Is Photography Going the Way of Chivalry? PART 1- Social Media

Art Model, Alba

In the world of social media, likes, subscriptions, reels, shorts, and favorites... we sometimes become caught up in things that don't matter in the real scheme of things. We search for the next trendy topic, subject, or technique and adopt it like everyone else does. In some ways, I have no problem with this. At its core is artistic expression, or at the very least... expression.Yet I do see some irredeemable aspects that harm photography as a whole. I want to become better in my photographic art journey. I aspire to find more fulfilling intrinsic value in the artistic genre I love and I feel it is also important to consider the health and advancement of the BUSINESS and INDUSTRY of photography as a whole.

The barrier to entry into photography has lowered beyond belief. In truth, it always was, or at least has been for the last 50 years. You could get a Kodak Brownie for $1 back in 1900 when it was introduced. Today, that's equivalent to $35 and it stayed in production for more than 80 years. The Canon AE-1 was quite sophisticated and robustly built when it came out in 1976 and is still a workhorse for many shooting film today. To some degree many were fooled into buying into the complexity of photography. Is it hard? Yes. It's meant to be hard! But it's learnable with minimal equipment. The dynamic mix of optical focus, film(sensor) sensitivity, shutter speed, and aperture control, plus how all that manipulates light, are the only real elements that matter. Everything else is garnish.

Art Model, Alba

Talent is talent and won't be denied, so I welcome it. The challenges should inspire everyone to level-up their photo skills. Technology and marketing has given us cheap entry-level cameras because manufacturers saw that as a new market. It's why I taught and gave my secrets to photography groups, clubs, and classes. All the while, encouraging those I mentored to be better than me... not like me. 

Optics were cheap but eventually, technology caught up and even cheap glass was good glass! You could get in the game for $400 and get $100 rebates during the holidays or wait until the following year and get last year's camera used for $200. What really drew fear into would-be photographers, even today, is lighting! Cameras, a few lenses... sure? Lights? No, especially not flash. But so what? You're at least in the game. What now? Website... Nope. SOCIAL MEDIA!

Art Model, Alba

Social Media has Been Revolutionary

No longer is it the Facebook of old that provided a way for college kids to communicate. It's not the MySpace that allowed us to express our digital selves and share with the world who we thought we were. It's become a medium that has flipped the script and now instead of wielding it as a tool, we are being wielded by it. It is STILL a tool, but not one used by us, I'm afraid. It has evolved and changed the perspectives on what we believe is important and valuable to us. Having 100 thousand followers on twitter and getting 10 thousand likes on a photo on IG has far more credence to our sense of worth than say 20 years ago, when we'd base our worth on the true value of an image because it generated actual dollars. How many times has this photo sold and for how much? How many books sold last month?  Social Media has transformed to appeal to our base desires to be wanted, desired, and feel "liked" to a point where we are OVER-SHARING in an attempt to get more likes. It has effectively asked us to give up our own sense of agency and autonomy and what do we get in return? The possibility of likes and followers which are arbitrary concepts that I thought got left behind in high school.

Today, social media is a tool which we THINK we use to share our images, promote our businesses, and connect with other users. While that may be partially true, you need to understand how revenue is generated by the various platforms. We are marketing subjects, data-mined and manipulated to buy products or influenced on how to feel about a topic, person, organization, or event. Whether commercial or political, social media is garnering our attention with one hand and then directing us how to feel about a product, a political position, or a group of people. Start your morning lingering in bed looking at memes, clips, and reels about social injustice and you go to work mad without even understanding why. The more reactions we have on their platforms, the more money they make. Fear and Anger generates the largest volume of reactions which means greater potential revenue for these platforms.

Art Model, Alba

Cell Phones and the Capability to Instantly Deliver Content

Cell phones has permeated our lives in a way that best facilitates our need for social media. If social media is the drug, cell phones are the syringes or the means of which we introduce this product into our minds. Cell phone photography has been a big boon to the business of photography. Because of increased camera quality and convenience, there is no shortage of shared imagery available for us to see. With so many platforms our minds are inundated with an over-abundance of pictures and the fool thing is that many are so damn similar!

Our phones have given us the means to create on the fly and everybody has become content creators. It's the new form of communication. Kids express themselves via reels, memes, Tik-Tok videos, and Instagram. All of which provide means to edit and create instantly. Data can be uploaded in mere seconds! But inevitably, that comes at a cost. Work becomes commoditized. It's all the same... a homogenous collection of derivative work and creations. Once one thing proves popular, a deluge of similar content floods the platform. I feel cheated. I feel cheated of creativity and originality when compared in ratio to the amount of artists and participants on each platform. I wish I had the numbers or even a way to calculate this ratio. How much original content per capita on a single platform?

