Filming in Harlem

For the second night in a row, the streets of Harlem around my apartment are aglow with floodlights as a production company is filming either Law & Order or CSI, or maybe it's a movie. Last night I walked down to the corner and think I recognized the actress from Law & Order but then again I wasn't wearing my glasses so who really knows for sure. Ha ha. And tonight, after having Vietnamese with my buddy Gaston (better known as "Frankie"), they were just rehearsing something with the two police cars you see in this shot. If they are still around tomorrow, I will make a point of asking someone what they are shooting. Ironically, they have set up exactly where Alicia Keys shot a major portion of her music video, If I Ain't Got You.


filming on the corner of St. Nicholas and 127 Street in Harlem. 


The production crew 

William, Harlem Studio, NYC 2003 photo to be published

Cleis Press, out of San Francisco, just acquired the licensing rights to publish this photograph of William as the book cover of "The Love of a Master" by John Preston. It's my first book cover so I am delighted. And the publisher, Frederique Delacoste, seems like an incredibly sweet person, very professional, so hopefully this will be the start of long affiliation.


William, Harlem Studio, NYC
jacksonphotografix.com © 2003 

a little bit about me

(from an email to a new friend in South America)

... becoming a photographer is a relatively recent development for me -- I guess I always wanted to do it but I sort of got sidetracked along the way. I worked as a Public Relations Director for 10 years for live theatre, which was a great job and a lot of fun. I moved to NYC in August 1995 and started doing photography here in 97, the rest, as they say, is history. I'm originally from Canada a city called Edmonton, that's where I grew up and where my family still is. I try and spend as much time visiting as I can. I'm single, haven't been in a relationship in over 5 years, part of that is because I love to travel for extended periods and that makes it difficult to leave someone behind just waiting for you to return. I love NYC but if I found someplace else that I wanted to live, I wouldn't hesitate relocating. I'd love to get to South America, especially Brazil and it's been a lifelong dream to see Egypt but I don't see that happening in the near future. There's also a lot of my friends in Europe that I'd like to see sometime soon. I always thought I would live in London, in fact, it was my first choice before I took a vacation to NYC - but after 3 days, I knew I wanted to live here and it would just be a matter of time until I did. Now with a decade past, I will always have a connection with this crazy, creative, mad-paced city but I'm also feeling like it's time to move on and discover new and different places. If my career with photography continues to grow, that should be possible. The interenet has been a great thing for me, because I can do business from wherever I am in the world. Of course, it helps to be in a city like NY just because there is great demand and also because it's very inspiring and motivating to see all the other artists at work here too. It makes you want to push yourself to do more and reach greater heights.

Things that make you go hmmmm

The Greater New York Billy Graham Crusade occurs June 24-26, exactly the same dates as Gay Pride Weekend in NYC. You don't think there's some sort of agenda there, do you? Just really bad timing, right?

my favourite shot of Cris, Harlem, 2005 

Cris Miraglia, Harlem, 2005 

Photo Shoot with Cris Miraglia

As part of my on-going tattoo project I did a shoot this afternoon with Cris, an old pal and fellow artist. Right at the beginning of the shoot the power went out, we blew a breaker, and the superintendent didn't restore our power for almost an hour. Thanks to the NYC heatwave and the resulting increase in power usage for air conditioners, plus the building having antiquated wiring, I am unhappy to report this is not something new. But as a result it forced me to seek out available natural lighting for the remainder of our session. Fortunately we got some great shots, not exactly what I was envisioning but I'm happy with the results. And Cris was a trooper and didn't bitch at all. Now that's a supermodel.

photo of "Paulie" originally taken for QV Magazine in 2003 has been revived in an ad for Krash's Gay Pride presentation of Freaky Friday.  

double exposure - phoenix and portrait, Brent NYC 2005 

chinese characters tattoo - Brent, NYC, 2005 

phoenix & zodiac tattoos - Brent, NYC 2005 

Thursday, June 9 - Photo shoot with Brent

Brent is one of the three gogo boy promoters, that are known as BTR. I've now shot him and Tommy with Russell yet to be shot solo. I did an impromptu shoot with all three last Sunday, when Tommy came over to have me shoot his ink. Today, I was just shooting Brent's tattoos for the upcoming exhibit of my work at the Man party at Octagon on Friday, June 24th for Gay Pride.


Brent's killer green eyes 

I'm BACK!

After living a week without my laptop, it's finally back from repair and so I'm back online. Albeit, $310 poorer, and slightly wiser -- need a power surge protect as that's what burnt out my backlight ($147) and my modem ($40). Once I get caught up with the business at hand, I will post some of my new photos. There are quite a few as I've been shooting non-stop with my new Nikon D70. I love it!

