About me:
....I'LL LET THE FINE FOLKS AT LEG SHOW GIVE YOU THE WHAT FOR. THE MAGAZINE HAS FEATURED ME IN ITS LEG SHOW LIFESTYLES SECTION IN ITS FEBRUARY ISSUE INCLUDING A SEVEN-PAGE SPREAD. IT'S COOL AS HELL. BELOW ARE THIER QUESTIONS AND MY ANSWERS
Who are you and what do you do?
My name is Frank De Blase and I am a musician, pulp-fiction novelist, good kisser, hot rod enthusiast, burlesque booster, tattoo collector, sub–culture contrarian, and last but not least a photographer of beautiful women.
How did you get started photographing beautiful women?
I guess it was just a matter of time before I started shooting beautiful women. Hell, I’d been a fan all my life. And after slingin’ a guitar around the globe for the last 20 years, it was time for a change. But whatever I’ve set out to do has always had to burn cool from the inside out, and photography is no different. It’s always had to be direct, immediate and relentless --- all things I’ve found in the classic type voluptuaries I’ve captured so far and the beauties and cuties I still seek.
Before they can purchase "real" nudie pix, boys sometimes spend time with the Sears catalog or Victoria's Secret. Did you have any special visual aids when you were younger?
I was a sneaky little bastard. When we were about 10 years old, a neighborhood pal and I found his dad’s girlie magazine stash under his workbench. It took my breath away. I would cut out my favorites and keep them in my wallet. His dad got wise eventually so I graduated to stealing copies of PLAYBOY and HUSTLER from the barbershop.
LEG SHOW readers will love the vintage feel of your photographs. What is it about that style and era that makes the women so sexy?
The sensuality and subtlety in classic pin-up photography is infinitely more powerful than cheaper endeavors that clutter magazine racks and coffee tables everywhere. Nudity --- Implied or actual --- just seems a little more illicit coming from the “good ol’ days. It was more transgressive, suggestive, salacious, bodacious, and frankly just really cool.
Genuine gorgeousity tempered with a tease is undeniable in all its 35 mm knock out appeal. I think the number one thrill is that classic era’s forbidden nature, it’s taboo alure. It’s like you’re getting away with something. You’re seeing something you’re not supposed to; people giving into lust despite the social stink-eye of the time. Yesterday tries hard to project this wholesome, puritanical image when in fact there’ve always been freaks. And whether it’s a charade or not, I still love a little tease with my sleaze.
How do you find your models?
Through several modeling sites or referals from other models. A lot of girls from the rockabilly scene, already have the look and attitude but I’ll also approach girls that don’t, if I see potential --- a femme fatale lurking beneath that sweatshirt and jeans, a buxom beauty just waiting to bust out. I’m fortunate at this point, through my website and published work, that model’s are approaching me. My calendar’s full.
[If this applies.] Have you ever met a woman that you just had to photograph? If so, how do you approach her without scaring her off?
Everyday. I always conduct myself as a professional and not a hard-on with a camera. If you work your pitch right when approaching amatuer women --- “please” and “thank you” --- they’re usually quite flattered and willing.
I have a few well-intentioned friends that approach women and give them my card or tell them about my website. Sometimes this can backfire but generally I prefer shooting amatuer beauties or undiscovered talent. There’re a lot of models --- especially in the pin-up category --- that have been shot to death,.
[If you're single and dating] How do women react when they find out about your photography?
I’m happily married. My wife runs the business end of things and loves what I do. She is very supportive The reaction now is more from men wishing they were me.
There's a wonderful sense of playfulness in your photos. As a photographer, is there anything that you do to make your models feel comfortable?
My sets are very comfortable and fun. The model gets whatever she wants. I have a non-stop sense of humor and besides retro-inspired pin-up photography is always fun, in that the scenrios can be kind of goofy. And though I shoot a lot of 35mm, I always kick off digitally so when a model sees the first few shots and how well the session is going, she relaxes and it’s a breeze from there.
Do you prefer the women to wear stockings and garter belt or pantyhose? Why?
Garter belts obscur the derriere, though they’re a good accessory if I’m shooting a boudoir strip tease series. Pantyhose swell at the ankle when the model farts. So I gotta say I like thigh highs that stay up on their own until it’s time to roll ’em down…
Describe the ultimate tease outfit -- and the ultimate woman wearing it.
See the above answer and add some open-toed heels and I’m a happy guy. As far as the ultimate woman, I know better than to try and limit myself to just one type. But if I did, I would have to say a 5’8” curvacious, Australian blonde with cute feet and in this case wearing a see-through nightie and a pair of mirabou mules.
There's a section of your photo gallery titled "Battlin' Buxotics". What was your inspiration for this?
Irving Klaw definitely. I like photos that tell a story or convey movement. What better way than a couple buxotics pulling hair, spanking each other, and grappling on the floor while the viewer chews his nails waiting for something to pop out?
How did you get started with your website?
My wife fired up my first website as a basic tool, really: a vehicle to get my stuff out there. But I think my photos, especially the vintage style prints, should be experienced in person and held.
What can readers expect to find on your website?
Drool-worthy dames that’ll make a bishop kick out a stained glass window.
How did you discover you liked women’s feet
I was 10 years old (right about the same time I was stealing girlie mags) and was riding in the back of my dad’s station wagon with the girl that lived next door. She used to babysit my younger sister. She was wearing purple shorts with a matching top and was barefoot. I couldn’t stop staring at her feet. It was my first boner and the first time a girl busted me for staring. It’s 30 years later and nothing has changed. I almost always include a model’s feet when composing a shot. I’m not as concerned with big boobs or long legs or round backsides as I am with beauty starting from the floor up; the gal’s gotta have cute feet… and red toenail polish.
...i write and shoot for CITY NEWSPAPER in Rochester, NY --- you can check out my stuff including my weekly review column I SCENE IT at www.rochester-citynews.com
...i also freelance for several national rags including REBEL INK, URBAN INK, and SWANK, where i dish out trashy novellas once a month. i travel constantly. i always leave room for dessert.
...my photography has appeared in
ULTRA
SWANK
LEG WORLD
LEG SHOW
BUST
URBAN INK
DOWNBEAT
ARTVOICE
GARAGE
OL SKOOL RODZ
CAR KULTURE DELUXE
LEG WORLD
JUBOP
HARPERS
you can check it all out at www.frankdeblase.com
...i also host THE SUNDAY NIGHT SHAKEDOWN---Sunday nights 8-11 p.m. on 98.9 THE BUZZ. Three whole hours of Rochester rock 'n' roll and my big mouth. dig it on line at www.rochesterbuzz.com
Who I'd like to meet: Retro oriented pin-up models/femme fatales and like-minded butter heads. I will travel anywhere to shoot. see www.frankdeblase for the skinny.
€€€ SURGE €€€ : "Let the bodies hit the floor" A look back at a hell of a year for SURGE. Everything from a new Logo to The Summer of SURGE and opening for national acts such as BRITNY FOX, JANI LANE/WARRANT and DIZZY REED/GUNS AND ROSES!!! Take a look at an incredible year!
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The Roadhead Journal Online Magazine of Art, Anarchy, Literature, and Pop Culture Dumpster Diving
This compendium of illiterations, art, literature and journalism is a compost pile of fermenting illiterati to toss onto the garden of your imagination to further fertilize it to yield a bounty of ideas and free thought. It breaks rules as it does not recognize good grammer in some instances as the final authority over random thought. The words and art herein hopefully fall from an imaginary pinata as delightful and delicious candy
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