The Trunk Monkey Chronicles

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Something a Little Different

"Off into the Horizon"

Head Colds... awful stinking head colds. This isn't anything like I had back in January, but its one of the more annoying kinds of things that really funk up your day. All the hacking and coughing, the chest congested head and chest...oh, please let me be done with it. I think I may be on the far side of it now. I'm doing the liquid Theraflu for Chest and Cold Congestion that seems to subside my coughs. I went and got some around midnight last night and I think its helping. I hate going to work feeling so drained and the last thing I want to do if start infecting other people. I know I had being around someone else who is sick and I am a firm believer of sending someone home rather than letting them continue to work, get worse, and then spread the disease around.

"Another traveler through Nipton"

So I'm going to stay in today even though its bright and sunny here in Las Vegas. Nice day for a hike. It occurred to me last night that I was supposed to have been going out doing just that with my good friend JKompare to explore some sites he's recently visited. He's a regular member of my Las Vegas Art Models Group and I've been slacking there as well. The photo part has really been successful but I'm still looking to get the figure drawing part of it up and running again. I have done nothing with it since last summer. I lost the venue where I hosted them and now need a new place AND I've got to get the people interested in it again to at least do an every other week session. I want to have a venue for models to work more than just once a month. My goal is to have 4 different sessions going between photography and figure drawing. Right now, photography once a month is it and even that's been tough just recently. I'm trying to decide on whether or not to do a studio on May or another outdoor gig. I like outdoors. That's my specialty.

"Fixtures at Denny's"

Well, I thought I'd post some of my non-nude work this time. Lin says I don't do it enough and I do want to be more than just a shooter of nekkid ladeez. Portraiture is the next thing in line that I love to shoot, but there's still more that I do. So here is some of that.

"The Glory Days are Gone"

Fun with Lieara

I REALLy need to get better at my posting. I work a day shift now, like regular people but I'm putting in Omgosso hours. Two of the biggest differences I've noticed is that I can't go to the movies like when I worked night shift. I'd hit a good show early in the morning while all the kids and the knuckle-heads are either in school or in bed cuz 11a.m. is still too early in the morning to be up. Now its like I have to wait til the evening shows, where you pay extra and have to watch with everyone else. I can still catch a Saturday matinee, but that's what the bulk of everybody's doing. I've grown accustomed to having the whole theater to myself or shared with less than 5 other people or families.

The biggest thing that I miss is the ability to shoot during the day like I used to. So far, I've had to cancel on 2 shoots that I would normally do during the day. These are with models who have kids and either need to be home later in the evenings for the family or who simply otherwise can't do evenings. Jobs or other committments get in the way. So I don't have any idea yet how I'll adjust to all this. I do have a shoot this weekend sometime, so that's a start. I can't tell you how many times I've come home and just needed to shoot somebody.

I'm going to leave you with images of Liera. I got to work with her again last month and she's a girl of many colors...hair colors, that is. Check her out on Model Mayhem.

"Sun Kick" Model Lieara, Southern Nevada

"Spontaneous Stretch", Model Lieara, my place

"On a Rock in the Wilderness", Model Lieara, Southern Nevada

"A Cause for Concern", Model Lieara, Southern Nevada

Samantha's First Time with Me

You cannot believe in honor until you have achieved it. Better keep yourself clean and bright: you are the window through which you must see the world.

- George Bernard Shaw

I'm still wondering how to relate to the 2257 statute that went into effect this past month. I had a model ask me about it out of concern just this past week. She wasn't at all happy about surrendering her personal info to just anybody and I can understand her point. Its one thing to show your driver's licence to a photog so he can verify your age, but its something else to give him a copy of it for his records. She's got to get a new licence since her's has her social security number on it, which is strongly advisable. But such is the case if you wish to either continue in the artistic nude arena, be you model or photog.

