Lalita's feet

My feet

My Spanish Dictionary RAE defines pié (foot) as my legs' extremities and it says the root is from Latin. 

Pedis translates as “of the foot”.

Del lat. pes, pedis.

This has always confused me and I will explain why before I continue in this blog that is all about feet.

If pedis relates to feet why are pediatricians doctors that specialize on children and the foot doctor is a podiatrist?

It was sometime in the late 90s when I was often exhibited my nudes at Exposure Gallery group shows. A woman I did not know came up to me and said, “Alex why is it that you do not have any photographs showing feet?” I answered that I thought feet were the ugliest part of the body. Going home I realized that the woman had challenged me and I had to answer it in some way. 

Peggy modern dancer

By then I was taking pictures of ballerinas and modern dancers. Most of them had terrible looking feet and few even wanted to show them to me.

Lauri Stallings - ballerina

There was a beautiful server at the Number 5 Orange Street Strip Club called Lalita who resembled Sophia Loren. I asked her if she would pose for me. In my studio, using percentages she said, “Alex you can photograph 20% of this and 30% of that." When Tony Ricci who ran the Number 5 found out I had just photographed Lalita’s feet he was incredulous, "You mean you only photographed her feet?"

Your Feet - and upon the water, until they found me - Lalita

 My second opportunity with feet came with an exceptionally beautiful woman called Susan. With her I pretty went almost to 100% in exposure.

The Jeweler's feet  Susan

My Rosemary had legs that rivalled my mother’s. Her legs were perhaps 50% of the reason why approached her in Mexico City in 1967 and married her in 1968. 

In the Footsteps of my Mother's Feet

Rosemary had feet problem caused by wearing bad shoes that might  have been too small. Ultimately she had an operation to straighten her toes.

My mother’s legs and feet were beautiful and I believe I inherited them. I am not sure if my legs are what attracted Rosemary to me.

Alexandra & Rosemary

Some 20 years ago I went on a magazine assignment to write and photograph west Florida. In one place that I stayed I was offered a full massage or a pedicure. I was much too shy for the first so I opted for the second. I was taken to a long room that had many women all having their feet done. I sat down. The conversation that I overheard was so intimate that I blushed. My pedicure person upon seeing my feet remarked that they looked like the feet of someone a lot younger. I explained that I had been an eight and a half for many years and that my shoes fit me so well I did not have callouses or bunions.

The photograph of my feet I took today. Not bad?