A Focus on The Print

Early work with Mary, Black Canyon, CO

There's no doubt this has been the most odd start of the year to date. I don't think I've spent this much time in bed since I was a little baby. I've been very careful with taking care of my knee, resting my body, and healing. But dang! Just as I was about ready to announce "I"M BACK!", I get food poisoning all of last week. This was such a weird experience. I've never been down that road before and hope to GOD, I never do. It crept up on my very slowly, but quickly...maybe analogous to sheep approaching you calmly and innocently only to burst out as wolves when they got in arms reach. I couldn't run. There was no escape. No amount of Pebto, crackers & Sprite, or any anti-whatever was going to save me from the onslaught once I recognized what it was. I didn't think it was going any further than an upset stomach. It wasn't until my mouth started watering and the stomach started some serious rumbling that I knew "Sh*t just got real".

Early work with Mary, Black Canyon, CO

So I'm just now getting over all that. "I'm Back". (Not all caps... a little muted, but nonetheless...) I'm ready to shoot. I'm ready to get outside and do some things. I can't hit the hard trails. I can't walk the distances, yet. But I can stand on my own two feet and get from point A to B slowly, but surely. I can't tell you how anxious I am to get some exposures under my belt and be backed up with new and profitable edits. I'm looking for my next art nude model as well as some of my business projects.

Now let me get back to the original topic I wanted to talk about. I've done recent talk about the portrait, to include capturing the self-portrait. I also want to give a mention to what I think is arguably the most important aspect of the photographic process... THE PRINT. This is just my humble opinion, but this is the final product and the end all of why we take a picture. Its the Print! To some aspect, you might be able to dissolve it down a bit and say the Picture is the final product, more so or just as much as the Print. However this is the difference. Today, many people will only use their pics for Facebook, Flikr, or some other online forum. And that's fine. Its just where we are today. Social media is the new tool of today and pictures are a major part of it. It cannot be denied. Hardly any of these need to be made into hard copies. They are shared in a more versatile medium and when hard prints are actually made, they are rarely sized about a 4x6 to hang up on the fridge or maybe the computer monitor. Or let me not also forget the novelty prints like on a coffee cup or key chain.

Early work with Mary, Black Canyon, CO

So while these points have their merit, I'm going to stay on the high road and concentrate my efforts to those shots that will hang on museum walls. I've said before, I consider myself as an artist first. I want to make art. Art shared should be on walls, not desktops. I want my work hung up in that important place in your home or office lobby and I want it shown in large format. I can't even tell you when the last time I had an 8x10 print made, even for my own personal work. I consider the 11x14 a small print and the smallest I'll do. But it doesn't have to be hung up on the walls. A print in a magazine will also suffice. This is why we do this.  We don't do a gig just to give away a CD of all the images and let the client make prints as they see fit. I can tell you I want to be in control of what quality of work my art is displayed in. 

Early work with Mary, Black Canyon, CO

This is the exact reason, I didn't allow my recent book, "A Year in Review of the Nude: 2011" to be printed in any other format other than the best of quality of paper. Will all my books be in this format? No. My next one will be way different, probably at less than half that price, more than likely. For now, I plan to only do my annual books like that. The next one I have coming out will be less so. I would like to do maybe three or four books a year and only one will be at the price point of my art nude annual. And books are a great use of the printed image. The single print is still tops. There's simply no comparison to a good quality, well presented print. Its got to be framed or hung in such a manner that the print is adorned. Much of my focus this year will be on perfecting my presentation on the print and I'm happy with what I've been able to accomplish so far. Now I want to push the envelope a little and reach beyond just the simply framed canvas print. That's the goal. 

And another of my goals is to get back to Colorado and to shoot Mary again. This particular trip was definitely a benchmark in my life as a photographer. The PRINTS from this shoot are much, much better than these digital scans. The prints were done by hand and a darkroom and I can tell you hours upon hours were spent perfecting each one. I loved it. Every minute was a learning experience. I'd like to get back to shoot some of the models I worked with early in my nude days and Mary ranks among the top priorities. I'd like to see what I can do with her today, six years after our first shoot. More experience and better equipment should result in even better art. I almost got to work with her again last Summer, but I got called back the same day I arrived in Colorado and unfortunately didn't get to shoot. Gotta try again.