My main issue, currently, is the place of record part of the business. If I want to comply, I need to have records on file with the scanned copies of model identification at some place which can be open to inspectors whenever they want to come check me out. Granted the rules states 20 hours out of the week, but the intent is to be available during regular business hours. Well, photogs don't want to list home addresses on their sites and you know there is a cost factor involved when you use an off-premise site that can maintain your records for you. What I'd like to see is the art community come together and, 1.) Get this law repealed as unconstitutional or at least take the heat off of us artists who should have nothing to do with this. However 2.) if we have to comply, lets ban together and have a few central places that can keep our records for us without costing us so dog gone much every time we drop the shutter. I looked at one company and they charged you $35 for every record you kept, plus a yearly fee that I can't immediately recall at the moment. Dang... can we not figure out something better for this?

I got to work with a new model a few weeks ago. Samantha is another one of those models who I'd like to see regularly posting on a blog. Its always been a thrill for me to read models who recant their adventures and experiences as model-slash-blogger. Having been a model myself, its always a welcomed opportunity to delve into the mind of the art nude model as she relates to us the goings-on of her day. Samantha is one of those who, while young, has opinions that warrant a closer look at her identification. You'd swear she was more experienced than her years suggest. In most cases, I identify with a model like on this level who is much more mature and can back up their opinions with actual time on the planet. I found myself in Samantha's apartment listening to and questioning her insights and left there wondering what's she's already experienced so soon in her life that has brought her to ask some of the questions she asks or thinks about some of the things she contemplates. It was a refreshing conversation. Much of our preliminary shoot was spent capturing her in conversation with me.

And speaking of models who blog, I had the experience of dialoging with Groovacious K the other week. Now, if you hadn't heard, you definitely better ask somebody. This lady's got curves that can prove dangerous if you aren't careful. I JUST missed her while she was in Vegas. I've seen her work in previous months, especially on deviantART, shot by photographer David Winge. I've been working on a series of dark curves lately so its so hard to ignore what she's got to offer. AND she blogs on a regular basis with feeling. I mean, she really puts it out there. You can learn much from this girl. I've already picked up a few pointers from her that I am passing on to a friend. So not only is she gorgeous with a killer bod, but she's articulate, smart, and willing to share with anybody who's interested. That's the kind of model who's on my radar and I can't wait til she back this way again.

Cool Melissa

If you are not passionately devoted to an idea, you can make very pleasant pictures but they won't make you cry. - Ruth Bernhard

I took a break from photo work, and some other studying that I am doing to go see the movie "Knowing" with Nicholas Cage. All I could say was, "Damn..." after the credits began to roll. It started out fast, by impressing you with a plane crash, but then slowed down a bunch and made you try to figure out where things were going. It has few interesting twists, but in the end, left you wondering with a feeling of "NOW WHAT?" Interestingly enough, there is a question of faith that Cage has to deal with and when he comes to his conclusion, there is a reference to biblical prophesy. The thing is, nothing that transpires in the movie has anything to do with a prophet or how the Bible says events will unfold.


But onto photography...



As I write this blog, I am being interviewed via email by a young girl, or woman, I should say, who is the daughter of one of my models. She's a teenager doing an interview on people and their careers. She chose me since I am a friend of the family and she relates to me because I am an artist like she is. And this girl is good. She's got a talent and a potential, that properly cultivated and supported, could blossom into something great. Hold on... another email question... Okay, I'm back. She's asking some very good questions. At first I was wondering if her mom was helping, but she's come back with some fairly spontaneous remarks that would suggest otherwise. This is her own work. So for now, we are going over what its like to be a photographer and some of my background. Its cool.



I was recently featured by Unbearable Lightness, who's been helping Chris St. James run Univers d'Artistes. In her post, "The New Neasley", she made me sound like I was some high profile photog who went into a mysterious hiatus leaving everyone to guess and speculate what I was in the midst of creating. It was a good article that centered on my initial intent to suspend my nude work and the challenges I had in the attempt. Nine images of Brittani, Melissa, Trixie, Erica, and Gabriella were selected for the feature. This was a March 18th post but you can go directly to the link =>clicking here<=. You may notice that for this feature, Unbearable Lightness uses one of her recent photos as sort of a tribute the the Vegas theme for her image ID. Nice touch, Sweetness.