Art Model, Alba

Conclusion

Sure Social Media has its pluses, pros, and benefits. But this is a Pandora's Box that has gotten away from us and I don't think there is any way to close it again. I'm not on Instagram since about 2018 when I got kicked off because I realized they were shadow-banning me, that is, several of my posted images didn't show up on other people's view of my profile, despite me seeing it on mine. I talked about it on my blog, which I posted on Facebook. Next day... ACCOUNT DELETED! But even when I joined in 2015, I was still concerned about these same things!

"What my hope is, however, is that photographers in general do not become so dependent on social media that they mismanage that trade-off. A couple of things can happen as of a result of this. One is that the art suffers. Less work is done in camera and the art side of photo is traded for Instagram filters. When this happens, less attention is given to craftsmanship. Photogs no longer worry about knowing their equipment or understanding light. Less attention is given to presentation, the print, or the art. In addition, photogs may have a tendency to give away their best work. In their exuberance to post quickly, filters become the new edit, and their best stuff gets published for free. Instead of hanging on a wall, the farthest potential a great shot might achieve is a 72dpi square screen-size image on a profile wall."

~ Photo Anthems Blog,  Finally Getting Down with Instagram, May 2015 

Social Media is different for me. I do landscapes, portraiture, but also nude art which isn't deemed by many platforms as "sociable". So, I'm a different case. If you can find benefit on the platform of your choice and not get lost in it or be negatively influenced, then maybe it's good for you. I hope you can financial benefit from it. You be the judge on whether or not it's become a detriment to your life, work, or art. I hope more people can take back the power dynamic of social media and not let it choke the life out of photography. No everyone is not an artist on social media, therefore the vast majority can ignore this post. But for the many who do call themselves, artists, the business of photography is at stake. Make sure your business is solid, but let's not do so at the expense of the industry. It is the foundation on which your business sits.

Art Model, Alba

Rotator Cuff Recovery and MORE Changes

 

Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi for her birthday

"I don’t care about making photography an art. I want to make good photographs. I’d like to know who first got it into his head that dreaminess and mist is an art. Take things as they are; take good photographs and the art will take care of itself." (1923) 

- EDWARD STEICHEN, Photographer and curator, b. 1879, Luxembourg, Germany, d. 1973, West Redding, Connecticut

The good news is that I am no longer in constant pain and don't need pain meds. However, six months post-op, I am still weak! Okay, I'm not a push over, per se... but I can't take a chance of overdoing things. I have to be careful and not take unnecessary chances. Nonetheless, I'm making significant strides and improvements. Benchmarks include the ability to take off a pullover shirt, reaching higher up into the middle of my back, arm extensions with a 6 lb weight, and connecting with a right hook on a 60-pound dog that wanted to play nasty.

I've been using this time to make adjustments. The last time I spoke on this, I mentioned how the US had changed and the culture shock I experienced when I returned last September. In response, I have been reviewing and considering different approaches to this lifestyle I've chosen. I've chosen this walk and I've essentially done it alone. I've had people in my life along the way who have been there for me... the right people, the right place, and the right time. I am grateful to God for them and I pray His favor continues. 

I've been on this journey for five and a half years with currently no end in sight. The goal is a mix between Caine in "Kung Fu" and "Star Trek". I am destined to walk the earth, to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where many people have already gone, but I need to see it for myself.

I was in the US from September 2022 until May 2023. I did not know I had a complete tear in my rotator cuff. Surgery wasn't until March. During all that time, I realized I had to make some changes. My banking needs had to be adjusted. My cellular plan no longer fit me. The way I spent money put me at a disadvantage. Also in this time-frame, I jumped ship from PC to Mac with the new 16" MacBook Pro M2. I got my first new iPhone since the iPhone X Pro Max. I bought a 14 Pro Max and then I CHANGED CARRIERS! Now I don't have to deactivate my phone number when I am outside the country. I have unlimited data for text and internet here in Vietnam, but calls still cost me .20 cents/min. 

Coincidentally, I had lunch with a good British friend of mine at our favorite restaurant, Puku, here in Hanoi. Speaking on all these changes, I told him I wouldn't be opposed to changing camera systems, but Fujifilm is the only one I'd consider. I like their GFX system, but it hadn't been updated in a while. The VERY NEXT DAY, Fujifilm announced the new 102 megapixel, GFX1000 II. It's $1500 more than the previous version at $7500, but I'm giving this some serious thought. For me, I'd also have to get 2 or 3 lenses to go with it. I've got time to weigh this as I am not 100% healthy yet (6 more months to go!) and I'm sure I'd wait until I was stateside again to get it.

The main point here is, sometimes it's good to shake things up. Instead of always going right, venture left. I didn't NEED to switch from PC to Mac. I wanted a new computer. So why not switch things up a little? AT&T didn't necessarily need my business. Bank of America and Wells Fargo didn't incentivize me to stay with them. I never go into the branches. Why pay all those fees? You know what... I'm going to get into that in another blog post later. Stay tuned. 

