Central America 2012

Lancha ride back to Chal Hun Ta Hostel, San Miguel, Guatemala,
Photo by Heather Rae, In Search of Squid

Well, I think I mentioned that I had a big summer planned. I am currently starting my second week in Guatemala at the moment, traversing the country with Hearther Rae, from In Search of Squid. Even though its only been a little more than a week, it seems more like we have been here for closer to 3 to 4 weeks. Time moves so much more slowly here and by 7pm the sun is down and its already dark. You're ready to turn in thinking that its already been a late night. In only 10 days, we have done so much and covered so much ground. We're adding in Belize to the itenerary and Heather will finish up in Utila, an island of Honduras. I'm considering Panama and another 3 weeks somewhere.

Bridge to El Portel at Semac Champey

Week one started out with 2 nights in Antigua and a long shuttle bus (minivans) and boat ride out to Lake Atitlan. These busses can be really packed to capacity and sometimes even more to capacity. And these guys drive like they are hoping to get picked up by a NASCAR scout or something. Lake Atitlan was a gorgeous place. We stayed on the Santa Cruz side of the lake at Islaverde Hotel. Can't say I was all that excited about the place. I was thrilled at being there, but the accomodations weren't as we hoped. In a nutshell, the place was simply overpriced. Excellent food, though. But we paid hotel prices for hostel accomodations. We'd planned on 4 nights there but only spent 2. And that's the cool thing. There's no obilgation to stay. I don't have a strict time-table that I have to regulate my travels according to a clock. This place didn't work out, so we left. On the other hand, we did hike over to Casa del Mundo. THAT place was cool. Nice views and plush accomodations for the same dog gone price of Islaverde. We tried to do out last few nights there but they were booked solid. I will be back at Atitlan and Casa del Mundo will be my spot.

Temple 1 at Tikal, Guatemala

Next was off to Semac Champey. That was another shuttle bus ride out into NOWHERE! We were deep in the jungle on winding roads, that you can only make with 4-wheel drive. This is where you got to see some of the poorest areas of the country. Very simplistic living on dirt floors. As we passed, some of the locals would just stare at you with blank faces and others were more cordial. Many of the kids definitely liked seeing us pass by. I began to wonder how they felt about us being there. Yes, the tourism is a big part of their local economy, but is there too much of it? Many of the blank faces came from the elderly. Maybe they know what its like when the tourism slows or even halts. Vegas is very much like this and we know we've got to stimulate our economy in a way that isn't so heavily dependent on tourism or any one thing. The same thing happens in the towns near military bases when the soldiers are deployed for extended periods of time.

My cabin at Chal Tun Ha. MUST get a model here!!

We stayed at the El Portal Hotel which is right next to Semuc Champay which has some of the most goreous pools you'll ever see. The day was complete with caving (by candlelight) and tubing down th river. I hate taking touristy pictures, but there was not getting around it here. Its almost like being challenged to come up with different angles in Disneyland. We got there early in the morning, but by the time we returned from our adventure down the river, the main pools were crowded and packed with people. I've met some great people and made some new friends. You see faces from everywhere on these travel escapades. I've started a portrait series based on who I meet while I'm here. I'm off to a great start.

Presently, we are on our 4th day at Chal Tun Ha Hostel in San Miguel, near Flores, Guatemala. This is the best location I've stayed in and I will come back here within the year just to be in this place. I'll bring a model with me of course, but this place is tops. Its run by Neil and his wife and you definitely get the low down on the local hot spots, cultural history, and travel tips. If we can get out of here without Heather absconding with the man's dog, I'll leave here with a clear conscience. She's in love with "Co-co", the Chihuahua  whom she calls "Loco".

More later. Currently figuring out how to work the transpo to Belize and Utila. These pics are snapshots I took with my waterproof camera. The best shots won't be available til I get back and can edit them.

Naked Faeries

Model Faerie, © 2012 Terrell Neasley

"a pretty girl who is naked / is worth a million statues"

- e. e. cummings

Model Faerie, © 2012 Terrell Neasley

I love me some naked faeries. Actually, I only know one, and its good to get back to shooting Faerie. Its been a long time since I've had her in my sights and we've been able to finally make it happen. Just as gorgeous as ever, I don't think anybody can say one bad thing about this woman, but even on the inside, she a good girl, a great mom and wife, and she's got a beautiful outlook on life. I could definitely say she's a great model not only for me, but she's a great model of a human being worthy of emulation by many young women out there today. The main goal was to work her into some of my Art Nude Ball of Light work. She'd seen some of my earlier attempts and her husband likes them too. After not doing them for a year, it took a bit to make the adjustments, but I have found a way to perfect my sphere-building spin and rotation. It was more towards the end of our session that I began to get better, so we have some more work to do. And of course there are a LOT more images from our shoot last weekend, but I'm only going to get to a few before my adventure down South.

