Astrid Adventures

Killarney

Ciara aka Model Adventurer took me to Killarney and helped me shoot these photos. It took me so long to post because there are so many good ones! I still have more to edit that I would've loved to post, but I was struggling with the right edit. Hopefully, I'll get to post them another time.  I also posted a few of Ciara that I took. See if you can spot who is who. This is Ciara's Patreon if you want to follow her 2023-08-28 16:19:48 +0000 UTC View Post

Couch in Montreal

I'm sorry it has taken me so long to post this month. I've been traveling in Canada, and had so much to edit from Canada. I often don't have a system of posting scheduled months in advance because I prefer being able to give a live update. I got out of Canada recently, though I originally planned to stay longer.  I knew I needed to cut it short so I can relax and reorganize myself mentally, including catching up on Patreon. It's so hard to get to my laptop while I'm traveling! I have som...

A Short Tour of a Vineyard in Zurich

I don't quickly associate vineyards and Zurich, but I really liked this vineyard just outside the city. Zurich was the nicest city I visited in Europe I think. Though I did like a few of the others for different reasons. It helped that there was some rain and it made the weather more enjoyable in Zurich than elsewhere. Zurich was the cleanest city. The water was blue, the buildings were pretty, and it smelled of flowers instead of urine like many of the other cities. It's so strange to me tha...

Moody Contrast

I was having a moment that I needed to open up about. I felt like I had all this pent up emotion, but not a lot of words to get it out. I remembered how much modeling is my release. The contrast with the lighting was something I was playing with.  This kind of lighting is always a bit sharp and I've been open about how it can often make me insecure, in the past. It's another reason I've pushed myself to try creating with it more. It's just another challenge to learn to create in. Since a...

A studio in Berlin

I was excited by the natural light and amazing backdrop. I've been trying to play with levels more, so I brought in a stool. I guess I don't own a stool myself, but I've modeled with them frequently. The height of this one was interesting. I could do more with my legs and torso since it was taller than I'm use to but not too tall for my feet to have a hard time reaching the ground. 

When it comes to lighting, I don't know how much I liked the contrast. It was a bit more contrasted ...

Copenhagen Underwater

After a really hot day of walking around Copenhagen the water felt amazing. Getting out was cold though!

Anonymous

After this month's creative self portrait set, I ended up being inspired to create a figure set with just anonymous poses. What do you think?

Mississippi BnB

Sorry it's taken me so long to post these. It's always one thing or another coming up in life, and then I hate to write a description when I'm too distracted. 

This BnB in Mississippi was beautiful. I love the old vintage furnishings. I'm so inspired by places well decorated and I wish I could be more that person myself. I think I've finally accepted that I am not though. At least it gives me more ability to enjoy it when I see it.

I love finding treasure in forgotten spaces....

Into the Cherry Blossoms

I remember it was hot and I was sweating. I felt gross and the sunshine was harsh. I struggled to find an angle of these trees that didn't have my car or the guard rail in the background. That's art sometimes. Even in the most perfect location there is a little work to find the right composition. I was surprised I got so many photos in focus. With self portraits I've been struggling with this. While I like my new Sony camera, the camera focus for self portraits has been trickier than my Canon...

Toga Look

So glad I used this Toga before I accidentally stained it. But now I'm hoping to dye it orange. It'll be a new look entirely. I think it might be cheesecloth sewn together, and I love it. The texture on it is great. I like that it can be draped repeatedly and still show many layers. It's also a bit stiff, and this really gives it the look of moving more than it is. 

Light set up was a simple soft box. I use to use this set up so much that I've been trying to get back into it. Reall...

Reclining and benches

I hadn't realized until now that I haven't done any reclining sets. I just got this bench though and I feel like it works great for it. Not all of these are reclining. I'm still a bit long. This was actually a really nice set. It came so easily. The lighting is of course some simple contrast. I'm getting more into it. I think the problem with simple lighting is that it doesn't always make for a good photo, but it does for good reference sets. The contrast emphasizes the outlines on the body t...

India

I've been in a rushed state for a while now. At first I was cloudy from burn out and now I'm overwhelmed from all the porjects I dropped during recovery. I'm not sure why I burned out. I've found that despite my passion for modeling, my body and mind can't always keep up. It's what's made me consider a new career. I want to keep modeling forever. I just don't want the quality of my modeling or my professionalism to suffer because I can't handle it.

India was a bit of a vacation for me. ...

Self Portraits in a Foreign Hotel

I would love to post a whole story about my adventures this last month. Unfortunately I am so jet lagged from the plane flight, I'm not fully in my right mind. Here is an I-O-U for my travel stories. What are you interested in hearing about? Qatar, India, Mexico or all of them?

Happy Be-Lated Valentine's Day

I know I planned to post these on Valentine's Day. I was fighting a lot of jet lag and exhaustion. I'd just arrived home on a 16 hour flight from India. It was a beautiful trip. I didn't do much. It was much more like a vacation, but I tried to take some photos. I wish I'd taken more to be honest, but I live and learn from the experience. 

I tried to get back into an older style of portraits I do. I'm really glad I put it together. For Valentine's Day I think it was good to do a se...

Apartment in Philly

Practiced with my own camera in Philadelphia. I'm not sure what style I'm going for, but I think at least my own style is making itself. 

Practice with contrasting lighting

Loved the drama in this, but then a whole side of my body disappears into the shadows. I don't mind it. I could try adding another light to fill a bit. I want to practice with lighting more, but I know to do so, I'll need to buy more lighting equipment since I'm not quite set up to use my others. I have the lights but not a lot of way of controlling it. Over the years, I've seen a lot of people make their own version of umbrellas, barn doors, etc. They've seemed to work, so I might take that ...

