Computer Replaced

"A Faerie's Gaze"

"Regardless of how you feel inside, always try to look like a winner. Even if you are behind, a sustained look of control and confidence can give you a mental edge that results in victory."

- Diane Arbus

I've got a new computer now, thanks to my friend Garrett. As it turns out, my motherboard was sacked by a blitzing power surge that ran unimpeded past my guard, surge protector which was supposed to be protecting my blind side. (That was a football analogy). Most of my important stuff was backed up but I still lost some data that I wanted to keep. I am almost certain I still have all of my images, but I am not certain if I made all my final backups before the thing crashed. I definitely need to make some changes as to my workflow and how I organize and protect my digital files. As a photog, redundancy should be an automatic practice and I need to be better at it. I'm getting there. Part of it is resources, but like I said, I'm getting there. So let me just reiterate. Back-up, back-up, back-up. Its all about having the right level of protection.

I have another workshop coming up this Sunday and I am hosting it with the fabulous Faerie. She's been my drawing workshop model and of course she's modeled for me, but this will be her first time modeling for one of my workshops. These guys are going to love her. Faerie is fabulous. I need to schedule some more work with her. She is someone I like to shoot just to be shooting. I could shoot her all day anytime she feels like being shot. Its been since April since I have worked with her, so I need to set something up.




Something else I wanted to divert your attention to is the new website of my friend Felix Gonzalez at FelixGPhotography. He's still putting it all together and posting images, but you'll be enriched and blessed to check out what he's got online so far. This dude has vision that supercedes some of the more well-known photogs that you may know of. From still, landscapes, and nudes, Felix is definitely someone whom you should check out. You got an empty space on your wall crying for the right piece...you'll find it with Felix. The guys's got the goods.



I'm heading out with him again in August. Felix and his wife, Summer are who I camped with in Panguitch, Utah earlier this month. This time, we'll be near Zion National Park along with several others. I am soooo looking forward to this trip and I have several more I want to do. I need to get up to Salt Lake at some point to explore that area. I've had contacts from a few models there that I need to get into my portfolio. Run C and Isabeau have expressed a strong desire to shoot with me and I'd like to make it happen. I also want to get back to Tennessee and Kentucky. One, I'd like to visit my kids. Two, I need to complete my hike of the North-South Trail at Land Between the Lakes. Its a 72-miler which a friend and I tried to do in two days. We started at 9am and reached the halfway point around midnight or just before. The problem was that it rained on us the ENTIRE time we were out there. Several spots on the trails were flooded, particularly in the lowlands. It was a pain to hike around all that and then try to find the trail again in the dark. All my military training in patrolling and land navigation came to bear to keep us on track. As it happened, my friend twisted his knee on the slick inclines that were covered in dead leaves and exposed rocks. We were fortunate enough to be able to acquire a signal to call a friend to pick us up. My car was still 31 miles away on the opposite end. It still bugs the hell out of me that I didn't finish that trail. I still have every intention of doing the Appalachian Trail at some point which is 2000 miles from Georgia to Maine. I'd like to take a model with me. Any takers? It might even be cool to shoot a model every month. It averages 6 months for this hike and a model could meet me at various stages as I arrive. I could start with one model in Georgia and meet a new model in Tennessee, Virginia, New Jersey, and finish up in Maine with someone else. Who's with me on this?


And then my third reason for wanting to go back is because I miss the area. I especially want to get another chance to visit friends still there and most especially to shoot some models that I've worked with before there. I've learned so much since then, that I'd like to shoot some of those models again to do a better job.