• Home
  • MGM’s Photos
    • Fashion/Glamour
    • Nudes
    • Street
  • Shoutouts
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • Commentary
  • About
  • Contact

Michael Grace-Martin

~ Photography, Art & Life

Michael Grace-Martin

Tag Archives: photos

Submissions for The Male Nude blog post

23 Sunday Aug 2015

Posted by mgm in Announcements, Fine Art

≈ Comments Off on Submissions for The Male Nude blog post

Tags

fine art, male, nude, nudity, photography, photos

Share

I’m planning to do a blog post about the Male Nude in photography. Many of the male nude photos (applies to many female nudes as well) I see are unimaginative, lack drama or artistry, have no sense of humor, and/or are simply smutty or pornographic.

If you have some male nude photos you’ve taken that you think rise above these common pitfalls, I’d like to see them! You may submit up to 3 images. I will feature the ones I like in my upcoming blog post with appropriate photo credit and link to your website.

Please size the images you submit within a 640 pixel high and 760 pixel wide rectangle; the closer they are to 760 pixels wide and/or 640 pixels tall, the better. Please make sure your attached image/s is/are less than 1mb in file size.

Depending on how long it takes to receive enough images I like, I expect to put the blog post up by October 1st, 2015.

Thanks!

The Male Nude photo submission

* indicates required field

Acceptable file types: doc,docx,pdf,txt,gif,jpg,jpeg,png.
Maximum file size: 1mb.
CAPTCHA
Refresh

 



Visit Michael's Art Photography Portfolio at SaatchiArt.com!

GrassRoots Festival 2015: Photos from my ‘Slant’ Perspective

22 Wednesday Jul 2015

Posted by mgm in Street

≈ Comments Off on GrassRoots Festival 2015: Photos from my ‘Slant’ Perspective

Tags

2015, color, event, grassroots, new york, photography, photos, street, trumansburg

Share

I have been photographing the GrassRoots Festival in Trumansburg, NY over the past couple of years in exchange for free admission to the festival. So, though I am being “compensated”, it feels like I’m shooting for free.

Rightly or wrongly, this “feeling” leads me to take liberties when deciding what to photograph–i.e., I tend to photograph whatever I find personally interesting or compelling, along with the more “standard” photos I believe the festival organizers actually want from me. (Shooting both types of photos almost in parallel has become quite natural for me.)

Here, then, are the photos the organizers are fairly unlikely to use, but which capture aspects and scenes that I find personally entertaining and which keep me going back to photograph the festival each year. They are a reflection of my skewed and maybe slightly jaded perspective (:p), and are in roughly chronological order.

(On a side note: in general, I think my 2014 GrassRoots photos turned out better, and the cause is probably 2-fold: 1) the heat this year negatively affected both the festival participants and me, and 2) I was having some equipment issues that will inform my equipment choices next year! I did, however, get better photos of the GrassRoots Happiness Parade this year with an equipment combo that now seems obvious. Those are coming soon…)

(click an image to see them full size..)

