B&C Camera Rentals

Art Model, Faerie

“A camera is a SAVE button for the mind’s eye.”

~ Roger Kingston

In Part II of my Photographer's Block series, "Get Some Gear" was Tip #5 and that covered renting photo/video gear as an option to help you break free of Photographer's Block. I thought it might be a good idea to cover that in a little bit more depth.

B&C Camera is an independently owned brick and mortar camera store, owned by German photographer, Joe Dumic. It is one of the fastest growing stores in the western U.S. and is steadily evolving. The Camera Rental department is what I'll obviously focus on in this post. Joe continues to add more and more camera gear to the rental inventory. You can now get the newly released Sony A9 to rent if you want to try it out before you buy it. Testing gear is one thing. Businesses and professional shooters will rent out a lot of gear at one time. I remember when Matt Damon came to Las Vegas to film his latest "Jason Bourne" movie last year. You'd think those guys would have brought everything they needed, but nope. They came to B&C Camera for gear.

Art Model, Faerie

If I had to guess, I'd say film crews need more lighting gear than anything. Especially out-of-towners who don't want to pay the extra airline baggage fees for lighting equipment. Locals will spend more on camera and lens gear when they get a gig which calls for an upgrade on what they may currently already own, particularly lenses. You can get anything from 8mm to up to 600mm glass. Special events come to Las Vegas all the time. That's when you see the 70-200s of all brands began to disappear off the shelves. The Super moons will make demands of the Tamron 150-600 for both Canon and Nikon models. And its all easy as pie to rent. So how do you get some gear? Glad you asked.

“The eye should learn to listen before it looks.”

~ Robert Frank

The first thing you have to understand is that B&C Camera is a retail camera store who happens to do rentals. So Joe has to secure his inventory with credit card deposits usually for the replacement cost of the rental. We get plenty of people who come in with cash deposits as well. They may need an extra speedlight and will do a cash deposit of $400 or so. You you'll need a credit card and you ID. But first, you online and choose some gear! You can reserve it right there on the spot for the date you need it for. Be smart and make your reservations as soon as you know you'll need the gear. There are multiple availabilities on a lot of rental gear, but not for everything. There's only one A9 at the moment, for instance. So reserve it before some other smart photog beats you to the punch.

Art Model, Faerie

You can see how much the deposit is when you make your reservation. You don't pay anything at the time of reservation. All that's done at the store when you go pick up your rental. So make the reservation online. One the day of pick-up, bring your ID and credit card. The credit hold will go on the credit card. Debit cards are not advisable and they won't usually take them for deposits. For whatever reason, banks don't release the deposit hold very quickly. It can take up to 30 days and that will usually piss some people off. Coming up to the store to complain won't help. Its got nothing to do with the store. Its a bank issue. So bring a credit card.

Art Model, Faerie

You'll usually get an email notification alerting you that your rental is ready for pick-up. Someone will test out the gear you are renting, make sure the battery is charged, and bag everything up, making the process more efficient. All you have to do is sign all the rental paperwork. At this point, they'll run your card for the deposit authorization which will then put a hold on those funds. So if you're renting a camera and a lens, the total deposit might be $2000. You need to have at least that amount on your credit card available to you. Lets say you have $2500 available on your credit card. When they run your deposit, $2000 will be held on that card and you will then only have $500 available to you until you bring back the camera gear and the hold falls off. It may take another day or two for the bank to release that hold, but in any case, you are not charged anything. It won't even show up on your statement.

After that, you simply pay the daily rental fee up front. You rent for 3 days at $50 per day, then you'll be charged $150 right there on the spot. But get this... Saturday, Sunday, and Monday count as ONE day... a weekend rate. So if you reserve it for Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, you only pay for ONE day, not 3. Just have it back on Monday before 7pm. So make your reservation online, bring in your credit card and ID, and sign all the paperwork. After all that, you're walking out with your gear with high expectations! Some things to keep in mind, though. You may need to also rent some extra batteries. And if you're getting a high resolution camera, you just might need some extra SD cards. The Sony A7rII is a 42-megapixel beast with large file sizes. I shoot with 32Gb cards. Maybe you'll want 64Gbs. So keep all that in mind. Happy Shooting!

Art Model, Faerie

Still in Awe of Photography

Art Model, Covenant ©2014 Terrell Neasley

“Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars, and see yourself running with them.” 

― Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

I've been in this game for a while now. At least since 2005 on a serious level. At any given time, its easy to get bored, burned out, or just simply tired of a profession, industry, or business of some sort. Its normal. Things stagnate from time to time. Monotony often sets in and you have to look for a little change in routine or maybe take a break to step away from your profession from time to time. In the Army, as well as all the Armed Services, we were all encouraged to take some R&R to blow off steam on a regular basis. Getting burned out could cause lapses in inspections of equipment or result in attention to detail issues.

