Photographer since 2001

Friday, December 26, 2014

Le Tassel D'or

Audrey Ivory and myself are proud to present our new Burlesque Production House:
LE TASSEL D'OR

Logo designed by the crazy-talented, 
internationally renowned pinup artist Maly Siri

We're proud to present a show this January 10th at the Lion D'Or Cabaret hosted by none other than Quebec's favourite humorist; Laurent Paquin!!
This show will provide a nice little kick to the new year with a retro chic ambiance and constant entertainment - may it be burlesque on stage, a live band, a contortionist at the bar, a lovely damsel on stilts dancing through the crowd, a three breasted snake charmer taking photos with you or a magician performing illusions right at your very table. Come laugh your face off and dance the night away with us!! Buy your tickets HERE!! Don't wait - they're going fast!!
Join us on Facebook HERE!

In the meantime here's a fun little teaser ;)







Flames land us a new home!

WOW.
What a crazy couple of months it has been!
First - I'm sure some of you heard; Diablos (the restaurant below us) literally burst into flames. The fire destroyed pretty much the entire building and in the process exposing the nice little old lady next door's massive grow-op. Who knew? We were fortunate however, the firefighters saved the majority of our stuff - both personal and studio. It was a hectic day as we waited outside (me in my pyjamas with two restless dogs) to find out if anything was salvageable at all.

The fire stopped around one in the afternoon, but the firefighters continued to douse the embers and take apart the walls for a steady six hours. It was hell.


Thankfully we were escorted in by some awesome firefighters who helped us pull out the necessities. At this point we had been drinking beer on our handy red cross provided blanket in the alley behind the blaze for also a solid 6 hours... so needless to say Meg haggled to be escorted by the firefighter of her choice. You have to laugh, right?

Homeless, studioless and feeling like the littlest hobo, we wondered where we were headed and who could take us in in such short notice? Finding an appropriate space that doesn't cost a fortune (starving artists over here) isn't all that easy in MTL. The rent was either way too high or affordable but too far from downtown in every available space scouted. BUT THEN - the awesome people at La Commune stepped in. Not only did they offer us an affordable space but they also provide us a genuine communal atmosphere, where everyone helps each other out, people brainstorm together and shit gets done. I couldn't ask for a place that feels more like HOME.



Thank you to all our friends and family who KICKED ASS and helped us clean, move and just cope with this huge ordeal. A really special thanks to Fred, who tirelessly made trip after trip, moving our shit in nothing less than a hearse. Yes, a hearse. It was rad. 




La Commune logo
Please check them out HERE and see all the amazing services they have to offer.
That being said; we had to change our number as well as our address so check us out here:
514-775-3218
440 Place Jacques Cartier (Old Montreal)
suite 200

Here are some shots of the event space I took for La Commune: 





Monday, September 1, 2014

Comiccon 2014

We'll be at Montreal Comiccon this year! We'll be showcasing something new and creative we've been working on.


Tarot
A totally unique and brand new vison on the mythical tarot deck!
..... Concept by Marisa Parisella and Audrey Ivory .....
78 original cards photographed by Marisa Parisella
FX Makeup styling by Audrey Ivory
Written by Matt Risk 
with costuming by Sis Void 
and nail art by Tamara Di Lullo
Made in Montreal! 
Prints, original nail art, latex costuming 
and Tarot readings at booth #2631
To reserve your deck, visit: 







Sunday, July 27, 2014

Who has the right to be tattooed?


I had an interesting encounter this morning at Tim Hortons. Granted, I was wearing my unicorn jammies and yesterday's makeup (don't judge me) and probably looked a little derelict.


 I also may or may not have assaulted a stranger with a GOT reference which he totally did not get. (he looked EXACTLY like Jon Snow and when he couldn't get his damn order straight I started laughing and shouted: "you know nothing, Jon Snow!!")

The dude behind me got it, we high-fived. My life is awesome.

Anyway, an older gentleman was chatting with his friend and I was passing my time, waiting for my double-double, eavesdropping. (what else am I supposed to do, come on!) He said something really interesting: "I don't think big girls should get tattoos, it only looks good on thin young women"

Excuuuuuse you?