Model Faerie, © 2012 Terrell Neasley

Which brings me to another point. I'm thinking I'm going to start another blog to showcase my travel and adventure work. I know you're thinking I can barely keep tabs on this one, but I am sincerely giving this some thought. The only question is when I'll start it, because I ultimately want to have this thing going when I am more permanently on the road and traveling on a more regular basis for extended periods of time. Granted, this Central America stunt that I'm doing will be for a little while, but I'm talking about doing this as a life-style. That's when I truly want to begin a new chapter of writing. In fact, I think I'm going to take an online course in writing from Matador U. I was thinking about doing their photography class as well, but I think I'll switch to their film maker's course and just work with the two of those. I can't wait to get started. 

Model Faerie, © 2012 Terrell Neasley

The thing I like about all this is that, at the beginning of the year, as I'm laid up in the bed, this is all just a dream. Well now, its about to happen and I'm excited about that fact. Imagine it, plan it, do it. That's they way I want my thought process to evolve. Spending so much time in bed leaves you with nothing but imagination and with a little concentration, you can start planning everything out. Of course this one was pretty easy. All I have to do is follow Heather Rae. She's got the itinerary and beyond that, I don't really care. She's the subject. Whatever it is she's doing, I simply follow and record it. But beyond that, she's been very inspiring as I mentioned in the last post. My tasking is to simply get all the needed gear, learn more about video, and get the audio equipment I'll need to accompany me and I've done that. I have a few adjustments to make but all in all, I'm just about ready. I'll be learning on the fly, but thankfully we have enough time to get it down. The first week will be chill week anyway, so I'll be able to read up on the manuals and maybe we'll have wifi or internet connections and I can do some tutorials online. The Glidecam HD-2000 is giving me problems with the weight. Its tough to balance, but the thing may be too heavy for my needs. I can read a book on the Zoom H4N audio recorder and my on-camera Sennheiser should be easy enough. With that, you just plug in and go. This is going to be so much fun. I enjoy learning new things and am used to trial by fire from my military days.

Stay tuned... 

Catching Up

Model Faerie, © 2008 Terrell Neasley

Sometimes I like to go over previous posts, especially the ones where I talk about future prospects and see if I've stayed true to some of the things I discuss and plan for. I'll give myself a partial excuse in that I only started back to work shooting in May and its been a madhouse here to catch up with projects and prep for my travel to Central America which is now right around the corner. I've decided to not alter those plans and actually launch myself full force into it. So lets see:

Most of everything between January and March was on my recovery from knee surgery. There was not shooting going on, but I did talk about changes and things I wanted to do differently. I touched on it more in the months soon after this. I spoke on focusing on portraiture and self-portraits. I sincerely want to perfect both. In particular, I want to do more of the color portrait. I'm so much more comfortable with Black and White portraiture work. I want to get better at it, but its still a genre within my comfort zone. COLOR portraiture, however is still outside the box for me. Most B&W enthusiasts might refer to color as a distraction in the portrait. I can't say I totally subscribe to that notion. Its just another form of expression.

Model Faerie, © 2008 Terrell Neasley

I talked about embracing change and taking on challenges as they come with fervor instead of disdain. As I mentioned previously, I want to expand beyond my own comfort zone. I've revamped my business plan and goals. Central America will be the start of something new for me. Video production will be a challenge as I learn on the fly. I've switched from Canon gear to Nikon as my primary gear of choice. I still have some Canon stuff, but since the 36 megapixel Nikon D800E was released, I felt I had to make that change. During my recovery time, I kept feeling like I wanted more depth in my images and was considering medium format. Canon's new 5D Mark III was not going to take me where I wanted to go and was not a significant upgrade from my 5D Mark 2. I became even more convinced medium format was the way for me. When Nikon released the D800, I was initially skeptical. I saw it as a ploy to restart the megapixel war again and draw attention from Canon. But then I started looking more at the reviews and a few friends of mine who own the camera showed me work from it. Eventually, I got to shoot with it myself and probably within just a few weeks, I knew I had to have it. This will hopefully be an alternative to medium format with the significantly reduced cost and far less weight at a time when I need to take the pressure of my knees. I ended up with the Nikon D800E, instead of the standard D800.