I can't say this has been the case with me in photography. I am just as excited about it now as when I saw my first print come to life as it sat in a fresh batch of Kodak D-76 developer. And that was something in and of itself that you just couldn't get tired of. It was like magic. After careful exposure, and burning and dodging in a darkroom, a blank sheet of Ilford Fiber-based Variable Contrast Multigrade IV paper, suddenly came to live with the image you previously captured on film. I'll confess, though. I had my doubts when I switched to digital in 2007. I was a film purist because I felt digital took out the craftsmanship in which I made that print with my hands, manipulating light and shadow to make the final print. Photoshop seemed too much bits and bytes, and not enough of a man-made feel. I got over that the more I realized, its not so much the hands, but more the mind that creates and manipulates the light and shadow.

Art Model, Emma ©2013 Terrell Neasley

I can't say its like this for every photog you meet. I have met quite a few who's camera is more of a job than a creative outlet. They work, earn money, and that's it. No personal projects, just take the money and put the camera down til its time to earn money again. I don't begrudge them. That's their choice. As for me, I think I am still in love with photo for a few reasons.

1. First and foremost, I shoot what I like. You gotta pay me a lot of money to make me shoot something I don't really want to shoot. I learned that when I first got to Vegas and got a gig shooting furniture for a business in the World Market Center here in Vegas for showroom ads. Shooting a white couch under 3 different kinds of light on the showcase floor sucked. Granted, I still didn't know near as much as I do now, but I did it for the money. HATED IT! I learned that early on and it was a blessing. Shoot what you love.

2. I have an inherent desire to be good at whatever I spend the most time in. I study my ass off in most anything I want to know about. But for something I absolutely love, my study habits kick into overdrive. Its not always in a desire to be better. Most times, its because I have something on my brain that I want to create and have to learn how to do it. So I am in a constant state of learning to improve and hone my craft. Additionally, I don't stay on the same thing for too long. One day my thing may be landscape. Another day, its portraits. And then I want to kick it up and do extended exposure. Lastly, I simply hate not knowing. The better you get, the more people you attract. I get other photographers who ask me questions about settings or maybe how to shoot something. Often times I act as a forensic scientist to detect what was wrong or troubleshoot an issue with a camera or image. What's that thick black line that goes all the way across the bottom of your picture? Its a result of using a shutter speed high than the sync speed of your camera when using flash. How do I know that? I didn't want to be afraid of using artificial light, so I studied flash. So study your ass off.

Art Model, Covenant ©2014 Terrell Neasley

“The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.” 

― W.B. Yeats

3. I associate with a other photographers and learn from mentors. I started the very first Meetup.com photography group here in Las Vegas. It was the Las Vegas Art Models Group mainly for helping photographers learn to work with the nude model as well as helping nude models get hired by photographers. I then assisted one of the attendees of my group, Garrett Winslow, organize another group, the Las Vegas Photographic Society made for photographers to help them network and grow their craft. Over the years, I developed a good reputation, but sharing my knowledge, but also from increasing my knowledge with mentors like Dave Rudin and Dave Proctor, just to name a few. I have also stayed active in online groups to share my work, get feedback, and offer help to others. So don't become an island.

4. I started working in a camera shop. B&C Camera, owned by my good friend and accomplished photographer Joe Dumic. He bought this camera shop when ever other one was failing, turned it around and this store not only survives, but thrives. He's spearheading his third expansion project for B&C Camera in just 4 years. Joe has helped me immensely in my own business operations. However working in a camera store gives me the ability to tap into a knowledge base you won't find anywhere else. I am there only two days a week, but I get to learn about every new camera system that comes out. Technology is changing all the time. Most industries can't say that. A hammer hasn't changed much since its invention. Devices to capture a still image or record one moving, and all the accessories that are invented on a daily basis are improved every day. I get to try out these new systems and get help from the best gurus from Canon, Nikon, Sony, Panasonic, Leica, and also LYTRO! Just today I got an email from Joe inviting me to an exclusive Canon event. Anther great aspect is the customers I meet. I stay on my toes to help those beginner photographers get the right camera, fix their problems, and get ideas on lighting set-ups. But I also meet professional people coming in to get gear as well. Just a couple of days ago, Adan Van Dam, Las Vegas based film producer/director visited the store and I got to learn about his 4K BlackMagic full frame rig. So don't restrict your universe to just the gear you know. And surround yourself with and learn from other great talent.

