"Of White and Black" "Shower's Intamacy"

                                                                   "Shower's Intamacy"

          With the senseless chatter of those in line at a checkout stand I drift away into a ponder of what message I hope to tell with Allie’s shoot. Receiving the same odd look from an older cashier that I receive every time I buy the most recent issue of Vogue and 2 packs of AA batteries I shuffled in my pocket to find my cash, unbearable silence continuing to build between me and the judgmental eyes of who ever this woman is causing me to feel slightly uneasy. I mean the magazine has the stunning Kate Upton on the cover, everyone needs batteries, what is her issue? I think that I am going to start going there every day and buy 2 sticks of deodorant, 12 pairs of women socks and 10 blank CDs. Every day I will do this. That is a completely random combination, A lot more weird than a vogue and 8 AA batteries. “Does he really use 2 sticks of deodorant a day?” “what are the CDs for?” “and women’s socks?” “How many women does he know?” “are the CDs for them?” “which 2 don’t get CDs?” these are the questions I can imagine her asking herself as I leave her line every day. With that being said, who needs socks and or wants a mix tape? For those of you wondering, the Vogue was for posing ideas and its freaking KATE UPTON she’s gorgeous. The batteries were for my speed lights.

          Ok, now that the funny story of this older lady is behind us I can talk about my actual shoot with Allie. If you live in or near the Tarboro area, you know that last week and this week as well have been filled with severe rain storms and wind from tropical storm Andrea. Hesitant on whether we should shoot or postpone I opted to play it safe and shoot in a wooded area so if it decided to pour down on us we would have some sort of shelter all be it minimal. I am glad that I had that idea now, not only because I captured amazing photos of Allie in those woods but because it did decide to pour down, about 5 different times. When I say pour, I mean big ole granddaddy drops of rain. I always tell people that it’s always a party when you shoot with me, meaning that something exciting always happens, this one being no exception.

          As you can see, Allie is in white. Actually more of an off white but none the less she looks stunning, it looks stunning against her tan skin and blonde hair. Talking about her new boyfriend, college classes, a recent birthday party, and parents Allie provides me with beautiful expressions of real emotions throughout the entire shoot. I learned a lot about Allie’s life during our time together as I do with most one on one clients because I ask very to the point questions and very precise questions at that. I knew Allie from our younger teen years, I don’t know how or where we actually met however. This was however my first time photographing her and that was exciting to me. Things I learned about Allie are: she is incredibly focused on succeeding as a nurse, she loves her family, loves her church, and has one of the most tender hearts I have ever experienced.

I hope you enjoy the images I was able to capture with Allie.

For questions about prints, booking a shoot, or just to say HI J feel free to contact me using the info below.

Phone: (252) 813-2977

Email: efphotog@gmail.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/emptyframes

Instagram: @spencer_bunting

                                                                            "Servant"

                                                                      "Light's Watch"

"Of White and Black" "A Giant's Grace"

Grace, there is no other way to describe grace other than the word Grace itself. With slightly below the shoulder length brunette hair, and a smile that is essentially always on her face she screams classic “I’m not even trying beauty.” which intrigues me to no end. We were accompanied by her younger sister on our shoot, a sister with a beauty of equal caliber but unique in her own style. With as beautiful as Grace is she was equally as nervous during our time together. I see several forms of nervousness when shooting different people. Grace is the type to be silly when nervous, which doesn’t bother me because I am always joking as well so it made for a fun day. As I photographed her I could sense she was beginning to loosen up a little and after I showed her the photo “A Giant’s Grace” her words were “That’s awesome” and then I knew that we were getting somewhere. It’s that pivotal point in a shoot where the model realizes they are doing a good job, and it isn’t as stressful as they had imagined and the switch flips and the fireworks really begin to explode. By the time we had gotten to the last shot “Whispers of Flowers” Grace was responding perfectly to my direction and I could tell a trust had been built between us. 

