Alpha/Bravo Posters from KidRacer-X: Get Your Gear On!

Alpha and Bravo represent a project that required my full attention the past 6 weeks. Sure, it could of been done faster or cheaper, but it wouldn't have been done right. I've had this "vision" in my head for over a year. Some of you know and remember that I invested in new camera equipment a year ago. The leading purpose for that acquisition was to get to this point; to be able to produce large posters and future gallery prints. It took some time, money and resources to get that paid down and pull all this together.

The stars recently aligned and all the elements came together to make Alpha/Bravo happen. It took time, money, new gear, and a heavy dedication to see it through at all costs. I'm not upset about it, but I knew it would cost me nights, weekends, and socializing with my friends. It's called short-term dedication. So, multiple sessions in the studio provided an education from lighting, to subject matter, to composition, and more. I've been shooting for years, but this project had specific requirements. It had to match my vision. It had to capture detail, yet be ambiguous. It had to be erotic, but not blatant. It had to scream sexy, but not "I'm a fag." It had to tap into the masculine qualities we appreciate and allow a voyeuristic view into what we aspire to be. It had to be something you would hang on your wall without apprehension.

It was a journey I hadn't foreseen, that's for certain. We had to flood the studio for a mirrored look on the floor. We blew the fuse breakers on a critical weekend which forced us to shut down. Access to the studio was delayed by a wild ferret running lose. (I think he wanted my gear.) The fog machine behaved differently every night, posing constant adjustments. Fatigue set in and on another critical night, I failed to charge the camera batteries. The weapons in my car used for the shoot caused me some stress every day of shooting. I could just imagine getting pulled over for a ticket of some kind and getting shot by an overly excited cop.

From the first day of experimental shooting, I began to refine the look I wanted. Ironically, I was comfortable in the beginning of the shoot with many shots, but I didn't fully realize how far from my vision I really was.  We would shoot on weekends or evenings after work. I would go home exhausted and begin sorting through images, dumping bad ones and gaining inspiration from others. As this process continued, both the physical process of the shoot and the creative mental process started coming together.

Everything started to evolve. Contrast, lighting, and sheer energy started melting into the project. Attitude and body position became the most important factor near the conclusion of this project. A simple head turn or malevolent "looking up" as seen in the crouched soldier in "Alpha" became critical in refining the look and feel of the project. Replacement images for the crouched soldier, albeit very close in the exact look, lacked an energy that I couldn't determine. I kept studying the new shots and couldn't figure it out. Then it hit me like a bullet. That simple 10° down angle on the head (as it's shown on the actual poster) just smacked of attitude and arrogance. It's something that clicked with me, and hopefully you, too. It just works. Period. So in the end, digital refinements were applied to maintain that original shot.

I've been asked throughout this process what shots will be "Alpha" and "Bravo," but only close friends have witnessed the evolution. I knew that until I was really done with the project, I couldn't say with total confidence what those final shots would be. "Alpha" narrowly became a tragic mistake. Why? I came extremely close to using a concept that just didn't work. Trusting my experience in these areas, I had Kinko's output two full size prints of Alpha and Bravo. I was asked why by my friends and I answered it this way. Comparing a small JPEG online versus a full 24" x36" image hanging on your wall completely changes the energy and perception of an image. What looks good on the computer may not look good on your wall. I was right! My original choice for Alpha lacked energy and that hyper-masculine effect I wanted. The lighting was poor and all the subtle intangible flaws were magnified 100 times. It had to go.

Reluctantly, we went back in the studio with an improved concept in my mind. Previous images guided me as to what works and what doesn't. I brought those elements together with a new attitude and perception. The end result was what you see now as Alpha.

Bravo had it's own set of complications. Of course, as I share all this, I'm not complaining. It's just funny how any project never turns out the way you planned. You think you're gonna cross the dance floor one way, but life tells you you're gonna to cross it another. As a "solo" model shot, you would think it would work easily, but alas, that wasn't the case. For studio purposes, rappelling had to be done from a 60' ceiling. That, in and of itself, is not much of a problem. I rappel, so using the proper gear wasn't an issue. But since this was different in the sense I'm not walking down a rock-face cliff or building wall, that 60 feet of rope with a free floating body harnessed to the end meant I was free to spin. The variable tension on the line and subtle body motion was amplified at the end of the line where I was hanging. After several frustrating days struggling to get the right look, we had to engineer a string tether to my back to keep my body from twisting in the breeze! A simple piece of string solved all our problems.

One of the most popular phrases I use these days comes from the military which is "If it's stupid and it works, it isn't stupid."

So, with so many factors affecting the final outcome of the photo shoot, realizations derived from looking at Kinko's proofs, anxious anticipation from the printer to see actual "real world" proofs, I wasn't about to show anyone what Alpha and Bravo would be. Furthermore, until the poster actually arrived undamaged and matched my expectations, I wasn't promising anything anytime soon.

Well, here we are. The year long vision is complete. In the video above, it's ironic that I say on camera "I've never had a project I was fully happy with." For the first time ever in the history of KidRacer-X, I can honestly say I am very happy with this project. It perfectly matched my vision without compromise. I hope you share a similar enthusiasm and appreciation.

CASE FILE - CLOSED

MEMBERS REASSIGNED:
OPERATION: ECHO/FOXTROT - CENTRAL AMERICA