Censorship in the snow

I came across this story yesterday and I just had to blog about it.
Censorship and the prudishness of America keeps getting worse and worse.

It seems that a family in Rahway, NJ sculpted a wonderful nude bust reminiscent of a Venus de Milo out of snow on their front lawn. The sculpture was very artistic and well done. It seems this family has done other snow sculptures in the past including a bust of President Obama last winter. But of course the police received an anonymous call about a pornographic snowman in their neighborhood.

Now really, pornographic?

So Sgt. Dominick Sforza of the Rahway police was sent out to the Conneran household and after admiring the snow sculpture and telling them how well it was done, asked them to cover it up. Not to cause any trouble they covered up their work with a sarong and a bikini top stating, "I thought she looked more objectified and sexualized after you put the bikini on,".

William Torres, visiting from North Carolina, said "They’re censoring art, to me that’s no different from what you see in a museum ... and its lifespan was short anyway."

But of course all it takes is one conservative and narrow-minded neighbor for the police to be called in and someone's fun and creativity be label pornography and "banned".

This act of censorship is just silly and idiotic, but this is the country where Attorney General John Ashcroft moved to drape a semi-nude statue of the Spirit of Justice at the U.S. Justice Department.

As many of you know, I am no stranger to censorship. In fact recently a printing company refused to print a poster of my image "Litha" becasue it showed a butt crack or as a friend of mind refers to it as a glutial cleft. And the Springhill Suites, after signing a contract with me, refused to house my workshop on Sensual Photography for Couples stating that they didn't want "that kind of thing" done in their hotel.

Being America and being private companies they have the right to censor me and my work, but after reading about the Conneran family and their snow sculpture I am wondering how far is this going to go. When is someone going to stand up and say enough is enough.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Remember that short quote? That is the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.

It seems a lot of so called "Americans" have forgotten it.

For the full store you can read the article by Eliot Caroom for the Star-Ledger at
http://www.nj.com/news/local/index.ssf/2010/03/nude_snow_sculpture_in_rahway.html


Photos courtesy Conneran family

Nothing Else Matters

Alone - we really are alone in this world. My wife and I are going through something that has and will forever change our lives. If you are a reader of this blog you know that my wonderful wife was diagnosed with breast cancer about a month ago.
Our friends have been wonderful with their well wishes and offers of support. But, when it comes down to it, when the night roles in and it's just us laying there trying to sleep, we are alone, together but alone.
But for us, there is strength in "Us". Together we can conquer and get through anything. When we are together, nothing else matters.
It's funny that about two weeks before we found out the news of her cancer, she came home and said that I had to hear this song by Metallica. She said it could be our song. We don't have a song, or anything like that. Our wedding was a Las Vegas, drive-thru wedding and I never really proposed. But from the day I saw her across crowded night club I fell for her. Now flash forward almost 12 years since that vision and all the love we have is all we really need to get through this.
With us, it seems, nothing else matters.

I am an incredibly cynical person with no religious belief. I believe that her strength combined with my love and a team of the best doctors on the east coast will get her through this battle and on the road to recovery.

So as I sit and write this, Metallica is playing in the background and I keep thinking that as long as she is in my life, nothing else matters.

Nothing Else Matters
So close, no matter how far
Couldn't be much more from the heart
Forever trusting who we are
and nothing else matters

Never opened myself this way
Life is ours, we live it our way
All these words I don't just say
and nothing else matters

Trust I seek and I find in you
Every day for us something new
Open mind for a different view
and nothing else matters

never cared for what they do
never cared for what they know
but I know

So close, no matter how far
Couldn't be much more from the heart
Forever trusting who we are
and nothing else matters

never cared for what they do
never cared for what they know
but I know

Never opened myself this way
Life is ours, we live it our way
All these words I don't just say

Trust I seek and I find in you
Every day for us, something new
Open mind for a different view
and nothing else matters

never cared for what they say
never cared for games they play
never cared for what they do
never cared for what they know
and I know

So close, no matter how far
Couldn't be much more from the heart
Forever trusting who we are
No, nothing else matters

