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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
T, writer's block happens if you sit down to blog after the inspiration has flown. That's the reason I blog so often. If I don't get ideas down when they're fresh, I lose them or they lose the punch.
ReplyDeleteCrazy, isn't it.
Your posts are always interesting! Glad to see all the new pics!
It is crazy, but you make it look way to easy! And you just reminded me on something I wanted to write about that was from some comments you and I made on Karl's blog about Vegas. I think I'm going to do my next post about what Vegas means to me... sort of like something you'd do in the 5th grade. Hope it can hold off, at least til tomorrow and not lose any punch!
ReplyDeleteGreat work. The contemplative feel of the top one is golden. I would have been tempted to try it in b/w, but am glad you kept the warm tones and purple and violet rocks. It gives the photo life.
ReplyDeleteI am planning a long road trip that includes Las Vegas for October or early November. If things work out, would you be interested in meeting up?
Of course, Karl. You might otherwise offend me if you didn't say something!
ReplyDeleteReally enjoying the color work you're doing. It's natural and feels right, if that makes sense.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Joanie. Ironically, I just had somebody inquire with me about a shoot based on my past work with you.
ReplyDelete