The Costume Maker

Names of the family members have been withheld at the behest of their relatives.
Statement by Justin H. for the Clark County Sheriffs office, November 2010.

"Well I called (the mother) after work, around 6:30p, and asked her if she wanted to go out to get a drink. She declined as she had work to on her children's Halloween costumes before they got home from their Nana's house. She invited me to come over for some coffee and keep her company while she sewed. When I arrived at the condo, she let me in and we sat at her kitchen table sipping coffee and talked about the NIT funding crisis. She sat across from me hand-sewing a black cat costume for her littlest. The condo felt strange, a little oppressive. It might have been the storms outside, but it felt... different. Like something dark was in the house. It was markedly uncomfortable. I left around 8, just before the kids got home. I didn't know it would be the last time I, or anyone outside the family, saw her."

 Image by Strublay

 Image by Strublay

 Image by Strublay

Image by Strublay

 Image by Strublay

 Image by Strublay

 Image by Strublay

 Image by Strublay

 Image by Strublay

 Image by Strublay

Finally! I knew that a rainy day was coming, so I decided to wait until it came.
I hope you enjoy.

This story is a work of fiction, any similarities to actual events is purely coincidental. 
Clark County Sheriff and NIT are fictional entities.

Halloween in May, and shotgun prop making.

I figure, well.... if the idiots for that other Holiday can have Christmas in July, why can't WE have Halloween in May?
Tomorrow is one of my rare days off where I have nothing that really "NEEDS" to be done, so I'm going to work on a photo-shoot here in Anaheim.
Which is hard because all of my previous pieces, candle holders, witch jars and ephemera are at home in Las Vegas.
This will be an exercise in ingenuity.
Putting together a photo shoot from literally nothing, and having to rely on finding cool items in a city I don't know very well. It's a bit of a challenge. OH, and I can't use actual candles in any of my photographs, because if it is discovered that I have candles I could get kicked from housing...
Let's see if I can pull it off.

Now the question is: do I reveal it on Friday the 13th, or on May 31st?

Choices.

Any suggestions for theme, reveal times and other parameters are welcomed.

Of rotting pumpkins, and another still life

So, we picked up pumpkins while returning from Knotts, and at the time all of the pumpkins looked sound.... 

But alas, I was wrong. One of my pumpkins was slowly rotting. I happened to actually touch it today, and it was a little... squishy.... 

Checked the others, so far so good.

And THANKFULLY it wasn't one of my stemmed beauties. 

So I carved me a pumpkin last night, and did a full blown still life..

And I fixed the photography problem!

Lower ISO's for the win!

Image by Strublay 

Image by Strublay

Image by Strublay

Image by Strublay

Image by Strublay

This is the first part of the still life, I'm saving some of the rest.

I hope you enjoy!