That has got to be one of the stupidest things I've ever heard. Yes, tattoos are meant to be ecstatically pleasing... to the person they're on. It's called choice. Granted, some people make stupid choices - but that's their damn prerogative. So shut your judgy mouth sir. Like, right now. I smiled and raised my coffee to him and strutted my unicorn-clad, tattooed, round, fiiine ass outta there. Tattoos are for those that want them, regardless of age, gender, size or race. 
The End. 

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Fetish Weekend 2014

Two new images I've worked on that were chosen to promote Montreal's Fetish Weekend. 
For more info and tickets to the most amazing weekend of the year click HERE
xx
Photo: Marisa Parisella
Latex: Sis Progressive Designs
MUA + Model: Audrey Ivory

Photo and Ropes: Marisa Parisella
MUA + Model: Lavender May


Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Online Dating is Hell

A while ago I started a little social experiment. I've been documenting my online dating experience using dating sites like POF, OKCupid and the like. These days online dating is widely accepted as an alternative to traditional dating (you know, going up to someone and saying "hi"?). A large majority of photos I take for people, both clients and friends, use these images for their dating profiles... and they all say the same thing: online dating is hell.

I'm no stranger to online dating - I met an awesome dude and we had a short-term but happy relationship that I would classify as a non-hell related experience... but this was YEARS ago. Apparently the online dating game had changed and I wanted to see what it was like for a plus size (16-18 US) 30 year old woman with lots tattoos, irregular work hours and a non-conforming job.

I did this experiment in three parts. The first part I put my "best" foot forward, the images I deemed the most attractive as well as a profile that described my best qualities to almost a self-involved fault.

The second was a more honest profile encompassing my entire personality and life as well as what I'm able to offer in a relationship. This profile was brutally honest and I had to take a hard look at myself to see what I was realistically able to share with another person in a relationship such as: time, commitment and passion. I used images that I loved of myself as well as candid photos from my "everyday" life that gave a realistic portrait of who I am.

The third was a bit of a joke that I threw in last minute. I used some horrible pictures that I harass my friends with via texts and PMs. Ie; no makeup, non flattering poses, etc... My friends and I don't take ourselves too seriously and we tend to prefer laughs over appearances any day. I wrote barely a phrase about myself and threw it online.

Yes, I'm going to share all of my profiles.
I'm also going to show you responses from men that have contacted me, both good and bad. There were some genuinely lovely men out there and I want to give them their dues. There were also a TON of slime bags. Filthy, filthy slime bags. I've been compiling information for this article for 12 months, 2 weeks and 3 days... at which point I just gave up. it looked something like this:


I'll break it down into parts per profile; the "self-involved" profile, the "honest" profile and the "joke" profile.
I want to discuss the severe CRAZY that's out there and the constant harassment that women online face. I'll also discuss the effect that online dating has on real-life relationships and expectations... I found after the entire experience I've discovered a lot about myself; including that online dating is not for me. Now, I know a lot of people have had positive experiences so keep in mind that this is simply MY experience as well as my personal reflections and opinions. I've left out names and photos ('cause I don't want to get sued, yo). 

In every profile I specified my age, body type and that I was looking for a relationship. I used tag lines like: "Looking for someone interesting" or "Seeing what's out there" - very general and non-exciting. I had every intention of meeting and going out on dates with anyone that "clicked" and keep in mind that though my profiles varied I didn't make anything up about myself - I simply hid or accentuated some aspects of my personality based on other profiles I had read (about 300+) on various dating sites.
So here we go...

The Self Involved Profile

About Me: 
Hiya! I'm a young successful entrepreneur here in Montreal. I love going out to concerts, drinking my Jamie and having a whole lot of fun! I work weird hours, but whatever - you'll figure something out if you want to hang out! I love my life and am willing to make a little room for someone interesting! I'm in an artistic field - often behind the camera but often asked to pose. My style is a little goth mixed with pinup and I consider myself cute, fun and funny. I like going out to movies, reading about fashion and playing with my dogs. Drop me a line if you see something you like. I don't like boys; get your shit together. I have lots of tattoos, I pride myself on choosing the best artists for each piece. You don't need to be tattooed, no worries ;) 

Photo:


The Response:
Let me just specify that this profile makes me cringe and I hate it to the point of being disgusted with myself. This isn't even the worst one that I wrote - but definitely the one that had the most activity.