Las Vegas surprised me the biggest. Costs were way up since I was there pre-Covid. Hotel and Uber prices/fees threw me for a loop! I'm used to paying for a Grab here in Vietnam and I've never paid more than $5 to get anywhere in the city, or $20 to get to the airport. And the resort fees? Damn, Vegas! I didn't intend to return to the US for so long, but you gotta do what you have to do. Prior to surgery, I split time between my family in TX, the kids in TN & NE, plus 50 days in Costa Rica. When I had surgery, I recovered for a month at my parents and foolishly thought I could travel! Getting back to Hanoi was the hardest physical thing I've done since Ranger school in the Army. I'm serious. It was the exhaustive. I was beat. Many, MANY thanks to the lady working at the Al Maha Lounge in Doja, Qatar. Talk about the Lord having someone in the right place for me. If not for her, I think I'd have just given up, loaded up on Oxycodone and Valium, went to sleep in a corner, and let my plane fly on without me. 

More to come on all this. I just wanted to get this rant out of my system.

Five Things to Help Finish the Year Strong

Art Model, Chloe Ann, © 2017 Terrell Neasley

"Procrastination is like a credit card: it's a lot of fun until you get the bill." 

~ Christopher Parker

On September 1st, there will be only 121 days remaining in the year. Where has the time gone? Two-thirds of 2023 is already relegated to our past. Pretty soon the year will be over. So here's a challenge for you. How much can you get done in 4 months? What significant achievement can you accomplish before the end of the year? You can measure that in money, as in how much can you make, but I think focusing on the cash is a mistake for a lot of people. Tis' better to focus on the goals. Be better and the money will follow. Never chase the dollar. But that's just my take. You have 4 months. What else can you learn in your area of expertise that can expand your business services?

Here's why I'm asking. Most of us usually enter a new year, thinking about what we hope to accomplish, resolutions, and where we want to be. And then that year closes and we're wondering where the time went so fast. Very soon, it will be 2024 and you're gonna be surprised that 2023 has already gone. All those goals and ambitions are just going to have to be reiterated in January and you'll once again promise to redouble your efforts. But lets be honest with ourselves. Didn't we say the same thing when 2022 ended?

Art Model, Chloe Ann, © 2017 Terrell Neasley

So here are five things you can do to help you maximize these last 4 months of 2023 that might help you break even or possibly get the jump on 2024.

1. Change your environment, friends, and habits. 

Change is the name of the game. You have four months left. You can't continue doing things the same way you did for last eight months. Switch things up. A new perspective can be the answer. Start by working in a new place. If you have work on your laptop in front of the TV, cut that shit out. Move! Find a new office place. Preferably a quiet, non-distracting space. 

Let your friends know you have urgent business to handle, so you won't be taking calls or texts, can't go out, and NO, they can't swing by. In fact, start hanging around some people you KNOW are more responsible. Tell them your goals for these next four months and let them help you be accountable. But whatever you do, don't become that distracting friend to them! Because they will let you know... they have urgent business to handle and won't be taking your calls or texts, can't go out with you, and NO, you can't swing by.

Take an inventory of the things you do throughout the day. I know you take a 2-hour lunch because you feel you deserve it... but DO YOU? Probably not, because you haven't been getting things done for 8 months. You need some new habits. Look at the things you do throughout the day... make that list. Cut out the things that you know dam well don't matter. And when I say cut, I mean cut ruthlessly and mercilessly. The stakes are high! Priorities matter. FOUR MONTHS! And truthfully, it's not 4 months because you know you're going to ease up right after Thanksgiving. The Christmas Spirit starts on December 1st and you start feeling the need to ease up and be flexible. So get on it now! Cut out redundant tasks. Eliminate daily routines that have nothing to do with advancing your business.

Art Model, Chloe Ann, © 2017 Terrell Neasley

2. Get rest, eat better, and drink more water.

Think about getting up early in the morning. You can go to bed whenever you wish, but set that clock to rise up at a specific time, earlier than when you normally get up. If you have a day job, it doesn't matter. Get up an hour earlier and plan out the day. Have some breakfast that you know will help your brain and body. Your typical heavy pancake, bacon, and eggs are NOT it! And I can tell you, I love me some pancake, eggs, and bacon! Forget McDonalds. Fix a meal that gives your brain energy and helps sustain your body for the day's task. Google it!

Start exercising! It really doesn't matter what it is. Get up at 4 am and go for a walk or do floor exercises. It doesn't have to be much and you don't need a gym membership. A 30-minute time set aside to start the day will do the trick. An hour would better. If you live in an area that allows you to see some nature, GREAT! I loved that about Las Vegas. I could walk in any one of a plethora of municipal parks in my area. Lone Mountain is a 30-minute hike to the top.  Exercising will also make your body demand more rest. So don't be surprised when your body wants to go to bed earlier in anticipation for that earlier wake up.  Don't deny that call for rest. The worst thing you can do is to not listen to your body and instead stay up late on social media. 

