UNDERWATER LOVE

Posted on March 6, 2012 at 10:54 pm by admin

This was my first shoot with the talented Tristan Risk and I was pleasantly surprised at her excitement to do a hentai inspired shoot. Because I do not use dead animals in my setups, I was a little concerned on how to construct a tentacle type being. After researching and experimenting, I was able to figure out how to create an alien type creature to play in the tub with Miss Risk. It took me two weeks, a lot of plastic wrap, wires, rubber glue, latex, paint, sweat and tears to make the little monster, but I was quite happy with the outcome. Here is a close up of the skin details:

I added the rose pedals to give the piece some sensuality and a burst of color. I was lucky to be able to use my friends’ bathroom at the Shangri-La, which gave a beautiful backdrop of the city. Only one light was used overhead.

In post production, most of my time was spent removing certain bathroom fixtures that took away from the subject, otherwise it was mainly color and curve adjustments.

Pre-production: 2 weeks

Production: 4 hours

Post Production: 15 hours

 

Thank you to Justin Cote for the location and to Clayton Racicot’s manly arms for holding the light!

 

Model: Little Miss Risk https://www.facebook.com/LittleMissRisk

Photography, SPFX, Props, Post Production: Anathema Photography http://anathemaphotography.com/

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2012 CALENDAR part II

Posted on December 14, 2011 at 8:19 pm by admin

Here is part II of the Anathema Photography 2012 Calendar photos!

MONTH OF AUGUST

I’m not a huge fan of the sun and I find it so weird that people can lie in it frying themselves for hours!

Model: Michelle Gateaux https://www.facebook.com/pages/Michelle-Gateaux/114918105198883

MUA, Hair & SPFX: Deadly Nightshade https://www.facebook.com/pages/Deadly-Nightshade-Makeup/264026906966391

Photography & Post Production: Anathema Photography https://www.facebook.com/AnathemaPhoto

 

MONTH OF SEPTEMBER – “Pollination”

Pollination

I think this is the most colorful piece I’ve ever done! Yes, she is covered in corn syrup for National Honey Month, which a couple of cats were quite fascinated by. BTW, this girl can really scream!

Model: Rianne Keel https://www.facebook.com/Riannaconda

MUA, SPFX & Hair: Deadly Nightshade https://www.facebook.com/pages/Deadly-Nightshade-Makeup/264026906966391

Photography, SPFX Assistant & Post Production: Anathema Photography https://www.facebook.com/AnathemaPhoto

Location provided by: Christine & Rhys

 

MONTH OF OCTOBER – “Carving Contest”

Carving Contest

This is a shot I’ve been wanting to do with Spooksy for awhile and the month of October was a perfect excuse. It was so much fun decorating for Halloween on Canada Day. As usual, Spoosky had us pissing our pants laughing…

Models: Spooksy DeLune https://www.facebook.com/pages/Spooksy-DeLune-The-Queen-of-Halloween/103782829732599 , Aaron Morris & Gil the cat

MUA & SPFX: Deadly Nightshade https://www.facebook.com/pages/Deadly-Nightshade-Makeup/264026906966391

Photography, SPFX Assistant & Post Production: Anathema Photography https://www.facebook.com/AnathemaPhoto

Location provided by: Christine & Rhys

 

MONTH OF NOVEMBER – “Devil’s Play”

Devil's Play

This night was freezing and I was so impressed with Billie-Jean and her perseverance in the cold covered in blood! This is the day I taught Kat how to draw a pentagram. ;)

Model: Billie-Jean https://www.facebook.com/pages/Billie-Jean/238702892858200

MUA, Hair & SPFX: Deadly Nightshade https://www.facebook.com/pages/Deadly-Nightshade-Makeup/264026906966391

Photography, SPFX Assistant & Post Production: Anathema Photography https://www.facebook.com/AnathemaPhoto

Fire Maker: Aaron Anathema

Location provided by: Christine & Rhys

 

MONTH OF DECEMBER – “Succulent Sacrifice”

Succulent Sacrifice

This is one of my favorites from the calendar. I spent about 6 hours cooking that day! Kat found a new spray on friend called PAM, and Mya got to lie in some of her favorite foods. Mya is actually a huge animal rights activists so I thought she was perfect to bring this piece to life… or death… :)