GrassRoots Festival 2015
GrassRoots Festival 2015
GrassRoots Festival 2015

GrassRoots Festival 2015
GrassRoots Festival 2015
GrassRoots Festival 2015

GrassRoots Festival 2015
GrassRoots Festival 2015
GrassRoots Festival 2015

GrassRoots Festival 2015
GrassRoots Festival 2015
GrassRoots Festival 2015

GrassRoots Festival 2015
GrassRoots Festival 2015
GrassRoots Festival 2015

GrassRoots Festival 2015
GrassRoots Festival 2015
GrassRoots Festival 2015

GrassRoots Festival 2015
GrassRoots Festival 2015
GrassRoots Festival 2015

GrassRoots Festival 2015
GrassRoots Festival 2015
GrassRoots Festival 2015

GrassRoots Festival 2015
GrassRoots Festival 2015
GrassRoots Festival 2015

GrassRoots Festival 2015
GrassRoots Festival 2015
GrassRoots Festival 2015

GrassRoots Festival 2015
GrassRoots Festival 2015
GrassRoots Festival 2015

GrassRoots Festival 2015
GrassRoots Festival 2015
GrassRoots Festival 2015

GrassRoots Festival 2015
GrassRoots Festival 2015
GrassRoots Festival 2015

GrassRoots Festival 2015
GrassRoots Festival 2015
GrassRoots Festival 2015

GrassRoots Festival 2015
GrassRoots Festival 2015
GrassRoots Festival 2015

GrassRoots Festival 2015
GrassRoots Festival 2015
GrassRoots Festival 2015

GrassRoots Festival 2015
GrassRoots Festival 2015
GrassRoots Festival 2015

GrassRoots Festival 2015
GrassRoots Festival 2015
GrassRoots Festival 2015

GrassRoots Festival 2015
GrassRoots Festival 2015
GrassRoots Festival 2015

GrassRoots Festival 2015
GrassRoots Festival 2015
GrassRoots Festival 2015

GrassRoots Festival 2015
GrassRoots Festival 2015
GrassRoots Festival 2015

GrassRoots Festival 2015
GrassRoots Festival 2015
GrassRoots Festival 2015

GrassRoots Festival 2015



Visit Michael's Art Photography Portfolio at SaatchiArt.com!

Small Photo Prints Now Available at eBay

13 Wednesday May 2015

Posted by mgm in Fashion/Glamour, MGM's Photos, Nudes, Prints, Street

≈ Comments Off on Small Photo Prints Now Available at eBay

Tags

art, auction, ebay, photography, photos, selling

Share

Hey everyone…

I’m now selling a variety of my photos as small prints (8x10s, 5x7s, 4x6s) at eBay. They’re all signed and numbered. If there are any specific photos I’ve posted at this website that you’d like to see at eBay, please let me know.

I plan to start offering theme-based “signature series” photo print packets (collections of 4-6 small prints) in the near future.

If you have an eBay account, follow me (make me a favorite seller) to be notified of new photo prints & print series as I make them available.

Click the photo below to see my photo prints currently available at eBay..!

Morning Coffee

Morning Coffee



Visit Michael's Art Photography Portfolio at SaatchiArt.com!

2014 GrassRoots Festival shot ‘Skew’

23 Wednesday Jul 2014

Posted by mgm in MGM's Photos, Street

≈ Comments Off on 2014 GrassRoots Festival shot ‘Skew’

Tags

2014 Grassroots Festival, event, photography, photos, street

Share

I like finding & making quirky photos when I shoot street photography. The annual GrassRoots Festival in Trumansburg, NY always has lots of quirkiness. So I have been attending the GrassRoots Festival over the past few years looking to make quirky photos.

You might say: “Well, that doesn’t seem like much of a challenge if the subject matter is already quirky!”. I would say that’s a very good point. But then I would add, “how about unintentional quirkiness at a quirky event? There’s still that!”.

In any case, I enjoy the oddities at the GrassRoots Festival each year and the challenge of making photos that don’t look like all the other Grassroots photos being taken by the other 100 or so photographers with press passes at the event each year (ok, maybe it just seems like that many…:p).

Some of these photos aren’t that quirky, but I like them anyway. The great thing about photographing the festival is I’m totally on my own without a shot list.

Here’s an initial smattering. I’ll be adding more much later this Summer into early Fall…:-).

2014 GrassRoots Festival
2014 GrassRoots Festival
2014 GrassRoots Festival
2014 GrassRoots Festival

2014 GrassRoots Festival
2014 GrassRoots Festival
2014 GrassRoots Festival
2014 GrassRoots Festival

2014 GrassRoots Festival
2014 GrassRoots Festival
2014 GrassRoots Festival
2014 GrassRoots Festival

2014 GrassRoots Festival
2014 GrassRoots Festival
2014 GrassRoots Festival
2014 GrassRoots Festival

2014 GrassRoots Festival
2014 GrassRoots Festival
2014 GrassRoots Festival
2014 GrassRoots Festival

2014 GrassRoots Festival
2014 GrassRoots Festival
2014 GrassRoots Festival
2014 GrassRoots Festival

2014 GrassRoots Festival
2014 GrassRoots Festival
2014 GrassRoots Festival
2014 GrassRoots Festival



Visit Michael's Art Photography Portfolio at SaatchiArt.com!