Art Model, Chloe Ann, © 2017 Terrell Neasley

Drink water! That can't be emphasized enough. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Never let your brain NEED water. Give it water before it feels like it needs water. My mom has her tricks so she remembers to drink water. You can come up with your own. So drink plenty of water. Not coffee. Not soda. WATER! Get water IN you and get water ON you. What am I talking about? Showers! Increase the number of showers you take. Not just for hygienic purposes, but for creative purposes. People get their best ideas in the shower! More showers equates to more opportunities to have great ideas. I think that makes sense.

"It always seems impossible until it's done." 

~ Nelson Mandela

3. Make each decision you choose take you closer to your goals. 

Ask yourself... "How does another trip to Zion National Park help my portfolio?" OR "How does shooting this project for free add to my business?" You may in fact, realize that Zion shots are everywhere and it could be that shooting in the Mojave National Reserve could be a fresher look for you. OR, maybe you can shoot Zion from a different perspective that renews people's interest in your work, like during the winter. It might be more beneficial for you to decline free projects. Exposure and Photo Credits, do not pay the bills. However, if its a volunteer project and you deem there is a high propensity to be introduced to a new demographic of clientele, it could be worth it. But for me, I treat doing free projects like I do lending money. I may do it, but I never ever expect to get my money or anything else back.

4. Break up big jobs into bite-size tasks.

How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. Highly overused, but never more true. Somethings you need to do this year may be overwhelming, daunting, or nigh improbable. I used to do project management gigs and LORD! Everything... even small tasks, gets broken down into actionable steps with estimated timelines. I remember making Gantt charts of Project initiation, planning, execution, and monitoring. It would detail who was responsible for each task and give an expected start and completion date. You may not require anything that elaborate, but breaking hard tasks down into several simple and achievable check-box items can help change how you feel about a big daunting task.

Art Model, Chloe Ann, © 2017 Terrell Neasley

5. Side-train on something you know will be useful later. 

Those first 4 items are mostly defensive options... ways to avoid procrastination and stimulate creativity. But it's good to also be more proactive and set yourself up in a good position for the upcoming year. Stay abreast of the latest photo news and developments. Find out how AI affects your business. Can you use it?  What does your logo look like? What might happen if you got it professionally redesigned? Invest time and money in lighting workshops, photo conventions, or classes. Do an online tutorial on how to do lighting for sports photography. Take a class on being more efficient in the workplace.

Network! Place yourself in a position to be made aware of where the gigs are coming from. If you don't know how to do that, ASK SOMEBODY who does! And then make sure you are doing the things that make you qualified to be considered for those gigs. Devote an hour a day, at least 3 days a week to side-train on something that's going to be useful later.

Art Model, Chloe Ann, © 2017 Terrell Neasley

All this to say that opportunities come your way most every day. But if you are not in a position to take advantage of them, fear not...someone else will. Time... you only have so much of it. Wasted time - its worse than wasted money, wasted food, or wasted anything else you can think of. Everything else, you can make up for it. Opportunities that came along for which you were not prepared for are simply lost. I've heard it said that Fortune Favors the Prepared. I believe this to be true. Be smart. Do the right things now. I believe this is a key factor that separates the successful from the "busy".

Monochrome and The Story

 “Black and white are the colors of photography. To me, they symbolize the alternatives of hope and despair to which mankind is forever subjected.”

- Robert Frank

Art Model Panda ©2013 Terrell Neasley

Black and White, aka... MONOCHROME. This is the way things started out. Of course, you already knew that. Actually, monochrome refers to more than just Black and White. Sepia is also monochromatic, as is Cyanotype, Ambrotype, and Selenium. All it really means is one color tonality. And this is how the story was told in original photographic works. Whether it was for private portraits, reporting the local news, or civil war photos to accompany journalistic works... regardless... this was the technology that began it all. Dorothea Lange made you tug at your heart with her Great Depression Era photography. Gordon Parks put the truth of the civil rights struggles on the front page.

Today, we usually refer to making photos artistic, we often refer to turning them black and white. This is a style. And why do we do this? There are several reasons. Mainly it's the aesthetic appeal of vintage artwork, which is once again the trendiest way to shoot. Case in point, Instagram. Many images we see nowadays are posted with Instagram retro or Lomography filters overlaid on top of the image to give it an old feel. Old has become new again.

