HOARD MAGAZINE January 2002
Danielle Bedics is a Los Angeles based photographer specializing in vintage pin-up photography. Her work has been featured in the pages of EROTICA Magazine, San Francisco's SPECTATOR and SKIN TWO. She has also been the subject of several local gallery events at Stormy Leather and has appeared as a guest artist at the December 2001 Winky Tiki Pin-Up exhibition at Dixie Fried in Hollywood. Danielle uses many unique locations as a richly textured backdrop for her portraits which range from sensual imagery of local dancers, to campy burlesque troupes, to classic cheesecake. interview: DANIELLE: Photography is the outlet I use for my artistic expression. It is a means for me to express my appreciation for the beauty of woman in a timeless photograph. The camera is simply the tool that provides that means. In my photographs I try to bring out a woman's inner as well as outer beauty. I want to reflect her strength and sensuality. To me, that is the true art of photographing a woman, each with her own spirit and eroticism. HOARD: Why pin-up? Why Vintage? DANIELLE: I think it’s the innocence that attracts me to the old style cheesecake photography. There was a certain naiveté back then that is lost in today’s imagery. Personally, I find a woman in stockings and lingerie to be more sexy than a woman who is fully nude. I am attracted to the mystery and tease of vintage pin-up photography. HOARD: Why would you say there is a contemporary sub-culture interest with the 40’s and 50’s? DANIELLE: I’m not sure why other people are interested in this sub-culture, but for me it’s purely nostalgia. I love looking through books on this subject matter or visiting antique shops and falling upon something my grandmother once had in her home, or a toy I once played with as a small child. I’m sure to some, it may be just the trendy thing to do, but there is something comforting about that era that peaks my interest.
HOARD: When did you first pick up a camera and start exploring the medium? What were some of your first subjects? Describe some of your earliest photographs.
My first subjects of interest were women. When I was a little girl I used to sneak into my Father’s Playboy collection and ogle over the beautiful pinup girls. So my first photographic subjects were my female friends. Once I’d donea few photo shoots, I decided to start a web page to showcase my progress. People began to notice my work, and the feedback I received was very encouraging and positive. I began to make more and more contact with prospective models through the internet, as well as word of mouth from friends. When I first started shooting, my photographs were mostly done in black and white. At the time, I was living in Dallas, Texas and there was an abandoned fiber mill that I’d use to shoot at rather frequently. Since most of my friends belonged to the gothic subculture, the subject matter was much more gothic/industrial influenced than what I’ve been shooting recently.
HOARD: How do you like to work? Do you plan extensively before a shoot? Or do you work with accidents and serendipity? Or a combonation of these?
My shoots come about by both planning and serendipity. With models I’ve worked with before, I can usually do more planning because I am familiar with their styles and interests. It’s easy to come up with ideas once I’m familiar with a model’s personality. With new models, it’s a little harder until I get to know them better. I typically ask what type of wardrobe a model has in her closet, and once I get an idea of her style, we brainstorm ideas together and come up with something that will benefit us both. Happy little accidents are always a plus too. For instance, I can remember one particular photo shoot with model, Scarlet. She came to my home before the shoot and asked me to look out the window to see if her car was okay where it was parked. When I looked out at the car, it was a 1964 Ford Galaxy. She fit the car so well, that I just had to shoot her in it!
HOARD: Do you do any self-portraiture? DANIELLE: Interesting question. I do not do self portraiture. Now that I think about it, I guess I am just so busy focusing on others that I tend to neglect allowing myself to be in front of a camera. Every now and then though that little voice of vanity will creep into my head and I will model for another photographer. But I’ve never really had the desire to shoot self-portraits. HOARD: What magazines would we find sitting on your coffee table? What would we find decorating your walls at home? DANIELLE: If you went to my coffee table right now, you’d find Bunny Yeager’s, "Bunny's Honeys", "Cheesecake!, The Rottenberg Collection" by Taschen, "Bettie Page, Queen of Hearts" by Jim Silke and "The Encyclopedia of Witches and Witchcraft" by Rosemary Ellen Guiley (Yes, I am still a goth girl at heart). At home the walls are a combination of my husband’s (Chad Ward of digitalapocalypse.com ) bio-mechanical dark art and my pinup photography. There are also various paintings by other artists who are influential to us such as H.R. Geiger, a signed Bettie Page piece by Olivia and several Michael Parkes paintings. HOARD: Describe your most bizarre dream. No editing allowed. DANIELLE: For some reason I have reoccurring dreams about UFOs. Too much X-files maybe? I don't know. But I'm always being chased by these intricate space ships back in Pennsylvania in my parents' backyard. How embarrassing is that! But hey, you asked! HOARD: The essence of your work ranges from beautiful, to erotic to really, really funny. I think those ingredients make an interesting cocktail. Would you like to say anything about "beauty" "eroticism" and "humor", in regard to your work or maybe just in general? DANIELLE: You know, I'm glad you asked that. I often wonder what people think of my work being that it's just all over the board. Beauty, eroticism and humor… all of these personas are a part of me. I have so many diverse interests and I think that tends to show through in my photography. What you see projected in my photographs is also brought about by each individual model. I don't think you can really throw me into one category because there are so many different facets to my personality and I am interested in so many different kinds of women. That is why I've called my web site simply, "Beautiful Girls".
HOARD: Describe the best and worst shooting experience you ever had. DANIELLE: It's hard to choose the best shooting experience. Almost all of them have been positive, so I can't really pinpoint any one in particular. As long as a model is excited about my work and shooting with me, then it is always a great experience. But I think the worst shooting experience I had was with a model by the name of Akemi. We were shooting in a park in Oakland, California and she was sitting in front of her boyfriend's 1950 convertible corvette. We had just finished the entire photo shoot, but decided for the last shoot we would do a quick topless picture that was meant to be a teasing type shot. She'd be covering her breasts with her arms folded across her chest - there was no intent to show nudity in the picture. Well, sure enough the second Akemi removed her top and I snapped the photo, up pulled the Oakland police department. To make a long story short, after the cop finished putting us through the ringer and threatening to charge us with indecent exposure, both of us ended up with $270 tickets for disorderly conduct. It was just an all around awful experience that was blown way out of proportion by a cop with an inflated ego. On the other hand, Akemi and I are now good friends and we got some pretty nice photos to show from that shoot, so at least something good came out the whole ordeal. HOARD: Name the one person in the entire universe you would love the photograph. DANIELLE: Gwen Stefani from No Doubt. I've always had a thing for blondes and she is such a doll! HOARD: When you were a child, what did you want to grow up to be? DANIELLE: When I was a kid I went through so many phases of what I wanted to be. First it was an oceanographer. Remember Jacques Cousteau? I guess I was influenced by watching his show all the time. Then it was a veterinarian. I've always had a great love for animals and still do. Oh, and for a while there I wanted to be a racehorse jockey -- my Father and I used to go to the track a lot when I was a kid and I also rode horses most of my life. I'd hoped to ride for the United States Equestrian Team as well. HOARD: Any new projects or plans we should anticipate? DANIELLE: If all goes well, in 2002 I hope to start working more with studio lighting. Up until now, I've worked almost 100% with natural light. I'd like to begin to teach myself the type of lighting you see in the old Bernard of Hollywood photos. I have quite an uphill climb, but that is my goal for the upcoming year. HOARD: Thank you very much Danielle. [END] -- You can view an extensive collection of Danielle's photography by visiting her site: www.whiterabbitstudio.com HOARD'S interview with modern-vintage pin-up girl Lana Landis You might also want to try Antonio Riello's "Ladies Weapons" -- |