2013 Cazenovia College Fashion Show (40th Anniversary)

22 Monday Apr 2013

Posted by mgm in Fashion/Glamour, MGM's Photos

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

2013, cazenovia, college, fashion, photos, show

Share

Cazenovia College celebrated 40 years of fashion shows today and I was there to take photographs.

I will be editing photos over the next few days. I’ll be adding to them to the gallery below.

(By the way, the main show photos are now online and available for purchase. Note: contact me if you are one of the designers to get all of your runway images for a highly discounted $99.)

2013 Cazenovia College Fashion Show
2013 Cazenovia College Fashion Show
2013 Cazenovia College Fashion Show

2013 Cazenovia College Fashion Show
2013 Cazenovia College Fashion Show
2013 Cazenovia College Fashion Show

2013 Cazenovia College Fashion Show
2013 Cazenovia College Fashion Show
2013 Cazenovia College Fashion Show

2013 Cazenovia College Fashion Show
2013 Cazenovia College Fashion Show
2013 Cazenovia College Fashion Show

2013 Cazenovia College Fashion Show
2013 Cazenovia College Fashion Show
2013 Cazenovia College Fashion Show

2013 Cazenovia College Fashion Show
2013 Cazenovia College Fashion Show
2013 Cazenovia College Fashion Show

2013 Cazenovia College Fashion Show
2013 Cazenovia College Fashion Show
2013 Cazenovia College Fashion Show

2013 Cazenovia College Fashion Show
2013 Cazenovia College Fashion Show
2013 Cazenovia College Fashion Show

2013 Cazenovia College Fashion Show
2013 Cazenovia College Fashion Show
2013 Cazenovia College Fashion Show

2013 Cazenovia College Fashion Show
2013 Cazenovia College Fashion Show
2013 Cazenovia College Fashion Show

2013 Cazenovia College Fashion Show
2013 Cazenovia College Fashion Show
2013 Cazenovia College Fashion Show



Visit Michael's Art Photography Portfolio at SaatchiArt.com!

Selling Mens Underwear by Michael Grace-Martin

01 Friday Mar 2013

Posted by mgm in Fashion/Glamour, MGM's Photos

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

ads, male, men, photography, photos, underwear

Share

I turned 50 this year. So what?

When I was in my 30s, I lived in California and worked out a lot. I got to be pretty “buff” and a friend told my girlfriend at the time (now my wife) that I should model mens underwear. I thought this was a pretty funny suggestion (I was in grad school at the time), but eventually actually went as far as having a fellow grad student take some photos for a small portfolio, and even meeting with a modeling agency in LA! (Once I found out how much it cost, I decided not to go that route.)

One of my "modeling" photos (circa 1996)

One of my “modeling” photos (circa 1996)

Other than posting some model photos on the Internet (a very new thing at the time), I never actually got a modeling gig and quickly put the whole idea behind me. Life went on, including getting married, moving to Upstate New York, and having two children.

Well…upon turning 50 this past year, I wanted to commemorate the occasion photographically. I knew I wanted to do a self-portrait series (partially inspired by the work of Cindy Sherman and Francesca Woodman), but I was having a hard time deciding on what sort of series.

Then I remembered how Jim Palmer (a very successful pitcher with the Baltimore Orioles) famously modeled Jockey underwear…which I thought he did in his 50s *after* retiring from baseball. (It turns out I was wrong; he was actually in his 30s and 40s…though maybe he did it as late as his early 50s? I’m not sure anymore!) That combined with my early failed attempt at underwear modeling clinched it for me: I would do a series on mens underwear ads.

For this series, I looked at all the mens underwear ads I could find. (Did you know there are people selling vintage mens underwear ads at eBay?)

