Category: Portraits

Debbie Williams: The Naked Truth

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TWE: June 2017

 

 

Photography by Tony Ward, Copyright 2017

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FEATURE ARTICLE: THE NAKED TRUTH

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Text by Debbie Williams, Copyright 2017

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I met Tony Ward in the 90’s, which I would probably say were my modeling heydays,  but to be frank, I have been dragging my 15 minutes of fame out over my lifetime.  I don’t remember how many times Tony and I have shot together, but I think it’s about five times by now. I like the way he sees art in the human experience.  As we shot our latest session,  he reminded me of one instance that made me completely uncomfortable.  I shot a scene with his wife Sandy.  I remember her wearing lingerie,  and me feeling like I wanted to find the closest exit.  When we shot the other day,  he mentioned that shoot,  and said it implied girl on girl action.  I don’t remember her touching me. I don’t think she did,  but I know that I didn’t like it.

Before you judge me, understand that I grew up with a sibling (and other loved ones), who are gay. The funny thing is, some people think that just because you are comfortable with a person for who they are, how they are when they are gay, that you must also be gay. Not so. I have even lost friends who were lesbians, because I just wanted to be friends.  I have also lost male friends that way. Maybe the fact that I wasn’t allowed to date until I was in college helped me to be a better friend,  because I couldn’t do anything else.  My mother said,  “You have straight “A’s”, and you are going to keep them”. I was the smart girl. You know,  most likely to succeed.  A nerd. I didn’t really think about being pretty,  except for cheerleading, gymnastics,  ballet, oratory, or an occasional talent show until I was a teenager.  I always loved clothing and shoes, but being raised by my mother was tough at times.

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I was raised first in my family’s AME church,  then the Pentecostal church,  which wasn’t really big on encouraging women’s outward beauty, so modeling (and acting) isn’t looked on as a good thing.  Jesus said in Mark 16:15-16King James Version (KJV)

15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
It is sad, but there’s are entire groups of people who are not being ministered to because they are models, actors, athletes, dancers, artists, Personal Trainers,  gay, etc., because someone has written us off as not “good enough” for Heaven. Yet, the Bible says in Matthew 7,

“Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall bejudged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerestnot the beam that is in thine own eye?…”, and in Romans 1 (which pretty much covers all of the bases) says in verses 30-32, “30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.” King James Version (KJV) and in Proverbs 11:9 KJV, it says, “ 9 An hypocrite with his mouth destroyeth his neighbour: but through knowledge shall the just be delivered.”  and in Proverbs 26:20-22King James Version (KJV)
“20 Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth.
21 As coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire; so is a contentious man to kindle strife.
22 The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.”

I am not telling anyone that he or she has to create The Gospels According To (fill in the blank), in order to carry out their mission as a person of faith,  but I am saying that there is a wonderful little verse in John 3:16 KJV that speaks volumes, 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

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When each of us goes before the altar of God, we can’t take our Mother’s faith, or our Father’s prayers. We go before God as we are -who we are. It is up to God to fix whatever​ needs to be fixed, and to heal what needs to heal. We often do ourselves, and others a major disservice, when we try to “play God”.
I thought about how I might explain away my reasons for doing this photo shoot, and feeling so free to dismantle this time. Other photographers have asked me to go completely nude before (when doing a nude shot would have been much easier to explain), and I didn’t do it. So why now, you might ask? Because, I want to let go.
God knows, I am not trying to promote Naked Sundays at the church. Oh, please don’t. This shoot allowed me to let go of some of my fears.
In 2011, I had kidney failure, a stroke and was diagnosed with Lupus. At first, I couldn’t talk, and could barely walk, see, hear, read, write, reason or remember. No one had to tell me I was dying. I could feel it.  It was a definite life changer for me.

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The specter of death had a profound effect on my way of seeing life. For years, I have been in the ocean, trying not to make too many waves, while at the same time, trying to make a difference.
If you don’t make waves, you don’t make a difference. I can’t sit around worrying about what everyone is going to think about the choices I have made. I may not have that kind of time. I have to choose, and keep things moving.
I am always covered up under makeup, clothing, jewelry, degrees, titles, religious beliefs, family honor, motherhood, politics, responsibility…stuff.
I just want to be free.

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It’s funny that Tony asked me to talk about the 2016 election. I decided to run for the US House of Representatives again after receiving a very encouraging letter from President Obama. I ran for this position against Congressman Bob Brady in 2004, on the ticket with President George Bush, Jr. I had a lot more votes in this election, but it was pretty brutal. I don’t think many candidates, or many Americans for that matter, came out of 2016 unscathed. It is now May of 2017, and now that I look back on it, I would have made some different choices.
Aside from getting hacked, and I was and still am a Republican, I felt the environment was toxic. I was not angry or disappointed on November 9th, after the election was over. I was relieved. Little did I know that there would be lingering questions about what happened during the election, and what was happening to me. I mentioned I was hacked. That happened pretty early in the campaign, but I was completely floored when I received an email on December 20th, which is the day after the election results were certified, saying someone from Russia changed the information on one of my financial accounts. Afterward, there came threatening emails, ones that sound like bribes, emails about bank accounts, credit cards, and websites that I didn’t set up, etc. It has been a long, drawn out nightmare.
Have you ever watched a “B movie”, where someone is killed, but they use the entire fifteen minutes of fame to die. You know, the kind of scene where you find yourself telling the person, “Oh just die already”! Yup, election 2016.

