In several of my posts, I've confessed that I am sometimes talking to myself when I start dispensing "words of wisdom". Some of those little nuggets come from conversations I have with other people who either share blog content-worthy material or they may bring up a point that I think is good to pass on. In this case, its another one of my own personal experiences that make me wish I was smarter and learning this stuff PRIOR to making the mistakes. I've been talking about things you can do to improve your stature in life and offering suggestions that can aid you in your endeavors. Maybe this is particularly a man thing, but I've had a problem, pretty much all my life, going to see a doctor. I can not give you any sane reason for my lack of visits, but unless something is broken or causing me no end of grief, I tend to bear down and deal with it.
Its the same with medicine. Its hard for me to put a pill in my mouth that can quicken my recovery, not because my mouth is too small to insert the danged capsule, but rather because it simply does not cross my mind. If I get a headache, I may let somebody know. I might complain that its excruciating. They'll ask me what I've taken for it and the answer is pretty much the same. Nothing. And I cannot give them any plausible excuse as to why I haven't taken anything. I see that look on their faces as if they want to call me an idiot and I cannot even justify any form of reply to defend myself. I called in today to see if I could get a same-day appointment and got one within the hour, surprisingly. I was actually 10 mins late getting there even though I left right away. I told the doc my ailments and she asked how long the I had been experiencing the issue. I told her a few months and she stopped her examination to stare me in the face. Before she could even say anything, I just blurted out, "I KNOW...". What was her reply to that? "MEN..."
"You are afraid we will put our finger in your butt." - No 1 reason why men don't go to the doc, Dr. Sharon Orrange
As a kid, I didn't see a doc too much either. I rarely got sick and if it wasn't for the required routine inoculations, I'd probably never have seen the inside of a doc office but once every so many years. I broke my fingers once and it was a whole week before I saw a doc. Prior to this, I spent that week "working" my fingers out, by forcing them open and closed until my hand swelled up to the size of a softball. My step-dad looked came in my room and saw me bending it back and forth and asked if I thought they might be broken. That had never crossed my mind as I had never broken any bones. I was in 10th grade. He took me in for x-rays and sure enough two fingers had really nice fractures. It was amazing to see my x-rayed hand and the bones broken the way they were. One finger bends toward the inside now when I type on a keyboard.
Being in the Army didn't help my cause in this manner either. Airborne Rangers were supposed to be indestructible. If you can maintain consciousness and can walk, then you shouldered your weapon and moved out...pain be damned. I'm now paying the price for subscribing to that concept. Its also been a recent thing in that I've learned how serious some of my ailments really are. I've got tinnitus which is a ringing in the ears from all the loud guns and explosions I was involved with. NPR today had an episode on Tinnitus that almost made me stop my car and listen to it. As I drove to my doc appointment today, I heard about a man who was driven to leave his own start-up company because he could not concentrate on his work and was plagued with panic attacks because of the constant and incessant ringing. I had never even heard of anyone else with Tinnitus am not conscious as to whether any of the other things I deal with might be as of a result of my hearing impairment. I still hear well enough, but have to filter out the "other noise". Sometimes it can be difficult and I think I'm hearing something that isn't there because my brain tries to make sense of it and may incorrectly fill in the gaps for the imperceptible parts. I've never been treated for it. Apparently, according to the VA, (Dept of Veteran's Affairs) there is no treatment...you just deal with it. Which is what I've been doing for most everything I have military ailments for all along.
"You are afraid we will examine your balls." - No 2 reason why men don't go to the doc, Dr. Sharon Orrange
You definitely have to fight with the VA sometimes and it can be a very long process. You can realistically expect to wait a year for treatments when you submit a disability claim. But I can honestly say, its worth the fight. VA or civilian-based, GO SEE A DOCTOR! Don't let stuff fester inside your body. Your health is more important than anything else you can attend to outside of your family or religious affairs. It does you no good to be optimistic concerning your job prospects or living a better life if you're going to be dead in a few months. See the doc. Take the meds and live. The financial stuff come second to that. Quality of life first starts with health. Take care of it. Be smart about it. Don't do the stuff you already know you shouldn't. Drop a few pounds. Lay off the sweets and salts. Check your prostate, breasts and get your paps done. Watch those spots on your skin. And by all means, if you're not feeling right, get yourself checkout out. And even if you feel fine, do the routine examinations. Young or old, man or woman, schedule a doctor's visit. Please.