X-rated Mickey, NYC 2005 

Blue Mickey, NYC, 2005 

Blue, NYC, 2005 

my personal supermodel, Blue, NYC 2005 

George, NYC, 2005 

George, NYC, 2005 -- incredible ink. 

George now, hot as ever! 

Thursday, May 26 - Photo shoots with George and Blue

I'm completely exhausted, had a great day doing photo shoots. My first was with George, a hot tattooed papichulo, and my second shoot was with my favorite model and current muse, Blue.


George then, many sleeps ago at The Roxy, NYC. 

Ironically yesterday I happened to find the above photo that I took of George years ago at Roxy. I remember asking him then if he'd be interested in coming to my studio to do a shoot but never heard back from him. I met him again this Monday, however I didn't recognize him at View Bar where he's bartending. This time however when I asked him to pose because of his tattoos he called me the next day and booked a time. And am I ever glad he did. In fact, we had such a good time and George is such a character that I've asked him to come back this weekend and shoot again.

With Blue I was going to continue the recreation of an earlier shot from Blue in The Kitchen series except this time with more of a Gregory Crewdson twist. However I didn't get out to buy the prop (a large fresh fish) that I wanted to use so instead we just went off and tried some new ideas. However when Blue suggested doing a shot with the Mickey Mouse ears, I knew we were on to something since I had purchased the Mickey Mouse gloves at Disneyland years and years (I'm talking probably 15) ago and had always wanted to shoot a nude with someone wearing the ears and gloves. Needless to say, Bluw was ablsoutely my man for the job, I love the end result.

Sunday, May 23 - Tom of Finland Erotic Art Fair Closing Party

The Brazilian bombshell, Alex, at SBNY 

After a fun night at SBNY for the closing party of the Erotic Art Fair, with special thanx to the incredibly sexy and attentive bartender, Alex, I headed home early (well shortly after midnight, which is very early for me) because I had a 10 a.m. photo shoot with Steve before catching his flight back to LA.


Trai La Trash, Scotty The Blue Bunny and Duch at Trannyshack at SBNY
 

Out on the sidewalk outside of SBNY, I stood for a moment talking with Scotty The Blue Bunny and promised to send him a brilliant photo I had taken of him at Avalon/Limelight a year or so back. Then as I was leaving this is what I heard:

Scotty The Blue Bunny yelling down the block to bitter fag:
"I could just stab you in the heart with a knife."
bitter fag now walking alongside of me:
"How much do they pay him to wear that?"
me:
"I don't know."
bitter fag:
"Well isn't he your boyfriend?"
me:
"See ... now you've used up your usefulness to me, and I could just stab you in the heart as well."
bitter fag silently turns corner and heads out of sight.

Carlos, Harlem NYC, 2005 

Carlos, Harlem NYC, 2005 

Tuesday, May 3 - Photo Shoot with Carlos

I realize that it's been a while since I've posted a new shoot. It's not that there haven't been any, I guess I've just been running a little wild, socializing with new and old friends, and not getting around to it. But I will go back and make sure all the shoots are posted.

Now, Carlos. Once again this is someone that I've wanted to shoot for some time. He has an amazing physique, even more amazing when you consider this hot Cuban is 50 years old. Considerable dedication to maintaining what so many photographers have come to appreciate. Carlos, a delightful and interesting man to talk to, loves being in front of the camera. He has immense understanding for what the photographer is looking for. In fact, his insights are so keen that he is an aspiring and talented amateur photographer himself. This, the first shoot we did was very simple but I was especially pleased with the classic beauty we were able to capture, especially the reclining nude which was so reminiscent of the early erotica produced in the 1940s and 50s. I have no doubt that I will be working with Carlos again very soon.


reclining nude, Carlos, Harlem NYC 2005 


Here is the sweet email he sent me following our shoot:

Hey Jackson:

Thank you very much for so many amazing photos but also for the wonderful experience... I always learn a lot by standing in front of a camera and definitely today's shooting will influence my creativity on my future work as an amateur photographer.

It was a pleasure modeling for you... I don't have to tell you that you can call me anytime you want for more...

Take care,

Carlos

Check my BigMuscle profile

http://www.bigmuscle.com/profile.phtml?uid=NYCuban

Monday, May 2 - dj Aaron Elvis

Prior to doing a private commission for a wonderful gentleman, Augusten, (who was so intriguing to talk to since he was personal friends with numerous photographers in 70s and 80s including the legendary Robert Mapplethorpe), I fired off a few shots of my roommate dj Aaron Elvis for him to use with his Top 10 music List which will be published in NEXT magazine this friday. Of course, I couldn't leave well enough alone and had to play with one of the shots in photoshop.


dj Aaron Elvis 2005 © jacksonphotografix.com  


dj Aaron Elvis 2005 © jacksonphotografix.com