Chad Michael Ward

"The Stars are Blackest at Night" premieres at the 2017 HP Lovecraft Film Festival in Portland in ONE WEEK!

This Cthulhu-inspired short film was written, produced and directed by Darren Eskandari and myself over the course of 72 hours.

Meghan Chadeayne handled additional scriptwriting and helped put all these words into our characters' mouths.

2017-10-01 16:45:14 +0000 UTC View Post

What I'm Watching - September 2017

I haven't had a lot of time lately to watch many shows or movies, but here's what I've had a chance to absorb this month:

THE DEUCE - Caught the first two eps this new HBO series from THE WIRE's David Simon and I gotta say, I absolutely love it.  I'm not a huge fan of James Franco usually, but he absolutely kills it here as does Maggie Gyllenhaal.  Definitely into it for the long haul.

RICK AND MORTY Season 3 - Because duh.

BABY DRIVER - Finally got a chance to see this a...

THE STARS ARE BLACKEST AT NIGHT - Candids

Here are some random BTS photos, mostly shot by lead actress Amanda Jones, on set during Day Two of THE STARS ARE BLACKEST AT NIGHT.

2017-09-18 19:15:07 +0000 UTC View Post

TSABAN - Day 1

At this point in my career, I've directed 33 music videos. I shot my first narrative, a short film called "Fable" back in 2007 and my first feature film, "Strange Blood" in 2013. Now, four years laters, I'm finally back in the director's chair for my next short film (who's title we're not releasing yet).

I can even express how happy and thankful I am to be back behind the camera doing what I absolutely love most.

I almost forgot how alive I feel when I'm directing, it's almost as if I've...

THE STARS ARE BLACKEST AT NIGHT

Ten hours until the official start of the 72hr HP Lovecraft Film Contest.

I can't believe we're about to do this.

Darren Eskandari and I have managed to assemble a really talented team of people to go into battle with us over the next 3 days, including Justin Paul as our DP, 2017-09-14 16:36:09 +0000 UTC View Post

No Updates this Week

Hey gang!  I'm not going to be able to update Patreon this week as I am participating in a 72 Hour Short Horror Film competition based around the mythos of H.P. Lovecraft's work.

I'll be writing and co-directing alongside Darren Eskandari on an 8 minute short called "The Stars are Blackest at Night".  The film will be premiering next month at the 22nd Annual HP Lovecraft Film Festival in Portland, OR, the same weekend as my first solo show!

I'm incredibly excited to be out maki...

Courtlyn Cannan: Fallen Angel

Here's another set from my 2014 collaborative series with body-painter Michael Rosner, featuring Courtlyn Cannan and a few slithery snakes.

I first met Courtlyn when she was just 16 when she first arrived to Los Angeles and starred in the music video for This Can't End Well's "I'll Let You Watch" that I co-directed with filmmaker Niko Sonnberger in 2011.

This was my first time working with snakes, which proved to be quit...

September Photo Set: Amanda Jones

Happy Birthday Amanda Jones!

To celebrate, here's a new set of my gorgeous friend that we shot for Deandri Clothing a few months back.

Amanda seems made to model Deandri's Wednesday Addams-inspired clothing, so we were both incredibly excited when they sent us a care package of new designs to photograph for their promotion.

The bulk of these were shot using natural light, with the gothier umbrella shots at the end being shot...

September Photo Set: Nickie Jean for Junker Designs

Holy shit, is it actually September already?  Where did the time go?

Summer is still in full effect here in Los Angeles.  After a relatively mild few months, it's starting to actually feel like summer as a 100+ degree heatwave has hit the city with its fiery claws.  This is always the time of year I hate most, when it's too hot to go outside for a cardio walk, too hot to sit inside my apartment, especially after my A/C broke earlier this week and too hot to be creative. 2017-09-01 15:20:04 +0000 UTC View Post

The Elegant Horror of Alyssa Marquez

I first met Alyssa Marquez through her boyfriend, FX artist Dan Gilbert at Monsterpalooza a few years ago.  Once I moved to my new studio, Alyssa agreed to come sit for me.

As the studio space was new, I hadn't yet figured out what I wanted to do with it and had not yet discovered my painted style, but I knew I wanted to get weird with her.