Model Faerie, © 2008 Terrell Neasley

So along with some new audio gear, I'm heading to Guatemala and Honduras to follow Heather Rae around the jungles and record her excursions, escapades, and adventures as she travels. She's an experienced traveler/writer and you can catch her on her blog, In Search of Squid, (there's a story behind that title) which fabulously documents a new lifestyle of travel and tries to do more promotion of how easy, fun, and rewarding traveling can be. Its right in line of my thinking on the matter which is why we work well together in this regard. She's definitely one of the most inspiring people I've come across in the last 5 years of being in Las Vegas and as a school teacher, educating and encouraging youths is second nature to her. So it was rather fortuitous that I met her and now we've collaborated to see what our combined efforts can produce. If you've ever wondered what a ball of fire inside a woman would look like, check out her blog and track her most recent excursions. I'm telling you, its as if she has a spinning inner core made of molten nickel and iron because she generates her own magnetic field. She's got that much energy locked up in a tiny petite frame. I'll be happy to be able to keep up with her. This entire adventure is being planned out by her and I'm just tagging along for the ride. But my plans extend a little further than her's. I'll be staying down there a little while longer after she leaves Central America. I have no idea just yet as to what I'll be doing, but I'm certainly open to suggestions for any of you who know of little-known "must-see or must-do" stuff in Central America. I was thinking of skipping over to Belize, but I could also backtrack through Guatemala or do some of the mainland Honduras treks, as most of our escapades will be on the island of Utila just off the coast.

Remember Faerie, well, I just spent the weekend shooting her and will update with some of the new edits soon. Til then, enjoy some of these shots of her from a few years ago.

Model Faerie, © 2008 Terrell Neasley

Black and White Spider Awards

2nd Place Finish, Abstract Category - Professionals,  7th Annual Black and White Spider Awards © 2010 Terrell Neasley

"Winning isn't everything, but it beats anything in second place."

- William C. Bryant

Contest results are finally in for the Black and White Spider Awards, a very popular international photography contest for black and white photographic artwork. After a six month wait, I found out that I took 2nd place (Merit of Excellence Award) in the Abstract Category for Professionals. I also took Honorable Mention in the Nude Category for Professionals. This is my second time in a row coming in second in a category, but I did better this time in the Nude category. If you recall, last November I posted the announcement of a 2nd Place finish as well as 2 Nonimee spots, one of which was in the Nude Category. That was for the 5th Annual Photography Masters Cup (for Color Photography) produced by the same people. So again, a 2nd place finish (Americana Category), a Nominee for Nudes and also a Nominee again for the Americana Category.

I can't say I'm disappointed, but I've also never been exuberant about 2nd place. The one thing I will concede is getting Honorable Mentioned for my nude work which is one step up from Nominee! If you take a look at all the work that got nominated, you'll see that therein lies some stiff competition. So to be recognized at all is "honorable". The nude is by far my main, favorite, and most passionable subject matter to photograph. If I were to win anywhere, I'd want to win for my nude work. Yet still, I've never looked at my work in that regard as being incredibly worthy of note. As long as I like it and my model likes it, I'm good to go. Being recognized and evaluated by such esteemed professionals of the trade against participants from all over the world was never anything I every really thought I'd measure up against.

Honorable Mention, Nude Category - Professionals,
7th Annual Black and White Spider Awards © 2010 Terrell Neasley 

"The first man gets the oyster, the second man gets the shell." 

- Andrew Carnegie

But also, I think you have to consider what you actually get from photo competitions with your entries. Both the Spider Awards and the Photography Masters Cup are huge and the recognition is fabulous. But what are the spoils of such achievements? There were over 83,000 entries in the Photography Master's Cup last year and the entry fees are $35 a pop. Granted that costs decreases if you enter more images, but when you consider how much money is made...wow. You're looking at more than $2 million just in entry fees if you average $25 per image. So here is what I get:

2ND PLACE WINNERS (Merit of Excellence)

Recipient of the title award "Merit of Excellence"

Publication in The PHOTO PAPER Magazine (print edition)

Featured in movie presented by World Photographic Arts Films

Showcased at the online Winners Gallery

International press campaign and exposure

Right now, bragging rights is the main take-home from something like this. The only other pay-off might come in the form of some lucrative deal made as of a result of being published in the magazine honoring the winners. So I'll have to let you know if someone comes a'calling, as of a result of seeing one of my shots in the magazine. As far as I know, a title award doesn't come with a cash prize or a new camera. It does feel good to be recognized for one's work. And I thank Joanie for the use of her boobs to create something masterful for my Abstract image. I guess when you actually think about it, I did get a 2nd place finish for a nude! And I appreciate the Dean Koontz reader  in the second shot (who has chosen to remain anonymous) for her help as well.

Objective: Travel

Art Model, Viki Vegas © 2011 Terrell Neasley

“The first condition of understanding a foreign country is to smell it.” 