Mens underwear ads used to be very straightforward and boring (with most of the models wearing “tighty whities” or boxer shorts and t-shirts). The ads Jim Palmer did were a bit more sexy; he was tan and wearing bikini briefs, but simply sitting on the edge of a box in front of a plain backdrop looking at the camera. Provocative for the times, but still relatively mild.

Jim Palmer in Jockey Briefs in the 1980s

Jim Palmer in Jockey Briefs in the 1980s

Over the years, the ads–and the underwear–have gotten more sexy, blatant (“in your face”) and have even managed to slip in some nudity–i.e., where the model isn’t even wearing underwear, but the underwear are somewhere in the “scene” (this, in particular, makes me chuckle).

The settings in the ads range widely, but can be exotic locations (like Mediterranean beaches), luxurious bedrooms, or near eye-catching architecture. It seems to me the places where men are usually in their underwear are a bit more “pedestrian”. But do commonplace locations not sell underwear??

So for this, my 50th year, I decided to do my own “take” on mens underwear ads to see how much I could capture of the spirit of the current ads out there, as well as honing them a bit to be more realistic, or…perhaps, uh…more “preposterous”?…:-).

NEW!
You can now purchase some of the underwear used in this photo series! Go to my Amazon Associates store to buy them now. The small amount I receive from each purchase helps to support this website…:).

[Addendum (3/3/13):
I’m realizing that it can be very tricky doing a self-portrait project that isn’t viewed as an outright, attention-getting vanity performance. From my perspective, I was using a model to whom I have exclusive access, was ready when I needed him, and who I didn’t even have to worry about paying. I was a great resource for myself to do a photo project, and I don’t want to have to shy away from using this model just because he’s me.]

5/1/2013: One other point I’d like to add: I trained for this shoot like I was Sylvester Stallone training for a Rocky movie! I really pushed myself in workouts and did extra sessions during the two weeks leading up to the shoot. I also applied self-tanning lotion until I started turning orange! (my orange skin was getting looks at the gym, I could tell…:p) I guess my point is that I really worked for this and it wasn’t easy.

Selling Mens Underwear #1 (Workout Stogie)
Selling Mens Underwear #2 (Naked Couch Guy)
Selling Mens Underwear #3 (Form Fitting)

Selling Mens Underwear #4 (Deodorant Jockey)
Selling Mens Underwear #5 (Sex Symbol)
Selling Mens Underwear #6 (Telly Trunks)

Selling Mens Underwear #7 (Pizza in Bed)
Selling Mens Underwear #8 (Shaving Briefs)
Selling Mens Underwear #9 (Matching Fruit)

Selling Mens Underwear #10 (Dark Tan Man..w/Power Tool)
Selling Mens Underwear #11 (Crotch Shot Man)
Selling Mens Underwear #12 (Lolly and Shades)

Selling Mens Underwear #13 (Naked Bed Guy)
Michael’s Amazon Store (click arrow)



Visit Michael's Art Photography Portfolio at SaatchiArt.com!

Cornell University “After Hours”

09 Friday Nov 2012

Posted by mgm in MGM's Photos, Street

≈ Comments Off on Cornell University “After Hours”

Tags

cornell, photos, street, university

Share

I get a lot of paid photography work at Cornell University. When I finish a gig there, I usually still have a strong “looking for photos” mindset right after the gig (and of course, I’ve got my cameras with me) and so I end up taking random photos on campus. I decided to start a gallery here at my website where I’ll feature some of these “after hours” Cornell shots…:-).

Cornell Unversity “After Hours”
Cornell Unversity “After Hours”
Cornell Unversity “After Hours”

Cornell Unversity “After Hours”
Cornell Unversity “After Hours”
Cornell Unversity “After Hours”

Cornell Unversity “After Hours”
Cornell Unversity “After Hours”
Cornell Unversity “After Hours”

Cornell Unversity “After Hours”
Cornell Unversity “After Hours”
Cornell Unversity “After Hours”

Cornell Unversity “After Hours”
Cornell Unversity “After Hours”
Cornell Unversity “After Hours”

Cornell Unversity “After Hours”
Cornell Unversity “After Hours”
Cornell Unversity “After Hours”

Cornell Unversity “After Hours”
Cornell Unversity “After Hours”
Cornell Unversity “After Hours”



Visit Michael's Art Photography Portfolio at SaatchiArt.com!