My Visual Diary

I haven't written too much lately. The last few weeks have been a blur, full of emotion and anxiety.
Just about a month ago my wife felt a lump in her left breast. She has been through mammograms, an ultrasound and an MRI and the conclusion is that this small lump is breast cancer. My wife calls the lump her traitor mutant cells. This mutant, who measures about a centimeter in length, has totally changed our lives. Image less than 30 days ago we had a somewhat normal life and our biggest battle was how we felt the next morning after going to the gym. Now we are fighting breast cancer.
Breast cancer, even typing it still makes me weepy. On the bright side, this has been caught very early and my wife's prognosis is excellent. So we are extremely hopeful for a swift end to the traitor mutant cells.
In trying to deal with this, I have done my research on line and have tried to see what support there is out there for the spouse. I have to tell you their isn't shit out there for support, especially for someone like myself,who is not religious and in fact an Atheist.
So to help stay strong I have started a visual journal. This journal will document in some way our journey. I have always dealt with and expressed my feelings through my camera, so why stop now. My wife is allowing me to photograph this and I love her even more for it. If you are interested in seeing this journal please visit My Personal Gallery

Also, my wife has enrolled in the Susan G. Komen 3-Day walk for a cure. She has walked previously but the significance of the walk this year has drastically changed. I will also be involved working on the crew. We are participating in the walk in Washington DC, October 8-10. If you are interested in donating, please click the link below.

Thank you,

M.

Workshop Details

The details of my Sensual Nude Photography workshop for couples have been hammered out. You can get all the information HERE

If you have any questions, thoughts or comments drop me a line!

Workshops are back

It's a new year and I am deciding to start teaching photography workshops again. They will range from teaching the amateur how to use their new digital camera to a nude photography workshop for professional photographers.
But, the first workshop is for those couples out there who received a new digital camera for the holidays and want to have "fun" with it. You know what I mean.

Now that you don't need to send your film to the mall photography lab or deal with smelly a Polaroid, you can get creative and take those photos of each other that are sexy and fun.
Yes, I am talking about a workshop geared towards couples who want to take sensual nude photos of each other.

There are many ways to express your love and lust for each other and what better way to do it then to take that new camera and point it at each other in the bedroom.
This will be a one day workshop where I will be demonstrating poses and lighting using my beautiful wife as my model. Then you will get to try them yourself under my guidance using your own camera. You will learn how use lighting around the house and to pose each other to create sexy and fun photos!

The particulars of this workshop are being worked out but it will be sometime in April. So if you are interested, please drop me a line and get on the list. Because of the hands-on nature of this workshop it will be limited to 10 couples.

This workshop really is a great way to connect with your loved one, have fun and have those special photos for your own use.

You can see some samples of my sexual nudes at The Sensual Portrait

Don't be shy, contact me today! michael@baronephotoart.com

2009 in Review

The year 2009, end of another decade and a year of triumph and disappointment. Like any other year, 2009 was a 12 month roller coaster ride. It seemed every asset of our lives from financial to the arts was hit hard.

It always seems this time of year we fondly remember the people who have passed. Some deaths are more notable than others.
What I find fascinating is that death is the big equalizer. The one thing pauper or king cannot escape.

Here is a cross section of the more notable deaths of 2009. (In no particular order)

* Billy Mays, the television pitchman known for his boisterous hawking of products such as Orange Glo and OxiClean died the age of 50

* Susan Atkins, who committed one of modern history's most notorious crimes when she joined Charles Manson and his gang for a 1969 killing spree that terrorized Los Angeles and put her in prison for the rest of her life, died at the age of 61.

* Soupy Sales, Comedian died October 22nd at age 83.

* Carl Ballantine, actor best known for his role as crewman Lester Gruber in McHale's Navy but began his career as a comedian and magician. Died at the age of 92.

* Patriarch Pavle, who led Serbia's Christian Orthodox Church through its post-Communist revival and called for peace and conciliation during the Balkan conflicts of the 1990s. He was 95

* Oral Roberts, Evangelist and university founder died at the age of 91.

* Roy Disney, the nephew of Walt Disney and at one point served as the Vice Chairman of Walt Disney Company died at the age of 79.