I mentioned before that you should be expecting images of a recent shoot with Model Melissa. This was our 3rd collaboration. It was right after editing the first work that I had the idea to do her with a wide-angle lens to exaggerate the perspective of her hips and legs (Canon EF-S 10-22mm). She's got the deceptive build for it. To look at her, she appears thin as can be, but when the clothes come off all that hidden shape and curvature comes to life. I was thankful for the fact that she allowed me to play with that idea. Not many models are willing to allow you to capture imagery that intentionally makes their butts look bigger. Melissa is very comfortable with the way she looks and trusted me enough to just let me play, 'cuz that's what I did. I experimented with angles and positions, while trying to get the desired effect with the camera lens. Many models would be very uncool with how close I had to get to get the exaggerations, but that's necessary when you work wide like that. When I get my Canon 5D Mark II, the 16-35mm L-series is definitely on the list. In fact, I don't think I will get that camera without two lenses...one of them being the 16 to 35.



One of the more interesting thing about this shoot is that its the 3rd time we've shot and its all been in her house in the same area. Normally, I'd have been bored silly by now and yearning to get her outside. She's even got the most interesting backyard, and I have yet to explore it. Part of that has been weather, but also, its been due to my business with the indoor work. The third shoot in particular took some patience because of the lighting challenges. I knew from the last shoot that coming during the time of day I was there would allow some interesting lines from the Venetian blinds in the window. This day however was very cloudy. We'd have the light for just a second or two and then it was gone. We'd wait for it to come back, but limitations on time forced us to move on. But when we'd see the lines return, I'd have her jump back on the couch, assume the same position and try to snap quickly. Some of it was trial and error, thinking I could bring it out in Photoshop with contrast corrections and blending options, but I finally got what I wanted. I love me some Melissa. And here is some of our latest work.

Hi, Charlie!

All About the Fun

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

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

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

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

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

Is This an Addiction?

NOT photographing the nude has NOT been successful. At all. I'm still shooting nudes despite the fact that I was going to suspend my nude work and only work on projects that were already in play. In some respects, this is a good problem to have. I mean, what photog can really complain, "Woe is me. All these ladies want to take their clothes off for me." That will never be a complaint of mine. However, I did have a desire to shoot more things, subjects, and explore my artwork in new directions. I know some of this has to do with the all the things occurring in January, namely my daughter getting married and then becoming ill for so long soon after my return. I know I got behind on edits and am still behind. I'm about 4 models deep on edits right now. Catching up amid outside circumstances can be a pain. But still, I am certain I could have controlled all of these elements much better, had I really wanted to. The fact is that its an easy thing to just say no. No more nudes for a while. The reality is that so far that hasn't been possible.

I can't really keep deluding myself with one excuse after another. A model just left my house. We interviewed for a bit and got familiar with each other. I am so excited about this girl. Marley is an art model who is simply exciting to shoot. I can't wait. There is much anticipation involved in this one, that I have to be careful not to spoil it. She'll be a great addition to my portfolio and I simply think we can serve each other's interests well. I don't have many black women in my arsenal of imagery. Oh she's gonna do well. I wish I could go into all the coincidences and little subtleties on how we actually hooked up. Suffice to say its been very extraordinary.

Over the weekend, I met another model, Gabriella, who had contacted me about my workshops. This girl is the drop dead gorgeous type that you'll find on Sports Illustrated at some point real soon. Again, the circumstances on our meeting were peculiar to say the least. So much so that I had to play this one through just to see how it would unfold. The thing turned out AB-sol-UTE-ly GREAT! Talk about a fascinating young lady! We are going to continue our endeavors again tomorrow evening, I believe. It was so much fun and I've got so many new ideas I want to try with her. She likes what I do and has given me liberties to explore to my hearts content. Which is quite an extensive concept, let me just tell you.