Halloween 2012

01 Thursday Nov 2012

Posted by mgm in MGM's Photos, Street

≈ Comments Off on Halloween 2012

Tags

2012, halloween, photos

Share

A few 2012 Halloween photos for ya!…:-)

Halloween 2012, (c) Michael Grace-Martin
Halloween 2012, (c) Michael Grace-Martin
Halloween 2012, (c) Michael Grace-Martin

Halloween 2012, (c) Michael Grace-Martin
Scumdogs of the Universe (back stage), (c) Michael Grace-Martin
Halloween 2012, (c) Michael Grace-Martin

Elvis and the Guy in the Chicken Suit (October 31, 2012; Brooktondale, NY)
Halloween 2012, (c) Michael Grace-Martin
Halloween 2012, (c) Michael Grace-Martin

Halloween 2012, Crappy Clown
Halloween 2012, (c) Michael Grace-Martin
Halloween 2012, Scumdogs of the Universe

Halloween 2012, (c) Michael Grace-Martin



Visit Michael's Art Photography Portfolio at SaatchiArt.com!

Grass Rootus Festivus

04 Tuesday Sep 2012

Posted by mgm in MGM's Photos, Street

≈ Comments Off on Grass Rootus Festivus

Tags

2012, art, festival, grassroots, photos, trumansburg

Share

Every July, Trumansburg, New York hosts the GrassRoots Festival at its fairgrounds. It’s four days of music, drinking, dancing, eating, body painting, camping, meeting new people, and general debauchery. For the first time this year (July 2012), I was able to attend the festival for more than just a couple of hours.

I took almost two thousand photos over a day and a half (I posted 140+ of them in a later post); but my perspective fluctuated somewhat. I captured a mix of candid and posed photos, and my visual sense alternated between picking out purely candid expressions to noticing more artistic (at least to me) settings and compositions.

Due to this dynamic and changing sense, I am able to assemble significantly different collections of photos from this large set with little overlap between them.

For this series, I focused on some of the more deadpan, enigmatic shots I captured. To me, these are analogous to the types of jokes (in the arena of humor) that you enjoy at an intellectual level, rather the ones that make you laugh out loud.

I hope some of these bring a smile to your mind…:-).

(c) Michael Grace-Martin
(c) Michael Grace-Martin
(c) Michael Grace-Martin

(c) Michael Grace-Martin
(c) Michael Grace-Martin
(c) Michael Grace-Martin

(c) Michael Grace-Martin
(c) Michael Grace-Martin
(c) Michael Grace-Martin

(c) Michael Grace-Martin
(c) Michael Grace-Martin
(c) Michael Grace-Martin



Visit Michael's Art Photography Portfolio at SaatchiArt.com!

Bat Mitzvah Photos and Artistic Expression

19 Thursday Jul 2012

Posted by mgm in All, MGM's Photos

≈ Comments Off on Bat Mitzvah Photos and Artistic Expression

Tags

art, bat mitzvah, event, photography, photos

Share

Regardless of whether I’m photographing an event, a portrait session, or while traveling, I’m always looking for interesting photos that go beyond being of interest to only the participants. These are photos that seem to “elevate” past the specific context of the event.

Granted, some of the photos I take at an event are not very artistic. Most of my event photography is meant to candidly document an event using technical expertise; I believe this is the main deliverable a paying client wants from me. If I can find places in which to throw in some artistic panache, all the better–especially for weddings.

Here are a few from a recent bat mitzvah I photographed. I have photographed numerous bar mitzvahs. And though it had similarities to a bar mitzvah, it also had its unique qualities that you would only find at a party with lots of 12-13 year old girls!

