Help a Girl Out

[octophoto]

Okay, so since I’ve never shared my work here, nor do I really post here at all, here is some background information:

I’m a 25 year old student that has been shooting for 8 years. If anyone could ever find any of my early work, you’d see I’m guilty of quite a few of the atrocities seen on this website, which gives me a good laugh. If I can find some of these bad first photos, I plan on submitting them to give everyone a good laugh. I like to think I’m vastly better than my once very naive,  teenage self.

Anyway, I do all manner of portrait work, but my favorite thing is pin up and boudoir photography. I’m based in between Cincinnati and Dayton, OH, and I like to think that as far as that genre is concerned, I’m pretty good at it.  Unfortunately though, I have to dedicate a lot of time to school and my retail job, so I can’t focus quite as much on my photography as I would like to, which also means I’m poor most of the time. As such, when I get a good idea for a portrait series, I often times don’t have the funding to pursue it to it’s fullest potential.

Which brings me to the reason for this post…

About a month ago I decided to create a fundraising campaign on the site IndieGoGo.com. This site acts as a platform for raising money for personal projects created by people and companies the world over. A person creates a project that they need funding for, sets a goal, and also creates perks that contributors can get by donating different dollar amounts to the project.

In my case, my project is a Superhero Pin Up series, the goal is $800 (stretch goal of $1000), and the perks are anywhere between a shout out on Facebook, to limited edition prints, and choosing one of the comic book characters I will be interpreting.

If you visit my IndieGoGo page, you’ll find some very basic teaser images (key word is “basic”), an in depth video, and more information as to how the money will be used and what not.  The gist of it is, I want to do 12 pin up interpretations of iconic Marvel and DC characters. These will not be babes in slutty Halloween costumes either. When I say pin up, I mean PIN UP, in the style of a Gil Elvgren painting, but with a subtle (but obvious) superhero twist.

The teaser image on the campaign page features my Superman concept which I shot in my friend’s dance studio on a plain background. The actual final images will be shot outdoors in a very cinematic way, and I plan on telling a little comic strip story with the images.

Other characters I plan to do besides Superman are Batman, Spider-Man, Galactus, Captain America, Storm, Wolverine, Thor, and Mystique. I have basic concepts lined up for each, and am working out the rest come the end of the fundraising campaign.

My plan is to show these images in art shows, and submit them to magazines. I’m considering also making a calendar to sell and donate some of the proceeds to a charity, but that is yet to be fully determined.

If you find it within your little, nerdy, photo loving heart to donate to my series, you will not only be helping me create something that’s been itching at me since the beginning of year, but also you maybe helping me boost my career, effectively changing my life. You can donate and share my campaign on Facebook and Twitter by following the link below:

http://igg.me/at/superheropinup/x/2293492

If this post is somehow breaking a rule for the website that I’m unaware of, or is really annoying to anyone, I apologize. 😀

P.S.- Sorry this is so long.

[snaphappy]

I’m not trying to be rude, I am really not. I’m just confused… most people pay for their own hobbies…

 

[dont.care]

So pretty much you’re soliciting the proverbial electronic version of the tin can asking for a dollar? O_o. I could understand if this was a million dollar project that could actually benefit people in some way or another.. However, a Superhero project? Not only do you _not_ hold copyright releases to use those logos/brands/trademarks legally, you’re looking to make money using logos you don’t own?? Notwithstanding that you’re technically begging for money to do it.. You’re a bad criminal. You suck at it.

 

You might want to call Marvel and DC comics and ask for permission.. Before you end up having to setup another TinCan ad asking for a lawyer.

[octophoto]

Okay, I think something was misunderstood here. I’m not intending to make money off of this at all. The calendar idea was just an after thought, and like I said, the proceeds would be going to charity. I should also note, that I specifically say in my video that this is not to make money, because of those copyright laws. The only reason I was considering the calendar was because people asked about it, many of whom are artists who deal with the comic book world. It is nothing set in stone, and if bothers people enough that I’m selling fan fiction for charity, I wont do it.  Easy as that. Further more, if you’re going to call me a criminal for doing a photo series that are just pin up interpretations (most of the images will not even be using any copyright logos), then you have to sling the same accusations to every fan artist out there who sells there work for profit, which again, is something I’m not doing.

 

Also, this is more than just a cute hobby to me, which is why I’m putting this much effort into this. I’ll be putting a lot of my own money into it, and I’ll be treating the final images as portfolio pieces. A lot of people are making use of sites like IndieGoGo and Kickstarter to help fund projects like this. Commercial portrait photographer, Joey L., just wrapped up a campaign on Kickstarter to raise money for a documentary he wanted to create. He’s way more successful than anyone who frequents this site, and I don’t see anyone giving him any flack for asking for help on a project.

If you don’t want help, that’s totally cool. You don’t know me, so it makes sense. I just know that in order to do what I want to do as far as this series is concerned, I can’t fund it completely on my own, which is one of the huge purposes behind websites like IndieGoGo; to help independent artist, inventors, and companies create whatever is they want to create.

 

[dont.care]

I don’t care what you do, and tbh if you’re not making a profit I’m fairly confident you’d probably get endorsed by those companies for a charity..

[snaphappy]

I want to buy a new camera.  I am working two jobs to pay for it.  That is life.  It may sound harsh, but I find it strange anyone would ask totally strangers to help them pay for something like this. Charity? Maybe.  But I am not helping you pay for your portfolio.  I really don’t care what that site is used for and I don’t care if a ton of people use it, doesn’t make it any less rude.

[JCFindley]

Can yall send me some money, I need a Canon 5DMKIII please. I will donate any overages to charity after I get glass to go with the new body o course.

Thanks.

[dont.care]

Yeah,  I don’t ever recall getting money for nothing, ever. I think snaphappy pretty much nailed it.. “Charity, maybe.. Portfolio definitely.”

Portfolios aren’t really all that hard to build.. You can technically take a binder with model releases to the street and ask people to let you photograph them. I’ve known people to setup shop downtown… Free photo, uploaded to the photographers website with the filename given to the person for access.. Only requirement is a model release. Take some flash guns, seamless white paper and a background stand and setup shop under some shade.. 😀 You can bang out some nice photos quickly.

 

[Rizzo]

and people have donated over $600?

wow. go peddle somewhere else.

[Worst Case Scenario]

Moral questions aside… am I the only one who thinks that sticking a Superman logo on a pair of knickers is not a fusion of pin up and super hero’s?  I’ve done a company calendar before ( with out any logos ) which was supposed to be based on super hero’s. But we abandoned the idea as we had run out of recognizable female hero’s by March.

 

[Thom]

I think this is a cool idea for people who are in school/near out-of-school to solicit funds for pet projects that they feel passion for. I’ve put money in a few Kickstarter programs and feel better since it would’ve been something I could’ve used when I was her age (internet wasn’t really that advanced yet). And it’s not like she’s asking for thousands of dollars. It’s pocket change really. Over $600 raised?…that’s pretty cool.

[picarusslim]

Hmm. Seems you’re doing well anyway. I have my own funds to raise but they’re to further other peoples work not my own. If you need equipment then earn it or stick it on a credit card and sweat about it later.

 

Nerd indeed.

 

 

[Author]

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