We shot some darkly elegant images with her Catherine D'Lish gown and some dresses before we got really weird,...

Introducing Laura Wrong!

My team is expanding!

Everyone meet Laura Wrong, who is joining me in the studio as my new assistant and documentarian. Some of you may recognize her from some photos I posted her on Patreon last month.

Laura will be shooting BTS videos and photos for my BEHIND THE SCENES tier here on Patreon.

Here's a quick little headshot I grabbed yesterday during light testing for my shoot with Dorian Dane for the upcoming New York Vampire Ball.

Super thr...

Chad Michael Ward Vs. Renee Robyn

My beautiful and extremely talented friend, photographer Renee Robyn, recently came through town and stopped by the studio for some updated portraits.  In return, she shot some portraits of me and things got...a bit messy.

Here's are my and her shots from that incredibly fun day.

2017-08-25 16:29:53 +0000 UTC View Post

The Return of Meghan Chadeayne

Meghan is and continues to be a beautifully strange figure in my universe.  I often think we were somehow separated at birth as we so many times seem to share the same brain.

Ever the gypsy, Meghan wanders in and out of my life, often sparking the creative flow in my brain each time she passes through.  She's my favorite collaborator and we've several projects still being discussed and plotted, including a short film called VIOLET that I'm hoping we one day get to make together.

Sometimes I shoot Men.

I'm primarily known for my work with women, but believe it or not, I shoot men too.  Here's a selection of recent shots from the past couple of years of the various men who've come before my camera.

2017-08-18 16:34:45 +0000 UTC View Post

The Darkness of Palesaent (2014)

I first found East Coast-based muse Palesaent on Tumblr and was absolutely enthralled by the dark, sexual energy that seemed so pervasive in her work.

In 2014, she made it out to the West Coast and we immediately booked a session to shoot together.

For a variety of reasons, the shoot didn't go as planned.  In hindsight, I wish I had taken her to motel room or on location in a forest or field somewhere instead of outdoor garage I was using as a makeshift studio at the time.  Thi...

La Strega Fantasma featuring Bridget K

One of my favorite outdoor locations to shoot at is Malibu Creek State Park.  My friends, the very lovely Bridget K, introduced me to the park, so it's only natural that she was the first person I shot there.

Bridget and I went to a local Goodwill and found the wedding gown for dirt cheap, then came out for a beautiful, slightly over-cast afternoon to shoot these ghostly images.

2017-08-11 16:51:01 +0000 UTC View Post

Getting Dirty with AmberLynn Walker

I met AmberLynn earlier this year when she tagged along with Maegan Machine during her recent visit and stay at my studio.

After shooting several set with Maegan, I turned my sights on AmberLynn, who hasn't had a lot of modeling experience but was more than game to strip down to nothing (save for a harness of her own design) and let me cover her in charcoal dust for this beautifully filthy set.

Side note:  AmberLynn is perhaps better known for her a...

The Allure of Eden Rose

To say Eden Rose is different than most of my muses would be...an understatement.

Like a character straight out of Nabakov's mind, she's young, beautiful, and whip-smart with a dry, cutting sense of humor.  You can't help but fall in love with her the moment you meet her.

I first met Eden when my ex-girlfriend--an amazing photographer in her own right--sent her to me knowing that she'd be the perfect fit for the work I do.  And she was right.

Our first sh...

PORTLAND (April 2017): Adriana Michima

Back in April, I took a trip up to Portland, Oregon to spend a week visiting some friends, shooting a few clients and,--the highlight of my trip--working with photographer and model Adriana Michima.

Adriana is an incredibly talented fine art photographer and it was an absolute honor to work with her.  It rained every day I was in town, except for the very last day, when Adriana and I trekked through muddy Forest Park to do a quick shoot against the beautiful landscape.

Though the sh...

Complete Sets VS Solo Shots

Because of the manner and variety of the way I do photoshoots, I don't always have full/large sets of images or, in some instances, putting together a full set may make releasing the photos take longer.

Would you prefer I only release finished large sets or would you like to see solo and/or small sets as they're completed?

AUGUST PHOTO SET: Maegan Machine - Sex Kitten

Taxidermist, model and body mod enthusiast Maegan Machine is a regular face in my studio and here on my Patreon.  

