The Trunk Monkey Chronicles

" Find your niche and what you like, be professional, sometimes be patient and appreciate every memorable experience and great opportunity that comes at you." - Lorelei

I don't know if you realize it or not, but you already know you can read me here on this blog, but did you know I am ALSO a co-editor for Chris' Univers d' Artistes blog? Didn't know that did you? Okay, I may have already said it a couple of times here, but I'll be helping out over there from time to time. Chris St. James is posting EVERYDAY and I know its got to be wearing out Unbearable Lightness trying to keep up. Chris is a freak-n machine. So, by request, I just did a post on Lorelei.

It turned out great as I did a 10 question interviewed with her. I loved her answers and not cuz she hyped me, but because you could tell she was speaking from her heart and that she really took the time to give me some good feedback. I'm not doing any copy-pasting or reprints over here, but you can click on the jump link over there and check it out. Actually, I will copy over one request she made:

"...visit MAXIM.com and VOTE for your homegirl ! I'll be in week 6 of voting April 27 through May 4th until noon, much love if you can vote for me everyday til then, just takes a few clicks and no typing. Thanks!"

Life is good. I'm working. Dave's coming next month. My uncle is here for the weak. I'm happy. Yeah I still got a few issues to solve and things to work out, but that'll be the deal til I'm dead. What I want are NEW problems. "Gee, where am I going to invest all this money and what charities should I contribute to this week?". "Goodness, how am I going to find the time to shoot ALL these models I keep getting requests for?". "Should I go with the lace-up Berlutis or the buckle-down Lobbs as I accept my Ig Nobel Prize for Art tonight?". See what I mean...NEW PROBLEMS. Everybody should be working towards new problems rather than the elimination of problems in their lives all together.

I've been working on more of my non-nude images lately. I've taken several, but they sat on the proverbial shelf since I just couldn't bring myself to do the edits. I had too many nude works to edit. Its cool going back over old work and trying to get back into the mindset you had when you released the shutter. I worked on a series of compositions I did while on my way back from Phoenix last year during my road trip with Felix and Summer. Remember that? This couple is a shot (above) I took while visiting the Phoenix Art Museum. They seemed like an interesting couple that I knew I wanted to photograph, but I didn't want to harrass them. As it happened, they were leaving the same time we were and I got them in the parking lot. They were cool about it and flattered. Unfortunately, I was out of cards that day and can't find their contact info. Damn it.

The other shots were of a stop we made on the way back by way of Vidal, California. Some of it was just junk. Actually, all of it was junk or stuff on abandoned properties. I still got a few good shots, but even then, it would have been nice to have somebody naked there.

I don't know how long it has been out, but I just discovered Trunk Monkey. Oh, I LMAO!

If you can't see the video, -->click here<--

More on Melissa

"Photographers feel guilty that all they do for a living is press a button."

- Andy Warhol

Man, time sure flies when you are having fun... or just completely stressed out. I'm still upbeat and optimistic for the most part, but I royally screwed up this past Sunday when I overslept on a model I was due to interview and get some preliminary shots on. That was a first and I pray the last time that ever happens. I've been flaked on before by models time and time again, but I've never been the flaker. So my public apology to this model, whom I hope to introduce to you very soon.

For me, on that day, it was like the last straw and I cracked. I've pledged to make it up to the model of course and she's forgiven me. We're trying to reschedule right now. I ended up over at Felix's house getting full off of some more of his Thanksgiving turkey aaaaand then a whole bunch of Amaretto. Yeah, DiSoronno style. Needless to say headaches ensued throughout the night. I ended up leaving early that morning before Felix got up and missed out on Summer's pancakes. Damn! It was also the first time I slept through a Lord of the Rings movie. They put in Return of the King (at my instistance, mind you). I remember Smeagol trying to bait a hook. After that I woke up to Frodo hanging over a river of lava. So I missed the whole movie. At some point we're supposed to do a LOTR marathon.

I still need to recognize I need a break every now and again, but I also have to quit putting so much on myself. Sometimes its through volunteering or free projects, but I know I take on too much at times. One of the more important skills a person can learn is the ability to say "No". I've never really had to proactively employ that skill too much, so every now and again when it does become necessary, I'm caught off guard. Its kind of like I am out of practice on it. Dave Rudin and I recently talked and I advised him to take a day off, rent a boat load of movies, have a pizza place on speed dial, get naked and turn off the phone. Well, I just now threw in the naked part, but I should quite being so hypocritical and take my own advice.

Lets see, what else is going on...

My subscribership for this blog has doubled in the last two months. The same thing can be said of my website, TLNeasley.com. I'm guessing that is in large part to Chris St. James, who's done such a wonderful job of helping photogs gain some exposure. While the blog subscribership has doubled, the site visitors has stayed relatively the same. That's kind of an odd statistic since I know I've been getting more traffic to this blog, but Feedburner as a different way of calculating stats. I've been checking my statcounter and it just doesn't add up. Mystery. On my website, I'm seeing big traffic increases from the number of visitors and in terms of hits or the images they click on. Not long ago, I gave you the top 5 images that had relatively always stayed the same. Well, that's all shaken up now. Trisha still has the top spot, but everything else has been some of the newer models like Lorelei, Lessa, and Faerie. Elizabeth had 2 that rounded out the top 10 for November. Its been interesting to see these stats grow. I guess that's one of the main things a blogger lives for.