Model: Mya Mayhem http://www.modelmayhem.com/1447238

MUA, Hair & SPFX: Deadly Nightshade https://www.facebook.com/pages/Deadly-Nightshade-Makeup/264026906966391

Photography, Kickass Cook & Post Production: Anathema Photography https://www.facebook.com/AnathemaPhoto

Location provided by: Justin Cote

 

All Models Provided By: MORRISMORE MODELS http://www.morrismore.com/  https://www.facebook.com/MorrismoreModels

CALENDARS CAN BE PURCHASED THROUGH THESE VANCOUVER STORES:

Club 23 West

Thomas FX http://www.thomasfx.com/

Deadly Couture http://www.deadlyfetish.com/

Flaming Angels http://flamingangels.ca/

New World Designs http://www.newworlddesign.ca

NOT IN VANCOUVER? You can purchase the Calendar through https://www.facebook.com/AnathemaPhoto under “Shop Now”

A huge thank you to everyone that made this project come alive!!!

Christine Lyon

Rhys Lillo

Natelle Gulevich

Sharon Dunlap-Quayle

Justine Cote

Aaron Anathema

Gil the cat

Aaron Morris

Kat Morris

iSoarsTudio http://isoarstudio.wordpress.com/

Restricted Entertainment https://www.facebook.com/getrestricted

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ZomBcon Seattle 2011

Posted on November 3, 2011 at 10:50 pm by admin

 

This was my first time exhibiting at ZomBcon Seattle. I was highly impressed at the level of service by the staff and volunteers that went out of their way to make me feel welcome. Among the celebrities attending were some of my all time favorites: Sid Haig, Bill Moseley and Tom Savini – who I got to meet and attempted to speak to with my garbled, starstruck speech… I’m such a geek. The whole convention center was crawling with ghouls and zombies, definitely the best dressed customers I’ve come across!

Of coarse ZomBcon would be nothing without the fantastic vendors there to push their creepy creations on willing victims. Here is a list of some of my favorite exhibitors at this awesome event:

 

’68

Although I am not a massive comic buff, this guys artwork blew me away. It is haunting, twisted and absolutely beautiful. I was happy to hear that he does fine art pieces… now to find some money…

http://www.68zombie.com/

fb: https://www.facebook.com/68zombie?sk=wall

 

 

Box Top Vintage

These girls are crazy. I’m serious, absolutely bonkers, but man did they make me laugh! They have an awesome mish mash of products ranging from vintage items to tentacle fingers to accessories and clothing. I’d go to their store just to hang out with them!

http://www.boxtopvintage.com/

fb: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Box-Top-Vintage/362018920891?ref=ts

 

 

Stitch Asylum Designs

 

I am a huge fan of sleeves/arm warmers, and it was refreshing to see a high quality version. She has a variety of styles from fun to elegant that look pretty basic – until you touch that fabric! The material she uses is so soft and sensual I had to buy a couple pairs.

http://stitchasylumdesigns.com/

fb: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Stitch-Asylum-Designs/209951702377215?ref=ts

 

 

Kalynn Kallweit

 

Absolutely breathtaking. This is one talented girl. Her work is creepy, bizarre and haunting. I fell in love with a light fixture thingy she created that looked like it was straight out of the movie Alien.

http://www.kalynnkallweit.com/

fb: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dark-Art-of-Kalynn-Kallweit/115085578540324

 

 

Nick The Hat

 

I met Nick at Crypticon and his talents still have me in awe. He was selling personalized custom drawings for only $10, so he was busy the whole weekend. I commissioned him to do a portrait of my sister and I – we were very giddy over the results!

http://www.nickthehat.com/

 

 

Fable & Fury

Elegant and Gothic. These intricate necklaces are handmade, stainless steel, durable and freakin’ sexy. Had to buy the two headed fetus one…

http://fableandfury.com/

fb: https://www.facebook.com/FableAndFury?ref=ts&sk=wall

 

 

A very special thanks to Kat Morris of Deadly Nightshade. Although you were just supposed to come on this trip as a friend, you ended up helping more then you know. Mew :)

 

Check out the ZomBcon website! http://www.zombcon.com/

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2012 CALENDAR – The Haunted, The Hunted & The Heathens (1st half)

Posted on October 12, 2011 at 10:10 pm by admin

In the early spring I was approached by Kat Morris, of Morrismore Models, because a few of her alt models had expressed interest in shooting with me.  I have been impressed with the few Morrismore models I have shot, so I was excited to work with others.  This is when I suggested making a calendar together.  That was the beginning of a huge project and a wonderful friendship.  While I usually do the makeup fx myself, it was a real treat to have Kat, who is a talented MUA (Nightshade Beauty), take the reigns allowing me to concentrate on the photography side. 

