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20
Odd angles and compositions
*sergemeeus
reports, 19h 2m ago
reports, 19h 2m agoA small collection of good looking photos with an odd angle or composition
17
Save the polaroids...
~MyLifeIsNotExist
reports, 16h 2m ago
reports, 16h 2m agoA lot of amazing polaroids in one of many dA collections…
25
Have fun in the dark...and stay safe!
`RockstarVanity
reports, 12h 27m ago
reports, 12h 27m agoAs winter draws closer and all sorts of wonderful photographic opportunities open themselves up to creative people who love the dark, it's important to be careful and stay safe. Here are a few things to think about before you set off on your image capturing missions.
36
Too Fast For You
*signmeupscotty
reports, 22h 31m ago
reports, 22h 31m agoA selection of 25 photos which the participants of the September Mini Contest - Too Fast For You liked best.
Photography News This Week
224
Gothic Beauty - Much more than just black clothes
=rav777
reports, October 2
reports, October 2A HUGE collection of Gothic Beauty, seperated in the chapters: Dark & Gothic, Cybergoth, Gothic Lolitas and Gothic Stock as well as explaining backgrounds - if you're a lover of Dark Art - don't miss this article!
194
c o l o u r . s p e c t r u m
=JaM-FaiRY
reports, 2d 13h ago
reports, 2d 13h agoIm a professional rainbow collector 
so I thought I'd share some of my finds from my favourite folder = R A I N B O W S
A must see for all colour loving beings
so I thought I'd share some of my finds from my favourite folder = R A I N B O W S
A must see for all colour loving beings
193
Being a woman: beauty
*shantaycinnamon
reports, 2d 10h ago
reports, 2d 10h agoA collection that points at women's beauty 
155
155 Amazing Photographs
*MEGAN-Yrrbby
reports, September 30
reports, September 30155 amazing photographs of every, size, style, and color.
118
200+ beautiful retro photos vol.3
~danka-ns
reports, October 3
reports, October 3Check out one of the prettiest and biggest retro collections ever 
83
Tasteful Nudity in Black and White
=rav777 reports, 2d 18h ago
reports, 2d 18h agoAttention Art! - Tasteful Nudity in Black and White
This is a huge collection of carefully selected pictures from the artistic nude galleries - I may stress the word ARTISTIC. All images are black & white shots from a lot of well known artists, as well as from fairly unknowns.
This is a huge collection of carefully selected pictures from the artistic nude galleries - I may stress the word ARTISTIC. All images are black & white shots from a lot of well known artists, as well as from fairly unknowns.
79
Inspired Nature Photography
=dandelgrosso
reports, 1d 9h ago
reports, 1d 9h agoA collection of fantastic nature photography made by deviants over the past few months - who all inspire other deviants and especially me.
Who loved it?
~Phibie-Karis ~Pawnshopheart00 ~NanamiGenji ~LeoFLN ~tommylialways ~AnonymousAntagonist ^cosmosue ~natyismyhero ~Aerisblack ~rstrela =zarkin ~shadow-hostage ~MadScientistVX *secretladyspider *T-Hip =Alexspeed *Retoucher07030 ~ShockingRED =starxdust ~Backseat-Instigator =emptyidentityentity ~MaydayKoigo =Models-INC *kells-ari =harvesteridios ~Orao-1 ~dracheflugel =Rag-Dolly ~acydkitt3n *Amazonofexeter *Belisse ~nark4themind *LadyAnubis ~Dreamypunk ~doruoprisan ~yatesmon =ninazdesign =pulchra ~Lily-Evers ~emothic-girl *impurfektion $FallenRox =my-dark-desire ~Karim-sama =Coma7053 ~vhartley *WCS-Wildcat *alfastock =DalaiHarma ~Gil-chan ~The-Dark-Silhouette `thespook =edlo *luvablerogue *BlueTethys =bellator `ladytwiglet =Behana =Rickbw1 `Elandria *colt51 ~carlyx05x ~EvanescentAngel666 *mmenathalie
x 3 devious rejectionsPhotography
64love it
Interview with MJRanum
=Princess-of-Shadows
reports, July 15
reports, July 15 Interview with devmjranum:
Marcus Ranum, is one of the nicest people I've met here on dA. He's so funny, kind, very generous and such a talented and creative artist, someone who I highly admire. But who is the one behind the camera, what secret thoughts hide in his mind. Let's find out!
Marcus, thank you SO much for taking the time to do this interview. And I also would like to thank you in behalf of the whole community for having one of the best stock accounts around here. It's really amazing and very generous of you to provide such high quality, and creative photos for us all to use freely.