– Rudyard Kipling

Despite the fact that I got a late start for the year, all still looks promising. Getting back in the mix after being laid up from 5 months of recovery from knee surgery sure has felt good. I still have a long ways to go, there's no doubt about that. At least I'm busy. Almost too busy, in fact. May has been absolutely crazy as far as months go. Its been hard to even think straight, but I've hung in there quite well. I'm just now getting some breathing room and tightening up my head-space and timing. Holla if you know what that is...

Art Model, Viki Vegas
© 2011 Terrell Neasley 

This late start has yet to impede my adamant plans to do some traveling for a while in Central America this summer. Yeah, this kid is heading out for a while. How long? I don't know yet, but at least clock me out for a month. You get to do an awful lot of thinking when you're restricted to the bed for so long. And I've decided to do some things a little differently for a while. It starts with Guatemala. I'll mosey around Honduras, and finish up  in Belize. Did I say finish? Well, I'll be back temporarily in the states, but folks my goal is to hit the road for a while. How long is a while? Who knows. I can't say. Hell, I can't even say how I'm going to make all this happen. Let's just say that it needs to be done and leave it at that. I'll work out the details later. As for now, the concentration is on Guatemala. This is happening.

What exactly will I be doing? Following a crazy white girl around the jungle and taking pictures, in a nutshell. I can't say I'm all that enthused about EVERYTHING in her itinerary. Home-girl is talking about swimming with sharks. Now I know that I can't have the same imagination in my head to match up with hers. The girl's crazy, but she's not stupid. This is what's in >>MY HEAD<<. And this is more than likely what's in >>HER HEAD<<. I'm hoping she's the one who's right in this. Of the entire trip, these thought are most prevalent. But I'm sure when I get back, I'll have pics and stories of a great time having grand adventures. I've still got to do a better job of learning video on my cameras. I'll be getting an external mike for better audio, that's for sure, but I don't need much else that I don't already have. I'll be making a documentary on this excursion and I think it'll be fun. Totally experimental, but fun.

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.” 

– Mark Twain

Art Model, Viki Vegas © 2011 Terrell Neasley

If everything goes right, I'll be starting up a new blog that deals primarily with travel and will detail my adventures as I go globetrotting. I'm excited about what's ahead and if I do it right, well...lets just say this is going to be fun and a definite adventure. Can't wait to get the travel blog up and running with lots of content for your guys. You're going to love it!

Here are some newly edited shots of Art Model Viki Vegas, from last summer.


“Adventure is a path. Real adventure – self-determined, self-motivated, often risky – forces you to have firsthand encounters with the world. The world the way it is, not the way you imagine it. Your body will collide with the earth and you will bear witness. In this way you will be compelled to grapple with the limitless kindness and bottomless cruelty of humankind – and perhaps realize that you yourself are capable of both. This will change you. Nothing will ever again be black-and-white.” 
– Mark Jenkins

You're on Notice... MERCY'S BACK!!!

Model, Mercy © 2011 Terrell Neasley

Talk about letting the month slip in on me unannounced! Its already May and mid-way through already. Its been cool getting back in the mix of things. The knee is holding up, but still fragile. In other words, I can't think I'm all better and do something stupid. I started physical therapy last week. On day two, I figured I was good enough to add to my load, so I doubled everything they told me to do and in some cases, even more. That was strike one of being stupid. By that evening I hurt so bad, I felt like the first day of two-a-days in high school. That was a reference to the 2 times a day football practice during the summer, just before school started. Once in the morning and then again in the late afternoon to try to avoid some of that Texas summer heat. But anyway, I'm still trying to mend and get used to building muscle again. Its actually an interesting thing to behold for me. As hard as I can flex, I'm just not hitting rock hardness and its funny to watch my quads quiver in response to the exercises.

Model, Mercy © 2011 Terrell Neasley

But what was also another slippage is the fact that I totally missed out on telling you that Mercy is coming back to town! She'll be here a few days from the 14th (yeah, tomorrow...I know) until the 16th, this Wednesday. You saw the work I did with her in my book, A Year in Review of the Nude: 2011. I made her my cover model. And you know what she's capable of and what she's willing to do. Despite the late notice, I say you get in on the act and get your shoot on. She's only here for a few days, but its still a good time and enough time for you to get in some great work with a great model. My bathroom series could have hardly been pulled off with another model. When I suggested it, she was down with hardly a thought and was in on it before I could finalize all my thoughts.

Model, Mercy © 2011 Terrell Neasley

So you basically have 3 days in which to make something happen. I say 3 days, but you also have to understand, her time is limited and filling up quick. She does her own promo work and of course she's coming here for a reason. So its not like she's got 72 hours of nothingness lined up. People have already taken advantage and booked her hour by hour. What I'm trying to tell YOU is that you don't need to spend a whole lot of time with finding the time in your calendar or where she might budget in on your bank account. This is one of those moments where you contact her, find out her availability and simply book it. Take whatever you can get, make that moment happen, and be proud of what you guys put together. I know she's giving her best and she's here. Make it happen. She even takes credit cards now...