I received about 5-10 messages a day making it impossible to answer everyone on top of my regular work load. I gave about a half hour every couple of days to check and reply to messages (at like, 3am). 
The majority of messages are something along the lines of: "Hey"(207), "What's up"(212), "I'd hit that" (164), "Cunt" (97). Amount of men that sent an engaging message with a complete profile (by complete I mean their "about me" section is actually filled out with coherent phrases): 32. The rest, well, it's pretty sad. Quite a large amount of guys would simply send me "hey" over and over again (often when I wasn't even online); after about 4-6 "hey"s they'd actually begin to insult me. "stupid slut", "fuck you too then", "Stupid bitch" were all on the menu. I even got a "fuck you, you deserve to get raped". Keep it classy, Montreal.


The majority of men completely overlooked what I ACTUALLY wrote and skipped straight to: "you seem so nice and down to earth" REALLY? If you're going to copy paste those compliments sir, you had better make sure that they make sense! The fact that I was a plus size woman never came into discussion, not even once. This really surprised me actually - I really thought I was going to get hit with the "I love your curves" lines. I mean, how better to appeal to someone so obviously self involved than to compliment them on their physical attributes? Apparently the one liner approach is no longer skin deep - which made me wonder; 
1) Is humanity taking a turn for the better and are people appealing to personalities instead of boobs and asses?
2) Did they assume that as a plus size woman I would be easier to appeal to if they took a non-physical approach?
2.5) Am I making too many assumptions? Oh dear.
3) Are men genuinely attracted to this exaggerated facet of my personality? (This thought was promptly followed by sadness, a bag of Cheetos and an ice-cream sandwich)



Dates I went on: 0


The Honest Profile

About Me:
I live here in Montreal but seem to have difficulty meeting new people, due to work schedules and me being a bit of an introvert! I'm going to be super honest here and let you know right away that I work a lot... Like, whatever you think is a lot, multiply that by 2. This seems to cause problems with some people so I'm putting it out there! I work mostly on creative projects and things for clients - I'm pretty fortunate to run my own artistic atelier, I put my heart and soul into it - but I also have a fucking blast doing what I do. This is an experiment to see what's out there in the internet dating world! I suppose, to sum it up, I suck at flirting with strangers in bars and I'd like to meet someone to spend some time with on nights off - which are usually spent hanging out with friends at pubs, going to concerts, playing video games or having a spur of the moment get-together with random people and friends at my place. If you suck at flirting too and want to go be awkward together over a beer, send me a message!
Music and literature will never be lost on me. There's a deep seeded love for all things Metal, grunge and macabre in my heart. Neil Gaiman novels make my knees weak. I have a fur ball that will want to climb on you, kiss you and he WILL insist that you throw his ball at least 10 times. I can't stand to be with someone that doesn't love animals. Though my friends tend to be loud and over-the-top at times, I always seem to be the calm logical friend that gives solid advice with sarcastic (occasionally monotone) wit. I'm really bad at answering the phone (see above paragraph about work) and I don't do so well with clingy people. I don't give a flying fuck about personal fashion but I can talk to you for hours about fashion marketing, branding and new tendencies... if you're into that. Bottom line: name brands won't be the thing I find impressive about myself or you ;)
Hard-headed and opinionated are things people love or hate about me - though I try to be fair an open-minded because I don't believe in fighting just for the sake of it.
I suck at shopping; one hour tops then I quit and turn into the grumpiest little italian lady you've ever met! I love cooking. I love inside jokes. I love trying new things. I love tattoos, tattoo art, street art, cult movies (even the really bad ones) and the entire baroque period. 
I'm terrible with negativity, people who don't have their shit together and people that can't or won't put themselves in other people's shoes. We're all just people, man. Be fucking decent.
The people that I love, I love with everything I've got. I believe a strong relationship is based on connection, sexuality that clicks and knowing that your partner's got your back!
Things I'm looking for: Well if you like 3 or more of the things I listed above, we're off to a good start. I'd like someone who enjoys time with friends and doesn't need to be with me 24/7, who's a little brainy (that really makes me happy), has pride in himself but doesn't take himself too seriously ALL the time and can enjoy nights out with friends.... see, you can be awkward; but there's a difference between awkward and reclusive asshole. Physically I tend to be drawn to scruffy, taller men - but I've dated a whole spectrum of shapes, colours and the thing that draws me in is confidence. 