Art Model, Faerie ©2012 Terrell Neasley

5. I like to experiment and take chances. I know that every endeavor I take won't pan out. I'm okay with that. Sometimes I lose money. Sometimes, all my efforts are wasted; but are they really? Every time I do something that doesn't pan out, its really a learning experience. I can honestly say, I learn some valuable lessons when I get screwed over, lose an opportunity, or otherwise fail. I learn how to be wiser with my selections on who I deal with, prepare better, and thus protect myself better from unfortunate events. Learning these lessons early on help keep the ripples from these mistakes small. I don't mind small mistakes. And catching them early keeps the big ones at bay. So learn to play and don't be afraid to fail.

I could list several more, but this post is getting long. To add 3 more, persistence despite rough times, doing your own personal projects, constantly looking at other great work, teaching photography, and traveling would be key elements that definitely aid in my ability to stay locked in on photo. In all these years, photo has never been a dried up concept for me. And you know...another great motivator is that if you're good enough, people will pay you to keep doing what you do. So.... Amazing, isn't it?

Photography is My Thing

Model Faerie, © 2012 Terrell Neasley

"Do what you love. Know your own bone; gnaw at it, bury it, unearth it, and gnaw it still."

~ Henry David Thoreau

People have all sorts of reasons why they do photography. Some are professionals at it and some do it for the fun of it. The skill levels vary tremendously, although I would assume a bell curve would favor a left-ward distribution. WHY people do photography is just as varied. Its a job for some. These pick up a camera only because they are being paid by an employer to do so. On their down time, the last thing they want to look at is a camera. Some people are enthusiasts at whatever skill level and they do what they do for the love of it, but only after the get done with the day-time job. Probably the most prolific are they that simply want to document the time of passage for the family, vacations, holidays, and special events. I was viewing a video podcast recently on how many pictures have been taken by everyone since the first image was every captured. An estimation concluded that 10% of all images ever captured were taken in only the last 12 months and 20% of them wind up on Facebook. [I decided to add the video at the bottom]

Model Faerie, © 2012 Terrell Neasley

I'm sure we've all heard it said, "Do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life". This is my thing. Its my gig. Its not a job for me. I'm not a pretender, poser, faker, or wanna-be. I'm in business for myself. I do it for people to make a profit, but I don't do it for money. Does that make sense? For me it does. There would be absolutely no change in my game if I wasn't getting paid. And trust me, the clients and the money can get scarce at times. I still go shoot. I may not have a gig lined up, but I still buy the gear. What do I get? I buy what I feel like is going to get me the best results in my images. From a business sense, I justify my fees because of my time, my skill, my equipment, and the expenses I incur to produce a desired result for a client. I probably won't ever get the gig because I was the cheapest or lowest bidder, but my job is to get the shot and produce deliverables with no excuses or settling.

"Do what you love; you'll be better at it. It sounds pretty simple, but you'd be surprised how many people don't get this one right away."

~ LL Cool J 

Model Faerie, © 2012 Terrell Neasley

Photography is my thing. Yes, nudes are a passion for me, but photography is my thing. "Working with a camera to produce a creatively exposed image with the desired focus using a preferred technique of editing and presentation." THAT is my definition of photography. When you talk to me, you get a sense of my passion for it and I've always shared my passion. I teach photo. And when I say I teach, I'm not talking about just lecture. No, I take you on a two week boot camp program. I used to do monthly workshops with a group of photogs. My workshops were cheap and some of these guys when you'd run into them 3 months later had't picked up a camera since you last saw them. The investment was one-sided with little to no ROI. Now when I teach, I get you for a good 2 weeks that might start out at 5am for a sunrise at Death Valley. Or we might be out at 11pm in the middle of the desert doing extended exposures or learning the stroboscopic features on your flash with a model. We'll be visiting interesting locations and learning everything to the limits of your camera's capabilities. Why? Because first, this is what I love and I want to share it with people who love it like I do. Second, because I want to have fun. As you might expect, I don't get many takers. Most don't have the time to commit and others balk at the money. And that's cool. I understand. Most people are not into photo like I am. I'm in it when I'm by myself and I do it when I'm not making money on it. This is my thing.

Model Faerie, © 2012 Terrell Neasley

Do what you love. Easier said than done, right. Maybe. I ain't judging nobody. If my kids were still little, this might not be the case. Those little knuckle-head like to eat and the older they get, the better shoes they want. But on my own, I've slept on a inflatable mattress (but a good one!) for almost 3 years. I found it difficult to justify the expense for a bed, when I could put that money on a new lens. This past January, I had my daughter and her husband come stay with me for a bit during the first part of my recovery. I know they are partial to "real" beds. So I bought a nice one. Then I bought a couch and some living room furniture. Two months ago, I got a TV! I haven't needed a TV. I spend too much time on a big monitor as it is editing photos, doing online tutorials, or catching up on the latest news about photography from my favorite bloggers.