Off to a Good Start

Beach in Destin, FL © 2012 Terrell Neasley

It's a slow start, but a good one. I've been getting to squeeze off a few rounds on the shutter and have some fun. Hope to do my first nude project in a long while this weekend. This is sort of a "go for it" kind of weekend where spontaneity is in full effect. It should be fun. That's the main thing that matters.

Gotta say first, 

I'M LOVING THE NEW WEBSITE! CHECK OUT MY NEW SITE AT 

PHOTOANTHEMS.COM. 

I THINK YOU'RE GOING TO LOVE IT TOO!

I'm hoping May will be my official start of the new year. I'll still be doing rehab for my knee, but other than that, I'm on my feet. I presently have a pretty nice head cold and sound like a monster, but I think that's just from the weather change and all the pollen in the air. May 1st, is my starting line and I've got to run it faster in order to catch up with the rest of you guys who are already 5 months head. Summer travel plans are still a go. Not certain about my Fall endeavors just yet. I may delay that notion for a while in order to better prep for traveling in 2013. More details on that soon, but suffice to say...Fun!

Husband and Wife, Sandestin Beach, FL © 2012 Terrell Neasley

Writing has become more important. Keeping regularly updated blog can be tasking enough, but I intend to do more writing in different venues. One of which will be for Image702 Magazine doing regular spots on a myriad of topics. I hope to be freelancing my butt off for a while. And to help me prepare for it, I'm thinking about enrolling in some online writing courses I've been considering. I'm already taking courses to beef up my Photoshop skills as a photographer. Writing will be next on the agenda.

Well, this will be a short post. I need to go lay down for a bit so I'm ready for the weekend endeavors. In the meantime, enjoy these shots from recent travels.

Pier off the Gulf Coast, © 2012 Terrell Neasley

A Focus on The Print

Early work with Mary, Black Canyon, CO

There's no doubt this has been the most odd start of the year to date. I don't think I've spent this much time in bed since I was a little baby. I've been very careful with taking care of my knee, resting my body, and healing. But dang! Just as I was about ready to announce "I"M BACK!", I get food poisoning all of last week. This was such a weird experience. I've never been down that road before and hope to GOD, I never do. It crept up on my very slowly, but quickly...maybe analogous to sheep approaching you calmly and innocently only to burst out as wolves when they got in arms reach. I couldn't run. There was no escape. No amount of Pebto, crackers & Sprite, or any anti-whatever was going to save me from the onslaught once I recognized what it was. I didn't think it was going any further than an upset stomach. It wasn't until my mouth started watering and the stomach started some serious rumbling that I knew "Sh*t just got real".

Early work with Mary, Black Canyon, CO

So I'm just now getting over all that. "I'm Back". (Not all caps... a little muted, but nonetheless...) I'm ready to shoot. I'm ready to get outside and do some things. I can't hit the hard trails. I can't walk the distances, yet. But I can stand on my own two feet and get from point A to B slowly, but surely. I can't tell you how anxious I am to get some exposures under my belt and be backed up with new and profitable edits. I'm looking for my next art nude model as well as some of my business projects.

Now let me get back to the original topic I wanted to talk about. I've done recent talk about the portrait, to include capturing the self-portrait. I also want to give a mention to what I think is arguably the most important aspect of the photographic process... THE PRINT. This is just my humble opinion, but this is the final product and the end all of why we take a picture. Its the Print! To some aspect, you might be able to dissolve it down a bit and say the Picture is the final product, more so or just as much as the Print. However this is the difference. Today, many people will only use their pics for Facebook, Flikr, or some other online forum. And that's fine. Its just where we are today. Social media is the new tool of today and pictures are a major part of it. It cannot be denied. Hardly any of these need to be made into hard copies. They are shared in a more versatile medium and when hard prints are actually made, they are rarely sized about a 4x6 to hang up on the fridge or maybe the computer monitor. Or let me not also forget the novelty prints like on a coffee cup or key chain.

Early work with Mary, Black Canyon, CO

So while these points have their merit, I'm going to stay on the high road and concentrate my efforts to those shots that will hang on museum walls. I've said before, I consider myself as an artist first. I want to make art. Art shared should be on walls, not desktops. I want my work hung up in that important place in your home or office lobby and I want it shown in large format. I can't even tell you when the last time I had an 8x10 print made, even for my own personal work. I consider the 11x14 a small print and the smallest I'll do. But it doesn't have to be hung up on the walls. A print in a magazine will also suffice. This is why we do this.  We don't do a gig just to give away a CD of all the images and let the client make prints as they see fit. I can tell you I want to be in control of what quality of work my art is displayed in. 