When was the last time you wondered how or when things would turn around in your favor. Weekly...daily? Did you think that you'd be in the condition you're in today at your age when you were a kid? Do you look around at other people on the highway driving luxury cars who are much younger than you and wonder how you missed it? Well, who's to say you have? Who makes that call to judge your case and dictate that you are not where you are supposed to be at this point in your life, so therefore you are now sentenced to life in failure? God? The "Man"? No, I'm afraid the answer is a little more complicated. Its you.
Think back to when you were a kid and dreaming about what you'd be like as an adult. Think about where you thought you'd live. What car(s) you'd be driving; basically, your stature and accomplishments in life. If you were to gauge the distance between the dream back then and the reality now, how far off the mark are you? If you are on target, then congratulations. If not so much then, well... keep working at it. If you didn't have a dream, well chances are you were the rich kid in school who's been been living the dream all along then.
More likely than not, somewhere along the line, your thought pattern changed. Somewhere, you got caught up in the rut of the 9 to 5, raising kids, and having other people around you who became a slave to the grind. That notion has probably worn off onto you and infected your head too, effectively killing the dream. I submit to you that a change in the way you think, view yourself, and a change in your perceived ability to seize opportunities will put you back onto the road to recovery. If you look at our nation right now, we've got weeks to come to a congressional consensus to raise the national debt ceiling. If not, the global community will watch as the great big United States of America begins to default on its loans. The creditability of this great nation will plummet and much of the world's economy will begin to suffer far worse than the economic collapse we suffered back in '07 and '08. Now without further digress, the same analogous model also fits you. You too are on your road to economic recovery and its simply a matter of getting back on the right track. You can get bogged down in the politics that will complicate matters or you can simply do what has to be done and make it happen. The U.S. can do this right now and solve everything, but she's marred in political banter and nonsense. Two sides want power and control much in the same sense that you might also have to battle... "The mind is willing, but the flesh is weak!"
It begins in the mind. First learning what's important. Figuring out what the real priorities are and then making every decision made reflect that goal. If a course of action does not take you to your objective, don't do it. If a person in your life is more like an anchor than wind in your sails, cut'em loose. If your job becomes an obstacle to your real dream, quit it. Granted that sounds harsh or unrealistic, but what is the better reality? To keep doing the same old thing? To keep hold of that same old job or person that doesn't let you fly? You'd better do something! I'll further submit that if you can't let go of the weight that keeps you down, let go of the dream. Stop wondering what it would be like to fly and resign to your fate in the lowlands. Don't wonder what it would be like to have a better life. In fact, quit dreaming altogether. It will only pile on more stress and make you even more miserable. And by all means, leave the ones trying to fly alone. Don't become their weight. Don't be the reason they can't achieve their goals in life. If you see one of your peers with that ambitious gleam in his/her eye, turn around and don't let them see you. Give them the gift of not interfering with their lives. When they do begin to blast off and achieve, you can then sit back and boast to your friends, who've also given up, and say you knew so-and-so "way back when" and talk about the good ol' days. That'll probably cheer you up!
Be patient and find a way to win. Otherwise get out of the way of those who still have a mind to do something beyond talking about it. Be a doer, not a loser, or at least don't become an obstacle.
"To be always intending to make a new and better life but never to find time to set about it is as to put off eating and drinking and sleeping from one day to the next until you're dead."
Over this past weekend, I went camping again with friends from my hiking and outdoors meetup group, Having Fun in Las Vegas Outdoors for Singles. We camped out at Mt. Charleston and hiked Little Falls on Friday night and then did Big Falls the next morning. Had a splendid time and got to see some marvelous waterfalls. At some point during that time, I brought up the subject of one of my most favorite writers, Og Mandino. Outside of the Bible, I don't think you can find an author that writes more beneficial material for the human spirit than this guy. I've read everything he's ever put to print that I'm aware of...well, almost.