 

"Whispers of Flowers"

 

As me and Deanna delicately placed dandelions in the cracks of the bed of rocks that Graced laid upon I thought to myself I feel as if I am preparing her for burial, Which disturbed me a little because I try very hard to avoid dark emotions or trying times. As I continued places flowers however I then thought death isn’t always a bad thing. The element of nervousness that Grace felt as we walked down the path to the meadow where we picked the flowers had now died. I sensed it’s death after I showed grace the Image “A Giant’s Grace” that I had captured 20 mins previous. As I continued meticulously placing flowers my thoughts moved past that of death and onto what the flower’s role in the piece were expected to be. I won’t tell you my logic behind them in hopes of making you think for yourself and letting them mean to you what you desire rather than I. I will however tell you that it is in depth yet simple at the same time. The questions I ask myself as I look at the completed piece are these:

Why is she clenching her torso?

Her hand is open as if she may be contemplating new ideas, what are they?

Her eyes look at peace, is she?

What does the doubling mean?

Why a overlay of flowers?

                                                                   "A Giants Grace"

 Personal struggles always seem to plague me while I shoot. Yet I find a sort of relief once I see the final piece. As I shot grace financial troubles kept trying to nag their way to the forefront of my mind, however now looking at the pieces we created together brings me peace, a sense of clarity even.  Especially “A Giants Grace” because of the negative space that engulfs grace’s beauty. Beautiful space, a peaceful sweep of light as it flows down through the trees creating a glowing effect of the leaves resting high above her head. Again I will leave the symbolism of how the shot is composed, and her pose to you as the viewer not plague your mind with my thoughts or reasoning behind it. This image represents a story within my head. A story I will share with you one day, but for now I want you to contemplate it and create your own story.

I mentioned in my my post describing my time with Jessica as we created “Embrace of Betrayal” about my attraction to a woman in white. Grace is no exception. In fact I will go on record here to the ones who are still with me and tell you this. There are 2 girls well women now, that I know and consider to be the prettiest girls I have ever personally met or seen. One of them being Grace, and the other will be featured in a future piece. Both of them are just as beautiful inside as they are out, I know that sounds cliché because everyone says it, but in this case it is true.

                The friendships built between me and my subjects are indeed a rare

connection. A connection I cherish, the main reason being is the fact that I have shot people from all walks of life. I have shot the super popular, those others consider less popular, the rich, those of lower income, guys, girls, young, and old, with all of them though I am able to find beauty.

As always I hope you like the pieces and feel free to like comment or share any photo you see here.

Feel free to contact me at any of the info listed below for inquiries on buying prints, booking a shoot, or just to say hi J

Phone: 252 813 2977

Email: efphotog@gmail.com

Facebook.com/emptyframes

Instagram: @spencer_bunting

"Of Black and White" "Lizbeth"

This will more than likely be the only piece I ever make that will be titled after someone. The girl you see here is indeed named Elizabeth. So I imagine it is clear to you now that she is of importance in my eyes being as I named this amazing image after her instead of some cryptic 2 word title that could be analyzed for years and years leading to different conclusions of the contents meaning.

I found this spot on the way home from a nearby town. Passing by I immediately thought to myself “I’ve got to do a shoot there” well 4 days later I was hopping the ditch ignoring the no trespassing signs and making amazing images of Elizabeth. Photographing Lizzie on numerous occasions beforehand I knew how she would respond to direction I gave her. In fact it was her that was in the premiere piece of my “Beautiful Simplicity” series.

           I have known Elizabeth since I was 15 years old. I can honestly say that she is nothing like the 14 year old girl I met way back when. Being able to see her transform into the woman she is today has been a complete blessing. I know for certain that I would not be who I am today if it weren’t for my friendship with this amazing woman. With a strong work ethic and determined mind Elizabeth sets her goals high and nearly always accomplishes them. I remember her as a shy blue eyed brunette with the voice of an angel who struggled with self-esteem, and now the woman you see before you in this photo is one of the strongest I know, proud of herself and the accomplishments she has worked hard to achieve. It’s amazing getting to look back on how much she has grown. It makes who she is today all the more amazing. The only thing that I don’t like about this image is that you are unable to see the beauty of her eyes. A rich vibrant blue, a sea of blue infested by gray lines as they glisten, making their way to her pupil, having the glint of a tear without sadness making her eyes shine even more bright than before. I hope that one day you are able to experience them.