Early work with Mary, Black Canyon, CO

This is the exact reason, I didn't allow my recent book, "A Year in Review of the Nude: 2011" to be printed in any other format other than the best of quality of paper. Will all my books be in this format? No. My next one will be way different, probably at less than half that price, more than likely. For now, I plan to only do my annual books like that. The next one I have coming out will be less so. I would like to do maybe three or four books a year and only one will be at the price point of my art nude annual. And books are a great use of the printed image. The single print is still tops. There's simply no comparison to a good quality, well presented print. Its got to be framed or hung in such a manner that the print is adorned. Much of my focus this year will be on perfecting my presentation on the print and I'm happy with what I've been able to accomplish so far. Now I want to push the envelope a little and reach beyond just the simply framed canvas print. That's the goal. 

And another of my goals is to get back to Colorado and to shoot Mary again. This particular trip was definitely a benchmark in my life as a photographer. The PRINTS from this shoot are much, much better than these digital scans. The prints were done by hand and a darkroom and I can tell you hours upon hours were spent perfecting each one. I loved it. Every minute was a learning experience. I'd like to get back to shoot some of the models I worked with early in my nude days and Mary ranks among the top priorities. I'd like to see what I can do with her today, six years after our first shoot. More experience and better equipment should result in even better art. I almost got to work with her again last Summer, but I got called back the same day I arrived in Colorado and unfortunately didn't get to shoot. Gotta try again.

A Study of the Self-Portrait

The whole idea of a self-portrait is strange. I’m so strongly linked to how I see through the camera that to get to the other side of it would be difficult. It would be as if I were taking a photograph in the dark. 

- Annie Leibovitz

Maybe I've worked the Self-Portrait
more than I had initially thought

Methinks it is time to vary up what I shoot for a bit. I believe I will have 3 unique concentrations throughout this year that I will use to challenge myself and explore my creativity in unfamiliar settings using the camera. For starters, I've always been uncomfortable with self-portraits. Ever since I became serious with photography, I've rarely ever aimed my lenses at myself, which is sort of odd. I'm not the kind to shy away from the camera. I was a pro model for 3 years during my undergraduate years. I was an art model getting nude for art students for about 12 years. So its not like I'm not used to being the center of attention. If anything, I think its the lack of control that comes with my inexperience in shooting myself. Its not so easy to point the camera inwards. For me, I miss the ability to "see" myself which makes me unable to work the elements that I normally do in order to create a composition that I believe works. This can make me become very impatient with myself and not revisit the project again. This image where I'm looking like a madman, came from a vision in my head reflecting feelings at the time, but it took me an abnormal amount of time to compose and get that "just right" feel to it. 

© 2010 Terrell Neasley

When I get ready to take a shot of a model, I see everything. I don't just look at the model. I see all the surrounding elements and consider how the model integrates with the background, props, and environment. I compose based on what I see and may spot focus on a specific area within that composition. Well, I can't see myself when shooting myself and although I see many photogs excel at this skill, the talent currently eludes me. So instead of ignoring this genre any longer, I'll take it on and see how close I can get to mastering it. I would imagine it will stimulate creativity after you shoot yourself a few times, otherwise you'll quickly get bored. I don't necessarily have to be nude to do this. I've tried that before, as you can see below, and hated it. The results where unsatisfactory and it didn't have the same flair and signature style as when I do my regular nudes. And yes, I've shot guys before that I have been satisfied with. I've said I'll revisit that venture again, but I've ignored that option for now. I did a post a while back whereby I suggested every photographer who shoots nudes needs to do this at least once. Unbearable Lightness then suggested I post the images I had done, and I did. So I'll add that back in at some point, but the goal is to work creative aspects of the "capture of self" in various ways and master this skill.

A first attempt at the self-nude.
Hadn't tried it since.

A couple of other areas I think I'll pay more attention to is motion, low-light, and time-exposure photography. I don't get to do these as much, but I have a strong interest in it. I can actually combine all 3 of those doing a moving subject, at night using long shutters. Should be interesting and I'm definitely looking forward to it. Every so often, you need to get out of your comfort zone and shake things up a little. I can even try this out on myself and thus add in self portraits done, while moving around at night using extended shutter speeds. Regardless, it'll be good to just play. I hear of photographers saying all the time that they wish they could work on personal projects. That should be the priority. While I want to always earn a living from photowork, I never want to make it into a job. I don't take on assignments that I don't honestly want to do. There has to be an element of fun, challenge, or benefit just a regular assignment. You have to pay me a lot of money to make me shoot something I don't really want to shoot. I want to be successful as a professional photographer. I want to earn a really good living at it. But I don't want to chase the dollars at any cost. I'm not interested in forfeiting my love for photos for my need to make money. 

