RAW Presents: Stimulus

This Thursday RAW: Natural Born Artists is holding it’s monthly showcase at the Martini Ranch in Scottsdale. This special event is titled “Stimulus” and will feature artists from mediums such as Photography, Fashion, Visual Art and Music. I am very excited to announce that I will be participating in this amazing event and would love nothing more than to see all of you there! This will be my first art showcase in Arizona and it should be a fantastic one! I will be displaying some of my most popular work in print as well as unveiling new work that has never been shown to the public before!

There will be fashion shows from; Pierced Heart clothing, Trisha Bray, Triple M, Sonic Speeder and Satyr Comma Jewelry. As well as live musical performances by Fuchapro, blackmatt, Satyr Comma, and Geibral Elisha. Visual Artist include Jerrel Singer, Jnz Altered Art, Kristen Fagan, Chad Curry and Peggy Derrico with photography by Jonathan Tamayo, Bill Nash, Stephanie Lewis and 12 North Photography.

Stimulus is jammed packed with talent and it is most definitely not an event to be missed. Below are the event details:

When: 3/1/2012 at 8pm

Where: Martini Ranch | 7295 E. Stetson Drive | Scottsdale, AZ 85251

Details: 21+ event. Fashionable attire. Tickets are $10 via presale. $15 at the door.

Make sure you select the artist that you are supporting from the dropdown when you purchase your ticket! You can purchase tickets by clicking here!

I hope to see you all Thursday!

Mortal Kombat Cosplay

A few weekends back I had the great opportunity to work with 3 amazingly talented Arizona Cosplayers; Jessica Nigri, Rosanna Rocha and Paris Sinclair. The result was an awesome set of Grindhouse style Mortal Kombat photos. I chose to go with a Grindhouse theme because I feel that Mortal Kombat definitely falls under exploitation category. Like Mortal Kombat, Grindhouse films (or exploitation films) have always been infamously violent and share many similarities to the game. For example Cannibalism was a common theme in Grindhouse films and with characters like Mileena (modeled by Rosanna Rocha) it reigns true in the Mortal Kombat series as well making Mortal Kombat in my opinion one of if not the best fighting game ever made. Thank you for stopping by my blog and I hope you enjoy the photos!

To learn more about Jessica Nigri visit her website by clicking here!

To join Jessica on facebook click here!

To join Paris on facebook click here!

To join Rosanna on facebook click here!

To join 12 North Photography on facebook click here!

Countdown to the Lockdown

By now you might probably know that I am a huge horror buff and have a great fascination of the paranormal. On Saturday May 12th the Orange County Paranormal Society will be hosting “The Yuma Territorial Prison Lockdown” which is a fundraising event intended to raise money for the Yuma Territorial Prison Museum. The 7 hour long event will consist of a full paranormal investigation of some of the most reportedly haunted locations in Arizona, Special guests and much more. 12 North Photography has been asked to photograph the event and of course I jumped at the opportunity! To celebrate this awesome fundraiser I present to you “Countdown to the Lock Down” which will be a monthly series of fright filled photographs and stories! Each photo series will include some more information about the lockdown and it will all be concluded with photos and stories from the lockdown on May 12th! So if you can make it to Yuma or live in the area be sure not to miss this event!

In the meantime, I hope you enjoy the photos in this post and don’t miss next month’s “Countdown to the Lockdown”. Also, if you have any suggestions for a scary story or personal experience with the paranormal that you think would make for a great photo series leave it in the comment section below! If your story is selected I will make sure to give you credit in the post!

To learn more about the lockdown and OCPS click here

To join OCPS on facebook click here

To join 12 North Photography on facebook click here

Skyrim Cosplay Shoot

This past Sunday I worked with Arizona Cosplayer Jessica Nigri who modeled a costume she made based on a character from one of my favorite video games of all time; The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.  It was the first time I’ve been able to mix my love of photography with gaming, which is one of my favorite past times. With that being said I hope you all enjoy the photos!

This shoot was so much fun and I look very much forward to more in the future! I hope you all enjoyed the photos and thank you for stopping by my blog!

To learn more about Jessica Nigri visit her website by clicking here!

To join Jessica on facebook click here!

To join 12 North Photography on facebook click here!

To see the behind the scenes video of this shoot click here!

Cosplay Arizona pt.2

I forgot to mention in my last post “Cosplay Arizona” that it was a 2 parter! I actually photographed 2 Arizona Cosplay models on Saturday in this post Arizona Cosplayer JouninK is modeling a costume she made based on Young Master Xehanort from the Kingdom Hearts video game series. JouninK was such a pleasure to work with and you wouldn’t guess by looking at the photos, but we spent most of the time laughing and cracking jokes. I know I’ve said it before but Cosplay photography is such a blast and I look very forward to shooting more. So expect a Cosplay Arizona pt. 3 in the near future! In the meantime I hope you all enjoy the photos!

To learn more about JouninK CLICK HERE!

To Join 12 North Photography on facebook CLICK HERE!

I hope you all enjoyed the photos and don’t forget to subscribe!