♥ Now I must begin with the obvious, and it's something I am always very curious about, because it's something that shocks me. How do you feel and how do you act when people go to your account and accuse you of being a "pervert", and say that your work is nothing but "porn"?
It infuriates me, as you can imagine! Not because it hurts my feelings or I care that deeply about what other people think, but because it serves as an unpleasant reminder to me of how stupid people can be. I used to take the time to try to engage in debate with them, but it's a complete waste of time - the "eek porn!" crowd don't actually have a functional definition of "what is porn" to work from. So, basically "porn" becomes "whatever I don't like" - it's silly. I see lots of stuff that I don't like but I don't feel obligated (or justified) in reaching out and poking the artist to try to ruin their feelings about their work. If I don't like something, I move along or go to places where I don't encounter it!
Then there's the matter of calling someone "pervert." Wow. Let me see if I have this right: I've been programmed by hundreds of millions of years of evolution to find females interesting to look at. And there's something wrong with that? I can imagine nothing more natural on earth than for a person to respond to sexual cues that are deeply rooted in our evolutionary biology. "Perversion" implies abnormal sexuality - and enjoying looking at naked girls(or guys, whatever your preference) presenting themselves attractively is about as normal as you can get. The real "perversion" is that some cultures and religions have convinced people that something quite natural and understandable is dirty, nasty, or improper. It's amazing hypocrisy, really! We are the only animals on earth that are ashamed of our bodies. How stupid is that?
♥ You have such a creative mind, that I honestly envy. You explore and mix themes, poses and concepts that none of us expects when looking at nude photography. Where do you get such great, and unique ideas from?
I can't help it. The ideas come whether I want them to or not. For every thing I actually do, there are hundreds of ideas for things that I don't care enough to carry forward. A few years ago, I spent several days (as part of an exercise) thinking about my creative process, and I concluded that really it's all just a form of free association. I'll see something and it'll stick in my mind and later combine with something else and - blammo! - ideas come out.
I've heard similar explanations from other highly creative people: one comedian I know says that when he needs an idea, he just thinks about chicken and then goes around trying to combine chicken with everything else he sees or thinks. His theory is that chicken is somehow inherently funny. It kind of is, if you think about it.
So, in a sense, that's what I am doing: I walk around asking myself how I could combine a pretty naked girl with whatever I see or think.
I'm only partly joking about that, by the way. The other day I was sitting in my office organizing a bunch of ideas for a shoot with a model and I saw my old flat-bed scanner sitting on my equipment rack. Instantly, I thought "what a fun idea for a photoset! A girl playing with a scanner..." Once the basic idea assembles itself in my mind, the details fill themselves in amazingly quickly. In fact, I usually assess how good an idea is based on how quickly it fills itself out. The really fun ideas leap into my mind full-fledged, and in glorious detail.
Creative inspiration, to me, is this process of free association, combined with lateral thinking and obsessive attention to detail. It's something you can practice and train yourself to do - but be careful - once you crack the idea-valve open, it's really really hard to get it closed again. Ask my friends: I walk around all day going "Hey, we could do this! or that!" It can be exhausting.
♥ When working with a model for the first time there is always a certain "tension" in the air. We don't know who we are working with, we don't know if she is easy going, her technique, her habbits, the way she responds to any criticism or helpful comments, ... How do you make your models more comfortable and also to be less anxious about the photoshoot yourself?
I don't hire anxious models! It's as simple as that. Mostly, because I'm lazy. I have to say that there is nothing more unpleasant than shooting a model who has self-image problems; it's like there's a shadowy 3rd person in the room trying to make sure the shoot goes poorly. When you work with professional models, they've usually gotten over their self-image problems, or they wouldn't still be modelling.
Usually, when I'm shooting with a new model, I just talk 200 miles an hour for a few minutes and explain what I have in mind, how I work, etc. I make sure they understand that I'm not interested in pulling them out of their comfort zone, that I am totally OK with them ad-libbing, that I'm not a control freak, etc. Sometimes, I have a very specific idea, and I say "OK I need to be a control freak for a second..." For the kind of work I do, getting a sense of fun in the photos is pretty important - so keeping everything light, fast, and casual is best.
♥ Each model is able to convey different emotions as they all have different body languages and expressions. When you have a certain idea/ concept in mind and are looking for a model, what are the main things you have in mind?
I usually fit the concept to the model only when it's appropriate. For example, if I want to shoot a picture where the central message involves a fantastic backside, there are a couple models I'd use that have fantastic backsides. Other times, if I want a set that has a particular overall feel that fits a certain model, then I'll hold that idea aside for her or sometimes schedule a specific shoot around getting that idea.