This is my thing. Wanna go shoot?

So What's Next?

More of Faerie from some shots I'm just now getting to edit

"When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, 'I used everything you gave me'."

- Erma Bombeck

That is a good question. The goal is to definitely implement travel into my business and integrate it into my lifestyle. I already mentioned my desire to head back to Guatemala with a model for two weeks. But beyond that, I'm not certain. I can't say that I feel done with Central America just yet. There are 7 countries there and I've only visited 2. I'd think Honduras would be a priority. Can't say I'm feeling Costa Rica has been on my mind to do some volunteering. El Salvador and Nicaragua would be next. I've been to Panama already, but only from a military perspective.

I think of everywhere I could travel, Central and South America appeal to me most. I need to get serious about learning Spanish. I mean, dang. I was raised in Texas. I've been in Las Vegas for 5 years. How is it that I don't already speak the language? You'd think just from hearing it so often you'd learn it like a baby. I even got German down fairly well while I was there for almost 4 years. Wait...let me take that back. I could order food and tell a cab driver where I wanted to go. But I was getting it down. Don't ask me anything in German now, though. That was 20 years ago. But back to my point, I need to make a more concerted effort to prioritize my language skills. And why stop with just Spanish?

Art Model, Faerie

In the meantime, what's next is getting back to work and building my photography business with the core and staple services I known for. I need to push myself in ways that go beyond the typical and outside my comfort zone. Granted, I believe I've been doing that, but in the process I got comfortable again, so its time for another evolution. I still feel behind for the year. I missed the first 4 months of the year. I did a teaching assignment for a month in May and had about 4 projects or so between mid-April til I left in July for Central America. From an artistic perspective, I talked a few months back about doing more self-portraits. I need to work some nudes in there too. We're in month 9 of this year and I think I've only done a single nude project with a model. Make that two. I got to work with Panda a week after my surgery in January, just before all the real pain started kicking in. I only did 7 nudes all of last year, which is the least amount of projects I've ever done since I first began shooting nudes. So between now and the end of the year, I need to get at least 10 more.

"I have a simple philosophy: Fill what's empty. Empty what's full. Scratch where it itches."

- Alice Roosevelt Longworth

Art Model, Faerie

What else is next? Outside of travel, doing my art, and working my business... nothing. That's where all my concentration is for now and I've got lots more to do. There's enough on my plate to keep me occupied and gainfully-employed if I can just handle those aforementioned taskings. Maybe I can add in there objectives to maintain my sanity and minimize the disturbance to my calm. I think better that way and thus increase creativeness, efficiency, and productivity. Oh, I guess I can add in there getting healthy. The knee surgery didn't pan out as well as hoped and now I have some rotator cuff issues in my right shoulder. I hate being slowed down this much, but I am trying not to push it. Too look at me, you'd never be able to tell I am so broken. Just last night, talking to a couple at a bar, they commented that I obviously must work out. Yeah, right. At the moment I'm running off a lifestyle of strenuous physical activity, genetics, and God's Grace. But all that ain't going to hold up if I don't get fixed and get back to my regular activities soon. So I guess I had better add that onto the list of priorities. Be cool. Get healthy. Oh and also get the iPhone 5. Yeah, that's all.

Naked Faeries

Model Faerie, © 2012 Terrell Neasley

"a pretty girl who is naked / is worth a million statues"

- e. e. cummings

Model Faerie, © 2012 Terrell Neasley

I love me some naked faeries. Actually, I only know one, and its good to get back to shooting Faerie. Its been a long time since I've had her in my sights and we've been able to finally make it happen. Just as gorgeous as ever, I don't think anybody can say one bad thing about this woman, but even on the inside, she a good girl, a great mom and wife, and she's got a beautiful outlook on life. I could definitely say she's a great model not only for me, but she's a great model of a human being worthy of emulation by many young women out there today. The main goal was to work her into some of my Art Nude Ball of Light work. She'd seen some of my earlier attempts and her husband likes them too. After not doing them for a year, it took a bit to make the adjustments, but I have found a way to perfect my sphere-building spin and rotation. It was more towards the end of our session that I began to get better, so we have some more work to do. And of course there are a LOT more images from our shoot last weekend, but I'm only going to get to a few before my adventure down South.

Model Faerie, © 2012 Terrell Neasley

Which brings me to another point. I'm thinking I'm going to start another blog to showcase my travel and adventure work. I know you're thinking I can barely keep tabs on this one, but I am sincerely giving this some thought. The only question is when I'll start it, because I ultimately want to have this thing going when I am more permanently on the road and traveling on a more regular basis for extended periods of time. Granted, this Central America stunt that I'm doing will be for a little while, but I'm talking about doing this as a life-style. That's when I truly want to begin a new chapter of writing. In fact, I think I'm going to take an online course in writing from Matador U. I was thinking about doing their photography class as well, but I think I'll switch to their film maker's course and just work with the two of those. I can't wait to get started. 

