Contemplating the future of NOIR after five years of Old Hollywood photography!

Good afternoon, friends! Following up on last night's blog chronicling our Spirt airlines woes, I'm happy to announce that today's blog is being posted from 29,000 feet. Spirit doesn't acknowledge the word "refund", found in the English Oxford dictionary, so we were rebooked on a flight to Philadelphia at 11:00a.m. this morning [...on American Airlines, which I find sadly ironic]. We're about two hours out from @millsguthrie being reunited with @bonni and Grandpa Hal. @vermillionfox is at the front of the plane, but at least we're all on the same flight, and thank you again so much to @moony for giving us three rides to the airport [...and running some of our errands] in less than 24 hours. We owe you more Brasa when we're back in Minneapolis.

I'm sharing some plans for the next six months in today's post [...don't worry, there will be plenty of photos as well]. Firstly, directly related to Steemit, I've been thinking about  a contest of my own. There are so many great weekly art contests here on Steemit. I've been a regular contributor to @jamtaylor's Steemit Photo Challenge for ages and recently, @jasonrussell began the weekly Steemit Portait Challenge. There are several others in the photography realm, so I feel like that's covered. What I am feeling drawn to is a regular showcase to the comic artists here on Steemit. As I've said in previous blogs, comics are the foundation of my heart and soul. It's still what I'd like to be doing when I'm old. Photography [...especially the genre I work in] is not a bad career, but I still day dream about having endless days and weeks to draw comics and graphic novels. I'll save the details for the official announcement, but for now, start drawing!

The conundrum I'm faced with currently is the annual Old Hollywood, black and white photography event I hold every year, NOIR. NOIR began five years ago in Minneapolis. It was a boudoir session [...of sorts] I thought up as the premiere event in what was becoming a host of annual photography events in the Twin Cities. Like most struggling artists, in 2012 I was struggling. These small, all inclusive sessions were a formula I stumbled upon while offering shoots during an art gallery I hosted at The Hairetic Salon. I made three times the money in bookings for the shoots than I did selling prints. I created an event called OMNIA • VANITAS, another titled Lé Confidant, all with their own themes, but NOIR was to be the biggest, most elaborate, highest production of them all. The first year of NOIR [...and every year following] was a monumental success! Every single NOIR, in all cities [...I eventually expanded the event in be hosted in Minneapolis, Los Angeles and New York City] has sold out.

The success of the event comes at an extremely high cost. I've consistently done elaborate production shoots with high profile names in the pinup community such as Micheline Pitt, Doris Mayday, Gia Genevieve and Masuimi Max. Those shoots alone involve flying to LA or NYC just the shoot the needed material to promote the NOIR events later in the year. In addition, the campaign itself involves social media contests help from multiple friends with substantial followings on Instagram and Facebook, booking, confirming and re-confirming with hair, make-up and wardrobe sponsors, website preparations for form completions and payments and of course the booking of lavish, expensive hotels for the shoot and beauty team [...yes, two separate rooms]. The pre-production for NOIR takes about 2 months, and that's before a single photo is taken.

The event itself is my favorite part, although, after the weeks and months leading up to NOIR, I'm mentally and creatively fatigued. Once the first client is escorted to the suite, hair, make-up and wardrobe and shoot ready, I do get an adrenaline rush of creative energy. The beauty team I hire is always world class. Our lingerie sponsors are always the best in the boutique fashion world such as What Katie Did and Kiss Me Deadly lingerie. There's this moment of transformation that happens with the NOIR clients see themselves for the first time before shooting. One girl in particular that will always stay with me was our contest winner in 2015. After hair and make-up she was turned towards the mirror and immediately broke in to tears. She'd later told us she'd lost 120lbs and was struggling to gain confidence in her appearance. This event, and her winning the free shoot, was meant to be.

The photos I've made during NOIR will always have a special place in my heart. I hear all the time "...you shoot the most beautiful women in the world", and that's true, but that doesn't mean the "famous" models I've worked with are in a category of their own. The women of NOIR are typically first time models. Taking the initiative to book a session during NOIR is a big barrier to overcome. I've been told, at length, the nerves involved in clicking the "reserve" button on the NOIR website and how happy they were the did it. It's an incredible sense of pride that the work we put in to NOIR impacts these women on such a personal level.

That said, this may be the first year since it's inauguration that I won't be holding NOIR. After the shoots and event is finished, I fly back to Minneapolis where I spent another 2 - 3 months editing tens of thousands of photos from 10 - 15 individual shoots. Each client receiving 3 - 10 finished edits each, each edit taking between 90 minutes to 3 hours to complete. In my recent blog "HUGE ANNOUNCMENT! Steemit milestones and career milestones!", I announced that I signed a book deal with Working Class Publishing with the deadline to print "Dark Pinup" by January 1st; a signing and launch party at Viva Las Vegas next Spring. As much as I love NOIR and the brand recognition that has been painstakingly built around it over the last five years, I don't know if it realistically fits in to this year's timeline.

If NOIR comes to an end, or even takes a year hiatus, it will sadden me. I get regular emails and DM's on Instagram asking about when and where the event will be held this year and who will be book for the beauty team. Having those 4 - 5 months of my life available to focus on "Dark Pinup" does sound like the responsible thing to do. I'd offer you all the check my website, www.kommienezuspadt.com for updates, but seeing as how I recently redirected my personal homepage to my Steemit.com feed, just stay here. Until I made a decision on NOIR 2017, I'd like to leave you with a few more of my favorite photos from NOIR over the years.

Thanks for reading! For more photography, art, illustration and thoughts on life, please follow my blog @kommienezuspadt. I post daily.