I have a mental punch-list of ideas that are tagged to certain models. So when they come in to shoot, I can just jump right into it. For example:
For the deconstructed Hooters' waitress series, I just knew I had to use Zinn because she's the quintessential bouncy blonde. And, sure enough, she loved the idea and nailed the concept. Whenever I need a curvy little ninja I use Rayn, etc. It's typecasting but it works.
Then I have a mental list of generic ideas that I can try with pretty much any model. I'm not sure if it's cheating, but, for example, I have my "women o on pedestal" series - I can shoot every new model I work with in that context, and several more "standard ideas" enough to fill up a whole shoot. I get mad at myself when I find myself just shooting "the usual stuff" though. Deconstructions, rotationals, 3D shots, cat-girls, pedestal shots, and - whoops - a 3 hour shoot has just gone by and I haven't done anything new.
♥ You recently had the great opportunity to work with =mehmeturgut and also *miss-mosh and I heard you guys had a blast :] Is there anyone else here on dA who you particularly would like to work with? ( photographers, models, digital artists, ... )
Oh, gosh, golly, darn, I could go on all day answering that question!!! I'd love to shoot =Princess-of-Shadows for example, but she lives too far away.
♥ And now to finish, a hard question deviantART is a community devoted to many different kinds of artists, and one of the most incredible things here is how many people there are around able and willing to share their secrets and techniques by offering tutorials, tips,tricks and helpful links.
But often this is a hard job to do because some people want to know "a little too much" or they ask tough questions that would require years of training, and study to answer. How do you feel when people approach you and make such general and vague questions such as: "Can you teach me how to photograph like you do?"
I try to start them down a useful path, anyhow. It's really funny you asked, because someone just sent me one of those open-ended questions the other day, and I spent 3 hours writing up an answer (which he kindly allowed me to post publicly on DA here: [link] .
The funny thing is that the really big questions still have interesting answers; it's just that the answers are really big, too! I.e.: "How do I get to be a famous artist?" "Go crazy, work like a fiend, and don't let anything get in your way." It's such broad advice that it's almost useless - like the question - but it's also true and accurate.
Last summer one of my friends was saying he wished he could shoot stuff like I do but he had this litany of reasons it wasn't possible - not enough practice, not the right kind of lens, etc. So I invited him over to my studio and had Amber (who is a dream to work with) come over, set up lights, told him, "go" and he came out with some really nice stuff. Seeing that kind of removes all the excuses, and after that he started making big jumps on his own. I had a similar thing done to me by one of my friends, Olaf Starorypinski, who let me use his studio and really rattled my brains a lot to get me thinking differently.
Another of my friends, Tal McBride, is a professional photographer who has been unstintingly helpful - periodically I email him an image and ask "how was this done" and he takes time out of his busy day and explains the way the lights were set up to get the shot (or the photoshop tricks that were used).
Artists who are improving constantly are the ones who surround themselves with friends who are willing to challenge their bad work, and rattle their brains every so often with new ideas. I try to rattle my friends' brains in return. I think that the most fun I've had in years was when I was invited to be a guest teacher for one evening of an art photography class, and brought cat-girl outfits and bunny ninja costumes and my red tricycle. Some brains were severely rattled that evening, I assure you!
Marcus Ranum, is one of the nicest people I've met here on dA. He's so funny, kind, very generous and such a talented and creative artist, someone who I highly admire. But who is the one behind the camera, what secret thoughts hide in his mind. Let's find out!
Marcus, thank you SO much for taking the time to do this interview. And I also would like to thank you in behalf of the whole community for having one of the best stock accounts around here. It's really amazing and very generous of you to provide such high quality, and creative photos for us all to use freely.
♥ Now I must begin with the obvious, and it's something I am always very curious about, because it's something that shocks me. How do you feel and how do you act when people go to your account and accuse you of being a "pervert", and say that your work is nothing but "porn"?
It infuriates me, as you can imagine! Not because it hurts my feelings or I care that deeply about what other people think, but because it serves as an unpleasant reminder to me of how stupid people can be. I used to take the time to try to engage in debate with them, but it's a complete waste of time - the "eek porn!" crowd don't actually have a functional definition of "what is porn" to work from. So, basically "porn" becomes "whatever I don't like" - it's silly. I see lots of stuff that I don't like but I don't feel obligated (or justified) in reaching out and poking the artist to try to ruin their feelings about their work. If I don't like something, I move along or go to places where I don't encounter it!
