Hello all

Just wanted to tell you all that I'm not dead, I work a lot, I just don't publish here anymore because I think this website is just a way to steal money from people and because I don't like that people only like other people already famous while they ignore so many lesser known artists. And, to those with oh so many favs... please, the market wants creativity, not always the same idea over and over again, come out of your big ego and learn, I'm making money and you're not.

As for the people I left here and that I love, I want to inform you that my images are posted at my website:

www.danycaputo.com

Contact me if you want prints that aren't here on DA

Love,

Dany

You thought I was gone, right?
Well, I got hundreds of comments, favs, messages and watches. Thank you. I don't think I'll be able to reply to you all, because it's insane and because of my hectic schedule, but pretend I did it, ok?
I'm here because I think you need to be updated on what's going on with my life.

First of all, let me tell you I'm living a very good and positive period of my life. I'm very happy, having a blast and feeling realized in the job sector and in the artistic world as well. I'm also trying not to listen to the little voice in my head that keeps on asking itself "How long will it last?", even if it's not easy. I've never really had a very long "good" period of my life, so now that I'm happy I'm keeping my fingers crossed, hoping it'll last at least for a while. After the Hell I've been through I think I deserve a little bit of happiness, right?
Ok, let's start by saying that a couple of months ago I got hired from a research and training company here in Naples. The building was two doors away from my boyfriend's job-place so I decided to accept. They pay me well and much to my surprise, my colleagues are wonderful. Sure, work is insane here, but they respect me and my title, they are very hapy of my work and aren't afraid to say it, they're already giving me high responsibility jobs, even if I'm new. It's also a very interesting job I already love, because I get to meet many different people (they work a lot with EU and India, South America etc), read and learn a lot of new things, since they work a lot on the byologic/medical/alimentary field and in the meanwhile, I'm getting paid to do that. Which is always great! ;D
When I had already started here, I got offered a job as freelancer also from a publicity and design company. So since I love doing design and photography, I accepted, so I work for them during weekends. And I get paid. Then, when I have time and when the project is interesting, I also accept other commissions like photo shootings, cd covers and so on. And I get paid.
Why am I always stating that? Well because not so long ago there were people who said that if I didn't work for free I wouldn't work at all. I'm the living proof that it's not true. I'm not working for free anymore and for no reason. I'm a professional now and I want this to be respected, no matter who's addressing to me. Respect is the word for me now. Oh and because I find it funny that I'm making much more (and believe me... MUCH more) than other "famous" artists here on DA. I used to think "lucky them", now I just don't care, if you have talent and know how to sell it, you'll find a job you love and get paid well. Again, look at me and learn. Many artists here just sell prints and sometimes do commissions. That's all. Many pageviews and favs won't pay you. I might not sell many prints but I found two jobs (so I get two salaries) and get commissions when I feel like getting them. Ha.

Another news is that with my first salary I bought an original katana, which I already love. It's huge, black and made of iron, wood and of course some textile texture that looks like silk but I have no idea what is it. I hope I'll be able to use it also for my photos soon.
Then, I'm now also writing for Horror Magazine, the oldest and most famous online magazine about horror in Italy, published from Delos Books. It's funny, I discovered just some weeks ago that one of my colleagues is the editor of Delos, a sci-fi magazine also printed and also sold from Delos Books. When you say fate, eh? In fact he's helping me a lot because he's a well known journalist and he's great at writing so he encouraged me to start writing for Horror Magazine and here I am. I might also start a project with the magazine about Laurell K. Hamilton and her Anita Blake. I'm a huge fan and since they say I'm great at what I do, we're planning to do something with the Delos Books.
Mmmh what more... another thing that is making me very happy lately is the role play game I opened about a quite old tv-series "The Young Riders". It's the only Italian active rpg about it and people are enthusiast about the way I'm managing it and about the atmosphere in it. The fact is that I love writing, and this one is much more a writing group than a rpg. I prefer quality over quantity and thus every player is accurately selected: I really think that if you make a good selection when they enter, you won't have to regret it later, when they'll start making a mess of the game! We're also preparing a flash website about the game, I did all the design and got complimented from my colleagues and my boss at work. Hehe now I don't want to flaunt about it but it's really a nice one! I'm trying to get in touch with some of the original actors about some projects, so we'll see what happens...
As if it wasn't enough, yesterday I saw my doctor. And. YAY he said I'm almost done with my asthma meds!! Omg I still can't believe it! We cut off 2 on 3 medicines, and in 3 months from today I might stop also this last one. He said I'm recovering quickly and that in future I won't need any more meds. So finally I can get rid of the weight I gained because of all the meds I've been forced to take and I might start taking self portraits again. I haven't been taking photos of me because I'm becoming horrid, I feel fat and I'll take photos only if I feel well with myself. Lol here at work there are some colleagues who keep on flirting even if I have a boyfriend. They seem to think I'm very beautiful, which I'm not, but I'll take the compliment. So, I can do it now. I can improve, I can lose weight, I don't have asthma anymore. What should one want more than that?

So as you can see there's a lot going on. I'm praying it'll last, because I'm very, very happy. I wish you all to be as happy as I am in your life. Believe me, sometimes you see it all pitch black and think that you'll never see the light again. But it will pass. You just keep on walking, chin high, and the darkness will go away. I'll keep on walking as well and if darker times will come, I'll try to hold on to memories of this great period, to remind myself that light exists.

