From Model to Performer. Check Out His Pic's Inside. Morning Images of Downtown
September 2011
The Results When The Model Doesn't Show! Meet Dick and the Truck from his 16th birthday.
Issue 1
Vol 1
About Vedere Magazine............ Many will ask what Verdere means. When I was looking for a name that represents what photography means to me I had to think what each image brings to all that look at them. Hence, Vedere in Italian means to see. The images are what I see when I have the camera up to my eye and what I'm trying to capture when I hit the shutter button. Some may thing about Each of us how others around me
be thinking, geez not another photographer doing a magazine. The nice the internet, one can choose to look or not to look. No cost except time. have different views of the world and as a photographer I like to see view the world around them. It helps me gain new perspective on what is and helps me capture images I may not have thought about in the past.
Some of the things you will see in future issues will be street photos, landscapes, product photography and of course fashion/editorial shots as I work with models. My camera is with me most all the time and I will also be shooting current events as they happen as I did the motorcycle accident that happened in July. Again, at this point there is nothing off limits for images. If something is adult content I will put the notice on the cover. Along with my images, I will be working with a photographer in Amsterdam to create like images in Phoenix. Think of it as the old world meets the new world. Should be interesting seeing how we take one another s images and try to recreate them. This is an ongoing collaboration which should produce some interesting results. I will be soliciting projects from other local photographers (amateur and professional) so we can see how they view the world. It may just prompt you to get the camera out and submit images. In the self publishing world distribution is always a challenge. I have made the choice not to charge since all that is involved is my time. Sometime in the future that may change. This is project I have been contemplating for way too long, so with you indulgence here we go. Your comments, good and bad are always welcome. Best, Mike Meadows P.S. There will be some self serving ads on the pages. Of course if you have a small business let me know, I'm sure I can find room for a couple of more ads.
Contents Zeke. The Model and Performer.............................................3 The Missing Model..................................................8 Wandering Downtown.............................................9 The Garage That Survived...............................................12
Published by Michael Meadows Studios, Tempe, AZ Contact: Michael Meadows mike@michaelmeadowsstudios.com
Z E K E Model: Zeke Nucklez Photographer: Michael Meadows Location: Tempe Studio San Carlos Hotel
Zeke Knuckles, a model and a performer who knows how to keep the audience loving the show. When Zeke and I first met, we took over a coffee shop to do some test shots. Needless to say the young lady behind the counter didn't get much done while we were shooting. He got into the moment and knew how to work the camera which made my job so much easier. The Studio shoot was a blast. The music was blasting and Zeke just started getting into the shoot, I could have sworn I smelled smoke from the camera trying to keep up with him. I think you'll agree his comfort in front of the camera comes through in the images.
S a n C a r l o s H o t e l
SOMETIMES THE MODEL JUST DOESN'T What do you do when the model can't make the shoot? Getting mad and kicking SHOW UP. something is the first choice
but that can get really expensive in the studio since most everything costs more than your car payment. Taking frustrations out on the shutter button is usually a better choice and can produce some interesting shots.
I keep one of these on my phone now to remind me to call models the day before the shoot to be sure we're on the same page.
W a n d e r i n g D o w n t o w n Ph o e n i x WITH
AN OPEN MIND......
x o n a W i n t e r Su n d a y M o r n i n g
N O T H I NG
A ND
N O O NE I S I NV I S I B L E .
The Old Garage That Survived And Dick, the Owner In my day job I'm fortunate to be able to be on the road most of the day all over the Valley of the Sun. Unlike most my cubicle goes 75 m.p.h (85 if I get lucky) so I'm not stuck looking out one window at the same scenery day after day. Don't get me wrong, I've been there before and if I had to I would do it again. Until then I'm taking advantage of my mobile office. In between calls I get to explore different places and talk to new people, being the gregarious person I am I sometimes scare people off in a quick way. Don't even bring up taking the camera out of the bag, if they only knew it was with me all the time. One day in between seeing clients I was in the exploration mood. I had passed this garage numerous times and it was never open, then the day came when the garage door was open and in I went. Camera in hand and the lights in my backpack, I was ready. When I got into the garage a wave of nostalgia swept over me, I know hokey but the smell brought back the days when I would wait for hours to have the front end put back together on my Karmenn Ghia. It seems it didn't like potholes in the Ohio streets, but that's a story for another time. As I was standing there looking around I heard a voice from the office, "What do ya need?" Walking into the office, I found Dick sitting in his chair trying to act busy, poor act at best. After the introductions I explained I'm a freelance photographer and have been wanting to get into the old garage like a child wants into the cookie jar. The look on his face was priceless, enough to say, some people really need to get a job and do something productive.
In his colorful phrases he told me this was his fathers garage in the 50's and 60's, he still remembered sweeping the floors as a kid and never doing a good enough job for his dad, I think most of us can relate to the high standards. Looking at all the eclectic items hanging in his office I was ready to hit the garage and see what other wonders there was to be found out there. Finally he said he needed to get back to work and picked up his magazine along with a wave of the hand, he said go look around, just don't break anything. As I walked out of the office, the things that were on the shelves not to mention the walls was a car collectors fix for a lifetime. Not since leaving Cleveland (save the jokes, heard them all) in 1983 have I not seen more original automobilia than I did in this little garage. License plates from the 1930's, Hubcaps for a 50's Oldsmobile (or something) he just took out of the box to hang on the wall, and alignment machine that definitely had most of the 50's Cadillac's beat for style. After avoiding falling in the alignment pit 3 or 4 times I thought it would be better to go over and take a look at the 50 something Chevy pickup sans bed. That's when Dick decided to come out and make sure I was being a good boy. I asked about the truck, since it was the only vehicle in the entire garage. I could tell it was something special so as I was taking some pictures he told me his dad bought it brand new for him on his 16th birthday. After all of these years it was time to restore it and get it looking again.
Listening to him talk about his truck I could tell it meant more to him than just being a truck.
As he was telling me about what he was doing to the truck, the curiosity was eating at me, I wanted to ask some of the stories the cab and bed could tell from his younger days but I thought better of pushing my host since he was so willing to share his little piece of the world with me and my camera. As my time in the garage was coming to an end I could not help think about my younger days in the garage in rural Ohio. I never thought I would miss the dirt floors (the garage was updated to cement in the 60's), the smell of oil and other fluids that leaked from older cars, especially mine. Looking under the hood and not seeing plastic everywhere and realizing the only "crumple zone" we had back then was our bodies. It helped me remember how I lusted after certain cars, how I thought I was cruising in style in my '67 Buick Deuce and Quarter convertible. The nights in the Ohio summer with the top down with the friends listening to AM radio and thinking the world was perfect. Dick, with his gruff exterior and not so gentle demeanor brought me back to a time that wasn't simpler, easier or even better, he brought me back to reality. He reminded me the fast lane is not for Chevy pickups, but Chevy pickups run forever because they are strong and built to last. He represents what we used to be, industrious. no excuses, just results. One of these days that chair in his office will be permanently empty and I think more than his family will feel the void. I don't glamorize people like Dick, but I do look up to them. I think the old raccoon has the right attitude and will keep reminding everyone of Dick.