Then there's the matter of calling someone "pervert." Wow. Let me see if I have this right: I've been programmed by hundreds of millions of years of evolution to find females interesting to look at. And there's something wrong with that? I can imagine nothing more natural on earth than for a person to respond to sexual cues that are deeply rooted in our evolutionary biology. "Perversion" implies abnormal sexuality - and enjoying looking at naked girls(or guys, whatever your preference) presenting themselves attractively is about as normal as you can get. The real "perversion" is that some cultures and religions have convinced people that something quite natural and understandable is dirty, nasty, or improper. It's amazing hypocrisy, really! We are the only animals on earth that are ashamed of our bodies. How stupid is that?
♥ You have such a creative mind, that I honestly envy. You explore and mix themes, poses and concepts that none of us expects when looking at nude photography. Where do you get such great, and unique ideas from?
I can't help it. The ideas come whether I want them to or not. For every thing I actually do, there are hundreds of ideas for things that I don't care enough to carry forward. A few years ago, I spent several days (as part of an exercise) thinking about my creative process, and I concluded that really it's all just a form of free association. I'll see something and it'll stick in my mind and later combine with something else and - blammo! - ideas come out.
I've heard similar explanations from other highly creative people: one comedian I know says that when he needs an idea, he just thinks about chicken and then goes around trying to combine chicken with everything else he sees or thinks. His theory is that chicken is somehow inherently funny. It kind of is, if you think about it.
So, in a sense, that's what I am doing: I walk around asking myself how I could combine a pretty naked girl with whatever I see or think.I'm only partly joking about that, by the way. The other day I was sitting in my office organizing a bunch of ideas for a shoot with a model and I saw my old flat-bed scanner sitting on my equipment rack. Instantly, I thought "what a fun idea for a photoset! A girl playing with a scanner..." Once the basic idea assembles itself in my mind, the details fill themselves in amazingly quickly. In fact, I usually assess how good an idea is based on how quickly it fills itself out. The really fun ideas leap into my mind full-fledged, and in glorious detail.
Creative inspiration, to me, is this process of free association, combined with lateral thinking and obsessive attention to detail. It's something you can practice and train yourself to do - but be careful - once you crack the idea-valve open, it's really really hard to get it closed again. Ask my friends: I walk around all day going "Hey, we could do this! or that!" It can be exhausting.
♥ When working with a model for the first time there is always a certain "tension" in the air. We don't know who we are working with, we don't know if she is easy going, her technique, her habbits, the way she responds to any criticism or helpful comments, ... How do you make your models more comfortable and also to be less anxious about the photoshoot yourself?
I don't hire anxious models! It's as simple as that. Mostly, because I'm lazy.
I have to say that there is nothing more unpleasant than shooting a model who has self-image problems; it's like there's a shadowy 3rd person in the room trying to make sure the shoot goes poorly. When you work with professional models, they've usually gotten over their self-image problems, or they wouldn't still be modelling.Usually, when I'm shooting with a new model, I just talk 200 miles an hour for a few minutes and explain what I have in mind, how I work, etc. I make sure they understand that I'm not interested in pulling them out of their comfort zone, that I am totally OK with them ad-libbing, that I'm not a control freak, etc. Sometimes, I have a very specific idea, and I say "OK I need to be a control freak for a second..." For the kind of work I do, getting a sense of fun in the photos is pretty important - so keeping everything light, fast, and casual is best.
♥ Each model is able to convey different emotions as they all have different body languages and expressions. When you have a certain idea/ concept in mind and are looking for a model, what are the main things you have in mind?
I usually fit the concept to the model only when it's appropriate. For example, if I want to shoot a picture where the central message involves a fantastic backside, there are a couple models I'd use that have fantastic backsides. Other times, if I want a set that has a particular overall feel that fits a certain model, then I'll hold that idea aside for her or sometimes schedule a specific shoot around getting that idea.
I have a mental punch-list of ideas that are tagged to certain models. So when they come in to shoot, I can just jump right into it. For example:
For the deconstructed Hooters' waitress series, I just knew I had to use Zinn because she's the quintessential bouncy blonde. And, sure enough, she loved the idea and nailed the concept. Whenever I need a curvy little ninja I use Rayn, etc. It's typecasting but it works.
Then I have a mental list of generic ideas that I can try with pretty much any model. I'm not sure if it's cheating, but, for example, I have my "women o on pedestal" series - I can shoot every new model I work with in that context, and several more "standard ideas" enough to fill up a whole shoot. I get mad at myself when I find myself just shooting "the usual stuff" though. Deconstructions, rotationals, 3D shots, cat-girls, pedestal shots, and - whoops - a 3 hour shoot has just gone by and I haven't done anything new.