             The reason I have named this piece Lizbeth is because to me this image shows her as I see her, she is walking away from this debris, the things that made her weak. Not only is she walking away from it, she is walking away from it proudly with a new found confidence. So without further ado I present to you my best friend Elizabeth in one of my favorite photographs I have ever created “Lizbeth” 

 

"Of White and Black" "Embrace of Betrayal"

It’s no secret to those who are close to me that a Woman cloaked in white is the most beautiful thing on earth to me. I find people of all shapes and sizes gorgeous. Most of the time the beauty I find in them is a trait they have, a skill, the part of them that sets them apart from the rest of the world. However the beauty I find in a woman cloaked in white is a pure red-blooded physical attraction, a personal indulgence if you would. Sure the innocence and purity of the color white appeal to the romantic in me. The fact that one day my future wife will forever be my one and only woman in white makes my mind and heart race.

This isn’t exactly the case with this image however. Notice the grace in the way she lays as the shadows wrap her body. They reach and poke at her desperately trying to plague the purity she represents with their darkness. With the grace and peaceful demeanor seen on her face she will not stand for it, proving her strength and power against the world that tries evermore to silence her beauty. Ulterior motives are at bay though. It isn’t all about the shadows devouring the light that she offers for themselves alone. It’s almost as if the shadows are enraged by the amount of beauty she radiates, jealous of the attention that she steals from them. What if the shadows are attacking her in hopes of obscuring her beauty, attempting to make it harder for one to recognize? The carefree expression on her face creates a sense of oblivion for us as viewers as she lies before us.

There is a logic to my seemingly endless flip flopping between the expressions and beauty that she offers and the motives and intentions of the shadows; Logic to create a sense of uncertainty. Isn’t that one of the most appealing aspects of art, a sense of confusion as to the true emotions and thoughts behind a piece of art?

I want my art to be noticeable. When I say noticeable I mean that I not only want you to see and say “Spencer bunting took that” but I want the subject to be clear. I want you the viewer to be able to tell what my photo is of. What I want you to find on your own is this: I want you to create the illusion of why I took the photo. What was I trying to create? Did I accomplish it?

In a world where the belief that the truth is relative we as humans are always faced with what is right what is wrong. I leave you with this question.

Which is the right, and which the wrong?

Jessica has slowly but surely become one of my favorite people to work with. With a smile as beautiful as a Colgate ad, piercing green eyes, long flowing brown hair, and the posture of an athlete she is very high on the list of beautiful girls I have shot. I have shot Jessica 3 times now. Each time we work together I learn new aspects about her: her attitude towards issues in our world, her plans for the future, and various random details that make the experience more personable. It feels natural when me and Jessica work together, no awkwardness or uneasy feelings. A trust built overtime between the two of us is ever present not to be abused by either of us. I tell people that when shooting with me it is more like hanging out than anything else and Jessica can account for that.

I am so lucky to have girls at my disposal such as Melissa and Jessica that are willing to help me when I need it. Most importantly, they trust me to deliver images that will be seen as art and present them in the most flattering nature. Jessica is literally one of the prettiest girls I have ever met and shot. She is a super delight to be around. Talking with her is liking talking with a long lost family friend. I hope you enjoy the images we were able to create during our most recent shoot.

"Of White and Black" "After the Glimpse"

“After The Glimpse”

This image is of a dear friend of mine, Melissa. I originally contacted Melissa about being a girl in white for me. However she had just gotten a new black dress for her birthday which ironically was a day after our shoot together. The dress was purchased at a boutique in Wilmington NC which is ran by Melissa’s sister was quite stunning, A high low with a cutaway on both sides of it just above the hips hugging Melissa’s feminine figure very pleasantly. Ok, ok, ok, ok enough about the dress. This was Melissa’s first time being in front of the camera other than her senior portraits she had done 3 years previous. Seeing my work previous she had confidence in me that I would make you look the best she could and then some. I however was confident I could bring out the best in her, but not so much about bringing my imagination to life through these images. We were trespassing down in this small valley sort of area, pressed for time being as we work night shifts in different places, the wind was blowing my gear all over God’s creation. None the less we were able to capture amazing images to work with and also I captured a few portrait images of Melissa capturing the beauty and grace that she has to offer. A beauty and grace I will forever cherish.

This image is actually the last image of a series of three called “The Sighting” a sub series within “Of White and Black” the images together show Melissa as she walks through the brush in this area we are shooting. As if she is playfully skipping down a well beaten trail. In “After The Glimpse” you see her fade away in a blur leading you to believe that she is indeed a ghost, only making herself visible to you for a fragment of time. In a way to intrigue you but mainly to alert you to her presence here in this seemingly vast plain of emptiness you see around her.