Art Model Panda ©2013 Terrell Neasley

Another reason we like B&W is the simple fact that it is traditional. Traditional photography was more comfortable and familiar. We like a specific image because of the unconscious mind's eye, which tends to be drawn to certain things and will overlook others. Light, shadow, shape (primarily geometric), patterns, balance... these are elements the eye sees and notices more quickly. These things appeal to you or will at least get your attention whether you like them or not. Color may tend to distract the eye from the fundamental elements and the purity of the composition. Bright and primary colors may lead the eyes away by cluttering and confusing your unconscious mind, making you miss the real story the eyes naturally look for.

Remove color information, and what remains are the truisms that make up the photograph. Don't get me wrong. There are times color information is paramount. Try shooting roses or wildflowers in Black and White! Information is missing and which leaves the story incomplete. Shooting a redhead in B&W might even be considered a crime. However, street photography is more effective in black and white. 

Distractions are reduced. You see the raw mood of the scene and can interpret the composition. Sometimes what you see can be painful, but you FEEL that story. Ever looked at portraits of homeless people? Many photographers perfect street and portrait photography photographing the homeless and destitute. The natural tendency was to convert automatically to B&W. The pain on the faces, the grittiness of the subject, and the desolation are captured that brings the human element back to the person and maybe you pay attention more. Personally, I have a difficult time with street photography and shooting homeless people. I don't feel I ever get it right. 

Art Model Panda ©2014 Terrell Neasley

"Life is like a good black and white photograph, there's black, there's white, and lots of shades in between." 

- Karl Heiner

"Who-Panda," Art Model Panda ©2013 Terrell Neasley

What makes good B&W images? For me, I'll take B&W Photography like I like my women... Moody and Contrasty! (I'll be here all week!) It's going to be different for everyone. I like rich shadows that contrast nicely against the highlights. Or, I can go high key to where the highlights outweigh the shadows. Too many people will let photo-editing software make the decision for them and the images look flat. You can even shoot B&W straight from the camera. The problem is that these are global adjustments over the entire image, and these machines do not have the artistic savvy to render correctly. They may come close. They may give a good starting point, but that control should reside solely with the artist.

I used to develop my own film and prints in the darkroom. There was NEVER a shot that was perfect from capture. Some burning (darkening) and dodging (brightening) were always necessary. It was a craft and a true art. The same holds true in digital. This year, in fact, I will change up my entire workflow just to get a new feel and appreciation for Black and White Photography.

Art Model Panda ©2013 Terrell Neasley

And then there are the film-purist photogs who do not shoot digital. These guys will stick to film if they can still buy paper, film, and the chemicals to process them. I have no clue what will happen to these guys once film is no more, or the cost of developing becomes too much. But lately, it seems film is making a comeback. I hope it stays. I am one of those who actually loved the darkroom. It was a sanctuary to me. I'd have total silence in the near darkness. I'd develop my film with my eyes closed most of the time. Doing the prints usually required a light, called a safe light, that would not destroy prints during development.

Why do we still like monochrome? In a nutshell, it tells the story much better. It maintains a timelessness that is unique to us. And its versatility is helpful in just about any critical situation. Black and White is simple. It is beautiful and unencumbered. And remember, Black and White is not just black and white, but also every shade of gray in between.

Art Model Panda ©2014 Terrell Neasley

Photography is Amazing!

 

Art Model, Jenny, Peru ©2019 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, since 2005. At any given time, its easy to get bored, burned out, or just simply tired of a profession, industry, or business of some sort. It's 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 Armed Services, we were 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 life 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, Jenny, Peru ©2019 Terrell Neasley

I can't say its like this for every photog I meet. I have met quite a few whose 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 till 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 this thick black line that goes all the way across the bottom of my picture?" Its a result of using a shutter speed higher 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, Jenny, Peru ©2019 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 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 partnered with one of the attendees of my group, Garrett Winslow, to 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 by sharing my knowledge, but also from increasing my knowledge with mentors like Dave Rudin and Dave Levingston, 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 every other one was failing, turned it around and this store not only survived, but thrives. Joe has helped me immensely in my own business operations. Working in a camera store gave me the ability to tap into a knowledge base you won't find anywhere else. I was there part time, but I learned about every new camera system that came out. Technology is changing all the time. So don't restrict your universe to just the gear you know. Surround yourself with and learn from other great talent.

Art Model, Jenny, Peru ©2019 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, how to prepare better, and thus better protect myself from unfortunate events. Learning these lessons early on helped 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 a few more... 

• persistence despite rough times, 
• doing your own personal projects, 
• constantly looking at other great work, 
• teaching photography, 
• and traveling 

... would all 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 get good enough, people will pay you to keep doing what you do. So.... Amazing, isn't it?

Art Model, Jenny, Peru ©2019 Terrell Neasley

Decorating Your Home with Nude Art

 

Art Model, @Athena.Demos (IG), ©2019 Terrell Neasley

“Decorate your home. It gives the illusion that your life is more interesting than it really is.” 