Many people don't put a lot of stock into self-help books. I'm one of them. It would seem as if everybody's got some new psychological strategy on improving your current stock in life. I think today's books are more about techniques, strategies, and a way for an author to get rich himself. Back in the day, most of the self-help books were inspired by basic fundamentals, built on specific core principles. Today, there are millions of self-help authors out there and I'm forced to ask how many do we actually need. I don't think any more need to be written. Promoting the current ones and re-releasing old editions should suffice til the end of time. The human mind hasn't changed, nor has the human condition. All we need are more of the old ones. Making them part of the curriculum in middle school should be the standard. Og is so easy to read. He keeps things short and builds them into very memorable stories. I used to read them to my kids at night. Something else I used to do would be to always check some of the local used book stores and purchase any Og Mandino books they got in. I'd then give them away to friends and people I'd meet who I thought might actually read them and not just stash the book away unread.
Og's most noted book is "The Greatest Salesman in the World", first published in 1968. Within the story, he discusses midway through the book, 10 scrolls of success who's secret is to read each scroll 3 times a day for 30 days, then move onto the next scroll, until you complete all ten scrolls. His main focus points deal with the principles of love and having the initiative to "DO IT NOW" as if an urgent call to action is critical. The scroll titles are:
Scroll I - The Power of Good Habits
Scroll II - Greet Each Day With Love In Your Heart
Like many of us, Mandino had to fall before he rose to prominence. As a returning war veteran (he flew with Jimmy Stewart!), he got the best job he could get as an insurance salesman and became an alcoholic from being on the road so much. His wife took his kid and left him as he contemplated suicide. Time in libraries reading self-help books saved his life and inspired him to become renew his initial passions of being a writer. The rest is history. He also became a prolific speaker. The man's greatest gift is story-telling. According to Wikipedia, the books he feels are the best self-help all time include:
The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, by Benjamin Franklin
Think and Grow Rich, by Napoleon Hill
Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude, by W. Clement Stone and Napoleon Hill
The Power of Faith, by Louis Binstock
Your Greatest Power, by J. Martin Kohe
Wake Up and Live, by Dorothea Brande
I Dare You, by William Danforth
Acres of Diamonds, by Russell H. Conwell
The Ability to Love, by Dr. Allan Fromme
How I Raised Myself From Failure to Success In Selling, by Frank Bettger
Og Mandino has published more than 20 books. Some are derivatives or combinations of his other books. For instance, The God Memorandum is a published piece which is a part "The Greatest Miracle in the World". The ones below in bold were most impactful to me. The first one I ever read was "The Greatest Salesman in the World Part II: The Rest of the Story" and was a book given to me by my good friend, Tracie Taylor back in 1998.
If you're reading Og Mandino, you're going to do yourself a world of good. You'll also be doing the world some good as we in turn benefit to your better contributions to society and humankind. So do us all a favor and read the man. The books are short. So you've got time. They are cheap, especially when purchased used. So you can easily afford the books. So there you go. Your excuses have been eliminated.
Viki-Vegas has burst on the scene recently with her decision to go au natural. I had the privilege of working with her a few weeks back and was quite amazed at the results that came from our collaboration. We had a 15-hour long day as our road trip took us to places I didn't think my car could make. I have GOT to get something with some road clearance! I treated my low-profile tired car like an ATV to get to some back-country spots that I found the day before our trip on Google Earth. We had a blast and have some more plans for future shoots in the immediate future. All I can say is that the woman is amazing to work with and is definitely a pleasure to watch perform. She practically lives in a gym to keep that figure of hers and it's paid off. So keep those two things on your mind... Og Mandino. Viki-Vegas! And be sure to check out her profile and leave some comments. Tell her Terrell sent cha! You can see more of Viki-Vegas on my website.
Its really funny how, throughout the week you've got all this material in your head you want to blog about. Then you finally sit down to write and you draw a blank or have a difficult time gelling your words together to actually make a coherent sentence. I'm sure it happens to the best of us, right? ...Right?
