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Hot and Cold

Posted on March 18, 2012 by A.H. Scott

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Tony –
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……….Well, let me first warn you about this poem. It’s definitely not erotic at all. It’s about domestic violence against women. I was inspired to write it after seeing an image on a poster of a battered woman. And, it just blew me away. “Hot and Cold” is the title and even if you don’t ever use this poem on your site, I just wanted to read it. Thanks for everything you’ve done in our collaboration so far, TW..;)

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HOT and COLD

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Hot is feel of every punch you leave upon my skin
Cauldron of words scorch the soul
Get it over with and leave me alone
It’s always the same, when you say it’s all my fault
My tears have all run dry
My heart has been hollowed out
Cold compress against my bruises I hold
Balled up fist cranked back for another punch
No longer do I scream, for you have taken my voice
Holding onto this floor, as if it were my safety blanket
Impression of your fist against my skin has formed several islands of pain
Black and blue and brown are some
Yet, those that have started healing are turning a yellowish hue
I’ll be the perfect wife
I’ll be the perfect cook
I’ll be the perfect f**k for you
Just don’t hit me again
I’ll be anything but your punching bag anymore
My voice has become a smothered whisper as I promise you on this floor
As your fist unclenched, you actually rub my back and walk away
Cold compress I press to my face
My soul is ripped and needs to be replaced
Heart that once was full of life, has now become shattered in your wake
I drag myself off this floor and make breakfast as I always do for you
You come into the kitchen, eat and everything is as if it never happened
A smile from your lips and a kiss on the cheek as you leave, lets my guard down again
That voice I had lost has started to peep, as I think about what I should do
Grabbing some things and tossing them in a bag isn’t easy, but neither is staying with you
I have a few hours before you come home
These are the moments I spend alone
Should I leave him?
Should I stay?
I walk into the bathroom with a lip bloodied and a tooth chipped and decayed
Cold water I splash across my face
My life here will end soon….
If I stay, it will be at his hands I shall leave
Yet, if I go, it will be my voice I am going to retrieve
Clothes are crumpled into a plastic bag and placed by the door
I look around at our home and it’s like I’m a stranger there now
Damnit, I can’t go
Damnit, I can’t stay
My heart says I love him
My body says no way
I’m GONE
I’m GONE
MY VOICE HAS RETURNED TO ME…..!!!

Copyright 2012

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About The Author: Draped in freedom’s spirit, A.H. Scott is a sizzling scribe of unveiling sensuality. Residing in New York City, this writer is armed with pouting pen of passion and pulsating digits pounding against keyboard. Between this lady’s manicured fingers, a snaggy stylus lacerates parchment and masticates digits against a misting keyboard towards a just climax literary longing. She’s a new voice and vision of fiction. who has been writing short stories and poetry ever since childhood.

www.Alt-Er-Ego.com

Posted on March 17, 2012 – Copyright 2012

Sarah and the Daguerreotype

Posted on March 12, 2012 by Leah Apple

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I decided to make this entire series black and white, although I did give some of the photos a more greenish hue in an attempt to capture a more dream-like, ‘Wizard of Oz’ kind of an environment. The purely black and white photos represent the undeniable reality.

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Early 19th Century to Present

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Sarah lives inside of her own head. She has recently been experimenting with a sort of “old-world” look: high-neck, drop waist dresses, and modest collared blouses. She enjoys shopping for antique art, and together, we have enjoyed admiring daguerreotypes in second hand stores. The daguerreotype (next to Sarah’s portrait) inspired the lead photo because I was struck by how much power and emotion it captured in spite of the fact that the viewer does not see the girl’s eyes. Similarly, the photograph of Sarah next to it explores the ridges and texture of her face without being distracted by the eyes.

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Sarah

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The Eyes are the Window to the Soul

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Sarah finally lifts her gaze and momentarily, invites me into her world. I see that what I first perceived as aloofness is actually depth. Her penetrating stare reveals someone who is deeply contemplative, and perhaps lonely and vulnerable. Sarah reveals that for the first time in her life, she feels “weak” within her relationship. Whereas she’s used to feeling like she wields the power, Sarah now feels like she might be more in love with her boyfriend than he is with her.

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Sarah

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Passion

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As she begins to expose herself, I notice subtle changes in Sarah’s gaze. She is still collected, composed, but she cannot mask her sadness. The intensity of her stare is emblematic of Sarah as a person: she is passionate about everything she does. Now though, when she feels that her passion is unrequited within her relationship, Sarah wonders whether she needs to lower her intensity level, and ponders how to go about changing herself.

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Sarah

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On her Turf

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“I need to have a discussion with my boyfriend,” Sarah states vehemently. “I need to tell him how I feel.” She wants this conversation to take place on “her turf” though, so that she can feel like she has control over the location, even if she doesn’t have a say in the relationship. We head over to her apartment to take photos in her own environment.

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Sarah

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Confidence

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It’s nice to see Sarah in her own environment. She radiates confidence in every pose, and it strikes me now, just how difficult it must be for her to feel as if her love is not reciprocated. But this photo proves that she has not lost her ego altogether; she is still well-aware of what a striking young woman she is.

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Sarah

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Laughter

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Albeit brief, Sarah finds herself smiling and laughing in front of the camera. She is so unaware of herself, and it is charming. I am grateful to have been able to capture this moment if for no other reason than to remind her of what it is like to not feel as though you’re posturing every moment, consciously acting in a certain way in the hopes of gaining another persons affection. Sarah’s naturalness is her greatest strength.

About the Author: Leah Apple is a junior enrolled in the College of the University of Pennsylvania, Class of 2013

Atomic Bombshell

Posted on March 7, 2012 by Atomic Bombshell

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……….It’s funny when I look back at all the shoot’s I’ve ever done, I can look at a photo and tell you where I was in that exact moment of my life. When TW and I shoot, it’s never like work at all. We have a great repore and we talk a lot about everything. This shoot was the day before Valentine’s Day of last year. We started talking about my (then) boyfriend, which kind of got me on a roll. As the shoot went along, I was getting more and more furious at my boyfriend’s lame attempt at Valentine’s Day – so the photo’s started to get more and more like “Ha! hope you enjoy this photo, asshole!” in my mind.. It actually ended up working out great for Tony and I. We had a beautiful shoot! I did, however, call my boyfriend on my way home and we broke up that night. Sexy is a state of mind, but this photo has real inspiration behind it. 

Editor’s Note: To learn more about Atomic Bombshell and to see more pictures and interview, go to the search bar at the top of the page: enter name and click the green icon.

Layla

Posted on March 7, 2012 by Prathima Mia Rodrigues

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Layla is a strong confident modern woman. She is Parisian and embodies the light, romance and the antiquity of that beautiful city. As a photographer, I was drawn to her beautiful eyes – I believe that they draw your gaze into the picture. They stir a sense of curiosity in you and you want to know her story.
The girl in my photographs finds it hard to come to terms with lost love. Past relationships that she has left behind to follow her own dreams, love that she has stifled, commitments that she has run away from – because of her fear of what this would do to her ambition and her career. She is in search of true love or maybe even what it means.

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Layla

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Layla to me represents contradictions. She is afraid of the commitment of a steady relationship and yet she craves permanence. She wants to find love and a person she can trust and love but yet she believes that attachment and dependence can only lead to disappointment.

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Layla

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My photographs capture two Laylas: a confident and solid Layla – she knows what she wants and how to get it and a lonely Layla who is confused about what love really means. Some of these photographs have a distant expression as Layla reminisces about France. She has recollections of her childhood – fleeting memories of objects and senses – the smell of freshly baked croissants, the arrival of spring in March, the sound of her father’s car pulling up in the driveway, the electronic music she danced to in high school. Her memories reflect in her expressions – happy with deep gashes of loneliness.

About The Author: Prathima Mia Rodrigues is enrolled in the Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania.

