model

29 Jul 2016

Review: Angel 15 by Hosieree

By Paul Duane

I checked the mail and found a large envelope from one of my favorite hosiery retailers, Hosieree.com. Inside were a couple of pairs of their new seamless pantyhose. One pair for me, one for my model to show off in front of the camera. I love my job.

Europeans do it better. I don’t know what the deal is, but European hosiery mills just create nylons, tights, and pantyhose that look and feel vastly better than anything from American hosiery companies. Those of you who say you hate wearing hosiery owe it to yourself to try some of the better European brands. Here’s the kicker – they are often the same price as the garbage you are buying from American hosiery makers. “Where can I buy these fine European nylons that you speak of?”, you ask? Hosieree.com is my favorite, because they are based in the USA (New Jersey), and they ship very quickly.

Today we are reviewing one of Hosieree’s in-house styles, the Angel 15 seamless pantyhose. It’s a seamless style, which means that there are no seams in the panty portion. Normal tights have a seam that runs up the front and back and is joined in the crotch area with a cotton patch called the “gusset”. NONE of that exists on these. The same sheer, silky fabric of the leg just continues all the way up to the waist, every square inch, uninterrupted. It’s kind of crazy to look at them and wonder how in the world they knit these things. I have no clue. Magic, I suppose. The result is that they FEEL like magic.

Wearing tip: Go commando when you wear these. Wearing anything underneath them totally defeats the purpose of a pair of nylons that won’t create lines, and, they just feel really good on your skin. I’d consider these low-rise, as they will sit pretty low on your hips. For those of you that are used to old school pantyhose that go half way up your rib cage, this is a completely different situation. There is plenty of length in the leg. For those of you who are a bit taller or hate feeling your nylons sag in the crotch, you will love the Angel 15’s.

Construction features: They are billed as being 15 denier (denier refers to the thickness of the fabric, the higher the number, the thicker and more opaque it is). They feel more like a 12 denier, for what it’s worth. Some hosiery feel slippery and shiny on your skin – these feel soft and have a more matte appearance. My model, Allison obviously is wearing a black pair.

Ever seen a man wearing nylons and heels? Here you go. I’m wearing them in Daino, which is their slightly darker nude tone. I have very fair skin, and still these managed to disappear onto my legs, making them look more even toned and like I actually spend time in the sun. They do have a seam in the toe, but no reinforcement, so if you want to wear open toed shoes, it’s possible – just tuck that seam away. Let’s be honest though. If you are going to wear hosiery, wear closed toe shoes. If you MUST wear open toed shoes, it’s not a hosiery day.

Click here to get your Angel 15’s at Hosieree.com

All of these photographs are my work. If you’d like to book me for photography, click here. Okay, a few more pictures of Allison. She’s just so pretty….

21 Jul 2016

Taboo Topics, Social Media and a Pretty Girl

By Paul Duane

I’ve been feeling the wind start to shift for a while now. That shift is becoming more apparent. A few days ago, I posted a photo from a recent shoot on Facebook and Instagram. It got banned for “violating community standards” (pornography). Here is the image. Judge for yourself. Yeah it’s sexy, but it’s also well within the standards. I’m not sure who reported it, or why the moderators at Instagram & Facebook proceeded to remove the photo. One way or the other, it’s a reminder that those platforms are not mine. I’m a guest in their house, and I have to play by their rules, no matter how stupidly or incorrectly they apply them.

I have two other friends who are very polarizing public figures who have depended on Facebook for their business, who have been severely harassed by Facebook. Cat Palmer, a controversial photographer and artist in SLC, had her Facebook page permanently disabled because someone accused her of impersonating…. herself. Seems like that should be pretty easy for Facebook to sort out, but, no. She lost 7 years of audience and community building and had to start a new Facebook account from scratch. Men’s coach Sean Whalen was banned for 5 days for a mere controversial political post. It’s a well known fact that Facebook and Instagram (Instagram is owned by Facebook, by the way), use algorithms to determine what you do and don’t see in your news feed. THEY DECIDE. Facebook has become the mainstream media.

I’ll pass, thanks.

Though I’ll continue to use all of the social media platforms, here’s how it’s going to be moving forward: What you see on social media will just be a watered down version of my work. If you want the full strength stuff, you’ll have to come here, to my website.

Things are getting crazy out there, ladies & gentlemen. Every week I’m a bit more amazed at how insane the world is becoming. Our society is quickly spiraling downward into a state of handing over our liberties for the illusion of security. This is a dark place that never ends well.