♥ You recently had the great opportunity to work with =mehmeturgut and also *miss-mosh and I heard you guys had a blast :] Is there anyone else here on dA who you particularly would like to work with? ( photographers, models, digital artists, ... )
Oh, gosh, golly, darn, I could go on all day answering that question!!! I'd love to shoot =Princess-of-Shadows for example, but she lives too far away.
♥ And now to finish, a hard question
deviantART is a community devoted to many different kinds of artists, and one of the most incredible things here is how many people there are around able and willing to share their secrets and techniques by offering tutorials, tips,tricks and helpful links.But often this is a hard job to do because some people want to know "a little too much" or they ask tough questions that would require years of training, and study to answer. How do you feel when people approach you and make such general and vague questions such as: "Can you teach me how to photograph like you do?"
I try to start them down a useful path, anyhow. It's really funny you asked, because someone just sent me one of those open-ended questions the other day, and I spent 3 hours writing up an answer (which he kindly allowed me to post publicly on DA here: [link] .
The funny thing is that the really big questions still have interesting answers; it's just that the answers are really big, too! I.e.: "How do I get to be a famous artist?" "Go crazy, work like a fiend, and don't let anything get in your way." It's such broad advice that it's almost useless - like the question - but it's also true and accurate.
Last summer one of my friends was saying he wished he could shoot stuff like I do but he had this litany of reasons it wasn't possible - not enough practice, not the right kind of lens, etc. So I invited him over to my studio and had Amber (who is a dream to work with) come over, set up lights, told him, "go" and he came out with some really nice stuff. Seeing that kind of removes all the excuses, and after that he started making big jumps on his own. I had a similar thing done to me by one of my friends, Olaf Starorypinski, who let me use his studio and really rattled my brains a lot to get me thinking differently.
Another of my friends, Tal McBride, is a professional photographer who has been unstintingly helpful - periodically I email him an image and ask "how was this done" and he takes time out of his busy day and explains the way the lights were set up to get the shot (or the photoshop tricks that were used).
Artists who are improving constantly are the ones who surround themselves with friends who are willing to challenge their bad work, and rattle their brains every so often with new ideas. I try to rattle my friends' brains in return. I think that the most fun I've had in years was when I was invited to be a guest teacher for one evening of an art photography class, and brought cat-girl outfits and bunny ninja costumes and my red tricycle. Some brains were severely rattled that evening, I assure you!
Community News81 Green Deviations Feature=Holly6669666
 reports, 1d 17h agoI posted on the forum asking people to show me their green deviations and I got a lot of very good green deviations. Please show your support for these artists by faving their art and faving this article. 79 Inspired Nature Photography=dandelgrosso
reports, 1d 9h agoA collection of fantastic nature photography made by deviants over the past few months - who all inspire other deviants and especially me. 73 KHR FAN ART CONTEST~ START!=brilcrist
 reports, 16h 15m agoin order to celebrate my 2nd doujinshi release, i decided to ake some fan art contest~ it's a Katekyo Hitman Reborn Contest Fan Art!!>w< 63 ---AMAZING ART FEATURE II---~kazumasoju
 reports, 1d 2h ago*---AMAZING ART FEATURE II---* - great artist unite. |
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Deviousness
`arcipello's artwork is instantly recognisable. His vibrant colours and sci-fi scenes are breathtaking at times, pulling you into a world where man and machine live in colourful harmony.
An inspiration to many, Daniel's dedication to his craft is evident throughout his gallery, with many of his beautiful prints hanging on walls across the globe. In recognition as being one of the most successful artists in our deviantART community, we're delighted to award this month's Deviousness Award to `arcipello Read More
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Devious Comments
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Colt
--
May the Way of the Hero Lead to the Triforce.
--
Excuse my random weirdness - it comes with the paranoia!
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USED MY STOCK? PLEASE SEE MY JOURNAL HERE [link] AND SEND ME LARGE VERSIONS FOR MY ARCHIVES PLZ!!!
Please don't speak... it would spoil the illusion I have that makes you intelligent... -.-
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UNO, green
"I'm the nuclear fallout for tonight, so I'll have to do, now eat your cake and let's get going".
--
"There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs". Ansel Adams.
Proud Member of *TerraSpace
My Site [link]
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- The Layers of Design
- DailyWheel.com - Comics and Games
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~chulii-stock ♥ experience the warmth before you grow old
I'm a complete stranger.
I have to thank him for all my progress because if it wasn't for Marcus I'd still be without a camera of my own.
So YAY for MJRanum! ^___^
--
I rock my own world.
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