Model Faerie, © 2012 Terrell Neasley

The thing I like about all this is that, at the beginning of the year, as I'm laid up in the bed, this is all just a dream. Well now, its about to happen and I'm excited about that fact. Imagine it, plan it, do it. That's they way I want my thought process to evolve. Spending so much time in bed leaves you with nothing but imagination and with a little concentration, you can start planning everything out. Of course this one was pretty easy. All I have to do is follow Heather Rae. She's got the itinerary and beyond that, I don't really care. She's the subject. Whatever it is she's doing, I simply follow and record it. But beyond that, she's been very inspiring as I mentioned in the last post. My tasking is to simply get all the needed gear, learn more about video, and get the audio equipment I'll need to accompany me and I've done that. I have a few adjustments to make but all in all, I'm just about ready. I'll be learning on the fly, but thankfully we have enough time to get it down. The first week will be chill week anyway, so I'll be able to read up on the manuals and maybe we'll have wifi or internet connections and I can do some tutorials online. The Glidecam HD-2000 is giving me problems with the weight. Its tough to balance, but the thing may be too heavy for my needs. I can read a book on the Zoom H4N audio recorder and my on-camera Sennheiser should be easy enough. With that, you just plug in and go. This is going to be so much fun. I enjoy learning new things and am used to trial by fire from my military days.

Stay tuned... 

Get Well Soon Faerie!

I think I may have mentioned earlier this Summer that you were going to get to see Faerie again. Well, it didn't happen, but we're working on it again. Initially she left town for a little while gallivanting all over the country. Can't hate...only envy. But she back now, and we're trying to put get to shoot again, but now I just have wait til she's feeling well enough to shoot again. You might think that all she'd have to do is just sit and look pretty, but Faerie tends to put a little more into a shoot than that. That woman can naturally bend and contort that make you have to stop and look over the top of your camera to make sure you're seeing things right through the viewfinder. She's definitely a pleasure to work with and lends some excellent talent ideas to a shoot. 

But I think its been about TWO years since I've worked with her! She was one of my first models after arriving in Vegas that would shoot on a whim. In fact, I am certain I recall her once calling ME up telling me to come over and lets shoot. What can you do but grab your camera and walk your ass out the door and go shoot. She and her whole family have been the best people you'd want to know...great kids and a really cool husband that can grill a mean steak. In fact, that just reminds me of why I was doing this post to begin with. I was telling another model just last night about Faerie and her hubby's steaks, when it came to mind that one thing about Faerie that I really appreciate (I mean, other than the fact that I get to photograph her naked...) is the simple fact that she always remembers how I take my coffee. I never have to add anything after she makes me a cup. Sometimes its just those little things that make the difference. 

Now she'll be all good to go in a little while, so I don't suspect you'll have to wait too long. But I'm oddly enough finding myself slightly creatively challenged on what I think I'd like to do with her. (If only all my problems were so nice...right?) We've done a lot of things together already, and I feel like I want something uniquely new with Faerie and I just hadn't quite put my finger on it just yet. My initial idea this Summer was going to be my Nude Ball of Light gig, but she wasn't available and I had to go with another model. So I'm trying to find the next great concept that fits Faerie like a glove. Granted, I'm going to run this past her for some ideas, as well. Public nudes are out. She doesn't need that sort of heat. Pregnancy nudes are out. They're already waiting on the youngest to finish school and move out, so I know she won't ask the hubby to make another kid just for me to do a photo project. What else...?

She's way too young for my mature model project. Erotica? I'm still experimenting with that. Or how something in water. Actually, I've just done that. Nah, I think its gotta be something original maybe in some unique location, that's at least unique to me. Its either that or I'll start out with a simple, no-concept shoot and make it as easy as 1. Get naked, 2. Take pictures, 3. Repeat as necessary. It almost never fails that I come up with something more tailored to a particular model after I do a simple shoot with her. The mind just gets to rolling after you burn off a few rounds through the shutter.

So get well soon, Faerie. Take your time. I'll have something fun to do and we'll make some great pics again.

No Better Time

"I believe the ability to think is blessed. If you can think about a situation, you can deal with it. The big struggle is to keep your head clear enough to think."

