Vamptress LeeAnna, Model, Sister, Los Angeles, California, October, 2010

The new year begins with a sweet message from my dear sister, Vamptress LeeAnna.

People ask me about my trip out to Los Angeles: 'So what did you do out there, photograph models?'

There is a notion that perhaps models are different. While they may be so in certain instances, my experience out West taught me that they are very much like the women in my portfolio from Asia and Africa. They have their stories to tell, and can do so quite eloquently.

One such example is my creative sister, Vamptress LeeAnna. This young woman drove almost two hours just to meet me for an afternoon. She came out with an incredible man, and his support made this collaboration that much more meaningful.

The weather was misbehaving and rather than going along with the mood of the weather, they spoke only positive words and allowed me to lead them a bit further up the road, perhaps twenty minutes or so until we found an area full of sunshine just past the rim of the clouds. We exited the main road and then drove around looking for a spot, one that allowed for images made against a light wall and images made against the backdrop of the sky.

We found one, in the middle of a new development, and parked our cars. Vamptress took a few minutes to get ready while we set up for images against the yellow wall at first. The image above is from this series. The range of her expressions was indescribable, she went from the expression of a stranger to that of an old friend, within a few frames, from sultry to familiar within seconds.

Tomorrow will be spent in the darkroom printing these images, along with her selections. Rather than being photographed and walking away, this young woman has become my sister and continues to inspire me.

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Halim Ina Photography

Vamptress LeeAnna, Another Snapshot, Outside Los Angeles, October, 2010

She has been seen before on this blog, in color and now in black and white.

Just today she sent a most gentle greeting my way, all with the grace of a most genuine person.

She speaks of love in her message because she lives her life in such a way. From my limited experience with her and her wonderful boyfriend, it is clear to me that this is so.

Should you like to see more of LeeAnna and learn more about her other enterprises, you may follow the link below.

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Vamptress LeeAnna, Los Angeles, California, October, 2010

One month before my visit to California, a few dozen messages are sent to models in and around Los Angeles and San Francisco. Out of those few dozen messages, two dozen responses are received. Out of those two dozen responses, a handful respond in the manner of the young woman above.

Her name is LeeAnna. As my messages are sent out her messages arrive. She is precise and dedicated to the thought of our collaboration. She reaches out to other models in my list, shares with them her vision. She never gives up, even after two then three then four models fade out of communication.

On the very day that we are to photograph, a model informs me of her cancellation as we are driving to the location. It seems that her boyfriend feels that this location is secluded even though it is a popular park and tourists abound in addition to the park authorities. The compassion that LeeAnna shows me and my work erases such negative experiences for me and restores my faith in humanity.

She has photographed with accomplished photographers, has worked on extensive projects. Yet she makes the time to meet me almost two hours away from her home, without a hair stylist or a make-up artist on location. She agrees to be photographed in the sun and with the wind in her hair. We select one location only to find clouds over that location. We then make a spontaneous decision to meet at another location, near a place called Mormon's Rocks. All this is done while driving separately from different locations.

We meet at the local McDonald's and look around only to see clouds again. My experience, although limited in the area, tells me that the sun will be shining twenty minutes further up the highway. With an unlimited sense of faith in the project, LeeAnna and her wonderful companion decide to follow me in search of light. We drive twenty or so minutes and find that sun, albeit in between clouds.

We take an exit and drive to find a neutral background. We park on the side of a building and organize ourselves, me with my equipment and LeeAnna with her attire. We make close portraits of her, waiting for the sun in between clouds to shine. We are fortunate to be able to expose a few rolls and then decide to make full body images. A small electrical box serves the function of a stand and brave LeeAnna stands on top of it for the last series of images.

She is proud, she is elegant in her stances. In the middle of suburban sprawl, she shows us a most beautiful spirit, shows the other girls and women in my portfolio their sister from California. She looks past all of the buildings, all of the plazas. She looks to her compatriots in Asia and in Africa, shares with them her smile and her strength.

She is an inspiration to me, to them.

We conclude our session and cannot find enough words to thank each other. This most beautiful of women and her companion on this day have shown me the meaning of friendship, of kindness and of love. This will be shared with the others in my portfolio, they will feel it through her portraits.

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