Cosplay Arizona

Have you ever watched a television show or movie and said to yourself, I love that outfit and wish I had one like it? Well Cosplayers all over the world take that idea to the next level and actually create the amazing attire of their favorite characters in everything from; comic books, video games, movies, anime , etc. I first heard about Cosplay at the 2011 Phoenix Comicon and have ever since been interested in not only photographing Cosplay Models but in learning more about it. Did you know that Cosplay has been around for over 50 years and made it’s first appearance in the United States at Worldcon which was the first World Science Fiction Convention held in 1939? Today Cosplay isn’t confined to the halls of convention centers in fact all over the world people are using Cosplay as a way to be charitable. Groups like the Arizona Avengers put their resources to use by fundraising, charity work and volunteering.

Saturday I had the opportunity to work with my first Arizona Cosplayer Electric Lady. She molded her latest costume which is inspired by Madam Red from the anime series Black Butler. She has been cosplaying now for seven years and does it because she says, it gives her a way to be creative and step into the shoes of someone else. She made the jacket and dress seen in the photos and altered the hat and gloves to fit the character. It is a very impressive costume and I look forward to working with her again in the future. In the meantime I hope you all enjoy the photographs of Madam Red!

To learn more about Electric Lady CLICK HERE!

To Join 12 North Photography on facebook CLICK HERE!

I hope you all enjoyed the photos and don’t forget to subscribe!

Dream

On the Edge: Lost Somewhere Between Beauty and Insanity

Emina Lubovac

12 North Photography’s first ever “Next Model” contest winner Emina Lubovac is an amazing person with an equally amazing heart. She has never modeled before and this was only her second time as an adult having her photos professionally taken.

Emina approached our photo shoot together fearlessly and as you can tell by the images she is naturally an amazing model. Below is 12 North Photography’s interview with first time model and the winner of “12 North Photography’s Next Model Contest” Emina Lubovac.

Q: Tell us about yourself

A: I was born and raised in Bosnia in Europe. In 1995 I moved to Arizona and have been living here since. I am a new graduate from Grand Canyon University. I graduated with my B.S. and am currently trying very hard to start my career.

Q: What do you do for fun?

A: I love spending time with my lover and we have fun doing the littlest things, from Friday night dates to a simple coffee date. We have the best of times and create wonderful memories.

Q: What are your goals for the future?

A: I have so many. Even though I just graduated, I would love to go back to school for my masters degree. I would eventually love to hold a leadership position in a field that I am passionate about.

Q: Who is your favorite fashion designer?

A: Gabrielle Chanel, of course. I absolutely love the quality, craftsmanship, and the luxury behind the brand she created.

Q: Tell us about your blog.

A: Every time somebody I know finds out about my blog they are amazed by it. It makes me so happy and it’s also funny to me because I never put a FB status update about anything regarding my blog and some of my closest friends don’t even know it exists, maybe they will after reading this. I usually blog about my interests like skin care, makeup, clothes, nail designs, and sometimes I put up pictures I take when my boyfriend and I go out on a date or when I do something interesting. Little fun things like that.

Q: Do you plan on modeling in the future?

A: A lot of my friends and family tell me I should. I don’t have any SET plans but if something comes my way, why not? It’s such great memories to have plus it’s so much fun.

Q: How would you describe your fashion style?

A: I think I would describe it as classy and dressy. I just love to get fancy and dolled up when I go out. It’s so much fun.

Q: What inspires you?

A: It seems like everyday things, which may seem little to most, inspire me. An example would be when I see a homeless animal. It inspires me to pick them up, help them, clean them up and find them a good home. I love giving homeless and helpless animals a second chance in life, its seriously such an amazing feeling. A few years ago my love for animals inspired me to build an unofficial non-profit organization where my friends and I collected all vegan/vegetarian food in which helped feel the less fortunate people in Arizona.

Q: What advice would you give to someone who wants to learn more about fashion?

A: Right now it’s so convenient for anybody to learn about fashion because we have easy access to fashion blogs, YouTube fashion tutorials, and fashion ads seem to be everywhere. My advice is to simply browse around, find a look you like, try to duplicate it with a twist of your own style. Have fun with it and you will learn so much as you go.

Q: What advice would you give to new models?

A: My advice is to always stay true to yourself and never be a sell out. Never agree to do things you are not comfortable with or advertise something you are strongly against. No amount of money is worth it.

Also don’t forget to like 12 North Photography on Facebook! To like me on Facebook  CLICK HERE!

The Blood Countess Elizabeth Bathory

In August of 1614 in a walled room inside of an isolated castle high on a mountain top in what is now Slovakia, one of history’s most twisted and evil serial killers was found face down on the floor dead. Thus, ending her 3 year death sentence given to her for the murder of over 600 young girls. It wasn’t just the sheer number of the murders that makes her story so frightening, but more the manor in which she executed her victims. She would torture them for weeks, burn them, beat them, cannibalize them and even drink and bathe in their blood. Driven by sheer madness and vanity she believed that ingesting and bathing in the blood of the young girls she murdered would preserve her youth forever. This monster’s name was Elizabeth Bathory, and she is The Blood Countess.