- Richard Pryor

Model, Faerie... from a recent family session

Faerie, from our original shoot in '08

Can you think of any time in human history where social classes did not exist? How about in any culture? I haven't done my research on this, so know that I am purely speculating here, but I believe that since the dawn of time, man has been at a minimum, classified as either rich, poor, or somewhere along that spectrum. I did fairly well in Economics, with the exception of Managerial Econ in grad school, where I got the only C of my MBA. In my defense, that class ...sorry, I digress. I learned enough in the several Economics classes I took to know that in America, the majority of us fall into the mid-range area, or middle class. It's probably like that in most of the developed democratic countries. On a global scale however, the majority of humans fall to the left of the spectrum on the poor side. These folk look at our poor in the U.S. like we look at Warren Buffett. To them WE are plenty rich! If for no other reason than the fact that we have clean water available to us on demand. Few and I mean VERY few are in the rich category. However, if you concentrate for a second on the rich end, you'll find some interesting facts.

1. Of all the billionaires in the world, 41% are from the U.S. or Western Europe.
2. 1% of the wealthy control HOLD ON A SECOND...

I'm getting off my point, I think. I was about to list all these sources of income distribution and inequality, but all that does is spur debate over socialism and a distaste for the wealthy and that's not where I want to go. So let me keep this simple by getting directly to my point. My point is that when you really think about it, if you live in a free society, you have reason and just cause to be happy about your opportunities to aspire to BE more and DO more, by KNOWING more. Yes...there will always be rich and poor. HOWEVER, there is no better time in the history of mankind for you to decide which end of that spectrum you want to be on! You're not following...?

Okay, look at it this way. Yes...about 1% of the rich control more than 40% of the world's wealth. But tell me where else in man's history has he (or she) been able to affect his status in society than right now in this country or anywhere in the free world for that matter? If you lived in the 13th century and you were an average citizen, not of royal blood, how many opportunities did you have to affect your status in life? About 2 and that required you to advance in the service of the military or become the world's greatest salesman. All the way up until the 20th Century, most everyone lived the life of the worker ant or bee. You were born to labor until you died for the service of the queen bee.

But look at today. Yes, the economic conditions of life are deplorable right now. But when you look at the bridge between the rich and poor, there are two things you notice about it. ONE, its wider than ever before. Check your Census data on that. But more importantly, TWO, it's a two-way street now! More than ever, more poor people are becoming wealthy by their own accord. Visa versa, the rich do not have a life-time membership into Club Exclusivity. How many have you heard about that have lost their wealth via Wall Street, banking, or mortgage failures. Or worse, Bernie Madoff victims?

Google and Facebook are less than a decade old and stemmed from an original idea, yet they are two powerhouses in business today. Microsoft is not the forerunner they used to be. I often send my kids news reports of mere children who create an idea and net millions in revenue in just a few years. When have you ever heard of such a thing for a child who wasn't in the entertainment business? Technology has leveled out the board a little in this game of life. It takes an idea and the wisdom to cultivate that idea. Both of which require a brain. And you know what...everybody reading this blog right now has a brain and chances are you live in a free democratic society. If you reside in America or Western Europe especially, then why can we not have a change in attitude and perspective on life? We get people that immigrate here from other countries who are willing to sell all, risk all, and do all that it takes to get within our shores for a chance at a better life. The value a U.S. citizenship more than anything but family. I wonder what it is that they see in the opportunities in our country that we do not. Change your mind and way of thinking, people. Let's move beyond this monetary conundrum that we find ourselves in. If you want the economy to change, start with yourself. Whether good times or bad, you should still prosper. Make it happen. Do it with me.

"You see?...See? See what a man can do? Never mind you can't tell one letter from another, never mind you born a slave, never mind you lose your name, never mind your daddy dead, never mind nothing. Here... this here is what a man can do if he puts his mind to it and his back in it. Stop sniveling. Stop picking around the edges of this world. Take advantage, and if you can't take advantage, take disadvantage. We live here. On this planet, this nation, in this country right here. Nobody starving in my home; nobody crying crying in my home, and if I got a home, you got one too! Grab it! Grab this land! Take it, hold it, my brothers, make it, my brothers, shake it, squeeze it, turn it, twist it, beat it, kick it, kiss it, whip it, stomp it, dig it, plow it, seed it, reap it, rent it, buy it, sell it, own it, build it, multiply it, and pass it on -- can you hear me? Pass it on!" 

---Reverend Cooper talking to Milkman and some friends in Toni Morrison's book,"Song of Solomon"

I love this first video by Rob Dyrdek "You've Got to Make Your Own Luck". (Even though I don't believe in luck, the concept is sound.)

All About the Fun

Maybe things will be settling back to normal pretty soon. I'm very hopeful, at any rate. My friend and roommate, Jeff is back home from about 11 weeks in the hospital. It'd be inappropriate for me to go into details, but the dude is back at home, trying to recover and gain his strength back. So welcome home, Jeff.