—Charles M. Schulz

The art nude has been a factor in my life since long before I first photographed my first naked model out in the woods of Kentucky during graduate school. Prior to becoming a photographer, I started as an art nude model during my undergraduate years for drawing classes in both university and community art settings for 12 years. As a kid, it began simply as a curiosity. I didn't have information readily available to me regarding human anatomy or sex. The only thing I understood was how people felt about the nude form and it was 100% negative. That made me all the more curious.

As an art nude photog, you can rest assured, I had my house decorated with my own nude art work as a prevalent fixture in my home. Most people who knew me, also knew what to expect when they came a-callin'. When a girlfriend came to live with me, all of it was replaced with nude images of her, all over the house. 

If using artistic nudes in your home décor is something you are considering for the first time and you don't already have a reputation like me, so to speak... then let me help guide you on the road to decorating your home or office with nude imagery.

When using provocative art in your home or office, one must consider the reasons for your selections, the taste or style you choose, as well as the art medium. Even though I don't necessarily like it, I must acknowledge that considerations for the message your selections convey to visitors or clients can have an impact on your personal life and business. I hate, hate, HATE allowing outside influences dictate my life choices, but I can't always get around this. That's just life.

Art Model, Samantha, ©2010 Terrell Neasley

REASONS for YOUR SELECTIONS

You can think about this in two aspects. First, why do you desire to decorate your house in this manner? Family portraits, landscapes, and non-nude imagery might be an easier choice, right? Trying to examine your initial intent and motivation can help you pick out the art work you are looking for. It will direct you to the style you like as well as the art medium of choice for your walls or space. Not only that, you'll understand what fits and where for each room you choose to hang your nude art.

Your reasons likely come from other inspirations. Maybe you've seen something specifically hanging on someone else's wall or perhaps you have recently visited an art show/exhibition and the artist helped you imagine his/her masterpiece on your wall. They wanted to make a statement with their art and it's one you feel you can get behind and help get that message out. 

You could be looking for something new and different. Possibly, you are tired of the same old conservative wall-hangings and desire to shake things up a bit with something that commands all the attention in a room. Nude art will definitely accomplish this goal. 

Second, WHO and WHAT are important. If you come across a particular artist that you like... say, MYSELF for example. You like my work and make a conscious choice to support my art, then you have to look at my body of art and decide what pieces you like and you can have a Terrell Neasley on your walls! I run the whole gamut of artistic nudes... conservative to down right provocative or explicit. It'll be up to you to decide who's work you put on your walls and what range of provocativeness you feel you can stomach. 

Art Model, Jenny, Colca Canyon, Peru ©2019 Terrell Neasley

TASTE AND STYLE

Once you find your reasons, you can begin to look at the style of work. I left off in the previous paragraph discussing the range of provocativeness you desire. That also fits into taste and style, but there is more. You'll need to pick the location and decide what goes well with the current décor, furniture, and general flow of the room. Call it fung shui, feel, or energy of the space, but how your art nude choice will integrate into this space is important. Otherwise it just becomes gratuitous. 

Feel the tone of the room and think about whether or not this art selection will be black and white. How big of a space will it fill? Does it "fit" with everything else in the room? The artist's style can be a conversation starter as well as the nudity of the image. What kind of art nude will you choose? When a visitor enters the space, shall it dominate with presence? Or shall it be more subdued and surprise the viewer when they suddenly realize it's there?

A bodyscape image can garner familiarity and yet offer a new perspective. A silhouette may be safe, in that it gives the illusion of nudity without the revealing aspects. A topless portrait presents elegance, grace, and a timeless, classic style. Or perhaps it's abstract and leaves the viewer trying to make sense of the interpretation. I've had macro vulval imagery hanging up and only a few recognized what it was! And keep in mind, nude art is not simply for your master bedroom and please don't relegate it to bathrooms. 

Art Model, Anon ©2012 Terrell Neasley

ART MEDIUM

Nude art can be created in various forms. Most commonly bought are paintings of some type. After all, this is where art began, is it not. Somebody drew some stuff on a cave wall and sparked a new way to move our souls. But you might also collect mixed-media nude art or sculpture. You might have something that sticks with you for a particular reason. I'm a photographer. This is my love and photographs are what I'll stick with here. 

VISITORS AND CLIENTS

Yes, the part I hate most! I'm at an age where I want to do what I want and let people judge me as they will. But the fact of the matter is... you can do that in some cases, but in others, life is life. Pick your battles wisely. If you have thin skin, you may want to really think about the art you wish to display if you know visitors will come calling, see your work, and then go talk about you on social media. Maybe that is a good thing. When I had visitors, there was really nothing to discuss, because my reputation was already intact and carved in marble. You can talk about me if you want, but everybody already knows how I do. 