Well, its been a fun-filled, action-packed month so far. Lots of new pics, new models, new locations, and new friends. Its been a strong desire for me to get to shoot out at one of the hotsprings near here and with the help of Ourdrbeauty, I was finally able to get on that. This has been in the making since last December. Outdrbeauty has been in contact with me since our shoot late last year. Things have slowed down a bit from her hectic schedule and she was able to give me a little time to shoot. She called up, we hooked up, and then there was the walk. Its 3 miles down to the hotsprings. That's not so bad. Its the walk out that's the butt-kicker. You're going uphill, all the way, in loose fluvial gravel that gets in your shoes! It was still fun though. Conversation helped big time. We had reached a point that I thought put us about a third of the way back to the car, but was actually more like three-quarters of the way. Carrying all that camera gear and water wrecked havoc on my knee and lower back, so I was popping pain-killers a-plenty. I stayed on my ass much of Sunday.
I got to do a more extensive project with VikiMae two days later on Monday. She and I did a two and a half hour road trip, to some well-know spots and also some remote locations. I had to treat my Pontiac Grand Am like an ATV to get back to one particular location. Not sure I want to do that again, but I was adamant about seeing this particular spot. In all, I guess we were gone about 15 hours. I've gone over all the photos and most of the edits. I always like to learn new things and I definitely saw areas I could improve upon. Shooting through reflective water, for one. A polarizer would have been nice. And I've often talked about this intense and direct Nevada sun which can also require more post-work, so maybe a ND filter would suffice. Sometimes stopping down just does not do it.
Dave Rudin came to town for the week. We only got to hook up one day while he was here. Both our schedules turned out to be somewhat occupied for the both of us, but we made the best of the one day. We had breakfast at our usual place, just not in the same spot. I got to meet a most interesting girl while there and she's since contacted me and I got to visit her place and discuss some ideas for a shoot. She had one of those faces that you just have to talk to and you can't leave without putting a card in her hand. Yeah...one of those girls. I got to meet with her a few nights later after my Las Vegas Photographic Society meeting and discuss some potentials. Hopefully, you'll be reading a special blog post on her before long. After breakfast, Dave and I scouted some excellent locations. I got to skinny-dip in the Colorado. Dave got some pics that I will probably not be too proud of. Then he took me to some of his Nevada spots near Lake Mead where he likes to shoot. We think we found his Carlotta Champagne spot where he photographed the best pic ever taken. And then scouted some more locations along North Shore Drive.
Three of days of the week last week was spent with VikiMae (OMP profile) for one reason or another. Aside from shooting Monday, she came with me to one of my photo meetings that Thursday after we had already spent a good chunk of the day scouting. Rather than taking her home, she just came with and met some photog friends of mine. We're meeting one tomorrow to discuss ideas for a shoot. That Friday was an evening event at the Aria that SHE, in turn, invited me to. I then kicked off this week, with back to back days of shooting Enyo, whom you'll also get to see pretty soon. I'm just starting to edit her work tonight. Trust me, you ARE looking forward to these. The girl's amazing. I'm telling you...I've been working with several models of whom I can fully recommend you include on your "Need to Hire" list. VikiMae, Tawny Fein, Outdrbeauty, Enyo... check them out.
"Don’t be fooled by the calendar. There are only as many days in the year as you make use of. One man gets only a week’s value out of a year while another man gets a full year’s value out of a week."
- Charles Richards
"The key is in not spending time, but in investing it."
- Stephen R. Covey
"This time, like all times, is a very good one, if we but know what to do with it."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
Model, Laura
This one isn't so new, but its another one of those gems of wisdom that somehow still elude us.
Use your time wisely.
Simple, I know, but its mostly the most simplest of things that tend to bite us in the ass when we don't take care. In the Army, we called it "Paying attention to the little things". What exactly does using your time wisely mean and how do you do it? Well, I'll tell ya. I don't really know. Its different from person to person and you have to be the one to chose what you do.