Photo work has been sort of sketchy as of late. I've still been shooting and editing, but I've not been posting much of my work on my online profiles or website. Part of that is cuz of Chris St. James' fault. Because of his mentorship, I've got this thing with titles now. Since I haven't been able to sit down title my shots and post them, they have been sitting on my hard drive waiting to receive a name. This goes way back to maybe a year ago when Chris first discovered me and took an interest in my work. He began to encourage me, mentor me, and be a friend. Well, one of the things he'd knock me on the head for was the lack of titles in my work. Since then, I think I've really grown from his help and I've cherished the relationship we've had over the course of, wait...I think its been closer to two years now.

I haven't even kept up with many of the blogs that I normally follow daily. I still track Univers d'Artistes regularly. Unbearable Lightness has done a wonderful job at helping Chris. These are two people that I've cultivated relationships with, but have yet to actually meet. I consider both to be mentors and will be glad when I am totally back on track following my friends' blogs and back to posting my own at my usual rate of twice a week. I haven't even talked to my good friend, Dave Rudin in a while. I'm really out of touch. I don't know what's been going on with Iris Dassault, who's like the model queen of this country. And I need to get back in touch with the happenings across the waters with my friends at Fluffytek.

I need to go on some interesting outings. I haven't done that in a while. I think that was one of the attractors for a good part of my readership which was to hear about my adventures in the wild. Yeah, I need to get out more. The weather is starting to warm up and ice is melting off the mountains which means water falls and full streams again. This is what I do. I gotta get back out there. Whatever I do, I think I'd like to take some models out with me on a road trip or something. And speaking of which, I want to make sure I encourage you to utilize the services of the models I present on this blog and my website. If you're planning to be in Vegas and feel like shooting, feel free to contact these girl's links or even myself and plan something. Brittani from New Jersey is coming to reside in Vegas permanently next month. (Damn, I've still got to send her a disk! Sorry B.) I'm happy about that. I mentioned her in my last post along with several others. I've still yet to shoot with Marley. She's waiting on a tattoo to heal up a little first. But you've also seen some of my mainstays like Faerie and Trixie who I shoot quite often and of course there are several more. I shoot with Lieara this weekend. Lorelei has taken off like a space shuttle. The Brittany II maintains her role as one of the most prolific models in Vegas. And then there is Sarah Jane...come on! Really, do I need to say more. All these different body types and looks. I've got like the Wal-Mart of models, here. And wait til you see my next posts of Melissa!

Gabriella is one of the models I've been shooting with who is very up and coming. This girl can be on the cover of any magazine by tomorrow. She's different than the normal style of model I've been shooting because she's very suitable for glamor work that you might find in Maxxim or even Playboy. I've always been doing the girl next door type to produce my artistic style of nudes, but with Gabriella, I've been exploring the more sensual, sexy, and even erotic style of the art nude. She's hella fun to work with and is an instant boost to anybody's port. I think I'm going to start highlighting models I work with on my posts. I don't promote these girls enough and one of my initial objectives to starting my Las Vegas Art Models Group was to support art models. All of these girls are fabulous with great attitudes. For me, attitude is more important than they way they look. Gabriella is super sexy, but she comes with a willingness to work and gives you what you want and then some. You're sure to walk away from her shoot with more than you bargained for. I like the girl. Gonna work with her some more. You will too, so give this artist of her trade a hollar. Isn't she sweet? Tell her I sent 'cha. We'll both get cheese points!

October 2008 Workshop

"What does a blonde and a tornado have in common? They both start out with a lot of sucking and blowing, but in the end they take your house." - Faerie telling me a joke...

Yesterday's workshop went really well. Surprisingly, it seemed to go sort of fast. Despite the fact that the days are shorter, we finished well before it got dark. That's new for my group. usually we are still out releasing shutters right before it gets difficult to find your way back to the car. Well, the everyone got what they wanted for shots, so as long as that objective is met, why push the model any further. And yes, Brittany was superb. One of our female photogs, Roselyn, brought out some props for the model. Roz, likes to play dress-up with the models. Despite the fact that this is an art nude workshop, we like what she does. She certainly brings in a new aspect to what we do. She turned Brittany into a 1970's style hippie-chick. I tell you Brittany looked like she was born in the wrong era. The hats were my favorite although she also had a long flowing yellow dress at one point that was pretty awesome.

This was probably the last outdoor shoot that we'll do. For the next few months I've got to concentrate on venues that will keep the model warm, so we look forward to studio work and non-studio indoor places that we can set up impromptu lights or get away with ambient. We'll also be focusing on some glamour and fashion shoots as well. The nude figure will maintain a prominent role, but the fashion element be incorporated with it to produce a something totally different. Think Helmut Newton...