I’ve always cared more about taking pictures than about the art market. - Annie Leibovitz

© 2010 Terrell Neasley

 I'll throw in large scale panoramas as well, since I have a Gigapan that I haven't put to great use just yet. I can also add to that better artistic use of my 24mm Tilt/Shift lens. Those are probably the only two pieces of equipment that I have that I have not put hard to work. I've used them, but I haven't pushed their abilities. I haven't tapped their potential and integrated them into my workflow yet and I need to change that. Otherwise, why have them? The Gigapan system is a robotic camera mount that you sit onto a tripod. It can be programmed use your camera to take pics, one frame at a time over a selected area and then you stitch those images together for a high-resolution pano. The tilt/shift lens was originally designed for architecture use. It allows you to correct for the distortion of lines that may converge due to the shape of the lens. If you've ever tried to take a picture of a tall building, you realize you need a wide-angle lens to get it all in one frame, but then the edges of the building look as if they curve or lean backwards. With a T/S lens you can correct this by adjusting knobs on the lens that will move the front element of the lens left or right as well as upward or downward as necessary. A more popular use is capturing wide-area busy scenes that, because of the selective focus, they look like miniatures.These are the same functions you get with a large format view camera. A view camera is what you see that looks like an accordion and a person gets under a sheet behind the camera.

Last office job, State Treasurer's Office.
See? I clean up nice!

And then of course, I still have my continued nudes throughout the year. I'll always be doing that, especially now since I've elected to regularly do an annual for all the models I shoot. I'm getting better on my feet now, so I expect I'll get to do a shoot toward the end of the month. I have a project in mind already, but it will take more strength in my leg before I undertake it. I'm still not able to extend my knee out all the way and its still quite painful when I try to do so and stand on it. But I'm getting there. There is definitely measured progress, but I have to keep things light for the time being. You can even see a tad bit more muscle tone in my thigh muscle. Patience...

Challenges, Change, and Haters

Nude Model, Mercy © 2011 Terrell Neasley / See More, "A Year in Review of the Nude: 2011"

You need haters to make you stronger…without haters most people wouldn't try to become better.

~ Katt Williams

It would seem as if every time I sit down to do a blog post, the first thing on my mind to write about has something to do with patience. I'm still learning to sit still, but I'm feeling better and all the more anxious to get out and do something. Before, it was simply a dream to be able to put the crutches down and walk unassisted. Last week was my first week without crutches. I went to the theater to see why the Edgar Rice Burroughs screen adaption of "John Carter" bombed at the box office. It had been such a large production and heavily promoted, but did not live up to expectations. As fan of Burroughs, I rather enjoyed the movie, but I must confess to leaving the theater under new temptations. You see, in the film, John Carter is transported to Mars and along with superhuman strength, the lighter gravity enabled him to jump great distances. All I could dream about for the rest of the day was running and jumping. I know, I sound like a little kid, right?

Nude Model, Mercy © 2011 Terrell Neasley 

Something else I've been contemplating is moving the blog to WordPress. Blogger has been ticking me off something fierce over the years and I'm not sure why I've still been loyal to it. It was maybe 3 years ago that I first considered it, but have resisted making the move. Partly because it means moving the blog URL all over again and having to reestablish all my links, but I think I'm ready to do it. Blogging has definitely evolved and I know there is a particular look I want. Blogger simply hasn't given me what I want and I'm adamant about having that look and feel that I envision. So sooner or later, this blog will have a new look, style, and feel. On top of that, I've even got in mind a project for an all new blog! So get ready for that!

Nude Model, Mercy © 2011 Terrell Neasley 

So all in all, I'm getting off to a late start. I'm 3 months behind right now. I've had huge expectations for this year and have been optimistic about my prospects. I'm still excited about whats ahead and view my opportunities as not only challenges to overcome, but challenges to enjoy. Sometimes you need a Goliath in your way to remind you of what you are capable of as well as to expand those abilities. There are definitely challenges that simply come with living life, but I've also created challenges for myself  that might seem otherwise insurmountable. Sometimes you gotta burn that net before you walk that rope. If anything, it'll make for a good story no matter what happens. I maintain a "Watch Me!" attitude and have every intention of matching will power to  every single opposing element that may face me. Its time to make some changes and to be about what I'm supposed to be.

If you have someone hating on you right now you better think of how to get five more people hating by Christmas.

~ Katt Williams.