Maegan made a return visit to LA recently and stayed with me in my studio for the week.

We shot this "Sex Kitten" set the last day she was here, using only the available morning light for this sexy and sultry shots.

Look for more from this visit in the coming weeks!

BONUS!  Maegan brought her hilariously awesome pug Wednesday, wh...

JULY PHOTO SET: Missy Munster Designs

When muse Gabby Grave booked a shoot with me earlier this year, she brought along a designer named Missy Munster, who was kind enough to loan us a few of her hand-crafted, high-end headpieces to use in the shoot.

Missy and I became quick friends that evening and made plans to shoot more of her designs, seen here modeled by Dusty Paik and Monique Hyman.

Missy's dark aesthetic is a perfect blend for my style of work...

SPARKLE: Behind the Scenes with Jessica Dru, Vanessa Walton and Rachel Day

Here's a little video I cut together from my shoot with Jessica, Vanessa and Rachel last weekend.

Enjoy!

JULY PHOTO SET: Caitin Stickels

I first "found" my muse, Pacific Northwest-based Caitin Stickels, while on Instagram.  

Fascinated by her appearance--Caitin was born with "cat-eye syndrome"--and the imagery she was creating, I admired from affair until a mutual friend, Mika Mae, put us in touch.

When I made plans to visit Seattle in April 2016 for the Seattle Erotic Arts Festival (SEAF), Caitin was the first person on my list that I wanted to photograph while I was...

BTS: Amelia Tan Album Cover Shoot

Musician Amelia Tan stopped by the studio today to shoot a bunch of new images for her upcoming new album.

Here's a quick little video I shot while we were working on the second look.

I've got a bunch of video from my recent fantasy shoot with Jessica Dru, Rachel Day and Vanessa Walton as well as from my nude shoot with Pandora Purr, but I need to find some time to edit them down quite a bit into something more viewable.

JULY PHOTO SET: Court of the Wynter Wytches

I first met Blizzard Games' Jessica Dru via our mutual friend Glenn Hetrick (SyFy's FACE OFF) a few years ago and new immediately that I had to get her in front of my camera.

It took a while for out schedules to align, but when they finally did, boy was I in for a surprise!  Jessica brought her friends with her--costume designers Vanessa Walton of Creature of Habit and Jennifer Newman and well as her Blizzard co-worker Rachel Day.   Dressed in gowns made by Jennifer and M...

News and Updates

July has absolutely blown up with bookings.  I'm shooting a ton of new content for all of you, with another 12 (!!) shoots scheduled before the end of the month.

Yesterday I finally picked up an iPhone tripod, which means I'll finally be able to regularly shoot BTS videos for my $15 tier and above Patrons, starting with today's shoot with Jessica Dru, Vanessa Walton and Rachel Day. 

And then it's off to a Game of Thrones BBQ for the season premiere.  Anyone else as insanel...

JULY PHOTO SET: The Bone Witch, Arielle Rose and Laura Wrong

I first met Leo Olsen, aka The Bone Witch, during my 2015 West Coast road trip.  We drove up the side of a mountain in Santa Cruz and shot a bunch of great stuff in the nearby forest.

Leo would return a year later to LA with two friends--Arielle Rose and Laura Wrong--in tow. Wearing horned headpieces designed by Leo herself and clothing designed by Arielle, these three really brought their A-game for this shoot.

This shoot also marks the very first appearance of my "painted" ...

First Community Post

Love that Patreon has now added a community section here on the site.  What a great way for us all to talk!

I'll be posting here regularly about everything going on in my world beyond just photography.

Want to join in?  Click on the "Community" tab and let's get started!

LILLIAN WINTERS GOES TO WONDERLAND (PDF)

As a huge thank you for joining my Patreon Community, here's the PDF version of my latest book, LILLIAN WINTERS GOES TO WONDERLAND.

From the book's introduction:

In early 2003 Lillian Winters was uncovering the world of art modeling when she met photographer Chad Michael Ward, and since their initial collaboration Ward’s art has continued to capture the unrelenting darkness of imaginative persona. Winters and Ward reconnected for the latest installment of his intimate publication when ...