27 March 2017

Where To Next?



I'm long overdue for one of my Epic/Adventure/Experience the World trips and its time to get back to those considerations. So the question is now, "WHERE?". I have no problem whatsoever heading back to Central America, but it'll be hitting rainy season there soon which can be tough on photography gear. Shooting in general can be tough with all the humidity hanging in the air which takes away from the nice deep depth of field landscape shots.

So what are some other options that can afford scenic, but off the beaten path shots that won't break the bank if you stay there a while? Well, there's always South America with regions for all seasons year round. Depending on where you go, you can avoid the humid areas, but heading up in the the Andes. It still gets cold up in the mountains practically any time of the year. Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia are definite considerations. Possibly even Bolivia.


Some of the lesser traveled and less popular islands of the South Pacific can be destination alternatives as well. Everybody knows about Fiji and Tahiti. You don't hear about Tonga, or Rarotonga as much though. Each of these archipelago island countries has hundreds of smaller islets of which many are not even populated. Getting to them can be a bit tricky though. Its not so cheap to fly out to them. If I had my wish, I'd find someone sailing throughout the South Pacific and join them. That would be a grand adventure to spend 6 months or so sailing and exploring these Polynesian island nations.

Outside of these, I'm not sure. Western Europe? Eastern Europe? Continental Africa? Asia? I'm open to ideas and opportunities. That much, I can say for sure. No one place has an advantage of selection right now. My options are open for opportunities. The chance to see, shoot, and experience more cultures takes precedence. So if you are sitting on a catamaran contemplating an idea to sail the open seas with a need for a photog to document the experience, call me. We should definitely talk about this.


I could also ask the same question of you, dear reader. "Where to next, for you?" Do you have your passport in hand and updated? When do you next plan to get some new stamps on some of those blank passport pages? Granted, its not all about getting stamps, mind you. You can hop from one place to the next, stamp collecting and you'll not be any more enriched had you taken a through a Wal-Mart parking lot on the good side of town. Traveling entails getting to know life from the local's point of view in the country you are visiting. And I don't think you'll see much fulfillment if you just visit Cancun and never leave the resort.


But maybe that's exactly what you need...who know's. Sometimes its just a break from your normal routine that does the trick. This is not what I'm talking about though. To each his own. I understand that. But you're not broadening out your humanity by simply taking a vacation. Vacations are useful to help you reset...like the weekend break from your normal 9 to 5 work week. Traveling and experiencing new cultures and God's creation helps you learn a little bit more about humankind, and thereby you learn about yourself. Not just the superficial you, but rather the deeper self, that you may rarely get to connect with. Okay, that's it. I'm doing a blog post about Traveling vs Vacationing real soon.

10 March 2017

Ladies and Gentleman.... Chloe Ann

Art Model, Chloe Ann ©2017 Terrell Neasley

I got introduced to Chloe Ann by the highly regarded and a notable photo colleague, Dave Levingston about a month and some weeks ago. I didn't know her, but when DaveL shouts out a model you pay attention. So right off the bat, I'm making a few assumptions. If she's working with Dave Levingston, she's good to go. AND if she's a friend of his, then she's automatically cool with me.

Art Model, Chloe Ann ©2017 Terrell Neasley

Chloe Ann is from Maine on an adventure trip, driving coast to coast from one corner of this great country to the opposite shore. From the shores of Maine to the shores of San Diego, CEE-AY, she and her fiance set out on a trek. She got to spend considerable time here in Las Vegas, and we did our best to make due with that time. Having never seen this part of the U.S., it was tough to narrow the sites down to only a few. I asked them what were the most important spots they wanted to visit, and that's where we shot.

Art Model, Chloe Ann ©2017 Terrell Neasley

We got in 3 good days of shooting and it was phenomenal. I took the betrothed burlesque couple out to some of my stomping grounds where I knew we could avoid crowds and inquisitive eyes. Oh...did I say burlesque...you're still caught up with that description. Well, allow me, if you will, to digress for a bit and introduce you to the creative burlesque duo, Mr. and Mrs. F*cksmart. Here's one of their performances, CREEP. Funny, right? Okay. As I was saying... avoiding inquisitive eyes. Yes. From their pick of places to visit, I chose the appropriate spots to get in some great sight-seeing, beautiful hikes, and of course, great spots to shoot naked people.

Art Model, Chloe Ann ©2017 Terrell Neasley

Apart from the smile, the charm, and the figure, I'd have to say I enjoyed her attitude the most. She's definitely more comfortable being nude than clothed and her bubbly personality makes her easy to work with. She's hardy as well. Coming from Maine, she's experienced with a little cold and she had to endure some cold here in Vegas because all 3 days we shot, the temps were in the 50's. And that's not just regular cold temp 50, but 50 with wind that make it seem more like 10! I did my best to keep her nude as little as possible, but art nude photogs aren't that great at that. Hiking out to these spots, it would seem I was asking her to drop-trow every 40 feet it seemed. There's just so much gorgeousness around here! Its hard not to see a spot and not want to improve it with a nude. That's just my pain I have to endure. Its not easy to resist the lure.

Art Model, Chloe Ann ©2017 Terrell Neasley

In 3 days we got in 4 locations of some of Nevada's finest landscapes, locations, and scenic hot spots. I added some promo work for their burlesque shows, and when it was all said and done, I had a body of work I was quite pleased with. Contact her via her Model Mayhem page and schedule some time with this fabulous muse and rest assured her time in your work will be money well spent. You can catch any of her burlesque performances by keeping tabs on the announcements on her Facebook page. Great girl to work with. You'll see.

Art Model, Chloe Ann, @theFsmarts ©2017 Terrell Neasley