During my periods of downtime, I try to pick up on my To-Do List and shave it down a little. This happened this weekend when plans didn't come to fruition. Truthfully, on Saturday, I had to miss a shoot due to weather. That bummed me out. I got some take-out and watched a movie. The next day plans again fell through, but instead of moping around, I shook it off and did some tutorials, studied some Business Financial Management chapters in a book I'm reading, and finished up my online Traffic School course from a speeding ticket I got a few months back. So the first day's use of time...POOR. Second day's use of time...WISE. I was flexible on the second day and took a bad situation and make something profitable out of it. I got KNOWLEDGE. You'll never make a better investment than what you can by investing into yourself.
Laura, From back in 2008
So who's unemployed right now? Who's laid-off at the moment? If you've got time on your hands for an indefinite period of time or just for the day, make some positive use of it. Exercise. Write the next chapter in your book. Call up a friend that you haven't talked to in a while. Send me some money through my Paypal Donation Button. Who care's what you do...just do something that results in a positive.
We used to have something called Hip-Pocket Training when I was serving. I hope you are being safe this Memorial Day, by the way. Hip-Pocket Training was a concept designed to take advantage of unexpected downtime for soldiers. NCO's, (the Sergeants) would have on-hand a special training planned for just such occasions, i.e., after a long road march to a destination, we arrive but our rides back home have not. The first thing we'd do was to ensure our coordinates were correct and then we'd radio in a situation report. The response is that the truck due at our rendezvous has an engine problem and a replacement can't be allocated for my mission for two hours. Now you've got mad soldiers on your hands who are cold, hungry, and tired. They don't want excuses. They want food and a hot shower. A good NCO will occupy their time with some easy training on Land Navigation techniques or risk mutiny. I used to do this same thing with my kids on long car rides. They'd get tired of sitting in the back seat for so long, so I'd quiz them on Bible history. Next thing they know, they're pulling into Grandma's driveway.
The only difference now is that YOU have to take responsibility for YOUR OWN Hip-Pocket Training. Learn a new language, computer program, or beneficial skill. Get out of your comfort zone, if you can. Stretch yourself a little by leaving your same old routines alone for a while. And while I'm at it, in addition to using your time wisely, pick your friends more wisely. Prioritize your family more wisely. Make your decisions more wisely. Spend your money more wisely. And take care for what you eat with more wisdom. Utilize your time to make a better YOU. Think about all the times you've complained that you don't have time to lose weight...read that book...or visit relatives in retirement homes. Now you've got the time. What are you going to do with it?
Here's an idea for you. Its fairly novel, easy, and actually common sense. However, despite the wisdom in it, very few people actually take advantage of the benefits this simple little action can afford to you. Let me tell you how simplistic it is. Despite the fact that I am writing a blog post on the matter, I TOO am guilty of not exploiting this ever so easy concept when possible. What is it, you ask? Well, as you've probably already guess from the title and Iacocca quote:
"WRITE IT DOWN!"
Yeah. Simple, ain't it. You would really be surprised at what you can achieve when you have an idea and write it down. Spell it out on paper, or on your computer as it were. Where ever you do your best thinking, (okay, except for the shower), take a pen and paper with you and challenge yourself to plan out your goals in a way that makes the most sense. After you've built your road map to success, STICK TO IT! Ever decision you make you should be able to stand up to your own personal constitution. In an almost flow chart sort of way, if the decision to do (or not do) something takes you away from you objective, strike it from you to-do list. How many of us really have time to waste with non-productive errands, tasks, or actions that have no bearing on our goals. I know I don't, even though I'm still learning this lesson, myself.
Writing things down has helped me get pointed in the more decisive direction and has made me organize my efforts into deliberate actions with less waste and more efficiency. Who's up for a cup of "decisive directions and deliberate actions"? YOU should be. You should readily wake up every morning and take a smell the aromatic flavor of efficiency and take a sip while its still piping hot. Specifically, putting it on paper expanded my scope and helped me see possibilities that I otherwise didn't account for and resulted in a plan that, with the proper execution, has the possibilities to be both profitable and fulfilling.