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Even though that election was far from normal, I joined the others who were in support of Mr. Trump, because I didn’t want the party to be ripped apart. I was asked to lead Women For Trump, and African Americans For Trump, which I turned down. Quite frankly, I was waiting for the moment when I felt like he knew more about world events than I knew. I didn’t have a huge staff, or any money, so I had to study, write my own pieces, come up with my own slogans, design my own literature, etc. I had to work. I didn’t have the luxury of being lazy.
What should have been a pivotal moment for me was when the Billy Bush video came out. After hearing it, I wanted to walk away, but my name was already on the ballot, and there was nothing I could do to stop it. I took a semi break for a week, and did an interview with the Philly Voice, where I opened up about the election. I also spoke up for Hillary Clinton in that article, but that part never made print. I had my issues with Secretary Clinton, but I believe she really wanted, and deserved to win.

It’s hard. I met Mr. Trump September at a meeting with Ministers in Philadelphia. I was asked to appear on MSNBC for an interview with Joy Reid later that evening. I was willing to speak in support for Mr. Trump from that day forward, but when the Billy Bush video came out, it hit me like a load of bricks, especially because I ended up moving out of the apartment I was renting because the landlord touched me inappropriately. Talk about tragic irony. I was hoping for a better, stronger America, and though the lines are blurred, I have not stopped hoping.

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All Right Reserved.  Copyright 2017

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Cover: Debbie Williams photographed in Brooklyn, New York on May 18, 2017

Body Suit: Moda International

Earrings: Dream Plus

Metal Necklace: Dream Plus

Makeup: LA Colors

Nail Polish: Broadway Nails

Dress: Nicole Miller Collection

Lingerie: Calvin Klein

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Diary: Portrait of a Swinger

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Diary: Sandra. Portrait of a Swinger
 

 

Photography and Text by Tony Ward

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Diary: Portrait of a Swinger

Sandra had a nice modern apartment in the town of St. Pauli, a neighborhood that contains the infamous Red Light District of Hamburg, Germany. I knew this neighborhood well,  easily finding her place within walking distance from the Monopol Hotel, located on the Reeperbahn in the same neighborhood.  She was located on the top floor of a 5 story building with roof access and lots of skylights. From her location you could simply walk onto her balcony and listen to the cat calls, as the hookers lined along the Herberstrase in plain sight of the St. Pauli police station.  Yes. Prostitution is legal in Germany. Sandra’s apartment provided a comforting setting to light her portrait. I shot on a big red contemporary sofa just off of her nicely appointed bedroom. I used a combination of high ISO with cross processed film, available window light added most of the fill with my ever present ring flash. Sandra pulled clothes from her own wardrobe dressing herself up like when she and her husband invite another couple over for a night of play.  She exuded a classic sex appeal with a mixture of Asian and German looks with perfectly sculpted high cheek bones and a perfectly balanced frame with big hair. She exuded a vibe as if she were ready to please.

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To access additional Diary entries, go here: https://tonywarderotica.com/diary-effects-obsessions/

 

Diary: Two Girls From St. Petersburg in Paris

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Two Girls From St. Petersburg in Paris

Photography & Text by Tony Ward, Copyright 2017

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DIARY: TWO GIRLS FROM ST. PETERSBURG IN PARIS

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I was fortunate to meet Natasha on one of my numerous trips to Paris.  This Russian born model with exquisite taste selected a finely tailored (French) pink lingerie ensemble with a short red wig that fit her angular bone structure perfectly.  It was the late 1990’s, a time in which I was producing a series of pictures for my erotic books and Penthouse Magazine.  I met Natasha through a book shop owner that was located in the Marais district. She was already an experienced model by the time we met, having worked with several prominent French photographers I had come to know. Since she was highly recommended by my colleagues, I was confident our collaboration wouldn’t be in vein. Our first meeting was delightful (she spoke excellent English) as we laid the groundwork for what would become several years of collaboration whenever I arrived in town for a book signing, an exhibit or to make new erotic pictures.  She was a muse. On this particular visit, I checked in to the Hotel Regina, one of my favorite places to reside in the 1st Arrondissement. I was shooting for Penthouse. No expense would be sparred with regards to hotel accommodations.  The suites were expensive, but it was well worth the investment. Bob Guccione, owner, publisher of Penthouse, patron of the arts loved the look of rich, and expensive. He would pay handsomely for that look it if he liked your work and you knew how to deliver the goods.

