Gypsy Part I, Wanderer

"...Circumstances led me here.

Nature kept me here; who's to blame

for the burnt out flame?

Caged in my own skin,

I can't seem to win,

Who am I competing with?..."

-Franco Mostert 23 June 2008

[Preview Post] Gypsy

"I cry at the beauty of life; laugh when sorrow is transparent. 

I don't always know where I belong, maybe I am 

weird, but I love that about myself..."

Fa La La [Christmas Wonderland]

I have taught myself everything I know about photography, every shoot was

a lesson of sorts. I have never claimed to be professional in what I do in any

way, and I still learn each and every day with each photo shoot I do [I still shoot

in AUTO ffs! lol].

This shoot is a testament to that. I have never done a shoot with so many 

background props and I did not feel confident that it would turn out good, but

I proved myself wrong. And that's how I learn; I try to prove myself wrong. 

Here is the much promised 'Fa La La [Christmas Wonderland]', the Christmas

themed photoshoot. There were a lot more I wanted to added to the props, but I felt

I'd never do it if I didn't just do it with the props I had. 

Beach [Summer Part II]

It was a toss up between doing a follow up shoot for Summer, and 

doing a themed Christmas shoot. I went for the former because I wanted

to prepare myself properly for a Christmas shoot and not just do a half-assed

shoot of it just for the sake of coming up with a theme. That being said, I am

preparing for a proper shoot soon ;D

In the mean time, enjoy the second installment of the Summer shoot, entitled

'Beach'. Not so much for the sand and the sea but the aquatic feelings it evokes. 

You will also be able to see the transformation I am currently in when you compare

the two shoots, 'Summer' & 'Beach'. I shed so much unnecessary (and unhealthy) 

weight I have been carrying around for so long, and you certainly see this in this shoot. 

Without further ado, here is Beach ;D

The only downside I have to shedding all this weight, is having to acquire

a whole new wardrobe full of clothes that won't sit like shopping bags on me ;D

Summer

I have worked so hard on becoming myself physically, 

and the last few months I really gotten results and I was exceptionally

proud of myself for persevering in my goal of losing weight, 

eating more healthy and being more comfortable in my body. 

Although this is not the first shoot that represents this amazing

journey, this is however the first shoot to dedicate and put light on the

subject. I have consciously stopped using a body-cincher for my shoots as well.

I have always prided myself in being a big bodied man, having been

bullied all my life not just for who I love, but what I look like. 

I have finally reached a point where I can look at myself, and say, 'good work 

babes.'

Emperor's Gay-sha (Empress, Part II)

As Iggy Pop once said, 
"I'm not ashamed to dress "like a woman"
because I don't think it's shameful to be a woman." 

We are not defined by what we wear; a man in a dress does not 
take the power away from him, it does not dehumanise him. 
This shoot is dedicated to the people out there that does not 
conform to what society wants you to be, you blur the colour 
of black and white, you read between the lines and fill in the 
blanks. I salute you. 

You are an Empress ;D

Empress

" I have long lived with the inherent fear that my effeminate side

will stand in the way of breaking my barriers; norms set by society.

I have long lived with the idea that one should be ashamed of your effeminate

side and not show it at all. 

I have soon learned that being effeminate does not equate to being weak, 

and I have taught myself to stand up to even my toughest bullies; myself. 

I have since took it on as a personal goal to bend and break gender norms

at every turn, to create a world where I am comfortable with my own sexuality, 

despite what society thinks or says."

- Franco Mostert 25 October 2014

This is part of the internal monologue I had with myself while I was having 

the photoshoot. It is amazing how such a realisation can free you from restraints

you built yourself so you cannot get hurt, and in the process making yourself a prisoner

of unwanted and unneeded negativity. 

Therefor, it is only fitting that this shoot be called Empress. As the shoot went on, and

this internal monologue kept on, I grew stronger in my determination to shed all that negativity, 

let my true potential flourish and not be defined by what society sets as the norm. Slowly but surely, I am turning my pain into poetry. And to think, this shoot almost did not happen. 

I give you, Empress: