Happy New Year

    It’s been six weeks since I started this adventure and it’s now the longest time I’ve been abroad. The previous record was 1 month in Peru(Lima and Cusco) way back in 1999. That was certainly an adventure. That was through a study abroad program at Brooklyn College. I am now in the Hague, having just arrived last night. My time in Amsterdam, taking care of 2 kitties, Finn and Callie, has come to an end. Being winter time, there were a lot of overcast and cloudy days. It reminded me of Seattle. There were a few days where the sun peaked out behind the clouds to play. Luckily there were only a handful of days of rain. This was my second time in Amsterdam and both times have been in the winter. So the next time I visit will only be in the spring or summer where I can see all those tulips they talk so much about and I can wear shorts. Regardless of the weather, as always, I did a lot of walking and photo-ing.

Farewell to Re-Bar

 

Re-bar

     Oh Re-bar when I saw those tall buildings going up all around you, I thought, sooner or later they would get to you. I hope you do reopen in South Seattle and I’ll look forward to that day but I will miss walking down the street and seeing that iconic arrow over the entrance as I turn the corner on Howell street. I remember the first time I walked through your doors. It seemed like you were in the middle of nowhere. It was in September 2005 and it was for a burlesque show called “Back to School” hosted by Indigo Blue. It was a benefit show for victims of Hurricane Katrina. At that show I met Tamara The Trapeze Lady, Red Delicious and Heidi Von Haught. I had just purchased my first ever DSLR camera and I snapped a bunch of photos that night. Over the next 15 years I snapped thousands more. But I won’t take any more photos there and I will never walk through your doors on Howell street again. But let me put aside my sadness and resentments and instead express my gratitude for you.

Sinner Saint Burlesque-A Photo Anthology

        According to my meticulous photo records, I've photographed 21 Sinner Saint Burlesque shows starting in 2008 right through their last show, "A Midsummer Night's Reverie" last weekend. I've probably been to at least a dozen other Sinner Saint show's I hadn't photographed. I can't remember when my first Sinner Saint show was but I did I photograph their fundraiser in SODO back in December 2006. I have fond memories over the years of seeing their awesome shows, mostly at the Noc-Noc on 2nd Ave. Remember the tator tots? I celebrated my birthday 3 times at their Thursday night show, including one time when I get spanked on stage(though they really didn't spank me hard enough). Of course, like the rest of you I was sad to hear that  "A Midsummer Night's Reverie" would be their last show. Anyway here are some photos from over the years of some of the different Sinner Saint performers, hosts and guests. 

Sinner Saint Burlesque - Revolution

Evilyn Sin Claire

Doña Dei Cuori

How to feel comfortable and prepare for a good photo-shoot

                    People who want to do a photo-shoot with me sometimes tell me they’re terrible in front of the camera; like a deer in the headlights. They say they’re stiff, nervous and feel non-photogenic. That’s understandable. Photo-shoots can be intimidating. You’re fine posing with you friends on Saturday night out side the bar but in the studio it’s different. You’re in this foreign place, standing on a seamless roll of paper, maybe wearing some type of revealing costume you don’t normally wear with a bunch of bright lights pointing at you. But I say fear not! Here are some tips on how to a have a fun, comfortable and memorable photo-shoot.

Lana Milk 'n' Honey looking fierce 

10 years in Burlesque

     Ten years ago I entered the wonderful world burlesque. The setting was the gritty old Jewel Box Theater inside the Rendezvous Cafe in the city of Seattle. The show was a recital of recent graduates of Miss Indigo Blue's Academy of Burlesque, which routinely offered a six-week course in the art of the tease. After developing a persona, learning the craft, and picking a burlesque name, students graduate in the form of a recital in front of an audience. One of the graduates that night was my friend Joy who went by the name Ruby Caliente. Ruby had asked me to take photos of her act. It turned out to be one of the most pivotal moments of my life and would lead me to many incredible experiences as a burlesque fan, photographer, and performer.

Me in 2003 at which point I didn't know nuthin' about no burlesque
(photo by Carla Loo)