I would wager the only thing a blogger or artist with an online profile gets a kick out of more than watching stats grow is COMMENTS. I'm no different. I like the positive feedback on my images as much as the next guy, but you know who wants these comments even more than me...yep, you guessed it - THE MODELS! So if you like the work, leave something positive. Trust me, these models go to my site regularly and check to see if they've gotten ANY comments. Since most do it for free, its their only real validation that they've done something worth while. But the biggest reward is mine. The more you guys comment, the more they want to model for ME! Case in point, last month one particular photo of Lessa got about 200 hits...but no commentary. Oh and I guess FOLLOWING a blog is a good thing too. Google recommends promoting that by adding a word or two about it in a post to spread the word. I don't follow anyone yet, so I guess I had better get on that.

I think I'll start featuring one or two models for every post I do. So that will be something I am now adding on. Claudia from Museworthy is an excellent one to start with. She's an art model from the New England area and post regularly about her dealings. If you've ever wanted to get into the mind of an art model and see what this thing is like, you should skip right on over to her Museworthy blog. She spares no detail when she lays her mind out for the online community to review. She's writes so intelligently that you can use her material as a learning experience for yourself. I've talked to wanna-be art models before and have often sent them to Iris Dassault's site as to illustrate how a model should conduct herself. Well, let me add Claudia to that list. You'll gain a year's insight in a few days just by going to all of her past blog postings. You get to see the practical application of what a good model is, knows, and does.

And then I believe I will follow up again with ModelDonna from deviantART. Yes, I mentioned her in my last posting, but since then, we've conversed even more and I simply have to say the girl is fascinatingly worthy of mention a second time. I said before that she has that "it" thing, but let me add that she's got "it" plus some. She's photographed by her husband, Elric Doe who does a masteful job at capturing her in so many wonderful ways. She's added more material since the last posting. One of my favorite images is her "Waiting For...", done in low light. Its one thing to have such a superb model. Its something else entirely to be able to counterbalance and complement her with the perfect photographer. Well done, to the both of you.

I chose to go with more images of Melissa on this post. We'll talk more on her later as well. Still got more shooting to do, so be patient.

Welcome to TNAP, Lissa

"Lissa in Portraiture"

I really love what I am doing in photo right now. I'm still behind on my editing. I'm getting the crap beat out of me working the night shift. I'm short of cash on hand. And I'm still transitioning from the lifestyle of one residence into that of a new one. I can't tell a Thursday from a Tuesday and right now, I should be in bed. But what am I doing instead... trying to entertain and share with you on my blog. Why, *coming back full circle*, because I really love what I am doing in photo right now.

One of the reasons I like this is because right now, I don't have any expectations. I have dreams, desires, passions, and loves. I crave some new equipment. But I don't really have expectations. This is not income driven. I am not under someone else's deadline. I'm not prepping for contests trying to beat submission deadlines. I have the option to shoot what I like. Though its not always easy, I get to shoot a model most any time I need. I love that women are comfortable enough with me to pose for me. I know part of the reason for this is because when they look through my portfolio, they can see themselves in it. Its not full of all the high fashion glamour. I mainly use the girl you might see driving past your car on the interstate on her way to work at the local Five and Dime. They can identity with what I do, is what I think.

I've got great mentors, like Dave Rudin, Iris Dassault, and Chris St. James; all of whom have had integral involvements in launching my site and blog. I might add again, that its good to have Chris back. He's got to make another trip to the hospital, and has given me permission to post on Univers d' Artistes! I don't know what I'll do with all that power. All I can think of is Uncle Ben telling Peter Parker, "With great power comes great responsibility!". Anyway, since then, I've made several other connections via the web, my Las Vegas Art Models Group, The Las Vegas Photographic Society, and more. I've held figure drawing venues in the World Market Center that were perused by people of influence who eventually commissioned work from some of the attending artists and established deeper connections for more paid work and sales. This, all in just my first year.

So photographically speaking, I really have nothing to complain about. Well, maybe except wanting to do it more and have the time to do it. I just need to be patient with it and learn to better work with what I have. My personal life has left me unable to think at times. Even then, I've had my good friends Felix and Summer to think for me. I kid you not: I've been so exhausted lately, I've made some blunders. Felix and Summer have been there to smack me with a good one across the cheeks to wake me back up. Jeff has been a blessing to allow me into his home when things got too dicey at my own, even though money has been tight as hell. So what adjustments has he had to make to living with a new roommate, well twice just this past week, he's come home to discover naked chicks lounging around the house. Not bad, huh.

Speaking of which, this is Lissa, one of the naked chicks lounging around on Jeff's furniture. I think she's a pretty remarkable woman. I contacted her because she's a member of the Group and we don't have many group members model who actually model. I've been going through deleting out members who are inactive or never do anything or make any contributions. Lissa had a pic posted and I asked her about doing some actual modeling. She's done a little bit before, but nothing on a regular basis. We interviewed last week and I shot her in Jeff's place. That was the longest shoot I'd done in quite some time. It was the way she looked into the lens that had me releasing the shutter so many times. I was doing this without ANY sleep from the night before. Maybe it shows in my work, but I think I got some really good shots. As soon as I get half way done with her edits, I'm getting her back out here for some more. She's a lovely muse.

Oh and my website doubled in traffic for the month of August! Yeah, I'm lovin' it.