Photo:



The Response:
I received about 4-10 messages a month. Nine were from genuine, interesting and courteous men who restored my faith (a little) in online dating. Three of which I royally pissed off because I'm an asshole and have terrible communication skills (I was clear up front about not having time to check every day, but feelings were hurt and I'm sorry about that, obviously, it's not a match). Two men declared undying love after a couple of dates - What? What the fuck are you thinking talking about kids and marriage after a couple dates? It worried me, not only for the complete 180 in direction but also my lack in being able to see it coming. One guy was pretty persistent in meeting and when I refused due to his constant harassment (10-20 texts a day), he told me he only liked me because I was ugly and fat; therefore easier to control and better wife material... I wish I was joking. 
One guy sent me a link to his profile with the accompanying message: "Eww, gross"



One guy copy pasted Literotica with some pretty explicit things he wanted to do to my ass. That was... special. Most men simply commented on our mutual interests - which seemed to depress me, even though it was a positive thing... I just keep wondering when the "crazy" in them would rear it's ugly head. To be completely fair though - this profile DID yield the highest amount of guys that appealed to me and most men were super respectful and decent. I got a lot of the slut badgering similar to the "Self Involved Profile" (Seems like pretty general behaviour according to all women that I've spoken to). Some dudes just disappeared after a few conversations or once they saw sex wasn't in the cards on the first date - this seems to be standard for internet dating for both men and women (myself included). It's like an all you can eat buffet, of course you're going to get distracted. 
One guy asked me for money. One genius asked me for drugs (What? Why?). Two guys asked me "how much?".  Some guys just made random comments about my anatomy. 

(you can't even SEE my boobs)

Some guys accused me of extreme feminism... 

some guys totally didn't even read my responses, nor have any logic whatsoever:

A lot of men wanted to cheat on their wives... 

...and then there was this sort of thing:
Dates I went on: 10
Why it didn't work out: No one was a great match. Some great guys... but after some personal reflection, here's why I think internet dating was a disaster (for me): Filling in the blanks - Which I'll go over in probably too much detail later on. Finally; the last profile....

The Joke Profile

About me:
Dunno what to say here would really like to meet someone nice I guess
Photo:


The Response:
Overwhelming. 
I'm blown away by the sheer volume of response to this profile. On any given day, anywhere between 5-20 messages. This was NOT what I expected. IF anything, I expected more slut bashing or other ugly commentary every couple of months.... not this....
An overwhelming amount of sexual advances... from what I personally find to be some pretty good looking if not gorgeous men. It became pretty obvious that these men perceived my profile as easy prey and that I'd jump at the chance to sleep with them. As Audrey, my makeup artist would say: "LOL LOL LOL" to a joyful little tune. 
What the hell? I don't even know what to think. I'm pretty disgusted with a couple guys - they basically turned to name calling and slut bashing once it became clear I didn't "Want the D" (as one guy put it). 
If this many guys are initiating this approach, then there must be a certain amount of success to their efforts. Why does a woman become vulnerable when she doesn't fit into the standard constraints of modern beauty? Simple: We do it to ourselves. We're told we have to fit in to a nearly impossible beauty standard all the while living in a society that encourages fast-food living yet shames the bodies it creates - insecurity is a powerful tool. (I wish I could find the amazing video that originally brought this up; so if anyone comes across it, please post it. It brings up some valid points that I could go on about - but it will have to be another night). The only advice I can possibly share to my fellow ladies living this experience is - enjoy the one night stands (if you're into that) but know your value. No one deserves to be used and if men like this make your soul hurt; perhaps change your approach to a more detailed profile that shows people just that: I value myself and what I can offer you. 


The effect that online dating has on real-life relationships and expectations... 
Filling in the blanks

Naturally, you fill in the blanks. It's impossible to get a complete first impression until you actually meet. Your brain fills in the blanks in the mean time (regardless if you say "No Expectations" or not) so when you finally DO meet the person, it's pretty fucking hard for them to live up to your "fill in the blank" version of them... Especially since most of the men I met put only their best foot forward and hid major things like depression, KIDS, hating their jobs as well as huge social and/or health problems... even mundane things like hair loss, body type, financial problems... etc... were locked away like some dirty secret. What is so wrong with having no hair, being broke and being round. ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. Hell, welcome to being an adult. I'll get the cake. 


As for the serious issues; DUDE; nobody is going to love that fake you and not everyone has the time or patience to give you a chance to try again once they figure it out.
Everybody has problems and if yours are so bad that you can't sleep at night - you have no business dating and dragging someone else into your mess. Take some "you" time to reflect on why you're fucking up, sort your shit out, then learn to love your life (and live it well) no matter what bullshit cards you've been dealt - because that's life, that's being a grown up. Start looking to share your life when you have something concrete to build on with an honest foundation... and please, please don't fake it. If being shy is your hang up, SAY SO. You may be awesome when you have a half hour and an iPhone to answer a text - but I don't want to date your god damned smart phone. Don't fake being a casanova online when you can't even string a god damned sentence together face to face. So what if you're awkward and conversation doesn't come easy - WELCOME to life for 99% of people! HUZZAH!! Being honest about oneself is hard, I get it - sometimes our perception of ourselves is warped. I know. But you have to try to scratch deeper than the surface of yourself before putting yourself out there! (For you as much as anyone else). Being ignorant of oneself seems like a freaking epidemic today. It sucks! There, I said it! This whole huge monologue just to say; it fucking blows!

A question I've been frequently asked while writing this never-ending entry: "What is it that you want? You want people to list on their profile every single hang-up they have? That's not possible!"
No, of course not. I just don't want people to use the internet like a shield against real life. You shouldn't be making shit up - everyone's a god damned MacGyver making something awesome out of nothing. Also, I don't want random guys telling me I'm a slut because I didn't respond to their message right away... I'm good with getting those two things, if nothing else.

I would date this guy, actually...


Basically this whole experience taught me that if you feel uncomfortable about sharing aspects about yourself - you're not ready to date. That's what dating is; sharing. I want to love you for YOU and all your weirdness... I want to share my weirdness with you! Be responsible and don't engage someone's affections if you're presenting them with an alternate you. SO WHAT if that "awesome" person doesn't dig you because you have (insert your hangup here); (S)he's not a good match if (s)he doesn't embrace it. It's their right to not be interested, it doesn't mean they're a bad person... It simply means that a whole hell of a lot of energy is NOT going to be wasted building a relationship on your crazy flim-flam phony-ass crap. I learned this as much about myself as anyone else.

The worst part is, for the majority of these "fill in the blank" guys - I probably would have really liked them (hopefully they would have liked me too) - if I had met them in a more conventional setting that didn't allow for quite so much embellishment. Bullshit is easier to call and it's definitely harder to lie when you look someone in the eye.

In conclusion; I'm done with online dating. It's not for me and I salute those of you that have the patience and stamina to put up with it all and not go completely insane! I was feeling exceptionally dejected about the whole thing when I came across some Louis CK gold. I'm sharing it with you because this is exactly how I felt after receiving countless whore/slut/cunt messages. It made me feel justified in sticking up for myself - even if it was only online with strangers ;)


If anything - the whole experience has taught me the value of going up to people and meeting them. Like, actually buying them a beer and saying "hey". I've become even more fearless with my face to face flirting; because let's face it, what's the worst they could do? Call me names? Say no? 