Before this, I got to work with a few other new models that assisted with my workshop. Three in particular, and they were all great. Two Brittany's (one spelled with an "i"), and Lieara. BrittanY and Lieara were in my workshop. BrittanI didn't make it because she was from out of town and my workshop was postponed for a few weeks. I still shot her on my own anyway and she was a real trooper. It got cold and she never once complained. The girl just worked with me to help me get the shot. It was I who called it off once the temp continued to drop. She was willing to keep going, but I don't want to jeopardize a model's health. I've been in some risky and even compromising positions, but there was no benefit to keeping her out there. I've had a model in frigid waters, hanging off a cliff, and other things but her being cold at that time didn't lend itself to the project. Now had the project been nudes in the snow, now that would be different.

Lieara, was just as fascinating. She's a fiery spitball. I had a problem in stopping shooting her. When she came over for some preliminary work, accompanied by her boyfriend/fiance', I had to actually push my camera away in order to stop. I noticed the fact that he was tired and was asleep on the floor. I told them it wouldn't take even an hour to get the shots to promote the workshop. Three hours later, I am still shooting this girl. Now in my defense, I mentioned a few times that I had to put the onus on her to stop me. The girl kept assuming new poses! What was I to do? She and BrittanY did my workshop. Brittany worked under strobes all afternoon. With such a voluptuous figure, she garnered alot of attention. I hate bringing it up in one sense, but she's got one of the most perfect ...ah never mind. Somebody's gonna think I'm sexist. Well, you see the photo. That was part of a preliminary series. As for the workshop, I never got to even take out my camera! This just in: As I write this, I got a text from Brittany. [Freaky, huh?] We are now planning a new body of work since I didn't get to shoot her in the workshop. Am I sick or what?

But even before those 3, I got back with Melissa to do some more work. Oh...it was so good. I took over the wide-angle lens and repeated some of the bodyscape images I did with her before. Talk about amazing. We got some amazing light that kept changing at a moments notice. It took several attempts to capture these lines that contour her body because of the clouds. The light would be there for a sec and as soon as you get a focus, it was gone. Melissa is so great to work with.

But I guess all this begs me to question whether or not I have the ability to stop working with nude models, because if I don't then its a compulsion and an addiction. Am I addicted to shooting the nude? I don't know, but I don't think so. However so says the smoker who can't seem to quite when he wants to. Its a good question. I wish I had a good answer. I think I am justifying it because of all the great models I've met just in the month of February. I don't want to call this an addiction. I'd just like to think that I'm having fun doing something I love. At any rate, I'll have all these images edited soon and will post more on each of them. Comments?

Taking the Good with the Bad

I think I am getting close to catching things up now. Well, I at least have a plan to do so, which is actually to take one day at a time. When I talked about how crazy things have been in the last post I made, I touched on the two big things: my daughter's surprise marriage and then becoming ill upon my return home. In fact, I thought I was fairly well when I made that last post but honestly I've had been truly drained after that ordeal. I would guess for the next week all I wanted to do was sleep. Its been the only time in several years that I really had no interest in editing or taking photos. So if nothing else, that should give you some indication just how out of it I was. But even through those two events, I've only slightly touched on the full extent of all the challenges I've contended with so far. That said, I think I'll just leave it at that. This blog was never intended to be my venting venue.

But one intriguing element I will sort of touch on is the obligation slash guilt I felt while I was not posting. Is that common for any more of you bloggers who post regularly? In the mist of my fevers and coughing fits, I had to force myself to prioritize a little better than what I was doing. I can tell you that I found myself sitting at my computer with a blank stare with the intent of making a posting until I actually sat down in the chair. Then there were moments when I was well, or better at least, when I'd sit down...log in...stare at the screen for a bit, and then retreat to my fortress of blankets and pillows. I know for fact that I am not the only blogger with challenges, so what is it you do when you can't make a post? Are you overwhelmed with guilt? And even when there are no challenges that hinder your entries, do you still feel a profound need to fulfill and obligation to your faithful readership and subscribers?

Switch gears...how about something a little less melodramatic.

