On Og...

"To be always intending to make a new and better life but never to find time to set about it is as to put off eating and drinking and sleeping from one day to the next until you're dead." 

~ Og Mandino

Model, Viki-Vegas

Over this past weekend, I went camping again with friends from my hiking and outdoors meetup group, Having Fun in Las Vegas Outdoors for Singles. We camped out at Mt. Charleston and hiked Little Falls on Friday night and then did Big Falls the next morning. Had a splendid time and got to see some marvelous waterfalls. At some point during that time, I brought up the subject of one of my most favorite writers, Og Mandino. Outside of the Bible, I don't think you can find an author that writes more beneficial material for the human spirit than this guy. I've read everything he's ever put to print that I'm aware of...well, almost. 

Model, Viki-Vegas

Many people don't put a lot of stock into self-help books. I'm one of them. It would seem as if everybody's got some new psychological strategy on improving your current stock in life. I think today's books are more about techniques, strategies, and a way for an author to get rich himself. Back in the day, most of the self-help books were inspired by basic fundamentals, built on specific core principles. Today, there are millions of self-help authors out there and I'm forced to ask how many do we actually need. I don't think any more need to be written. Promoting the current ones and re-releasing old editions should suffice til the end of time. The human mind hasn't changed, nor has the human condition. All we need are more of the old ones. Making them part of the curriculum in middle school should be the standard. Og is so easy to read. He keeps things short and builds them into very memorable stories. I used to read them to my kids at night. Something else I used to do would be to always check some of the local used book stores and purchase any Og Mandino books they got in. I'd then give them away to friends and people I'd meet who I thought might actually read them and not just stash the book away unread.

Model, Viki-Vegas

Og's most noted book is "The Greatest Salesman in the World", first published in 1968. Within the story, he discusses midway through the book, 10 scrolls of success who's secret is to read each scroll 3 times a day for 30 days, then move onto the next scroll, until you complete all ten scrolls. His main focus points deal with the principles of love and having the initiative to "DO IT NOW" as if  an urgent call to action is critical. The scroll titles are:

• Scroll I - The Power of Good Habits
• Scroll II - Greet Each Day With Love In Your Heart
• Scroll III - Persist Until You Succeed
• Scroll IV - You Are Natures Greatest Miracle
• Scroll V - Live Each Day as if it Were Your Last
• Scroll VI - Master Your Emotions
• Scroll VII - The Power of Laughter
• Scroll VIII - Multiply Your Value Every Day
• Scroll IX - All is Worthless Without Action
• Scroll X - Pray to God for Guidance

Model, Viki-Vegas

Like many of us, Mandino had to fall before he rose to prominence. As a returning war veteran (he flew with Jimmy Stewart!), he got the best job he could get as an insurance salesman and became an alcoholic from being on the road so much. His wife took his kid and left him as he contemplated suicide. Time in libraries reading self-help books saved his life and inspired him to become renew his initial passions of being a writer. The rest is history. He also became a prolific speaker. The man's greatest gift is story-telling. According to Wikipedia, the books he feels are the best self-help all time include:

• The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, by Benjamin Franklin
• Think and Grow Rich, by Napoleon Hill
• Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude, by W. Clement Stone and Napoleon Hill
• The Power of Faith, by Louis Binstock
• Your Greatest Power, by J. Martin Kohe
• Wake Up and Live, by Dorothea Brande
• I Dare You, by William Danforth
• Acres of Diamonds, by Russell H. Conwell
• The Ability to Love, by Dr. Allan Fromme
• How I Raised Myself From Failure to Success In Selling, by Frank Bettger
• The Magic Power of Emotional Appeal, by Roy Garn
• As a Man Thinketh, by James E. Allen
• The Holy Bible

Model, Viki-Vegas

Og Mandino has published more than 20 books. Some are derivatives or combinations of his other books. For instance, The God Memorandum is a published piece which is a part "The Greatest Miracle in the World". The ones below in bold were most impactful to me. The first one I ever read was "The Greatest Salesman in the World Part II: The Rest of the Story" and was a book given to me by my good friend, Tracie Taylor back in 1998.

1. The Greatest Salesman in the World
2. The Greatest Secret in the World
3. The Greatest Miracle in the World
4. The Gift of Acabar
5. The Choice
6. The Christ Commission
7. Mission: Success!
8. The Greatest Salesman in the World Part II: The Rest of the Story
9. A Better Way to Live
10. The Return of the Ragpicker
11. The Twelfth Angel
12. The Spellbinder's Gift
13. The Greatest Mystery in the World
14. The Greatest Success in the World

If you're reading Og Mandino, you're going to do yourself a world of good. You'll also be doing the world some good as we in turn benefit to your better contributions to society and humankind. So do us all a favor and read the man. The books are short. So you've got time. They are cheap, especially when purchased used. So you can easily afford the books. So there you go. Your excuses have been eliminated.