Challenges, Change, and Haters

Nude Model, Mercy © 2011 Terrell Neasley / See More, "A Year in Review of the Nude: 2011"

You need haters to make you stronger…without haters most people wouldn't try to become better.

~ Katt Williams

It would seem as if every time I sit down to do a blog post, the first thing on my mind to write about has something to do with patience. I'm still learning to sit still, but I'm feeling better and all the more anxious to get out and do something. Before, it was simply a dream to be able to put the crutches down and walk unassisted. Last week was my first week without crutches. I went to the theater to see why the Edgar Rice Burroughs screen adaption of "John Carter" bombed at the box office. It had been such a large production and heavily promoted, but did not live up to expectations. As fan of Burroughs, I rather enjoyed the movie, but I must confess to leaving the theater under new temptations. You see, in the film, John Carter is transported to Mars and along with superhuman strength, the lighter gravity enabled him to jump great distances. All I could dream about for the rest of the day was running and jumping. I know, I sound like a little kid, right?

Nude Model, Mercy © 2011 Terrell Neasley 

Something else I've been contemplating is moving the blog to WordPress. Blogger has been ticking me off something fierce over the years and I'm not sure why I've still been loyal to it. It was maybe 3 years ago that I first considered it, but have resisted making the move. Partly because it means moving the blog URL all over again and having to reestablish all my links, but I think I'm ready to do it. Blogging has definitely evolved and I know there is a particular look I want. Blogger simply hasn't given me what I want and I'm adamant about having that look and feel that I envision. So sooner or later, this blog will have a new look, style, and feel. On top of that, I've even got in mind a project for an all new blog! So get ready for that!

Nude Model, Mercy © 2011 Terrell Neasley 

So all in all, I'm getting off to a late start. I'm 3 months behind right now. I've had huge expectations for this year and have been optimistic about my prospects. I'm still excited about whats ahead and view my opportunities as not only challenges to overcome, but challenges to enjoy. Sometimes you need a Goliath in your way to remind you of what you are capable of as well as to expand those abilities. There are definitely challenges that simply come with living life, but I've also created challenges for myself  that might seem otherwise insurmountable. Sometimes you gotta burn that net before you walk that rope. If anything, it'll make for a good story no matter what happens. I maintain a "Watch Me!" attitude and have every intention of matching will power to  every single opposing element that may face me. Its time to make some changes and to be about what I'm supposed to be.

If you have someone hating on you right now you better think of how to get five more people hating by Christmas.

~ Katt Williams.

Nude Model, Mercy © 2011 Terrell Neasley 

So many people have aversions to both change and challenges. I don't really know why that is and have a difficult time to relate. Change is the only constant in life or even the universe for that matter. Nothing stays the same. Being flexible and adaptable is key. Maybe I learned that in the military. "Adapt and Overcome!" was often the mantra to success. As in military tactics, there are no rules in life and its not uncommon to find yourself facing overwhelming odds. But odds are just that...ODDS. It represents a probability of success given certain parameters, but even when the odds are not in your favor, by definition there is still a chance. Odds represent a one in a certain amount of chances that you can succeed. I've learned to take that "one" and run with it. If you have one chance to do something, you simply make it count. There is no such thing as a no-win situation. There is always a way to derive a positive outcome. There is much power in the will of a person who has resolved to win, achieve, overcome, survive, and ultimately thrive. Every since my teen-age years, I've actually enjoyed it when someone tells me I can't do something. So keep telling me its impossible. Tell me again how it simply can't be done. Let me hear again how impractical and improbable my ideas are. I need to hear that sometimes. Katt Williams talked about having naysayers and haters are good and that you should strive to get more. I do believe that. I aspire to have more haters. I've collected some already over the last year. So maybe I should put out an ad on Craigslist: HATERS WANTED...