AND YET – I am hopeful! As crazy as things are, many brilliant opportunities, technologies, ideas, and leaders are emerging!

The fact that you are even here reading this leads me to believe you are one of the few in society who care about social progress, life, love, and liberty. Otherwise, you probably wouldn’t like or care about my work. The way I see it, you and I are freedom fighters. This next war is not going to be fought with guns, though – it will be fought with ideas. The battle ground is the life of the individual. The social progress we all crave will not come from the top down anymore. That’s an old paradigm that has died. The revolution will happen from the bottom up. One liberated individual at a time.

My goal is to create things that make you smile, inspire you, and ultimately, help you share the ideas of life, love and liberty in a fun way with the people in your circle. You are a leader. My goal is to help YOU become a more effective leader of those in your world.

Sex, politics, and religion… these are the taboo topics. The things you get in trouble for bringing up at family dinner. So often the sensitive topics are the very ones that need to be discussed. So often these topics are the battle ground for freedom in the 21st century. It’s CRITICAL that you and I become very skilled at discussing difficult ideas in a way that relaxes and inspires people, rather than putting them on the defense. It’s my hope that the podcasts, books, photographs, and comedy that I create will help you facilitate that.

I’ve relied a lot on Facebook to put out word about new stuff over the past few years. It’s proving to be less and less reliable, and I have no faith of that improving, so it’s time to get serious about the email list. If you want to receive email notifications about cool new things, get on board my mailing list:

You should receive a confirmation email from me within 2 or 3 minutes of signing up. Be sure to send back the confirmation AND add my email address to your white list / approved / safe email address list.

That being said, welcome 😉

Here are some more of the photos from my shoot with Allison, for your viewing pleasure.

Makeup by Amber Dawn Powell

Hosiery by Cecilia de Rafael & Hosieree.com

20 Mar 2015

Kendra Sunderland – Henna Art Nude Shoot

By Paul Duane

Kendra Sunderland, aka, “The Library Girl”, joined me in the studio for a special henna art session and photo shoot. Later that evening, Kendra joined us for a special live edition of The Paul Duane Show. Check out video and photos from that night here. SUPER fun show!

Kendra Sunderland, The Library Girl, nude photo

Kendra Sunderland, The Library Girl, henna body art

Kendra Sunderland, The Library Girl, nude photo, henna art

Kendra Sunderland, The Library Girl in a red sarong

28 Jun 2013

Bridal Portfolio Shoot

By Paul Duane

Every now and then I get to work with other make up artists, hair stylists, wardrobe stylists, and models to create new material for our portfolios. Check out this latest shoot. Here are the members of the awesome team for this shoot:

model: Vicki Smith McMurtrey

hair: Amber Dawn Powell

makeup: Chelle Barrett

wardrobe styling: Brittany Barney

I don’t talk about it much, but I do shoot weddings on occasion. Contact me here for booking information.

03 Jan 2013

Floofie, Seductress of Portland

By Paul Duane

Model: Floofie
Photos & Interview: Paul Duane

Floofie is one of Portland’s most beautiful women. During a recent trip to PDX, I had the good fortune of visiting Floofie at her home for an intimate photo shoot and interview. She’s not only a gorgeous model, but a gracious host, a forward thinker, and an absolute sweetheart.

Paul Duane: Where did the name “Floofie” come from?

Floofie: “Floofie” is an old high school nickname given to me by members of an IRC channel run by hackers (one of whom I briefly dated) who liked industrial and electronic music. They were dark, I was light and cheerful…go figure!

PD: There are two kinds of people on this planet: those who know what the IRC is, and those who don’t. Were you a hacker, or did you just date them?

F: I was never good enough with computers to be a hacker, only good enough to cause trouble! I’ve dated a lot of computer geeks through the years.

PD: Describe what you are usually doing at 10:47am on a typical Tuesday.

F: At 10:47am Tuesday, I am most likely doing one of two things. That’s prime shooting time for those who don’t have 9-5’s so I’m often modeling. If I’m not modeling I’m surely doing Zumba, a dance fitness class I regularly attend to stay in shape!

PD: While we are speaking of time, describe what’s you are usually doing at 9:21pm on a typical saturday night.

F: I work at a theater, so a lot of my Saturday nights and spent showing people to their seats at the fanciest performing arts theaters in town. If I’m lucky enough to have the night off, I’m probably spending it snuggling with my boyfriend as we watch a spooky movie or TV show.

PD: When did you first realize that you wanted to model?