The suite I reserved at the Hotel Regina featured a view of the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre which was just across the street and the Tuileries garden.  It had a small balcony where you could step out and affirm that you were in the heart of Paris, as the motorist sped down the famous Rue de Rivoli into the wee hours of the morning.  It was a fitting setting for what would take place in the elegantly appointed 19th century decor environment throughout the day between Natasha and her friend from their hometown in St. Petersburg, Russia.  Angelina, arrived at the suite with long brown hair tied back in a ponytail. She was new to the city of lights and if memory serves me correctly, I was the first photographer to photograph her nude since she was new to photographers who worked within the erotic milieu.  Angelina was a little timid at first. She felt more confident and at ease with her sensuality when Natasha, an experienced nude model, expertly steered her to the extremes of homoerotic pleasure. 

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To see more pictures from this series, open a membership account, register here: https://tonywarderotica.com/category/membership-account/

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To access additional Diary entries, go here: https://tonywarderotica.com/diary-effects-obsessions/

 

 

 

Sidnie Burton: Breaking All the Rules

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Model: Sidnie Burton

Photography by Tony Ward, Copyright 2017.

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Text by Sidnie Burton

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BREAKING ALL THE RULES

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Some say as you get older you should “act your age”…..dress your age, (age appropriate, etc.)  I’m a model, and in this “young” industry it can be hard to carve out a niche for yourself.  Sure their are age appropriate commercial print and catalog.  But what about fashion, lingerie and swimsuit modeling.  Something not too long ago was….should I say…Taboo!   Telling a particular client my age could be my undoing.  Even though I and others can still pull it off.  Shooting with Tony Ward has taught me a lot about “age appropriate”.  even a lot about myself.  And like Tony said “today’s older women are sexier and in better shape than some women half their age”.  Shooting on the beach of Atlantic City was exhilarating.  And in this particular case….swimsuit modeling,  was “breaking the rules” and stereotypes.  I for one praise the rule breakers in this competitive profession.  And plan to be that rule breaker myself.  If rules were never broken, and stereotypes kept ongoing in their dark place,  instead of being seen as an ancient closed minded way of thinking.  This shoot would, or could never have happened.  I hope to inspire and be testament to women of my age group to never give up on “Sexy”.   So here is to all the rule breakers, trailblazers, and to the photographers with the foresight to set that ball in motion.  Salute!

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Credits:

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Model: Sidnie Burton

Agency: Main Line Models & Talent

Bathing Suits: Victoria’s Secret

Jewelry: Betsy Johnson

Sandals: BCBG

Hats: Sun and Sand Headwear, Nine West

Location: Margate, New Jersey

Portfolio Classics: 1993 – 1995

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50 Foot Woman

 

Photography by Tony Ward, Copyright 2017

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PORTFOLIO CLASSICS

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In the Spring of 1993, Tony Ward became disenchanted with the direction of his  career as a professional photographer. After a brief period of self reflection he decided he only wanted to photograph the things that he loved, that he was most interested in and passionate about.  It was an epiphanous moment in the artists creative life and career that would define his oeuvre for the next ten years. Tony Ward’s interest in fashion, portraiture and sex took center stage in his visual motifs which led to his first book of photographs: OBSESSIONS, a series of black and white images published in 1998 by Edition Stemmle of Zurich, Switzerland. Many of the photographs in this gallery were included in the final edit for the artists first internationally published monograph, with foreward by the renowned photography critic, A. D. Coleman.

Tony Ward’s erotic body of grainy black and white signature prints began to circulate the international photography press and mainstream magazines such as LIFE, MAX, VIBE, STERN, MEN’S VOGUE as well as various other large circulation print publications editorialized his work. The publicity surrounding the release of OBSESSIONS  attracted the attention of Bob Guccione, legendary owner, founder and publisher of PENTHOUSE Magazine. Bob Guccione became Tony Ward’s patron of the arts, and provided the master of seduction free reign to produce as much material on the subject of human sexuality as possible for the pages of Penthouse for its U.S. publications and syndicates around the world.  Tony Ward became part of a small group of elite senior contributing photographers for the mass circulation international  men’s sophisticate. He often hand delivered his most recent series of prints to Mr. Guccione’s mansion located at 16 East 67th street in New York, often greeted at the door by former New York police officers and the Rhodesian ridgebacks that protected the private life of Mr. G and his invaluable art collection beautifully displayed throughout the sprawling estate on the upper East side of Manhattan.

Tony Ward, a master of black & white archival printing received his Master of Fine Arts degree from the Rochester Institute of Technology in 1979,  produced a major body of photographic imagery,  by printing the collection with his own hand and by utilizing his distinctive trademark film exposure and printing techniques, some of which are highlighted in this gallery. Examples of the artists work can be found in both private and publications around the world including: W. M. Hunt, New York, Amedeo M. Turello Collection, Monte Carlo, Monaco, Gunter Braus Collection, Heidelberg, Germany, Fotomuseum Winterthur, Zurich, Switzerland, Museum fur Moderne Kunst, Frankfurt, Germany, Museum Ludwig, Cologne, Germany, and the Instituto Cultural Banco Santos, San Paulo, Brazil.

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To access additional Portfolio Classics, become a Club member, register here: https://tonywarderotica.com/category/membership-account/