Brooke Lynne

Posted on March 6, 2012 by Brooke Lynne

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STRIPPED: A Tony Ward Studio Exclusive Blog Series – Part 2

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……….. I¹m Brooke Lynne and a new dancer at Club Risqué, a gentlemen’s club in Philadelphia. At 27, I just decided to make the jump into the exciting world of exotic dancing. I modeled when I was younger; went to beauty school, got married, got divorced, and got my breasts done. Prior to dancing – I managed a men¹s hair salon in NJ and began to notice the almost super hero like power I now had over men. Was it my new additions? Probably in part, but mainly it was the confidence that I possessed and my effortless ability to get along with men. When I was younger I would play dumb, act cute, and rely on my looks to attract men. I often lost them just as quickly as I got them. Now older and more experienced there was no playing dumb about it anymore. I knew what I wanted and they knew I knew what I wanted. And that was sexy.

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Instead of asking for things and delicately waiting like a good girl, I began telling men exactly what to do and what I needed. And they would give it to me! If not, then I stopped wasting my time and got it myself or found someone who could accommodate me. It wasn’t long before the women at my job said, “Why aren’t you on a pole somewhere?” I began to ask myself the same question. I was already wearing skimpy outfits, flirting with men, and giving scalp and hand massages. Why not get paid more for it? I had just started modeling – needed the flexibility to take off for auditions and I was about to begin my first semester at college, how cliche. I had a pole in my living room and a drawer full of clothing that I couldn’t really wear outside. The answer was clear. I had to at least audition. My new breasts needed to start pulling their weight.

To Be Continued……….

Dutch Treat

Posted on March 5, 2012 by Tony Ward

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………Fetish model and songstress, Rachael V continues to turn heads both in her native Holland. and here in the US where she can be seen on the March cover of the popular New York based, Leg Show magazine. I had the opportunity to photograph Rachael during her tour, and edited a few new photos from our sitting: that have not been previously published.

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TWS contributing photographer, Alejandra Guerrero was also featured and interviewed for the publication.

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Rachael V

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Rachael V

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Rachael V

Rachael V

Editor’s Note: To see more pictures and learn more about Rachael V, go to the search bar at the top of the page: enter name and click green icon.

Myra-1

Posted on February 28, 2012 by Meghan Hussey

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……….Myra is one of the most dynamic people I know. I was interested in using photography to capture different aspects of her personality and identity. This year she cut her hair short, inspired by the classic beauty Audrey Hepburn. I asked her to dress however she liked, and she came in a simple outfit that I thought well suited her: a t-shirt and jeans, with a leather jacket that captures her spunk and edge, as well as a beautiful scarf from Pakistan and feather earrings that were both bright pink – a color that captures her vibrant personality perfectly.

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Myra - 2

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Myra is Pakistani-American. She was born in the US and can project the cool confidence of her native Texas. Her love of this country shows through her love of politics and public service. She is also brilliant: she speaks 5 languages and in May will leave to take a gap year in Asia improving her Chinese and Korean before going to law school.

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Myra - 3

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Myra is the youngest in her family and is not afraid to be silly. She has an amazing ability to lose her inhibitions and act like a kid again. Since we have become friends we have accumulated hilarious stories that could go on for days.

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Myra - 4

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Recently, it was revealed that the NYPD has been monitoring a number of Muslim Student Association groups, including the one at Penn to which Myra belongs, without their knowledge and with no cause for suspicion other than their religion. This experience with profiling, along with the lack of strong support from the University, has ignited a sense of anger in both Myra and myself as her friend. They don’t see all of the pieces that make her a unique individual. All they care about is that she is Muslim, since that is enough to make her a threat in their eyes.

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Myra - 5

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Myra is also a ball of energy and fun to be around. Her global interests come through when she enjoys herself. She loves to dance to Bollywood music and sing Karaoke to Taiwanese pop songs. She has a large and multi-cultural circle of friends because of her caring nature and her ability to light up the room.

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Myra - 6

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Yet, Myra embraces Islam as an integral part of her identity. During our shoot she took a break to pray, like many faithful Muslims do at certain times of the day, covering her hair with her scarf. She does not hide her heritage or feel ashamed of it, even though she has faced ignorance and racism. I hope that one day people will be able to accept her Muslim faith as a beautiful part of what makes her whole, and also realize that identity is multi-dimensional and it is in that complexity that our real humanity lies.

About The Author: Meghan Hussey is a Candidate for BA in International Relations and Political Science Minor in International Development, Certificate in Mandarin at the University of Pennsylvania, Class of 2012

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Copyright 2012

The Kiss

Copyright 2012