Too Hard at Work

Nothing real important to post right now. I just have this insatiable need to shoot somebody...with a camera, that is. I have just been working as a project manager for a short term project, but its taking a lot of time out of my day. I like it all except for the drive out there. I work with a great bunch of people who are dedicated to getting the job done. I have just not had time to set up a shoot. Now its the weekend and I don't have one planned. I should be spending the time doing a paper for my final telecommunications class. I got my MBA last year and have this last class left for another masters of science in Telecom Sys Mgmt. Instead, I am spending the weekend at Mt Zion again to hike all 3 levels of the Emeral Pools. Insane, I know. My paper is due next Friday. Enjoy these shots of Natalie from my last shoot.

Introducing...NATALIE!!

I finally got these images edited. Sorry it took so long. This is another shoot in the Valley of Fire in Nevada. Natalie was a superb model for her first time out. This was an early morning shoot but we had to start wrapping things up by 8:30am. The heat was just like an oven even that early in the morning. We started out just before the 6 am sunrise. By nine or so we were on the road back. I can tell you for sure, Natalie is a real trooper. I am still getting used to shooting in the desert heat with the harsh morning sun. Several shots had the highlights blown out, but I was able to save many of them. If anyone has some tips on shooting in these conditions, make a comment. When I do it again, I will try it with a neutral density filter on my lens to see how that might make some adjustments. I may need to simply wait til the seasons are more favorable for photography out there. I still want to do one more shoot here with a model of a different body type.

It was a great pleasure to shoot Natalie. As always things started slow, as it normally does when I shoot a new model. This was more of a free for all session. I didnt have a specific concept in mind. Natalie gave me the idea when she made a suggestion about doing our second interview. Normally, I will interview twice before a shoot. In this case, our schedules simply didn't allow this so for the sake of time, we just went for it to see what we could get. When we got further into the shoot and ideas began to flow, I found myself already making plans for another shoot with her since I knew our remaining time was getting short. As I mentioned in a previous post, many photogs will not or at least prefer not to shoot models with tattoos. Natalie has several prominent tats, most notably the one around her neck. I love it and plan on another shoot which uses her tats as my central theme. Natalie has several attributes that make me want to shoot her again. One is her great attitude. She came willing to work and was open to trying anything. It was great fun. You can visit my website for more images of Natalie.

New Gallery coming soon....

I mentioned some goals I had in the interview with Chris on his blog Univers d'Artistes. It detailed visiting some of the most notable landscapes in Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and Colorado. My goal is to complete shooting in several of the National Parks and other places of interest that appeal to me. I have started this endeavor with the closest locations, beginning with Valley of Fire in Nevada since its less than 50 miles from me.

I have learned that this is a difficult place to shoot during the summer. I have photographed here before, but it was in March of 2006. The summer temperatures are exceedingly hot, but what else would anyone expect in a desert. My main issue was the intensity of the sun at so early in the morning. Sunrise is at 6. By 8am, I had to consider concluding the session out of concern for my model's pale skin. (I've always hated the end of a shoot). Coming from Tennessee and Kentucky, I am not used to the harsh lighting so early in the morning. As soon as it crests the horizon, its almost unbearable. I may limit my time to sunsets but by the time it cools off you are losing your light.

I just did this shoot with a new model, whom I met randomly while shopping. She had an interesting tattoo around her neck and her expressive nature caught my attention. We had a difficult time arranging schedules so the shoot took some time to coordinate. I did not have any particular goal for this shoot. It was more of an introductory session but I'd like to work with her some more with a specific objective in mind. Many photogs dont want to work with models with tattoos. Thats not me. I'll do them with gladness and would like to conduct a special project showcasing models with interesting tattoos. I'll have these images posted to a new gallery on my website by the end of the week, so be sure to check it out. Feedback is always appreciated.

I will go through these latest images over the next week to edit before I post anymore of them. Anyone who knows of beautiful and interesting places to shoot in the states I mentioned should comment on this post. At present, I want to do one more shoot in the Valley of Fire using a model of a slightly different shape. I have done both the small petite as well as someone tall. I'd like to bring in someone of a voluptuous shape that will work well with the surrounding rocks. Next, I plan on working Zion National Park including the Narrows which was suggested, even though the site says 60% of it is hiking through water. So I will be searching out a model who doesn't mind camping out over a weekend.