I promise you all that I wouldn’t let my explanation hinder your imagination. This post is no exception. I will however tell you what I experience when I view it. These thoughts and questions may or may not be what I intended when creating this image but these are what I feel now.

“What’s her story?”

“Where’d she come from?”

“Where’d she go?”

“Who is she?”

After asking those questions I reflect on myself. “What am I feeling?” subconsciously I feel sorrow. A sorrow sparked by her disappearance, but at the same time I feel joy. Joy that she was able to reveal herself to me. Confusion also seeps in, confusion fueled by the questions listed above.

I hope this piece has intrigued you and made you come up with questions of your own.

-Spencer

For booking inquiries, ordering prints, or just to say hi  feel free to contact me via the info below.

Email: efphotog@gmail.com

Phone: (252) 813 – 2977

www.facebook.com/emptyframes

www.emptyframesphotography.blogspot.com

"The Artist Within" Stephanie Gardner

         Being the artist I am I like to credit myself on finding the beauty in the most surreal of places. I often suffer from insomnia. As I lie in silence, well silence accompanied by the stale dialogue of a humming television I think about places others find beautiful. I then challenge myself to think of an obscure way to present said place to them that enables them to see it in a new light. I find even more joy in finding a place that the majority of people overlook on a regular basis and creating an awesome piece of art around it.

          One of my favorite mediums as far as art is concerned is worship. I feel that the act of worshiping is and can be just as beautiful and graceful as the Bristles of a brush as they spread paint across a canvas, and my shutter as it captures the scene I have created in front of it.  Whether it be the Indians in a rain circle, the tribes of distant countries as they make sacrifices to gods some of us will never know about, the Muslims as they worship Allah 5 times a day facing Mecca, the Hindus as they worship in the Ganges one of the several gods in their polytheistic religion, the monks that worship Buddha with silence, or the sounds of choirs as they sing praises to the Christian God. The God of whom I worship in all aspects of my life.

          I was first introduced to Stephanie's art of worship at a revival in 2011. A band she was singing for at the time had been asked to perform the music one of the nights. Just so happened the only night I was able to attend was the night they were there. The energy from the band was electric, inspiring, and all around awesome. Being a musician myself i found myself noticing the different members of the band, what they were playing, and how it compared to the way i played the songs. As I examined their performance I found myself mesmerized by Stephanie's approach to this performance. she sang as if it was only her on stage, no congregation, no bands, no equipment, just her and God. To see someone get so completely lost in worship inspired me to perfect my talents that I have been blessed with by God.

In late 2012 I began attending ignite church of Greenville on a regular basis. It was after a few weeks that I recognized Stephanie as one of their leading female vocalists and automatically the same inspiration and humility that I remembered so fervently were still there, amplified even more so than I had remembered.

My reason behind choosing her to be a part of "the artist within" series seems a no brainer by now.  The shoot with her was amazing, getting to know her and discuss her passion for worship was a true blessing, not to mention the images we created were stunning in dramatic elements and elegant beauty. My reason for choosing this location is because of my initial mindset when seeing her worship, that of worshiping alone. Worshiping as if the seats are empty, as if the crowd has gone home, the lights still shine and all that is left is all that matters most, the holy presence of God, the God she so passionately worships.  A God of whom sees her imperfections but sought her out, blessed her with the voice to reach millions in His name. Stephanie's dream is to use her talents in ministry for the Kingdom of God. Regardless of your views on Christianity, whether you believe in the God she serves or you choose to believe in other religions the beauty and passion she expresses while serving her King, the King of Kings is something to be respected.

I pride myself on being respectful of all religions. I have immense respect for anyone who has the courage to stand behind a belief that they have researched and believe wholeheartedly even if I disagree with them.

That being said, working with other Christian is always an inspiration and a humbling point. You see, I am a sinner just as we all are. No amount of worship, nor works I do for Gods kingdom will suffice for my sinful nature. It is only by the grace of God and blood of His son Jesus that I am saved and made anew in His eyes.

If you are ever in Greenville on a Sunday morning, I strongly encourage you to visit ignite church. If for no other reason than to see Stephanie as she performs the art she was born to create.

I will save you a seat, heck I'll even walk you in :)

Enjoy,