Morrismore: http://www.morrismore.com/models   Aaron & Kat Morris             Nightshade Beauty: http://www.nightshadebeauty.com/   Kat Morris

The Following are the images of the first half of the 2012 Calendar.  It can be purchased online through my fanpage:  https://www.facebook.com/AnathemaPhoto (under “Shop Now”)  OR, if you live in the Vancouver, BC area, at these wicked locations:

Deadly Couture: http://www.deadlyfetish.com/

Thomas FX: http://www.thomasfx.com/

Flaming Angels: http://flamingangels.ca/

New World Designs

Club 23 West: http://www.clubzone.com/c/24/club-23-west-vancouver

 

COVER

Model: Megz http://www.deadkittie.com/

MUA & SPFX: Nightshade Beauty

Photography & Post Production: Anathema Photography

We wanted something simple for the cover and not too shocking, so we found it appropriate to burn my logo into Megz’s back and tattoo the Morrismore logo.

Preproduction: 2hrs – Makeup: 1.5 hrs – Shooting: 45min – Post: 2hrs

 

JANUARY

Model: Megz  http://www.deadkittie.com/

MUA & SPFX: Nightshade Beauty

Photography, FX Assistant, Post Production: Anathema Photography

As first time snow machine users, it was quite the experience!  It was kind of difficult to make Megz look creepy because she is so freaking adorable, but I think it works.

Preproduction: 1.5hrs – Makeup: 2hrs – Shooting: 1hr – Post Production: 3hrs

 

FEBRUARY

Model: Dallas Valentine  http://www.modelmayhem.com/1845495

MUA, SPFX: Nightshade Beauty

Photography & Post Production: Anathema Photography

Special thanks to Natelle and Sharon for the use of their space!

We wanted a nice, simple, icy portrait of someone frozen in time.  The fx makeup was a lot of fun to play with.

Preproduction: 2hrs – Makeup: 2hrs – Photography: 1hr – Post Production: 2hrs

 

MARCH – Ides Of March

Model: xErynnx http://www.xerynnx.deviantart.com/

MUA, SPFX & Hair: Nightshade Beauty

Photography & Post Production: Anathema Photography

A twist on the slaying of Julius Caesar. That was a lot of blood… – special thanks to the murderers: Aaron Morris, Paul Riches, Benjamin Keith and Jesse Taylor

Preproduction: 3.5hrs – Makeup & Hair: 1.5hrs – Shooting: 1.5hrs – Post Production: 3hrs

 

APRIL – Religious Preservation Model: Liv Lethal  https://www.facebook.com/livlethalx

MUA, SPFX: Nightshade Beauty

Photography & Post Production: Anathema Photography

This is an image that I’ve been wanting to do for a long time, and I thought the month of April would be perfect.  I have shot Liv Lethal numerous times and wanted her specifically for this piece.  This took a lot of prep, but I’m quite happy with the outcome.

Preproduction: 8hrs – Makeup: 2hrs – Shooting: 1hr – Post Production: 5hrs

 

MAY – Mother’s Day

Models: Kat Morris & Aaron Morris

MUA: Nightshade Beauty

Photography, SPFX & Post Production: Anathema Photography

This shoot was a blast. We actually rented a hotel room because of the beautiful bathroom.  Even though these two are usually behind the camera, they freakin’ rocked it!

Preproduction: 4hrs – Makeup: 1.5hrs – Shooting: 1.5hrs – Post Production: 4hrs

 

JUNE

Model: Chevvy Piston  https://www.facebook.com/chevvypiston

MUA & SPFX: Nightshade Beauty

Photography, FX Assistant, Post Production: Anathema Photography

Who doesn’t like a zombie prom queen??  This photo is all the proof I need to show what some of these amazing models will do for a shot.  If any of you know the area I live in, you are aware of the back alleys… yup, she’s lying on the ground. 