Bat Mitzvah by Michael Grace-Martin (June 2012)
Bat Mitzvah by Michael Grace-Martin (June 2012)
Bat Mitzvah by Michael Grace-Martin (June 2012)

Bat Mitzvah by Michael Grace-Martin (June 2012)
Bat Mitzvah by Michael Grace-Martin (June 2012)
Bat Mitzvah by Michael Grace-Martin (June 2012)

Bat Mitzvah by Michael Grace-Martin (June 2012)
Bat Mitzvah by Michael Grace-Martin (June 2012)
Bat Mitzvah by Michael Grace-Martin (June 2012)

Bat Mitzvah by Michael Grace-Martin (June 2012)
Bat Mitzvah by Michael Grace-Martin (June 2012)
Bat Mitzvah by Michael Grace-Martin (June 2012)

Bat Mitzvah by Michael Grace-Martin (June 2012)
Bat Mitzvah by Michael Grace-Martin (June 2012)
Bat Mitzvah by Michael Grace-Martin (June 2012)

Bat Mitzvah by Michael Grace-Martin (June 2012)
Bat Mitzvah by Michael Grace-Martin (June 2012)
Bat Mitzvah by Michael Grace-Martin (June 2012)

Bat Mitzvah by Michael Grace-Martin (June 2012)
Bat Mitzvah by Michael Grace-Martin (June 2012)
Bat Mitzvah by Michael Grace-Martin (June 2012)

Bat Mitzvah by Michael Grace-Martin (June 2012)
Bat Mitzvah by Michael Grace-Martin (June 2012)
Bat Mitzvah by Michael Grace-Martin (June 2012)

Bat Mitzvah by Michael Grace-Martin (June 2012)
Bat Mitzvah by Michael Grace-Martin (June 2012)
Bat Mitzvah by Michael Grace-Martin (June 2012)

Bat Mitzvah by Michael Grace-Martin (June 2012)



Visit Michael's Art Photography Portfolio at SaatchiArt.com!

← Older posts

MGM’s Twitter Feed

Twitter
Michael Grace-Martin
Michael Grace-Martin
@mgmsbrain

@cbouzy I'm moving my Twitter account over to Spoutible. Already started an account at spoutible.com/mgracemar 😀

reply retweet favorite
8:32 pm · April 7, 2023
Twitter
Michael Grace-Martin
Michael Grace-Martin
@mgmsbrain

I think I'm just going to move over to Spoutible because I like how they're doing things over there. Check it out and maybe follow me there at spoutible.com/mgracemar

reply retweet favorite
10:26 pm · April 6, 2023
Twitter
Michael Grace-Martin
Michael Grace-Martin
@mgmsbrain

Saratoga Racetrack (Aug 2019) #streetphoto #streetphotography #colorphotography #eventphotography #candidphotography #saratogany #saratogaracetrack #photography pic.twitter.com/rNRYx2T23F

reply retweet favorite
6:20 pm · January 25, 2023
Twitter
Michael Grace-Martin
Michael Grace-Martin
@mgmsbrain

Seat at the Table (2011) #portraitphotography #portrait #portraiture #female #woman #throwbackthursday #throwback #bnwportrait #bnw #bnwphoto #photography pic.twitter.com/CIMurIxGGb

reply retweet favorite
9:56 pm · January 17, 2023
Twitter
Michael Grace-Martin
Michael Grace-Martin
@mgmsbrain

Grassroots Festival (July 2022) #street #streetphotography #photography #eventphotography #candidphotography #people #grassrootsfestival #trumansburg #streetshot #fashionstyle pic.twitter.com/xd2rsmO3bu

reply retweet favorite
9:55 pm · January 17, 2023
Follow @MGMSBRAIN

Subscribe to this blog!

 Subscribe via your own reader

Hosted by:

Recent Posts

  • My Latest Photos and Tweets
  • Fall Fashion (Oct 2019) by Michael Grace-Martin
  • Smithsonian Center for American Art, Washington DC (July 2016)
  • The Great New York State Fair, Syracuse, NY (Sept 2016)
  • 2016 Ithaca Festival Parade
Easy way to support this site: Buy Toilet Paper!

Proudly powered by WordPress Theme: Chateau by Ignacio Ricci.