* Eunice Shriver, one of the Kennedy dynasty and founder of the Special Olympics died at age 88.

* Jimmy Boyd, Child singer, best known for the original rendition of the Christmas song "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" in 1952, died at the age of 70.

* Mickey Carroll, who played one of the original Munchkins in the 1938 movie classic 'The Wizard of Oz' died at the age of 89.

* Ed McMahon, probably best known as Johnny Carson's sidekick on 'The Tonight Show' died at the age of 86.

* Sen. Ted Kennedy lost his battle with brain cancer and died at the age of 77.

* Harry Kalas, legendary announcer and voice of the Philadelphia Phillies, passed away at the age of 73.

* David Carradine, actor, was found dead in Bangkok . Carradine was known for his roles in "Kung Fu" and "Kill Bill." He was 73.

* Dom DeLuise actor, comedian who starred in comedy classics like "Cannonball Run", and "Spaceballs." died at the age of 75.

* Marilyn Chambers, 1970's porn star was found dead in her home at the age of 56.

* Dr. Norman E. Borlaug, Nobel prize winner and known as the "father of the green revolution" died at the age of 95.

* Patrick Swayze, actor who is best know for his dancing in the movie "Dirty Dancing" died after a battle with pancreatic cancer at the age of 57.

* Captain Lou Albano, professional wrestler who appeared in Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" video, died at the age of 76.

* Michael Jackson, Pop star was pronounced dead on June 25 at the age of 50.

* Walter Cronkite, Legendary newsman died at the age of 92.

* Farrah Fawcett Actress whose poster adorned my teen-aged bedroom wall, died after a three year battle with cancer. She was 62.

And Finally Gidget, Taco Bell advertisement mascot died at the age of 15.

The list is not complete and I am sure thee is probably someone that you know personally who has past away in 209.

In reviewing this list I can't help but think of the ones that frankly, no one remembered until they died.

Death is the great equalizer; Nobel prize winner to porn star we all have to meet the Grim Reaper someday so we should celebrate life and not mourn death.

To all my readers I wish you a healthy and prosperous 2010!

Bravo England!

In recent blogs you have heard me complain about the irresponsibility and downright deceitful practices of a lot of advertising companies and manufacturers of "beauty" products for their ads. They over retouch images so people are skinnier, taller, and less wrinkly than they actually are, all to sell a product that, of course, doesn't do what is promised. Believe me I have the crows feet to prove it! But hey I earned them dam it.

Anyway, yesterday, the Advertising Standards Authority if the United Kingdom banned the complete set of Olay Twiggy ads, ruling that the post-production retouching could give consumers a "misleading impression of the effect the product could achieve." Finally someone is saying what we all have been thinking. Twiggy, the 1960's icon is now 60 years old, and looks great. No need to be excessively retouched.

Would this ban ever happen in this country? I hope so, but am not holding my breathe. As long as big corporations still stranglehold our politicians nothing will change.

In the US, we have Truth in Advertising laws. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is the main federal agency that enforces advertising laws and regulations.

Under the Federal Trade Commission Act:
* Advertising must be truthful and non-deceptive;
* Advertisers must have evidence to back up their claims; and
* Advertisements cannot be unfair.

So how is making someone skinnier, look younger, or have more hair fair?

Besides all that, what is wrong with looking your age? Yes, I am also a bit guilty of retouching images for clients. But these images are for their personal use and not to sell a product. I try to make my clients look as beautiful in photos as they are... in their heads.

When the focus of this deception is to sell a product, then there needs to be a backlash. Not only are we feeding this unattainable vision of beauty to our children, now with a simple cream we can erase years of life. So that our older generation, my generation, is now ashamed of looking their age.

Isn't it bad enough that you can get a Botox injection in a strip mall?

My wife an I recently joined a gym. We work out about 4 times a week, to get in shape and to stay healthy, longer. We do it for ourselves and each other. We want to be the best person we can without canceling out the years we have had on this planet.

Self dignity and self respect should be taught and preached. Not that you can take a short cut to self respect by changing your appearance with a cream.

So bravo England and I hope this wave of truth spreads.