My clients readily visited my home. They saw what they saw. I have lost business on the matter before. Long before a commercial client even saw my wall art, a $6,000 non-nude gig that had the potential to elevate to $20K blew up in my face when a client's wife saw my website the night before we were to close the deal. She forced her husband to decline to sign my contract. It upset me, but I got over it and ceased to concern myself with the loss. I accept that I am not for everyone. I decline to try to be so. But you had better rethink matters if you know food on the table may be at risk. 

Art Model, Katie ©2007 Terrell Neasley

SELECTING YOUR NUDE ART

1. Find the spot where you need art on your walls and hang an empty frame there. See if that is the size you require and whether that is an appropriate spot to hang your art. Remember, you are not just filling space. You are accentuating the character and aura of your home. AND, not all nudes belong on a wall. Some do. Others are more suited for a book, such as those that illustrate a series of work.

2. Browse nude art and see if you can find an artist that suits your style and think about how well your selection integrates with the whole of room in that hanging space. Maybe find a local artist and get them to consult with you about what might hang on your walls. Decide on the temperament on the art. Maybe start with something conservative that emphasizes the shape, curves, and gracefulness. If possible, find three good images that match your tastes and tolerances.

3. Pay your artist. Get a signed copy of your artwork in the dimensions you require. Again, it may be wise to consult with your artist on hanging and lighting the image. Traditional frames are not always necessary. A print on metal looks just as great and requires no framing. Explore non-traditional ways to hang your nude art.

4. Experiment some more. Give it a week and judge again if your art nude selection fits with your home décor. If you decide it does not fit, change it and restart the process again until you can look at your wall a month later and find that you are still happy with your choice. If this is the case, then enjoy your nude art and explore finding additional space and art selections for your home/office. 

Ten Options to Beat the Heat for Outdoor Photography

 

Art Model, Rhonda ©2010 Terrell Neasley

“It ain't the heat, it's the humility.” ~ Yogi Berra

I don't know where you live, but no matter where you are in the northern hemisphere, it's July. I know my peeps in Vegas are catching 112°F heat. That's 44°Celsius for those of you who relate more to that temp scale. Here in Hanoi, we've been getting rain to cool things down this week, but we've hit 3 digit temps, too (but maybe like 101). The heat can be insufferable and you'd be right to stay indoors. So does this mean that you need to suspend all outdoor shooting for the next 3 months? Are you now restricted to solely studio work during this time? Nope!

Both Mirrorless cameras and DSLR's have a standard operating temperature max of about 104°F. So at 112°, that sensor is cooking. Cameras that don't have weather sealing will have a tougher time in these temps, especially where humidity is a factor. And don't even think about doing video at these temps. Try to do 4K and your goose is cooked. And by goose, I'm not referring to the relatively large well-known waterfowl. I'm talking about your camera over heating with permanent sensor damage.

So let me share with you TEN (10) good options on how to keep shooting despite the hot weather.

1. Find Ways to Avoid Direct Sun on Your Camera

Art Model, Jenny, Near Tumbes, Northern Peru ©2019 Terrell Neasley

The most obvious thing is to keep the camera out of direct sunlight. Just shielding your camera with towel or covering it with a hat can go a long way. SHADE is your camera's friend. And while I'm at it, remember this tip. Treat your camera like you would your kid. DO NOT leave your camera gear sitting in the car while you go grab something out of the grocery store. It doesn't matter if you'll only be in there a minute. Take your gear with you. And it helps in preventing theft.

In Vegas heat, the plastic molding of your camera body can actually melt inside a car as the interior temperature rises to 180°F. Not only that, you can ruin the lubricants inside your camera as well as causing seals to expand beyond the factory specifications. Then you are left wondering why your lens has such a rough feel when you zoom out. Or why your shutter assembly suddenly fails. The heat affects your sensor big time. The reason you get noise when shooting at high ISOs is because of the heat produced at that level. Well you can be at ISO 100 and still get noise like that in high heat environments.

Consider keeping a ice pack or cooler handy. You can even put a frozen water bottle in your camera bag just to keep the temperature down. You don't need to put the bottle right up against the camera though. Be careful because the sudden temperature change from the cooler to the ambient air can cause condensation. If that happens, let the camera sit in the ambient air for a bit till the condensation evaporates.

2. Find the Two C's of Shade 

I've done model shoots at practically all hours of the day even in the desert heat of Nevada. What I do is simple. I seek out shaded areas in the Two C's of Shade: Canopies and Canyons. Its not that hard to find trees that afford enough cover from the sun. You can Google Map it and find adequate locations to help you. When I first moved to Las Vegas back in the day, I ran my art nude workshops at 1 pm, BUT in the shade. Some participants were a bit out of shape to handle too much heat. 

I had some who's age required less strenuous environments. I even had an actor who performed in "The Phantom of the Opera" at the Venetian. Getting a really dark tan was not in the script! Finding a strip of trees will be easiest in places that still get water such as in the low grounds of canyons. But canyons themselves can also serve shade just due to the steepness of the rocks. As long as the sun is not directly overhead, there'll be shade on one side or the other.

