For what its worth, I didn't see anything especially controversial, Rob, with your credo. You had my respect as an artist before, and you have my respect as a man now. I tend to tricky-trot somewhere between you and Ugo, I guess. Maybe its something in me that I can't "choose sides"--reason v. faith. I honestly don't know if I have "faith"--there is a big part of me that, to be honest, spends a great deal of time just being freaked out. Asimov said, "Life is pleasant, Death is peaceful. Its the transition that troubles me." Yeah, me, too. In the meantime we just muddle though as best we can with what we have to keep us going. Your philosophy makes a lot of sense to me on one level, where reason triumphs over the manipulative BS of particular authorities. At the same time, though, I am emotional and I like that, sort of. Sometimes, though, I do fly off the handle and regret my words later. But its part of who I am, not for good or bad, but because that's my nature. And there I go losing my train of thought again ...freakin' train is always running fast or slow! For what its worth, Rob, I think I do see where you're coming from, and appreciate your perspective.

Once I got Ryan to teach me how to add in images, I made a few. I'll do my part, Rob, and gladly (such difficult work, too ).

You are a very cruel man, Rob. Seriously! I took a look at the Feedback questionnaire at FTVGirls. I get asking which of the gentlewomen are my favourites, but then to ask which one--one?--I'd like to see return for a second shoot? That's all I get? Cruel. Very cruel! So far I've downloaded and reviewed every model from Shanel to Tera with a good number of other updates, including most of the girl-girl updates. This is a very, very hard choice to make, even though all the answers are put into a hopper and the most popular might be the one you take to Hawaii next visit. Then again, maybe its not so hard after all. I am an idiot, a moron, a fool and more. Its not so hard a decision. I mean, whose site is this? Duh. I'll officially post my answer at the members section at FTVGirls in due course, but I think we all know who is number one! Thanks again, Rob, for the invite to come over here, as well as all the work you put into the other sites. It shows that this is your passion (would that we all were so fortunate to follow out own passions and talents where they might lead!!). Cheers

don't forget to put up a FTV model thread!

Looking forward to that thread personally. Oh, and by improvement, I don't mean your technique, per se, but rather the degree of resolution you've achieved by switching up from 35mm to mid-pix digital to your current Nikon. Myself, I'd dreaming of a Canon EOS-1 Mk III 21.1 megapix, but that's a long, long, long way down the road. (B&H catalogues are my wish list). Cheers--

hehe B&H keeps sending me these big catalogues all the time lol

Hey, Rob. I've been keeping this quiet here for a few days (not feeling well), but have been downloading an average of 3-5 updates a day. I have to say, since you started this 6 years ago you have really done some amazing things! I am hyper-impressed with how great your photography has become, as well as your videography. Its really fantastic. And I appreciate how you keep things real, between first time girls next door to the layout of FTVGirls and Danielle FTV to just what you shoot and where. By keeping things simple, you're pushing the envelope in ways that even the biggest Hollywood (or San Fernando) studios can't. Movies, it seems to me, work best when there's that suspension of disbelief, but here you don;t need to suspend anything. I guess this is "naked reality TV", no? Anyway, I appreciate the site, the gentlewomen and the work you do behind the scenes. Cheers

Speaking of 'improvement' on photography etc... I need to open a thread sometime on cameras, and in my case, how I've come from Nikon F90, to D100, to D2x, to D3....