Birthday Demon

For my birthday month, I did a demon set. I'm working on my own art piece with this set. It might take me a while, but it'd be awesome to post for my birthday if I can. I'm using a photo for a composite. It is something I've wanted to learn more of. And since I'm learning I'm not pushing myself too hard to get it right quickly.

I did try a composite last night using a scene I made quickly with midjourney. It turned out fine for hours of work, but wasn't right in the end. Usually I'd hat...

My 2022 and 2023 goals

I want to become a better artist this next year. I want to push myself to take better self portraits. Currently I'm practicing new editing styles. I really enjoy the editing process when I can find the time. I have a lot of work to edit, so I have a lot of practice with. I'm thrilled with this set. I don't usually edit in bnw. I'm usually so attracted to the colors in a scene it is hard for me to give them up even if black and white look better. I'm style a bit heartbroken over losing the col...

Harp- Reference Set

Set up with natural light. I think I have to try this again with different setting one day. I moved my set up to next to my window so I could get more natural light. It turned out mostly fine, but I was a bit limited on space. Instead of multiple photos of my playing the harp, I went with a range of poses including the harp, but let me know what you think? Maybe I should shoot a series of photos playing the harp for different micro-pose changes. I really liked this lighting and area. Now that...

Autumn Waterfalls

It feels so strange it took me so long to edit these. I was pretty convinced they wouldn't when I took them, but they looked so beautiful on the back of my camera. The ideas kept flowing for me though, and unfortunately my laptop is having a harder and harder time keeping up. I'm problem solving. I took time off from touring this Falla nd winter to give myself a break, but really to problem solve and trouble shoot in my life. My laggin laptop and other things. 

I ended up with this...

Witchy refrence photo set

I wasn't entirely sure how I planned to make this set. I recently listened ot a podcast on the history of witches and it made this concept tricky. I went for the classics obviously. Apparently witches have been around since Ancient Eygpt though, so there are a lot of ways to represent them and this could be a whole series.  As I began modeling, I suddenly realized I have no idea how to characterize a witch in poses. I had to think about what are actions that witches do that wouldn't just...

Trying to decide on this month's reference set look

I thought about doing something themed for Halloween with the reference sets ($10+). Do you all have an opinion of what look?

How about a canyon

I went to Arizona and Utah early this month for modeling. Along the way I got a few photos here and there. I complain a lot about the dryness out there. I find it so uncomfortable though. Although it is something I could probably get use to with more lotion and a nasal spray. 

The rocks are impressive. I think the pink and purple tones are what get to me the most. Kristy Jessica (another model) and I drove around with a photographer and his assistant along the border of Arizona and...

The Red Candle

I didn't realize I had taken so many of these and how many turned out good so I have even more I could edit. These are light edits to fix the color and keep the details. I've been wanting to work on a candle series of photos, but I need practice to get the lighting right. I might do that one day. This feels so perfect for Halloween. I intend to be inspired by these and do some deep edits on a few select ones if I can choose a few. I love to be delightfully surprised. I wouldn't say I did an a...

Mermaid in the Desert

I love these pasties by the Pastie Chef. I've always wanted shells that stay on like they do in the fantasy art. I've been slowly working on my "mersona" as the mermaid community calls it. I like mermaids, but for artistic reasons I love having a mermaid persona. It's about what ther mermaid stands for (at least in my mind). A water spirit or nymph. There is this sexuality to mermaids that is projected on to them, but they seem asexual or homosexual in a lot of myths other than the best known...

Bodyscapes

I think I've always liked bodyscapes, so I used this month as an excuse to try them out. I know it's near the end of the month. I always find a way to stay as busy as possible. I've always been like this. It's probably a time management problem, but I also always want to seize every opportunity as it comes. As I get older, the opportunities start being repeats, but there are still always moments to be enjoyed. Making art is important. Patreon really helped force me to remember to do that, tho...

Out West

Obviously, these are from last year.  This is Page, AZ along the side of some road at sunset. The sunsets and sunrises are the most beautiful. I love the pinks and purples. It's so different from home which are various shades of greens and blues. During the brightest parts of the day the colors are blue and pale orange. It is a kind of look that seems a bit exhausted or muted. It's so different from bright days in green areas that have a neon tone to its colors. Underwater is also differ...

Thank you! I'm back

Okay, I'm headed back to posting this month. Thank you so much for staying on while I needed a break. I hope no one was unintentionally charged during that time. I think I'll continue as normal. I'll post a set of images for my $5 tier and a set of references images for my $10 tier. I still have availability for monthly figure art sessions for my $30 and $50 tiers. I appreciate my $1 tiers and I am still posting an exclusive image from my $5 set once a month. I hope you all have had a good su...

Photo set by Greyson Carlyle

The next few months might be a bit of a struggle for posting so I'm suspending Patreon's ability to charge anyone after May! I hope to be back in the near future, but I want to focus on some other avenues of my creativity. I noticed a lot of pressure on myself ot produce a lot of quanitity instead of quality.  It has actually been a great practice for lighting and posing that I've truly been grateful for. I've learned a lot of myself, lenses, etc. This has been a great way to get a littl...

Abstracts

The next few months might be a bit of a struggle for posting so I'm suspending Patreon's ability to charge anyone after May! I hope to be back in the near future, but I want to focus on some other avenues of my creativity. I noticed a lot of pressure on myself ot produce a lot of quanitity instead of quality.  It has actually been a great practice for lighting and posing that I've truly been grateful for. I've learned a lot of myself, lenses, etc. This has been a great way to get a littl...