While I was in back home, I stopped by some of my old stomping grounds. I got to work with one of my former models (with a friend). I've also been able to conduct a few more shoots with relation to my workshop coming up this coming Sunday. We'll be shooting the magnificent Brittany Sutton (top photo) in the marvelous studios of Bobby Deal, owner of Vegas Vision Studios. I've been contacted recently asking about studios to shoot in. I think I've said it before: You will get a great deal and all that you need at Vegas Vision Studios. Bobby will take care of you. Just give the man a call if you are a visiting photog and wish to rent some studio time with a model. I recently shot with Brittani Brooks. Talk about fabulous! I shoot tomorrow with Melissa again. So I will have plenty to work on as I am now in the mood to get back to my edits. So stay tuned. All drama aside, you gotta take the good with the bad. Also, thanks UL for your wonderfulness!

Talk to you soon.

A week or two in review...

Well it certainly has been an interesting past week. I've come to a new benchmark in my life. 

Its one that I thought I still had another 10 years for, but my daughter chose to break our contract. She got married. What contract you might ask. Well, when she was 9 or 10, she promised to never go to a prom and not get married til she was 30. Well, in large fashion she maliciously broke that contract and now I have a son in law. Actually, the boy's a good kid. They have known each other for years and have been dating for at least the last 5 years, I guess. I was fairly certain by now, he'd have messed up by saying or doing something that would have caused my little girl to kick him to the curb. At the very least I counted on the fact that she'd get bored with him after a few years, or maybe she'd come to her senses and realize that she was daddy's little girl and no other man was to take my spot. At least for another 11 years...I mean, that was the deal. WE HAD A CONTRACT!

 

All kidding aside, this kid has got what it takes if he can put up with me all this time and still be willing to hang in there. I guess I got to comfortable thinking most kids would shy away from her if for no other reason than the fact that I have (well, had...) a fairly decent reputation for being the crazy father. My daughter never brought boys home. One, they'd simply not rather come and two, she was afraid I'd have embarrassed her anyway. But my new son in law weathered the storm. I can't hate on him for that. Besides, I have a pretty darn smart little girl (or woman, I guess I should say. She's having sex now. *smoldering slightly*). If she's willing to sign off on the boy, then I think I can trust him too.

 

It was good being back in Tennessee. I got to see my best bud Cameron, who actually should have been blocking my daughter's play in my stead, but this one caught him off guard too. See, my daughter got married way earlier this month without telling anyone. She asked me to come back to TN under a totally different ruse. It wasn't until right before I left did I find out the truth. She had planned a wedding reception that everyone was supposed to come to. They little sneaks were already married. In fact, when she picked me up at the airport, she took me home and sped off with her hubby to North Carolina for a honeymoon in the mountains, supposedly in a cabin. Personally, I don't think they got 40 miles out before they got a hotel for the weekend. I've seen no pics yet of any mountains, a cabin, or nothing. So I can see that this may have come as a surprise to Cameron too, but I could have sworn I asked him to keep her cell phone tapped or something. I should have tried using a paid informant like I usually do, but times have been tough.

 

It was on my return trip that things really got bad for me. On the 2nd leg of my flight, which was ironically in North Carolina, I felt myself starting to become ill. By the time I got to Las Vegas, I was in sneezing fits that have been the worse of my life. I lost my voice, got totally congested, and had no energy to speak of, no pun intended. So I got back last Tuesday night. By Wednesday night I was out on my feet. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, I had no voice beyond an intelligible raspiness. I stayed under four blankets. My strategy was to simply batten down the hatches and ride out the storm. (I know, I used that analogy already...no biggie.)

 

But I am feeling much better now. I'm still hacking up lung pieces, but its not as bad as before. Now comes the hard part of catching up on all the imagery I've captured that has to be edited as well as contacts who have called that I need to get back to. Its going to be an interesting week. Sorry I was gone so long. I'm better now, so I'll have lots more to post real soon.