I say its simple, but if I said it was easy, let me take that back. Its not easy and it should't be. Any worthwhile endeavor will more likely than not be a challenge, but I dare say its worth it and that's all that matters. Doing whatever it takes should be foremost in our minds as well leave behind those that can't shake off the scales of mediocrity and complacency. Not everyone will climb aboard even though they want to, but there is a big difference between wanting to do better and doing something to make themselves better. As you rise up and climb the achievement ladder, they will remain at the bottom and watch you ascend. Either of a few things will result. Chances are, they will try to throw negative ropes around your ankles to bring you back down to their level. They don't want to be left behind. If you get caught up in that, then you'll provide them company...which misery loves, by the way. If you do not succumb, and continue to climb, you'll leave them behind. You'll likely end up with a new friend circle which is okay. Love the naysayers where they are, but don't sit with them or keep too much company there. You'll give them something to talk about and increase their worth a little when they can say they knew you back when. In a way, you will become their claim to fame.
I know you're loving these pics of Model, Tawny right? Be sure to check out her Model Mayhem profile. Yeah, she's a hottie...granted. The girl's got curves that should come with Warning and Danger signs.That much is obvious. There are a bunch of pretty faces and hot bods out there already. Tawny definitely brings lots of flair and energy to a shoot and sometimes its those intangibles that make all the difference. If you're needing a model in Las Vegas, don't hesitate to give this young lady a look. She's been beneficial for my portfolio already and I know she can bring that added something to your photography projects.
*** BTW, I'll putting together another Ball of Light session this Saturday, the 28th of May and could use a curvaceous nude model or two. Need to be available around 6pm for a few hours to shoot some sunset pics and my ball of light imagery. Get with me for more details.
"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.
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.)
“Man can live about forty days without food, about three days without water, about eight minutes without air, but only for one second without hope” - Unknown
Model, VikiMae
I know I've got my challenges in these hard times. There are some moments that quite literally to depress my spirits as if quicksand were involved. Then there are times where all I can do is laugh at disparity. Those are those moments where just when you feel like it CAN'T get any worse, it starts to rain. I laugh at those moments maybe because I know they'll make a good story one day. I can recount several Army days like that, but I've known too many as a civilian as well. I feel like I can weather these storms well enough though. Sometimes you need your little tricks that help maintain sanity. Shooting nudes is one of those for me, but also hiking. I got to be on the radio just recently for NPR's State of the Re:Union recently talking about just that. We did a segment back in December where radio producer, Tina Antolini came down to hike with my Las Vegas Hiking and Outdoors Meet-up.com group to get our story which just aired over the past weekend. The episode details different aspects about Vegas, and the hiking bit comes up around minute 43 and lasts about 6 or 7 minutes. They interviewed our group leader, Alan Gegax and myself for this segment of the episode. I've got to send them a note to get them to post the pics I took of us hiking that day on their website.
I do think its possible to become overwhelmed with the suffering of others around us at times. Maybe not, overwhelmed. That might suggest its reached unbearable limits, but it can be heartbreaking for sure. Me? I think I'm built like a rock. I didn't come up soft. I got my ass kicked as a kid, until I learned to turn the table and bring that notion to a halt. I'm sure it played over into my choices in the military to take on some of the hardest challenges and training I could get. I never got to so SERE school, but I tried... HARD... and some people wonder why I would ever want to willfully subject myself to that kind of training. As a young adult, I became a father right out of the gate and had to grow up fast. I never had time to feel sorry for myself at any point in my life. Hardships have tempered in a sense to allow me to hunker down in the storms and survive the best way I can.