Hey Rob, I read Danielle's post about that person you once upon a time helped who has now come back to take some cheap jabs at you. For the record, and from everything I read before joining, and since I joined, it seems like a lot of sour grapes. I don;t know the content of what this person is saying, nor do I care. If he's got a problem, he should deal with it himself. I assume this is some "anti-porn" crusader or some such, you know, the type who go on and on about what is moral and what isn't. This is coming from someone who once considered seriously entering theology: what is immoral, what is a "sin" is not being who you are. If Danielle is comfortable taking her clothes off, if Lia is comfortable taking her clothes off, if anyone is comfortable taking their clothes off to work collaboratively with you, a photo & video ARTIST, then so be it. Every gentlewoman who emials or calls you or writes you wanting to be an FTV girl has made her own decision. She's considered the consequences and the benefits and this is something that they CHOSE to do. I respect them for it. I also respect those gentlewomen who chose not to pose, or to only go so far in their shoots. We all have our limits as to what is acceptable to us as individuals. So be it. That's free will. That's what real freedom is, what liberty means. I personally have had a love-hate relationship with porn or erotica or whatever you want to call it. The first movies I saw were Deep Throat (hated it) and Behind the Green Door (still fascinated by it after over 2 decades). I come from a more conservative background, politically and theologically. I broke with organized politics as well as organized religion when, for me, they proved not to have all the answers they claimed. What I saw was a handful of people with vastly inflated egos trying to foist their beliefs on others, largely through blackmail (to quote Gomer Pyle, "You're going to Hell for that!"; for others it means you're a RINO or a DINO--that's "Republican--or Democrat--In Name Only"). There's more than one way at looking at life, or anything else for that matter. I belive that so long as you are not holding a gun to anyone's head, and no one is holding one to yours, so long as you are following what you believe to be right for you, regardless of the BS someone else tries to lay on you, then you're doing good. A sin, from everything I distilled from Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Taoism, Jainism, Buddhism, Hindu, and so on, is where you bury who you are to conform to something you do not believe in. That's living a lie, in other words. Are you living a lie? If you look inside yourself and the answer's no, then great, keep working; if the answer is yes, then maybe you do need to take a step back and reassess. I've taken several steps back in my life and each time I found I wasn't being who I am inside; and after making some adjustments, I usually found myself cowering down and submitting to what my family believe, even though I know in my heart it is wrong. So from my perspective as someone who has tread that fine line between "moral" and "immoral" who has on the one hand a powerful superego that's always in conflict with my libido, for you, Danielle, Lia, and everyone else to find it within themselves to really set themselves free through your work it is simply and powerfully amazing to me. I am envious, not just because you get to work with so many lovely gentlewomen, but because you have this tremendous chance to create something that it honest in the extreme with those women. A wise guy I once worked with had a saying that may come in handy here: "consider the source and rise above it." I don't know who this guy is, nor do I care to, but what Danielle wrote in her entry earlier infuriated me, and that's not so good for many reasons. This is, last time I checked, still the United States, and the last time I checked our founders jotted down some important principles, sometimes ideas that took generations to see come to fruition, some still works in progress. I am humbled by their capacity to look eight generations into the future and see a world of possibilities--sure they may not have seen FTVGirls, but then again, Ben Franklin might (he did attend the Hell-fire Club in England once or twice from what I read :0)--with the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness leading them. You make people happy, the gentlewomen seem happy, and it seems to me from the emails we exchanged before I came to this board that, while you've gone so long without a day off, the work drives you and makes you happy. And isn't something we all wish for, for ourselves and our loved ones? Anyway, that's just my over-thought, over-long take on things. And if you need it, tell me and I'll make them an offer they can't refuse (read that last as Vito, grazie, paisan). I used to get crap from people about some of the people I have in my family tree database, chiefly the porn stars, Playmates and a few others, and one of the more experienced researchers I've worked with told me about this neat thing--the delete button and spam filter. If all else fails, there is that at least. Cheers, maestro Rob!

Hi ya, Rob,

I guess I misread something, or maybe I was remembering something I'd seen written elsewhere, but Danielle brought it to my attention. Somewhere in my posts I said you were married. Sorry. I thought you were, but I guess I was wrong, so I wanted to extend my apologies for my whoops. Please insert sheepish smiley face here, foot in mouth and all. Cheers--

no problem... I was almost married once, but never been married

Hi there, Rob--

I assume you're out busy working, maybe even with Danielle, but I'd added a couple threads to the FTV section of the forum, and right after I logged off, it occurred to me: the way you work is very reminiscent to that of Edward Weston. I remember reading a long time ago about how Weston worked versus how Ansel Adams worked. Ansel was a very scientific photographer, taking all sorts of measurements, adjusting and readjusting his lenses, aperture settings, &c., calculating just the right time of day to shoot and so on. Weston had a different approach. When he was looking for that perfect picture of a pepper, he came back to a pepper he left out day after day until it was just right and he got the shot he was looking for. Likewise, when he was working with Charis Wilson, he stepped back and photographed her as she moved, not directing her, but rather looking for something she did that caught his eye. There was maybe a bit more of an organic approach on the part of Weston. I know when I go out to shoot sunsets, &c., I'm usually just looking for what happens--heck, its not like I can tell the sun where to go down, or the sky which shade of indigo to turn here or magenta there, can I? There's a fluidity to your approach that is I think more respectful towards the gentlewomen you photograph and video, such that what may be "pornographic" when presented by someone else, with the way you work it is purely natural, and how can that be bad? Just a few semi-random thoughts. Thanks again & cheers--

geo

Hi ya, Rob--

I took your suggestion and came on over here. I figured, while I'm downloading Alexa's video, why not take a look around and see what I could see. Its kind of neat, actually, so thanks for the heads up. Cheers--