making someone levitate or changing a color. And my advice to anyone trying to find their niche in photography is to figure out what you want to say through your art. I think it is very important for an artist to have a point of view and to know what that point of view is.

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"Selected Works"

Below, "My Little Bluejay

Above, "The Inconvenience of Spirits"

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And that about wraps it's up for this months Artist Spotlight. I'd like to thank Brooke for being such a lovely interview and unique talent.

To see more of Brooke's work, you can visit her:

*Website: www.shadenproductions.com

*Blog: www.shadenproductions.com/blog

*Flickr: www.flickr.com/brookeshaden

*Facebook: www.facebook.com/brookeshadenphotography

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-Ashley | Bottle Bell

Subscribe to this blog for future artist spotlights & posts

To follow this blog, simply click the 'follow' button to your right ;)

Other recent posts of interest:

Win A Photoshoot by me (and my creative team)!!

Behind the Scenes: Raina Hein | Highlands Shoot

Lith | Self Portrait Sessions

Words & Imagery

All imagery and words within this blog are © Ashley Lebedev | Bottle Bell ™, 2010 and may not be used in any way without the express written permission of the artist. With that being said, please enjoy. ;)

"i smell of aether as she holds me in her graces

as the ageless poet & siren

and whos eyes lull me in

to place me like a tremor -

ever evolving, and flawless..."

ash x

Behind the Scenes of My Life... Take 3.

Well, I haven't done a behind the scenes of my life post in quite a while, so I put a little something together...

A very quiet self portrait I snapped last evening while watching a very quiet and beautiful sunset.

hope you enjoy. ;)
ash x

4-16-10