But it has become more than evident that many people are not so tempered by the fire. There are those around me who suffer and my heart goes out to them. These economic challenges have gripped the masses unlike anything we've known in some time. I listen to or read about people talk of giving up, surrendering life, blaming God, the President, the economy, their bosses, etc. for all their woes in life. Like someone with no hope, they fall on their butts and wail like children blaming the world. One thing I like to study is the evolution of time over the life of the planet. You learn of animals and different species that die out primarily because they did not adapt to the change in their environments. Climates change as the Earth's elliptical orbit around the sun changes over thousands or millions of years. Plate tectonics move continental land masses all over the place. At some point in time, the area of Mt. Everest was underwater and now its the roof of the world. The Sahara wasn't always a desert. There are major forces at work that shape the planet over eons of time. On a macro scale, time is invisibly slow with geological change. Yet still, change occurs on a micro-level of time, as in within our spans of life. Everybody has heard how change is inevitable, but I don't really think people really consider the meaning behind that. Humans have brains that make us more adaptable than any species to ever live on the planet, but we've become accustomed to our ways and don't understand the factors that bring about change. Adapt and Overcome!
Fighting with the gnats...or whatever they were.
"Change is inevitable. Except from a vending machine."
-Robert Gallagher
Times change. Its the only constant in life. You will experience ups and downs and just like after any storm, the sun will shine on you again. Learn to laugh. Be like a rock. Find your coping fixes that allow you to keep your sanity. I have my faith in God. I trust He will bring me through or bring me home. In the meantime, I do what I know I can and am supposed to do and let Him take care of the rest. Keep improving. Stay alive and keep on believing you can win. You never know when that moment of rescue will arrive. Dory said it best..."Just keep swimming!".
Many thanks to new model, VikiMae for being so quick to model for me over the last couple of weeks. We didn't do any nudes, but sometimes you just gotta shoot and she was more than willing to be shot. We did three sessions that resulted in some fine work. I got to get my fix for the time being. Sooner or later, her Model Mayhem profile page will get approved and I'll update this page with her new links, so you can see more of our work together as well as with other talented photographers. [10 minutes later...] Actually, here she is on my website: VikiMae. Enjoy.
"When in doubt, make a fool of yourself. There is a microscopically thin line between being brilliantly creative and acting like the most gigantic idiot on earth. So what the hell... LEAP."
It was a good day. Well, a good night I should say. Not long ago I posted a video about Denis Smith and his Ball of Light documentary done by Sam Collins. My main intent behind the post was just to illustrate how you can still find something new in photography and become successful within this business by finding your niche. I should watch that 15 minute documentary every morning when I wake up just for the inspiration. I posted the link for the video and talked about it on the message boards of one of my photo groups. They decided to schedule an event based on the idea to go out and play with some light painting techniques. Well, the ball of light intrigued me most and you know me... I'll put a nude in anything. Every things better with a nude model in it.
But the idea didn't really hit me until I was talking with my friend VikiMae, (who you'll see pretty soon). Actually we were texting, I think and the thought came to mind the day before the event. I don't know if you have ever tried to secure a nude model for a shoot with one day's notice for a Saturday night, but Model, Bayne came to my rescue. She was on time and a real trooper because it got cold out in the desert. I'm talking chilly and the wind was a-whistlin'. This was PURELY experimental. I had never done anything like the ball of light concept before and it had been a couple of years since I had worked using Bulb exposures. To my demise, I had not recalled that I'd need a cable release for bulb exposures. Fortunately, my buddy JB came to my rescue or I'd have been doing a totally different experiment.
Bayne and her escort were perfect. Both were very helpful in not only posing and assisting, but also advising in my concept. Both have prior experience in photography. Bayne became even more endearing as we shared our love for film photography and the darkroom processes. It was cool to be able to talk that language to a model. Her patience and help was all to instrumental in making this experiment a success. Incidentally, she's probably the first nude model I've worked with that I didn't really see nude. I mean... I saw her but only in incremental flash bursts. These are shot in the dead of night and I'd pop her with split second bursts of light to momentarily expose her, no pun intended.
I'll definitely be working to perfect the technique. Its a little tricky to make as perfect of a sphere as I can with my ball of light and still expose the model without either one being overpowered. These timed exposures are fun and I think the fundamentals of my technique are sound. I just have to fine tune it and balance the ball and the model in perfect exposure. I'll keep working on it. Hope to get to work with Bayne again soon. If you've got an interesting project, you'd do well to consider her. The woman is the total summation of the elements of professionalism. I'm telling you...Hire her.