"Ah, summer, what power you have to make us suffer and like it." - Russell Baker

3. Find the Early Birds

Art Model, Leslie ©2013 Terrell Neasley

It's coolest earlier in the morning. So schedule shoots to be completed BEFORE 9am. By 10, the temp is already rising. Cooler temps don't return until 6pm. So schedule shoots early in the morning which means you must find models willing to be GET UP early! Usually, this is not a problem, but like most photogs, we've all got a story to tell about late starts. Oh, and don't forget extra batteries. Heat can really tax the battery power. In fact, don't leave batteries in your camera when you are not shooting. Take them out of your camera. The last thing you want is for a battery to explode INSIDE your camera. You're welcome.

4. Find a Good Night Shoot

Art Model, Anne ©2015 Terrell Neasley

Along with early morning shoots, try your hand at some night time shooting. You can get adventurous and paint with light or use the full moon as your only light source. I've done several of these, especially during a Super Moon. The model has to stay still... maybe for about an 8-second exposure. 

On the other hand, you might also consider speedlights or on-location studio lights powered with Vagabond battery packs. I've done this too. B&C Camera has some 200 to 1000w studio light options. You can buy what you need or you can simply RENT them from the B&C Rental Department. See...Too Easy!

5. Find a Great Travel Location

Member, Black Souls Motorcycle Club of

Esteli, Nicaragua photographed in Somoto

Go somewhere! Get the hell out of the heat! Do a day trip up north somewhere. It may still be as high as 90, but compared to temps in the 100s, that's the difference between heat exhaustion and heat stroke! Book a regional flight somewhere. Better yet, head south of the equator! Get a map, and start picking out places that are naturally cooler. 

In Hanoi, that's going to be heading north up into the mountains to Sa Pa, Hà Giang, or Cao Bằng. In Las Vegas, you don't even have to do that far. Check out ICE BOX CANYON! You can expect anywhere from a 10 to 15° temperature drop back in that canyon. Check out Mt. Charleston with similar temp drops. Colorado is a 10-hour drive. Get some elevation to reach the cooler temps. Again, Google Maps some of these areas and check the weather online.

"Ah, summer, what power you have to make us suffer and like it." - Russell Baker

6. Find the Melanin

Art Model, Rhonda ©2010 Terrell Neasley

Oh yeah, we're made for this heat! Talking about black people! We just hate it! People of color handle the harmful UV rays of the sun better than our melanin-deficient peers. Even so, that's not to say we are immune to the effects of UV radiation on our skin, but we can handle longer exposures to it. Sunscreen is still a requirement! If you don't work with darker-skinned people that much, quit fucking around and mix up your portfolio a little bit. Don't wait until you got 2 feet of snow. That's not our element. I mean... it could be cool, though. But master the sun first.

7. Find Outdoor Structures

Art Model, Viki Vegas ©2011 Terrell Neasley

I like coming across a weird or abandoned structure. The best I've seen is some kilns that I found on Google Earth the night before a photo shoot. I searched the area I knew I'd be in and discovered these kilns maybe 20 miles from my objective site. It was a pain and a risk taking my car onto a logging road trail, but I did it and it was worth it. It was beyond anything I could have expected.

8. Find the Clouds

Art Model, Viki Vegas ©2011 Terrell Neasley

Another option during the summer is to take advantage of cloudy days. At some point it's going to rain. In the deserts of Nevada, we get monsoon rains during July. Just check the weather reports and look for those cloudy days. 

9. Find the Water

Art Model, Covenant ©2015 Terrell Neasley

Self-explanatory, right? Easy to cool off, right? This sounds smart but you still have to be careful here. Going to the beach an have it's own problems in that you are likely in direct sun with sand reflecting it back up at you. It's easy to get caught up in your photoshoot and forget to be smart under that sun when it's cooking your brain. Even with the water, limit your time in the sun. If you can, look for a water source in the canyons/valleys that may be covered under a tree canopy. 

10. Find Wisdom

Art Model, Panda ©2014 Terrell Neasley

You definitely have to be smart about this. Be wise. Don't be stupid. Take NO unnecessary risks. Bring more water than you think you'll need. Bring a buddy whose sole purpose is to be a second pair of observant eyes, pack more water, AND who can assist in case something bad happens. If it's just you and a model and one of you goes down from a twisted ankle, having somebody else there is a blessing. And be sure to take care of yourself, as well. Sunscreen. A wide-brim hat. Light-weight clothing covering exposed skin. And most importantly... HYDRATE!!! Even if you are not thirsty, drink water anyway.

So there you go. 10 good tips to keep shooting despite the hot weather. Be smart, but most of all, be safe. Happy Shooting! Hydrate, DAMMIT!!