Preproduction: 3hrs – Makeup: 2hrs – Shooting: 45min – Post Production: 3hrs

 

JULY

Models (left to right): Love Leigh  http://www.modelmayhem.com/112556             Precious Metal  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Precious-Metal/66639086284   Lincoln Electra  https://www.facebook.com/lincolnelectra

MUA & Hair: Nightshade Beauty

Photography & Post Production: Anathema Photography

We could not stop laughing shooting this vampire picnic.  It is difficult to see the details without viewing it in print… you miss out on the baby nacho dip, bloodbag wine and the tampon h’ordeuvres.  It also didn’t help that this was in a public area (partially hidden), in the middle of summer, on a Sunday and there was a kids’ birthday party happening a few meters away… good times :)

Preproduction: 5hrs – Makeup: 1.5hrs – Shooting: 1hr – Post Production: 4hrs

 

I will be posting the next six months soon!!!

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GET OUT

Posted on July 15, 2011 at 2:22 pm by admin

I wanted to create a piece that represented the inner demons that can take over to the point of self destruction.

I was a bit leery at first taking on a model that has never done a shoot of this style. Kelly exceeded my expectations with her crazy facial expressions and willingness to get dirty.

The Setup: Like all of my shoots, the makeup and setup time takes the longest. I created the ‘GET OUT’ carvings using liquid latex, tissue, cream makeup and of course blood. Along with the hollow makeup, it took about 2 hours.

The Lighting: I had a simple setup of two strobes, bare bulb, one in the bathtub (carefully balanced!), and the other in the hallway. I tend not to use modifiers in order to achieve a high contrast look.

Post-Production: Although I would have loved to write all over the walls, the owners of this bathroom would not have been as happy about it, so it had to be done in post. The writing took about two hours to make it look as real as possible. The other obvious adjustment was masking in the second mirror image of Kelly, which can be quite difficult if not shot on a tripod! Other minor adjustments for impact: color, curves and a high pass filter.

In total, this piece took approximately 9 hours.

Thank you so much to Kelly Grieve. A special thanks to Natelle and Sharon for sharing their home!

Model: Kelly Grieve http://www.modelmayhem.com/1432341

Assistant: Krista Whitford

GET OUT

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CRYPTICON!

Posted on June 3, 2011 at 12:52 pm by admin

I attended my first Crypticon last weekend in Seattle and was pleasantly surprised at the response to my work. Even though I was only apart of the art show, and had limited visibility to the attendees, I am proud to say that I sold quite a few prints. While there, I met some wonderfully talented people that I wanted to share with you. Of course the highlight was meeting one of my favorite actors, Bill Moseley. The twisted characters he plays is a direct contrast to his lovely personality. 

   

Me and Bill Moseley!

I want to thank the lovely ladies, Natelle and Sharon, that helped me out on this awesome weekend. A very special thank you to my sister Christine that went above and beyond to make the weekend a success… thank you schmoopy! ;)  

Christine and I slumming it at the Rodeway Inn

< 

 
Here’s my top artists of Crypticon Seattle 2011: 

 
 
 
 

GAK Photography

GAK Photography http://gakphotography.com/index.php/en/  

I’ve been following Nicole Valentine’s work for awhile now through DeviantArt and Model Mayhem. It was exciting to see her haunting imagery in print and to meet someone that shares my twisted imagination! 

  

     

 
 
 
 
 
 

Nick Gucker

Nick The Hat http://www.nickthehat.com/  

Nick Gucker is the resident illustrator for Crypticon. His detailed cartoon work is a mix between horror and dark humor. I look forward to meeting up with him again and pick his brains… :)  

  

   

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Voodoo Doll Designs

Voodoo Doll Designs http://www.voodoodolldesigns.com/  

Liza sells a variety of handcrafted jewelery and accessories. What blew me away was her hair pieces. Classily designed, well put together and very elegant – for the girly girl in all of us! 

  

    

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Wednesday Wolf

Wednesday Wolf http://wednesdaywolf.com/  

Wednesday’s mixture of ink and watercolors is absolute eye candy. Although his style is consistent, his imagery can range from adorable to disturbing, but all remains beautiful. 

  

  

Void Visions

Void Visions http://voidvisions.com/  

Not a style I’m usually attracted to, but his color palettes and obsessive attention to detail caught my eye. Luke Green’s line work and commitment to each piece really deserves applause. Luke was a delight to talk to, and I hope to hangout with him more next time! 