Love and peace to you all

Dany

Hello all

At this time of my life, with so much work to do and my family (mum isn't well and grandad just had a pacemaker applied last week) who needs as much help as me and my sister can give, I'm neglecting a bit of everything. Trying to keep up with all the blogs, messages from nice people who say they love my art, work matters and friends is not easy, so forgive me in advance if I'm again awfully late with this thing, but I'm really just stealing a few moments from nursing my mother right now.

Anyway, I wanted to inform you all of two features I got.
The first one comes from Phirebrush, which is a portal I've been following since when they opened and thus this is a great thing for me. One of my photos with Juliette (I didn't have time to post it here) has been featured for Issue 46 and is now visible among the best of this issue. People on other boards are making a "contest", they want me to get 1000+ clicks by the end of the issue (end of Feb.) and right now they got to over 400. So if you want to help them just click on the photo as many times as you want!
Here's the link:
[link]

Then, a fellow artist and photographer, J.D. Brown, featured me this month as Guest Artist on his website. It's a great honor for me because not so long ago he featured one of the artists I've always considered a source of inspiration: Aunia Kahn.
So if you want to see the page he dedicated to me and my art, click on: [link]

Oh and my programmer is (slowly) trying to put up a mailing list of updates on me, my art etc. There will be 1 per month, no more than that because I don't like spam. If you want to be added to the list, send me a note here with your mail address and I'll pass them to him.

Again, thank you for being still around and clicking on my page, love you all.

Dany

Just stopping by to give all of my watchers a big hug. Thank you so much for the support, I'm slowly going through the messages and favs and notes, I've been here for the past hour and I still have... exactly 164 more to go. XD Sorry if I've been so slow, I'm trying to do my best to be active here and on Myspace. Gee I had no idea that place was going to take as much time!!

I hope everything's well with you!



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Buy Flash Magazine and read about Dany Caputo! New article!!

First of all, let me wish you a Happy New Year. I hope you all spent a wonderful Christmas and that you'll have an even better 2007.

I promised a longer journal so let me update on what's been going on and on my proposals for 2007...

I decided 2007 will be the last year for me. The last in terms of art, that is. If I won't get the recognition and career improvements I've been trying to reach for over 3 years now, then I'll just stop posting and I'll get back to my own, private book with my photos inside. I see no reason why I should keep on trying and getting disappointed because all I get is a nod of someone else's head. If what I do doesn't move people the way it moves me, then it's not worth sharing it anymore. It makes me feel wonderful, so I won't stop doing it (even because I'm addicted by now!) but if at December 2007 I'll still feel as if I've been wasting my time, then it's over.

My health problems aren't resolved at all, we'll need about 1 year and half to try and get me back in my usual shape, but still it's very uncertain. In the meanwhile my doctor thinks I'm getting a very serious depression and he seems very worried about it. I don't know if I'm really as depressed as they all think I am, but I know I'm demotivated and sometimes I don't see a reason to keep going, so if it's a guilt, then I'm guilty. Anyway, I'm still under a lot of heavy meds, but I've been forced to go to the gym because they all think it'd help my mood and make me know more people.
What no one seems to understand is that I don't need anyone at this moment and since I hate gyms, this will only make me feel worse. It takes me forever to trust someone and I have a very few friends, that's true. But who can honestly say that having hundreds of friends is better? I go out basically every night, have a blast with the few people I consider the closest to me, I'm in love with my boyfriend, my cat's feeling well now, so why on Earth won't they leave me alone?
Nah, I'm depressed. If I don't wear pink clothes and smile all the time and listen to Britney Spears then I'm surely depressed. Who in their right mind would dress always black, have dark violet nails (that change color and shape every week), listen to hard music and draws what I do?? I mean... my God I'm such a weirdo, am I not?

Anyway, I got a lot of lovely presents for Christmas and that made me very happy. I also bought a new pair of (black) glasses and I love them, then my boyfriend gave me as a present a Sigma 24-70mm, a new lenses kit!! OMG!! *dies* It's quite heavy and huge for my standards but I had the chance to work with it and I love it already.
This week in fact we've been shooting with Juliette, a wonderful alternative model from Turin who came all the way here to work with me (the honor is all mine btw). She wore Misty Couture clothes and was absolutely easy to get along with. No offence for the other models but she's one of the best I ever worked with, and I'd really love to shoot with her again in future. It all came out naturally, with a lot of fun, smoothly, and, most important thing ever, she trusted me like no one else before. So I could finally experiment and do new things, and the results surprised even me. Those who've already seen the edited pics said they should be in a issue of the Italian mag "Vanity Fair" (but they do it even in the States, right??).
I myself am very happy and still jumpy about it, I don't know if people will like it but I don't honestly care, it was a blast and I want them all printed for my professional portfolio!

Here's the preview:



It's my boyfriend, me, Elli (who worked on hair and make up), Fabio (who brought us to the Syrius Disco Club where we've been shooting and dealed with people there), and Juliette with one of the change of clothes we used. There's another light tech missing but it's because he was taking the photo!

Anyway, I just wanted to close by hugging you all. 2006 wouldn't have been the same without DA, I met a lot of lovely people, had good and bad experiences, but it was all worth it, I think.



Dany

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Buy Flash Magazine and read about Dany Caputo! New article!!






Vote for me here, please:

[link]


My image should be on the issue 8 of JPG Magazine, to the theme "Intimate moments". I think it fits (if you see there are other submissions that don't fit AT ALL), but it's all about votes. Please, if you can save up to 2 minutes to just click and vote for me, you'd do me a great favor.