"A Year in Review of the Nude"

Another look at 

"A Year in Review of the Nude: 2011"

Cover Model, Mercy:  "A Year in Review of the Nude: 2011"

I think I'll make an attempt to refocus on my book, "A Year in Review of the Nude: 2011". I've had several more inquires about it and recently, my friend James and I were discussing it over lunch at my friend's restaurant, Thai Pepper, here in Vegas. In all the events dealing with post-operative recovery from my microfracture knee surgery, I hadn't done so much to promote the book. In my last post in which I talked about it, my own copy was still on order and had yet to arrive. Even after it did finally arrive, I showed it off a little, but I was still in considerable discomfort at that time and the name of the game was pain-management. So I think I can bring a little focus back to the book.

Art Model, Panda,
"A Year in Review of the Nude: 2011" 

"A Year in Review of the Nude: 2011" is a self-published, print-on-demand Fine Art Photography book that I had printed by Blurb.com. I've used this company over the last almost 4 years and they have been quite impressive. Over the years, they have made several strides in both the development of the book template designs as well as the quality of paper stock in which they make available. They just created an even better premium line of print paper that I am very happy with and have chosen to utilize it exclusively in this book, making it more costly for me, but your costs stay the same. In most cases, you can purchase books in any variety of paper quality or even a soft-cover. For this book however, I want it to be more representative of my own art. After seeing it in the best paper stock they make, I decided to go with it exclusively. I prefer to stick with the same concept I use for the rest of my art. So to remain consistent, I only want it presented on the best paper I think I can get at that value. At WPPI, I came across some other print and book vendors who also have fine paper. So far, I have to stay with Blurb.com for the value. Printing the same book with some of those vendors would have taken my own costs upwards of $350 to produce each book. Through Blurb, I am able to offer it to you at this level of quality for $149.99. So for now, Blurb it is.

My book is currently listed 4th when doing a search for NUDE in the blurb bookstore. Cool, huh?

When I first got the book in hand and opened it up, I was instantly pleased with the product. Its not just thicker paper but better quality all around. I compared it to some of the other promotional books I've made and it is indeed superior to those. As I mentioned, I've used this company for almost four years. This has mainly been for the benefit of private clients. I've shot everything from a baby's first birthday to more intimate concerns like a wife's Christmas present for her husband. "A Year in Review of the Nude: 2011" is notably the first book I've done just for my own interest. Every other book has been made to satisfy client needs. Several are not available for preview to the public. This book however will become an annual review, but there will also be others I do to showcase a particular model or event. In fact, I had planned on doing one exclusively on art model, Panda to be released in March. In light of recent concerns and diverted attentions, I think I'll delay it for a month or two, but I already have enough work on her to produce a book right now.

Art Model, Enyo,
"A Year in Review of the Nude: 2011"

I don't see the book as pricey as many have implied. I don't think I could emphasize enough to not look at this book as a regular book. Most people don't spend $150 on a book. I know that. Instead, understand that this is my own art. Many people will purchase art for more than $150 that depicts only one visual subject. Mine has 114... probably way to many at that price. I didn't make this book for you to look through and then shelve. You don't purchase a painting, look it over and then archive it in the attic. Its meant to be displayed and that's how I see this book. I could have sold it in a smaller size, soft-cover, on less quality paper, all for $35! But that is not what this book is. Preview "A Year in Review of the Nude: 2011" and order your copy from Blurb.com right now!

"A Year in Review of the Nude: 2011" by Terrell Neasley

Visit the link: http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/2888660 for more details on how to order your copy!

Mercy, Cover Model featured in
"A Review of the Nude: 2011"
by Terrell Neasley

Thought I'd make a post to talk about my latest pictorial periodical (as in this will be a regular thing). "A Year in Review of the Nude: 2011" is my reflection of the models I worked with who shot nudes throughout the 2011 year. I didn't shoot as many models as what I may typically shoot in 12 months. The first two years I was in Vegas, I was probably shooting about 2 models a month, but I've since slightly waned on how many models I shoot. Lately, I've had a propensity to shoot more images with fewer models. Some models you just simply gel with and you tend to end up shooting them again and again without searching out new talent. This last year, I shot 7 models of whom I feel I did some incredible work. Some experimental first time shoots and then others that were simply exploratory while discovering new countrysides and vistas. Some shots are almost overly conservative, even by artistic nude standards. Then again, there are some shots that are bold, daring, and provocative enough to make your pupils dilate a few more millimeters wider than normal. Regardless, I ofttimes take what the model gives me and that becomes my raw material for editing.