Model, Viki-Vegas

Viki-Vegas has burst on the scene recently with her decision to go au natural. I had the privilege of working with her a few weeks back and was quite amazed at the results that came from our collaboration. We had a 15-hour long day as our road trip took us to places I didn't think my car could make. I have GOT to get something with some road clearance! I treated my low-profile tired car like an ATV to get to some back-country spots that I found the day before our trip on Google Earth. We had a blast and have some more plans for future shoots in the immediate future. All I can say is that the woman is amazing to work with and is definitely a pleasure to watch perform. She practically lives in a gym to keep that figure of hers and it's paid off. So keep those two things on your mind... Og Mandino. Viki-Vegas! And be sure to check out her profile and leave some comments. Tell her Terrell sent cha! You can see more of Viki-Vegas on my website.

An Interesting Month So Far

Model, OutdrBeauty

Its really funny how, throughout the week you've got all this material in your head you want to blog about. Then you finally sit down to write and you draw a blank or have a difficult time gelling your words together to actually make a coherent sentence. I'm sure it happens to the best of us, right? ...Right?

Model, OutdrBeauty

Well, its been a fun-filled, action-packed month so far. Lots of new pics, new models, new locations, and new friends. Its been a strong desire for me to get to shoot out at one of the hotsprings near here and with the help of Ourdrbeauty, I was finally able to get on that. This has been in the making since last December. Outdrbeauty has been in contact with me since our shoot late last year. Things have slowed down a bit from her hectic schedule and she was able to give me a little time to shoot. She called up, we hooked up, and then there was the walk. Its 3 miles down to the hotsprings. That's not so bad. Its the walk out that's the butt-kicker. You're going uphill, all the way, in loose fluvial gravel that gets in your shoes! It was still fun though. Conversation helped big time. We had reached a point that I thought put us about a third of the way back to the car, but was actually more like three-quarters of the way. Carrying all that camera gear and water wrecked havoc on my knee and lower back, so I was popping pain-killers a-plenty. I stayed on my ass much of Sunday.

Model, OutdrBeauty

I got to do a more extensive project with VikiMae two days later on Monday. She and I did a two and a half hour road trip, to some well-know spots and also some remote locations. I had to treat my Pontiac Grand Am like an ATV to get back to one particular location. Not sure I want to do that again, but I was adamant about seeing this particular spot. In all, I guess we were gone about 15 hours. I've gone over all the photos and most of the edits. I always like to learn new things and I definitely saw areas I could improve upon. Shooting through reflective water, for one. A polarizer would have been nice. And I've often talked about this intense and direct Nevada sun which can also require more post-work, so maybe a ND filter would suffice. Sometimes stopping down just does not do it.

Model, OutdrBeauty

Model, OutdrBeauty

Dave Rudin came to town for the week. We only got to hook up one day while he was here. Both our schedules turned out to be somewhat occupied for the both of us, but we made the best of the one day. We had breakfast at our usual place, just not in the same spot. I got to meet a most interesting girl while there and  she's since contacted me and I got to visit her place and discuss some ideas for a shoot. She had one of those faces that you just have to talk to and you can't leave without putting a card in her hand. Yeah...one of those girls. I got to meet with her a few nights later after my Las Vegas Photographic Society meeting and discuss some potentials. Hopefully, you'll be reading a special blog post on her before long. After breakfast, Dave and I scouted some excellent locations. I got to skinny-dip in the Colorado. Dave got some pics that I will probably not be too proud of. Then he took me to some of his Nevada spots near Lake Mead where he likes to shoot. We think we found his Carlotta Champagne spot where he photographed the best pic ever taken. And then scouted some more locations along North Shore Drive.

Model, OutdrBeauty

Three of days of the week last week was spent with VikiMae (OMP profile) for one reason or another. Aside from shooting Monday, she came with me to one of my photo meetings that Thursday after we had already spent a good chunk of the day scouting. Rather than taking her home, she just came with and met some photog friends of mine. We're meeting one tomorrow to discuss ideas for a shoot. That Friday was an evening event at the Aria that SHE, in turn, invited me to. I then kicked off this week, with back to back days of shooting Enyo, whom you'll also get to see pretty soon. I'm just starting to edit her work tonight. Trust me, you ARE looking forward to these. The girl's amazing. I'm telling you...I've been working with several models of whom I can fully recommend you include on your "Need to Hire" list. VikiMae, Tawny Fein, Outdrbeauty, Enyo... check them out.