F: I can remember when I was a child I would often look at my mother’s issues of Redbook and think “I could do that!” But my first photoshoot was at 19, in a local park with my friend Adam Mills. And no, I wasn’t naked! But I liked it so much I had to join modelmayhem that very week and have been modeling ever since!

PD: Was there a model in particular that inspired you, or caught your imagination back then?

KD: No one in particular though I was aware of Coco Rocha not long after, she is an inspiration!

PD: Marilyn Monroe once said that “If you can’t handle me at my worst, you don’t deserve me at my best”. Is this true?

F: At this point in my life I’m emotionally stable enough to say that yes, if you can’t be there for me when I am down, you don’t deserve my love and affection. But when I was younger and moodier, I really don’t know if anyone could have “handled” me well, which is more of a dig on me than anyone else!

PD: The essence of sexy is ___________.

F: Sexy is all about confidence!!

PD: What is an example of something a guy does that demonstrates his confidence?

F: When a man can show me what he wants without awkwardness or mixed messages and he is upfront about his feelings–that’s sexy. Eyeliner doesn’t hurt.

PD: What’s it like to get naked in front of people you don’t know that well on photo shoots?

F: Taking off my clothes is second nature. Well, it’s literally nature! As long as I’m warm enough and the person I’m posing for is respectful, it’s no different from being clothed. I don’t really feel exposed, and its almost like there is a special kind of veil around me that comes from people drawing inspiration from my form.

PD: The difference between art and porn is….?

F: The difference between art and porn is context. It’s quite subjective, but I feel that anything created for the sole purpose of masturbation or sexual arousal in general is pornographic. If there is attention to craft and aesthetic I’d say it leans toward the art side. But again, it’s very subjective.

F: Probably David Bowie. The Ziggy Stardust years!

PD: Regrets suck. How do you avoid accumulating them?

F: I use my good sense and I’m generally a cautious person.

PD: One last question. Suppose you are given a microphone that could simultaneously address everyone in the world. With this microphone, everyone can understand you, and you can make 3 statements, what would you say?

F: 1. Education is the most important gift you can give to your children – including art!

2. Hatred of others is simply the refracted hatred of aspects of yourself. Stop hating yourself.

3. “The love you take is equal to the love you make.” Go make some love!

The photographs in this interview are part of a collection of artistic nude photos of Floofie. See more of her exclusively at Zivity.com, a social network for models, photographers, and fans. For those who are curious, she is modeling Hue French Lace pantyhose. A more complete review of them can be found here.

26 Dec 2012

Homage to Avedon

By Paul Duane

The late Richard Avedon has always been one of my photographic heroes. One of his pieces in particular has always been at the top of my list:

“Leap of Faith” by Richard Avedon

…and my homage to Avedon’s masterpiece. Model: Natalie Wall, hair by Nick James / Jouissance Salon.

12 Sep 2012

Ginarie gave us more

By Paul Duane

You’ve probably seen several of her images around the site in the past. There’s a reason for that – Ginarie is one of the best models I’ve worked with. Obviously, she’s a stunning beauty with a killer sense of humor. Aside from being a lot of fun to hang around, she’s an artist herself. She has a unique ability to really understand what the photographer wants to see, and to make it happen.

See the rest of Ginarie here.

Photographs by Paul Duane Photography. See more of his boudoir work.

19 Jul 2012

beautifully subversive

By Paul Duane

Part I: The Dilemma

Suppose you were at a party: It’s being hosted by a friend of a friend, and the host is very well connected in the realm of fashion. Lots of his friends are film industry people, models, and jet setting professionals with careers of distinction. Parties like this have an uncanny way of attracting truly outstanding women. You pick up a glass of chardonnay and wonder how you ever stumbled into the gold at the end of the rainbow. As you are reaching over to sample the foie gras, a clumsy thing happens…

22 Jun 2012

PDX Sat: Cherubs, rainbows and unicorns shitting Portland glitter cupcakes

By Paul Duane

PDX Day 1: My stupidest accomplishment
PDX Day 2: Happy hour indeed
PDX Day 3: Portland so far
PDX Day 3.2: FUPD has assumed control
PDX Day 4: Laughs, libations, and lost chances
PDX Day 5: Cherubs, rainbows, and unicorns shitting Portland glitter cupcakes
PDX Day 6: Homebound
“Cherubs, rainbows and unicorns shitting Portland glitter cupcakes” is the way that a good friend of mine described my trip to Portland.

That’s a fair assessment.

Today, Sat, is the day of the World Naked Bike Ride. I have plenty of photos to share, but first, I want to show you how I spent the earlier part of the day:

20 Jun 2012