Been there, done that (as my mama would say)


Sunday, April 27, 2014

New Website and Receptionist

Heya folks! 
We've been working on a new site; check it out and let us know what you think: 


Also, Just to let you know the BEST way to reach us is to drop by or call Thursdays & Fridays after 2pm and Saturdays after noon! 
For those who have had trouble in the past, don't fret - we've got an awesome & super helpful receptionist to take your calls, retouches and appointment! 
Thank you, as always, for everything!
xox

Some new work for Création Sis and Décadence

Meg from Decadence came up with some pretty cool makeup/hair/pose inspirations and asked me to photograph them. I was very happy to meet and chill with these awesome girls. Meagan has some pretty creative ideas and I'm stoked to take part in projects she proposes!
Here are a couple shots:
MUAH: Decadence
Model: Paisley
Photo and Post Prod: Marisa Parisella

MUAH: Decadence
Model: Oro
Photo and Post Prod: Marisa Parisella
more images in these sets coming soon!


Here's the new image we worked on for the entrance;
Audrey Ivory is wearing Création SIS and Iron Fist pumps, as well as MUAH by Decadence.
We wanted something dark yet luxurious to represent both Sis and Meagan properly. Audrey's hair, as usual, is a majestic mane that I want to steal... 
Check it out!


MUAH: Decadence
Model: Audrey Ivory
Photo and Post Prod: Marisa Parisella


Friday, April 25, 2014

Lexxi Brown

I was honoured by the amazing Lexxi Brown at the studio a few weeks ago - here are a couple shots from the shoot. Lexxi is wearing latex by Sis Design


Thursday, March 20, 2014

80s Music, Toys and Creeps.

Every now and then youtube takes me to the black hole of 80s music videos. Most of the time I'm too busy to watch - it's really just background noise that makes me nostalgic for summers spent with my Nana by the pool. (Yes, there was a time when I actually enjoyed the sun, tanning and mother-flippin' Polly Pocket)
My Polly Pocket Game was TIIIIIIIGHT in the 80s. The only thing I had better game in: 
No lie.
I loved that shit & my Nana still has it all vacuum-sealed in her basement in case I have kids. Oi.
 The reality of the situation is; I'm eventually going to have enough room in my home and all this gloriousness is going on display.

ANYWAY - this evening, while working, this video caught my eye. I'm sure I saw this as a child. I'm also pretty sure this video psychologically traumatized me both as a child and today as a designer & feminist. Honestly, you just kind of have to laugh about it. (One of those laughs you give when you're unsure if you should actually be laughing will be perfect)


THINGS WRONG WITH THIS VIDEO

1. CREEPY DOLL

2. Insinuated masturbation out of boredom. If you're bored, YOU'RE DOING IT WRONG.

3. Weirdo girl lurking, waiting on your every move.

4. The boots. Nuff said.

5. How fucked up is your budget that you have enough money to pay the orgy people (yes, there are orgy people) BUT not enough money to have, oh, I don't know, ACTUAL STREETS. Who thought it was a good idea to lay down all those garbage bags? Did you think people wouldn't notice? Is this some sort of artsy commentary? I don't get it. Actually, never mind - the WHOLE video is like this. 

6. Creepy rich dude in a car. God, I hope this doesn't get rapey. 

7. Yep. Here comes the rape. Being led away from a party to a dark and lonely alley. YIPEE! Geeze, is this really what you think women fantasize about?

8. She somehow walks into some sort of weird ballet/mask/tin foil orgy à la "Eyes Wide Shut" with our favourite potential rapist presiding over the whole thing.

9. Stuff of NIGHTMARES. WHAT IS THAT ON YOUR FACE, SIR?

10. Weird hand hallway that rips off your clothes & pulls your hair. Hmmm, I wonder what's about to happen...

11. Well, would you look at that. Some good ol' rape.

12. With some weird art students watching

13. ...and the doll saw the whole thing. Along with some creepy metaphors about fantasy, sexuality and abuse. Not cool beans Laura Branigan. You fucked up my night.


In Conclusion; WTF 1980s... W.T.F.