 

 

 

 

 

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Rat Trap

Posted on April 5, 2011 at 11:13 am by admin

RAT TRAP - ©Anathema Photography - All Rights Reserved

 

I was excited to work with the lovely Maiwan. We both liked the idea of incorporating a dental gag into the shoot, but I found it difficult to find one that suited our gritty theme. I approached Aaron Anathema and he was inspired by the idea and agreed to build one. I had no idea that we would end up with such a beautiful torture device that both excited and terrified me a bit!

I had the perfect location that would give that boiler room feel, unfortunately it was open to the outside and it was freezing that day. I knew I had to shoot fast in order for Maiwan to survive being covered in blood and wearing next to nothing. I brought in Clayton Racicot for his lighting expertise so that everything was perfect for when I brought Maiwan out of the warm vehicle. We actually had to make up gestures for Maiwan in order to communicate due to her inability to speak, plus her hands were bound. I was definitely impressed with Maiwan’s drive to get the shots.

My final images have been compared to Saw on quite a few occasions, which is a compliment although it was not intended.

Post production was actually quite minimal, just a few curve adjustments and the whiting out of the pupils. Thank you so much to Maiwan, Clayton and Aaron!

Maiwan: http://www.modelmayhem.com/798394

Clayton Racicot: http://www.claytonracicot.com/index2.php#/home/

©Anathema Photography - All Rights Reserved

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Road Kill

Posted on January 21, 2011 at 11:48 am by admin

Brittany (Misty Graves) approached me wanting to do a shoot that incorporated a werewolf concept. I liked the idea of being ‘caught in the act’ out in the middle of nowhere. It was a dark and rainy day, so it was perfect for lighting, but it was pouring and we only had a small window of light rain.

I wanted to capture the environment so I shot on a very slow shutter speed to bring in the ambient light. I used one strobe light infront of the vehicle to mimic the headlights, which I later removed in photoshop. Brittany brought along her friend Olivia to be her victim. It was quite cold and very wet, they were both amazing little troopers! I ended up getting quite sick after this shoot, but I was quite happy with the results so it was worth it! This piece looks beautiful as a large print.

Thank you to Brittany, Olivia and Natelle for making this image possible!

©Anathema Photography - All Rights Reserved

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The Mutilation of Ms Mya Mayhem

Posted on November 29, 2010 at 2:17 pm by admin

I first met Mya Mayhem at tattoo art shoot and fell in love with her positivity and lovely personality. I wanted to do an elaborate shoot and I knew she would be perfect! I found an incredible location through a friend that would set the stage for this killer/victim shoot. It was full of old rooms and homemade tools that looked like torture devices, my dream home. :)

This decapitation shoot took a lot of preparation, from the makeup to the lighting. Similar to the piece ‘Crimson Mermaid’, I had to create a bloody stump for Mya’s neck. Shooting on a tripod, I had to get two exposures, one of her on the ground and one of her on the anvil. I had to be very precise in where I placed the neck stump, so it would be easily lined up with her body and head when taken into photoshop.

I ended up with 4 images/scenarios in the end because she was so much fun to shoot! Mya has so much energy and her willingness to do anything for a shot makes her an incredible model. I had the pleasure of seeing this image in a large print, believe me, the internet does not do it justice!

Thank you to Mya, Aaron and Clayton Racicot! :)

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TROPHY

Posted on October 29, 2010 at 5:22 pm by admin

 The lovely Sophie Spooksy DeLune wanted to do a romantic shoot with her lover Dax. I was inspired by the idea of obsession. It is fascinating the way people ‘mark’ their territory on others by mentally or physically branding them. But, this can also be a beautiful thing with consenting adults.

 Trigger Happy Tattoo was kind enough to allow us access after hours for this shoot. They have this beautiful old barber chair that was perfect for this subject. I loved having the mirror to be able to show a different angle and to get a glimpse of Dax’s expressions. I created a latex piece for Sophie’s chest to give the impression of deep carvings of Dax’s name. It was basically a one light set up with a snoot to give a spot light effect, so that the surrounding areas dropped off quickly into darkness. In photoshop, I added layers of grunge and dirt to give an aged and dingy look to the space.

 Once again, Sophie was an absolute pleasure to shoot, and Dax, you were awesome!

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