Curl Up and Dye and Vegas Vision Studios.

"It is a rare photographer who can take a detached, cold-blooded view of his work."

- Arthur Rothstein

"Curl Up and Dye model, Brandi wins the night"

This past Sunday, I had the pleasure of being invited to attend "Hair Wars" at the Ghostbar, inside the Palms Hotel and Casino here in Las Vegas. Hair Wars is a competition of salons to present the most wild model in Vegas judging on hair, make-up, costume, and attitude. My friend Debbie is one of several Make Up Artists who did the hair and make up for their model, Brandi. She and her crew represents Curl Up and Dye Hair Salon. You gotta admit, that's a catchy name for a salon. The theme was Asian women and several models came out clad in Japanese attire with a wild gothic twist. Of course there were a couple of geishas, I was exceedingly pleased when model, Brandi took the stage for Curl Up and Dye with act where she performs suppuku with a fake tanto sword. This is the ritual Japanese suicide ritual of disembowelment and Brandi played it to the hilt, literally. With her performance, costume, and make-up design, Curl Up and Dye took the win that night to a crowd of raving mad spectators. The place was loud, to say the least. It was well worth my visit and I look forward to seeing them again.

How did I come to meet Debbie, you ask. Well, that's an interesting story too. One of my photo groups, the Las Vegas Photographic Society for which I help organize sponsored a Lighting Seminar at Vegas Vision Studios owned and operated by Bobby Deal over on West Harmon. They have agreed to become sponsors for our group and thus were able to host a seminar at his studio. Bobby hired some models, including Brandi, and Debbie who is one of his favorite Make Up Artists. Assisting in the instruction was accomplished photographer, Becky Abell. We had all levels of experience from one friend of mine who just took her camera out of the box, to seasoned pros. Needless to say, this was a very "enlightening" seminar (I couldn't resist the pun!). As of a result, I've gotten to know Bobby, his wife Gigi, Debbie, and Becky well enough that Debbie invited me to her competition at the Ghostbar (despite the $20 cover charge, she got me in for free, I might add).

We've developed a mutual admiration for our work and both Bobby and Becky have offered to help me with my studio skills. I've been in the studio before, but I mainly worked with hot lights, which I still prefer since I love low light with single light sources. I'm going to help Becky outside the studio with landscape imagery, so the next time I head out on a scouting trip, she's coming along. I am most definitely getting to involve Debbie in my own work and will promote her to other photogs needing MUAs. I'd like to do what I can to cultivate this relationship with my newest friends. This is what networking is all about, as my buddy Garrett always says. I've made such inroads since I've been here. My photography has been both enriched and blessed by the people I've met in Las Vegas. If you're going to be in Vegas for any amount of time and want to do some studio work, Vegas Vision Studios is where you need to be. The place has got everything you need with the best equipment available. Last we talked, he was planning to build a car-sized light box for one of his larger studio rooms. You'll get to meet his wife Gigi, who is one of the most charming women you'll meet. So if you need studio rental, commercial photo work for advertisement, fashion, editorial, you name it... your answer is Bobby Deal and his crew at Vegas Vision Studios. Sounds like a commercial, doesn't it.

Oh, I figured I didn't want to go two postings in a row without posting a naked body, so these are some more of Trixie from the last art nude photo workshop.