How does one portray a monster? In researching images by others I found alot of the same thing, but nothing that really showed her as she would have been on the inside. A twisted figure obsessed with beauty and the preservation of it. Her vanity was like a curse that would break her again and again. Her prison was her mind and that is what I wanted to portray in my photographs. So I present to you the conclusion to 12 North Photography’s countdown to Halloween with the story of The Blood Countess Elizabeth Bathory.

Elizabeth Bathory was born in 1560 to one of the most powerful families in what was then the kingdom of Hungary. It was said that her family had more wealth then the king of Hungary himself and that she was the most powerful aristocratic woman in the country. At the tender age of 11 she was engaged to an equally powerful aristocrat by the name of Ferenc Nadasdy and at age 15 they were married.  Their wedding was one of the most powerful unions in the land giving her control of vast estates throughout Hungary, but it wasn’t just the estates she gained power over, it also included the surrounding villages. It was from these villages were she would later choose her victims. The majority of her crimes were committed in her isolated castle Csejte in the mountain borders of northern Hungary, and it was also at this castle where she was imprisoned in one room until her death.

In her early years Elizabeth was known to be a very strict disciplinarian when it came to her servants. She used cruel and unusual torture methods taught to her by her husband. One of these methods was called “Star Kicking” which consisted of rolling up paper and dipping it in oil. The paper was then put between the servants toes and lit on fire. The pain was said to be so excruciating that the servant would see stars. Other known cases of torture included holding a coin over fire until it was white-hot and pressing it into a young servant girl’s hand who was accused of stealing money from the house as well as sticking pins through servants lips and into their finger nails. These are just a few of her methods and to go into all of them would consume the entire article.

In 1604, her husband died sending Elizabeth over the edge. Her severe torture methods became more of an obsession rather than a cruel obedience tool. With the help of 4 of her most trusted servants she would begin her killing spree that lasted for 7 years and claimed the lives of over 600 young girls. To reach that number she would have had to kill 100 girls a year which  averages to about 8 girls a month. It wasn’t just the number of girls she murdered that truly frightened people, in fact, it was the manner in which she killed them that really sent shivers down their spines.

Elizabeth would send her 4 trusted servants to the surrounding villages to recruit young girls to serve in the castle. This was done by any means necessary, no matter if they purchased the girls, talked them into it with promises of food and pay or when all else failed kidnap them. The girls were brought up to the castle where Elizabeth would inspect them. If a girl was too small and weak she would send her away, only because they would die faster under torture and she wanted them to last until she was done with them. After the girls were chosen they would be taken into her dungeon, it was there where she would torture and eventually murder them. There are many myths around what happened in the dungeon but the facts are actually much more disturbing. For example, many people believe that she would fill a tub with the blood of her victims and bathe herself in it. Despite popular belief this is false, the truth of it is that she would have a girl caged and lifted above her, she would then take a spear and stab the girl. The blood of her victim would rain down from the cage and she would cover herself in it while laughing and screaming obscenities at her. In other cases she would bite the girls ripping the flesh from their shoulders, faces and chests. There are even cases where she would force her victims to eat their own flesh. Her motives for this remain unclear except for one; Elizabeth Bathory believed that by consuming the blood and flesh of her victims she took in that which made them young, therefore preserving her own youth and beauty. Like her torture methods these are only a few ways Elizabeth Bathory murdered her victims and to go into them all would consume the entire article.

In the end, Elizabeth Bathory tried to murder the daughter of a local protestant minister. The girl escaped and told her father about what was going on in the castle. This news quickly spread to the Hungarian Nobles and when they heard of the murders they acted quickly. This was also a great opportunity for her political nemesis and cousin to seize her lands. When he arrived at Csejte castle with a small band of soldiers he found 2 dead girls in the house right through the door from a number of wounds. In  Elizabeth’s room he found a dead girl under the bed and it is even said when he made his way into the dungeon she was in the middle of beating a girl to death for stealing a pear. Her cousin then convened a jury and put Elizabeth’s servants on trial. 3 of her 4 trusted servants were executed, two of which had their fingers torn off and then thrown into a fire and the third was beheaded. No one knows what happened to the fourth only that she was freed.Elizabethnever saw a trial, instead she was sentenced to life long imprisonment in one room in Csejte Castle. Her imprisonment lasted for three years and in late August 1614 she was found laying face down dead on the floor.

In conclusion, one of the most romanticized and told horror stories of our day is that of the vampire. They are viewed as beautiful killers whose mystery not only fascinates audiences but attracts them. In the most recent versions of vampire stories we have actually given the monsters a heart and taken them from the crypts and placed them on the cover of romance novels. Especially with the release of films like Interview with the Vampire, Twilight and True Blood is this relevant. Elizabeth Bathory was in the most literal sense a real vampire and unfortunately her story has even been romanticized by modern audiences because of this. The fact is, she was no beautiful silent killer, In fact the screams of her victims were so loud that local clergy men would throw pots at her windows. Nor did she sparkle in the sun or have a heart hidden beneath a rough exterior. She was however proof that sometimes truth is much more frightening than fiction.