I mentioned before that I had planned to stop or at least suspend my nude work. I may should have delayed that statement for just a while longer. I did mention that I had planned to carry on with those that I had prior commitments to AND I said I might take on opportunity shots, but wouldn't actively pursue models. Okay, so I added on a project that I plan to do but this one found me. I did not actively pursue it. Around the same day as I posted the last blog post, I got a call from someone referred to me. I just met her today and I'm not turning her down. Nope, can't do it.

I mentioned making my camera earn enough to begin supporting itself as one of the reasons I'd planned on suspending nude action. Well, another reasons is that I simply need to catch up on a bunch of unedited non-nude work. I've still got material from my trip to Panguitch, Utah, as well as more from Kolob Reservoir and the Phoenix trip to work on. So we are talking since around 4th of July weekend, but I could also back up to my Cathedral Gorge expedition from my 20 June post! I did enough edits on that one to post a few pics on the blog. The nudes have been the priority and I've neglected some really good bodies of work for it. I think my nude work will be better served if I can refine my trade by shooting other subjects for just a little while. I also need to spend some time redesigning my workflow, updating my website, designing a logo, and doing more of my tutorials again to getting better in my post work.

My heart goes out to Jennifer Hudson right now. I'm not the sort to follow celebrity drama, nor do I pay attention to gossip columns. But, I just can't help but feel for this girl who's mother and brother were just shot dead a few days ago. Well it was also announced yesterday that her missing nephew has also been found dead. The kid was 7 years old and brutally murdered as well. I just hate to see mess like this happen to anyone. Celebs are still people too.

July 2008 Workshop...A Great Success

Las Vegas Art Models Group - July Workshop 08

"I think when I die, I want to come back a blonde." - Roselyn, commenting on Faerie's beauty

"Why not just dye blonde instead?"- Charlie, being a smart ass!

Once again, another good art nude workshop is in the books. As I mentioned before, Faerie was the model for this workshop and it was one of the best ever. I attribute this to 3 reasons. First and foremost was Faerie. Gorgeous...great bod...and best of all, the perfect muse. She is the consummate professional in the business of art modeling, but she knows how to be comfortable and relaxed with everyone. Faerie is a well balanced model in every since of the word and I am all too fortunate to have the privilege of working with her and better yet, to call her friend.

The photos I have up now were actually taken the day before the workshop. That's how much of a trooper Faerie is. My friend Garrett was not going to be able to make the workshop and asked about getting Faerie out on location the day before. We went out in seemingly bad weather. It threatened to rain on us the whole time. We got ready to leave and the sun popped out. I loved all the shots I got of Faerie in the wind. This one image is particularly captivating the way the wind whips her hair around her head to frame her face. Does this woman take an excellent portrait or what? There's no way you can look at this face...this bod...and not be envious of every person in this workshop.

The second reason for such a grand success this time out was the number female photographer participants. I was naturally over the amount that I normally have out. We had 10 photogs out this time. But of those 10, we had 3 that were women. I've been trying to attract more lady shutterbugs to grace our events and after patiently waiting and more promotion, more have. Summer has been with us the whole time as she has accompanied Felix for every single one so far. However, this particular event was her second time coming out as a photog. I invited Michelle to come out and see what we do. This was her first time shooting the nude. All in all, we had about 4 or 5 new faces in total. That's always a good thing. There are approximately 60 members in the group, who lurk between model and artists. Not all are photographers. Some are sketch artists, painters, and even sculptors. Still, I am quite sure that 10 will be the limit on the number of photogs that I'll allow in a workshop for a single day.

The third reason for such a big success was due to the third female participating photographer, Roselyn. Its not easy organizing and controlling the flow with 10 photogs. Ros, interrupted this flow, but in a good way. Just as I think I've got down how I want things to go, Ros pulls out a basket full of props to create a scene that she'd like to photograph. I've got everyone divided up into 2 groups who will wait their turns to shoot. Ros is in the first group. The minute she sets up the model with a beautiful red oriental parasol, puts her on a blanket, gives her a book to read...complete with spectacles, EVERYONE wants a piece of the action! Orderly chaos ensues, meaning everyone came in on that scene and everyone was shooting. The whole demeanor of the group has now changed. And for the better, I might add. It was proposed that everyone chip in $10 or so and let Ros, buy the props from now on. By her leadership, we are also now doing group portraits at the end of every event. That's Auntie Ros, for you.

So as I anticipated, I knew bringing in some women photographer into the group would have an impact. I just didn't realize how much! Thank you Faerie. Thank you Summer and Michelle. Thank you, Roselyn. And thanks to everyone for coming out. From left to right: Brad, Michelle, Felix, Summer, Charlie, Terrell, Jeff, Faerie, John, and Jamie. Down in front, Win, and then there's Roselyn...the Aussie in the cowboy hat! That's the way they do it, down unda!

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.