A New Day

Hi all,

Just doing a quick post today. Its been an interesting last few days as I have been shooting local Obama Inauguration events. I'm probably going to be off the blog for a while as I have edits to work on like crazy. It was fun, though. Watching the President being sworn in was an amazing thing, but shooting other people's reaction was priceless. So give me a week or so to sort things out and let things calm down.

Its going to be interesting to see what the future holds.

Be back with you soon.

Kodak Still For Film

Well, I hope everyone's new year is at least getting off on a good foot. Mine has at least opened up with opportunities that have some potential. All they need is a little cultivation and some time. Hopefully it won't be long til they each come to full bloom. I at the very least feel like I am making some headway into getting myself launched in the general direction I want to go. I've been giving some considerable time and thought to this.

So far this year has begun with me not having any pending projects on photos in the queue waiting to be processed. I'm caught up! I don't know how long it will last, but I'm not behind. I've been giving a little more attention to my job hunt and thinking about what I want to do with my web site. I'm in need of some updates...a new look and a new feel. I need it to say that I am more than just my nude work. Then again, I am starting to think about putting together a whole new site for non-nude and more conventional photography. I could do that. I still need more content which showcases exactly what I can do and what I can specialize in. I already own another domain name so maybe that can be the way to go. At any rate, the goal is to retool everything in order to maximize my flexibility. I know I want to be able to promote myself as a shooter for whatever I think I can do and do well. At some point in the near future, I plan to narrow that scope significantly in order to specialize in 2 or 3 things. So for the time being...its increase and maximize revenue streams. After I get that down, I'll then concentrate on those things that I am most successful doing. So we'll see.


My roommate, Jeff is in the hospital. Without going into specifics, he's been out of it since before the holidays started. By New Year's he was hospitalized. Without much local family, I've had to do what I can to help take care of him. Felix and Summer also help as we go by to visit most every day and try to do what we can to make him comfortable while he's down. It can't be easy lying in bed for two weeks. I'd go nuts. Pray for a speedy recovery for him.

Film vs. Digital... how many times has this war of opinions been waged? I recently came across an article from imaginginfo.com, "Even Still, Kodak Clings to Film". It was an interesting read about the commitment of Eastman Kodak to the ways of analog.

"You come back in 10 years, there will be a film business here," said Joel T. Proegler, general manager of film capture and a vice president in Kodak's film, photofinishing and entertainment group. "It'll be smaller. Maybe there will be a bigger space between innovations."

Now that's a bold statement on a prediction a decade away. I'm under the impression they may have to re-evaluate in 3 years, but then who's to say. Personally, I miss it. However without access to a darkroom, I'm less inclined to do a shoot and then hand over my film to a lab for processing. The darkroom is part of my love for film. I recently mentioned that a few posts ago regarding the Sally Mann DVD. But this commitment to film does indeed seem creditable or at the very least, I believe Kodak will try to remain faithful, hopefully not to their ruin. I recall a few months ago when they rolled out the Ektar 100. I bought a few rolls from Edda at B&C Camera. I still go there every Saturday morning to shoot the breeze with other photo comrades. I wanted to test it out and see what it can do. As of yet, I have not finished a roll of it and that was back in October. The problem is that I keep forgetting about it when I shoot. I bring it along and don't realize til after I'm done that I didn't get too many shots with it. And when I did shoot with it, out of habit, I'd inevitably try to view the shot on the "missing" LCD after every shutter release.

How much longer does film have? Especially since the higher megapixels are becoming cheaper. I almost liken film as I do with Evander Holyfield, who is still looking for that champion's belt in boxing. He still puts on a good fight and a good show when he comes to fight once a year. But inevitably they end in his disappointment. You love the guy. You love, respect, and admire his heart. But inside, you wish he'd just stop fighting before he gets himself hurt. The Greatest of All Time, Muhammad Ali stayed in the ring to long. Kodak can end up doing the same thing. Granted they don't have the company's future tied to film, I wonder how investors feel about the company still diverting assets and resources to it.

And on a final note, I think I need to get back to shooting. I've been feeling a little uptight lately. Thanks for bringing that to my attention, Melissa. Coffee?