More Happy.

It's still raining but I have more Happy for you.

Gregory and Xeno.

addicted

I really think I'm addicted to faces.


From today's Pride Parade, a vision of loveliness.


One of the Fat Chance Bellydance goddesses, my bellydance idol troupe for years now.

I could take pictures like this all day and be happy happy happy.

I think I took almost 900 photos today. Even if none of the rest turn out like this, I'm still thrilled with this image.

Catch you later... I've got a bunch of photos to edit.

xoxo

Have you seen these guys?

Meet Gene, Mark, Christine and Augustus.

These guys are over at my other blog... you remember that one? It's still cool but it's been lonely. Go say hi.

;-)

Opening Hearts and Homes

Meet Julie, the newest face on i live here: SF

***

Collaboration. Sharing. Expression. This project feels like the start of a snowball that's growing and rolling. I'm learning a lot already: how to try to put someone at ease but then not spend more time talking than taking photographs, how to direct someone to move and look and be still. It takes time for us both to warm up to each other and to the actual photography session.

I'm loving that I can use my makeup artistry skills in ways I never imagined. To enhance a face and then be able to photograph it in my way. I thought I had put all that makeup stuff behind me, burned out and not interested in it anymore, and now I look forward to the makeup almost as much as I do the photo shoot. I had missed touching faces.

The fact that strangers will share their stories, open their faces and their hearts and their homes to some random woman with a camera and an dream is overwhelmingly wonderful. I stand amazed at how this is going. And my dance card is filling up. Five to six new faces wait for this weekend to be created and discovered.

***

I also love getting to know the people on the other side of the camera. Their hopes and aspirations, our common bond of living here in San Francisco, what they would like to do with their photographs. The shared excitement when they tell me which photos they like.

I have an understanding with these people who are so generous: they have the final say on the photos that I will use. I think that's only fair. I'm not going to cajole them or convince them about which photos I think are best. We're going come to that consensus together and present them in they way they wish to be seen.

***

I'm happy I don't know where this project will lead to, but more and more, I'm picturing a party at the end of it, perhaps in a gallery with all of these wonderful faces on the walls, and all of the people whose photos were taken are there, mingling with each other and meeting each other for the first time and saying hey, I saw your photo on the blog and I loved it. I read your story. It's so nice to meet you in person.

And I'll just be off in the corner somewhere, watching all of the interactions and feeling really great.

Hmmm... maybe that's my birthday present this year.

***

You can read more about Julie here.

My Name In Lights

Well, not really.

But it is in print! My first real printed photo credit! Yippee!

This pretty much erases my Rumplestiltskin impersonation today and the futile attempt to find a green terrycloth bathrobe.

Christian Cagigal's new show, Now and At The Hour, previews at The Exit Theatre this Friday before he takes it to the Frigid Festival in New York at the end of the month. The Pandora Experiment will be a hard act to follow, but if anyone can exceed himself, it's Christian.

Try to see him if you're in San Francisco or New York. I am! Tell him Tangobaby sent you.

More details about tickets, etc. are on his blog.

Spreading the Magic Around

I just had to share this... I'm just beyond excited.

Some of you may remember my friend Christian Cagigal, who is an amazing magician. I call him the Magic Man. Christian is not only a friend, but holds a special place in my heart because he is the first person I ever took portraits of, and totally got me hooked on taking photos of people. What a world of delight and opportunity can be created when you take photos of people.

You can see more of our original photoshoot here.

Anyway, Christian's been working on a new show, and the photo you see above is an amalgam of two photos from our original shoot. To see the image above explains a lot about Christian and his approach to the mysterious and magical in all of life.


And I'm just beside myself that I'm now a part of his creativity and his show.

Wow. The day's been a little nutty preparing for my Staycation and this just totally made things all right. It's one thing to take photos for the sheer enjoyment of what might happen, but when you can actually make something out of thin air, and help someone else, then that's really what it's all about. Thanks, Christian, for giving me this opportunity to make some magic of my own.