Viki Vegas, Model featured in
"A Review of the Nude: 2011"
by Terrell Neasley

Dominique, Model featured in
"A Review of the Nude: 2011"
by Terrell Neasley

I've had a few emails and inquiries asking why I've got the book priced the way I do. A reasonable price might be $30 to $50 and if I wanted to maybe push a little more profit, I could charge upwards of $75. Those are the suggestions. Truthfully, I could have gone that route. I could have made a smaller book, both in size and in quantity of pages and made it paperback. However, that's not exactly the way I want my work to be portrayed. I want it exhibited big and in large fashion. I also want it on good paper, bound well, with excellent print. That's the ONLY way I want my work shown. I am a photographer, make no mistake about that, but I'm an artist first! This is my artwork and I'd much rather my pieces be viewed as such. I didn't make a "book", per se. I assembled a collection of my artwork. I've sold SINGLE pieces of art for much more than the $149.99, I have this book listed for at about 115 images. I feel like I'm practically giving the book away at that price point. Chances are, YOU'VE paid more than $200 for a single photo or art piece to hang over your couch. Realistically, my first thought was to have it over $500, and this may well be the case in the future. But for now, $149.99 is where I set the option to purchase. This is my art. There's a story behind every single shoot. There is emotion, love, and feelings wrapped up into each image. Time, energy and effort is spent in editing these captures... all done to share and exhibit my wares to you, the general public. So this is more aimed at a specific demographic of people who spend money on artwork and who will generally spend well over that amount for art. Its well made. Its large. And the pictures are friggin' awesome! So if it sells, great. If not so much, then that's okay too!

Panda, Model featured in
"A Review of the Nude: 2011"
by Terrell Neasley

My main goal had nothing to do with profit generation, oddly enough. I want each book I do to be successful, of course. I desire for it to be in demand, without a doubt. However, I didn't make it for everybody. The majority of people will not desire a book on nudes anyway. Of the ones that do, most won't shell out my asking price. I know this. I am not bothered by it. My goal if anything is to share this with people who see it more as a piece of artwork, as opposed to simply a book to be consumed once, and shelved. I am interested in my work being shown in your homes, no different than the art you hang on your walls with a lamp shining on it or propped up on a pedestal in the corner. Its the same as my single images I create. When I edit and do my final crop, I'm not as concerned with whether or not its been cropped to standard sizes, so you can go to Wal-Mart and purchase a frame for it. How it is, is how it is. I'd prefer it to be custom mounted by a professional and framed accordingly. I've sold to some clients and assist them on choosing how my images will be mounted and framed once I have the print produced. Maybe its just me, but I don't want my artwork in regular frames all the time. If the print size is 13 x 9 3/4, then I don't want it cut down to an 10 x 8 so it can fit a ready made frame! Granted, people will do what they want, but my work is made to be custom hung. Don't fault me for being particular about this.

Mercy, Cover Model featured in
"A Review of the Nude: 2011"
by Terrell Neasley

I think you will love this book. You are going to fall in love with my models and the shots they each contributed to. You will feel the story behind each image and be left wondering about the details. It will definitely pique your interest and you will want to imagine what shooting with Panda, Mercy, or Viki Vegas, must have been like. Each have their own different feel. Shooting with Viki was far different from shooting with Mercy and I believe you will sense this as you peruse through the pages. You will get a sense of Panda's willingness to create art and feel how cold Dominique must have been and wonder how she tolerated the temperatures. This is what my book delivers. Its artwork that you can appreciate, but its the experience that will make the hairs stand on end and give you the goose bumps your sympathetic nervous system has been starving for. At the very least, take a chance. Jump!