Nude Model, Mercy © 2011 Terrell Neasley 

So many people have aversions to both change and challenges. I don't really know why that is and have a difficult time to relate. Change is the only constant in life or even the universe for that matter. Nothing stays the same. Being flexible and adaptable is key. Maybe I learned that in the military. "Adapt and Overcome!" was often the mantra to success. As in military tactics, there are no rules in life and its not uncommon to find yourself facing overwhelming odds. But odds are just that...ODDS. It represents a probability of success given certain parameters, but even when the odds are not in your favor, by definition there is still a chance. Odds represent a one in a certain amount of chances that you can succeed. I've learned to take that "one" and run with it. If you have one chance to do something, you simply make it count. There is no such thing as a no-win situation. There is always a way to derive a positive outcome. There is much power in the will of a person who has resolved to win, achieve, overcome, survive, and ultimately thrive. Every since my teen-age years, I've actually enjoyed it when someone tells me I can't do something. So keep telling me its impossible. Tell me again how it simply can't be done. Let me hear again how impractical and improbable my ideas are. I need to hear that sometimes. Katt Williams talked about having naysayers and haters are good and that you should strive to get more. I do believe that. I aspire to have more haters. I've collected some already over the last year. So maybe I should put out an ad on Craigslist: HATERS WANTED...

Latest on Recovery

Art Model, OutDrBeauty, © 2010 Terrell Neasley 

I'm getting there!

Everything is still on hold for a little bit longer, but the knee is getting better. I still have to use crutches for a few more weeks, but I'm able to balance and put weight on my left leg more than usual. I'm not having to keep it suspended off the ground as I walk. It still sucks that I haven't been able to get back to shooting. I think a good nude project is the first thing I want to do when I can hold a camera and move around a subject again. I want to go model hunting right now, but I can't say as to when I can actually do the shoot. I've had to change my Model Mayhem page twice to reflect a longer recovery time than anticipated. But that's okay, I'll manage.

Art Model, OutDrBeauty, © 2010 Terrell Neasley 

Its been the microfracture procedure that has taken so long with the recovery. Microfracture alone takes a while, but instead of the 3 to 5 holes the surgeon had planned on, it ended up being TWENTY! (Yeah, that's what I said too.) I didn't know he had done that much off-shore style drilling in my knee until a few weeks afterwards during my post-op appointment. He told me there was more damage than what had showed up in the MRI and X-rays. So that led to more clean-up, more holes, and more recovery time. To give you an idea, this is the same surgery Greg Odom, once number 1 overall draft pick of the Portland Trailblazers had multiple times on both knees. Granted it hadn't been so successful on him. However Jason Kidd and John Stockton have also had this surgery done and you see the longevity they've enjoyed in basketball. Overall, I'm looking at about 4 to 6 months for recovery. I've yet to begin my 6-8 week rehab time.

On Microfracture surgery recovery:

The harder part is the restrictions that are placed on the patient during the post-operative recovery period. This can be a major challenge for many patients. For optimal re-growth of joint surface, the patients need to be very patient and also extremely cooperative. They usually need to be on crutches for four to six weeks (sometimes longer).  - Wikipedia

I'll just be glad to get back out on the trails again and I need to get back to shooting. I'm not making any money hanging around my house all day everyday. I thought I'd be spending all this time reading and doing tutorials, but that hasn't been so easy. Its tougher to read in my house, I think. And even moreso when all you think about is getting outside. I miss hiking. The days have been beautiful. I can see the mountains from my back patio. Yet, I am stuck inside my apartment. Oh, don't get me wrong, I'm not totally fixed in here, but I only go someplace when I absolutely have to. If there isn't any place I NEED to be, then I pretty much stay home. Its been exasperating. Patience has never been in my quiver of virtues. I've at least been Tweeting more than I usually do. Mostly about travel and entrepreneurship.

Art Model, OutDrBeauty,
© 2010 Terrell Neasley 

Wednesday was my first time trying to leave the house without my crutches. Overall, I did fairly well, but its different from just walking around the house like that. I got to meet up with good friend Karl Sutphin (his new website!), who was in for the week from San Fran. We hung out at my place and then got some dinner at Famous Dave's. We had just stepped into the place when I stumbled and let slip and expletive, because of the pain. It was fairly embarrassing in that it occurred right next to a couple who were enjoying their dinner. I had to grab onto the back of their booth to regain my balance. I think my face was even more contorted trying NOT to wince from the pain, than had I not been trying to control it. I took a second (or maybe a minute) to regain my composure and was led to the booth where our hostess seated us. After that, it was a good evening. I had been to Famous Dave's often but had never had their burgers. It was pretty darn good.

Art Model, OutDrBeauty, © 2010 Terrell Neasley 

I'm due to start rehab sometime at the end of the month or first week in April. I think I'll stick to that schedule instead of trying to be too quick as I had recently planned. I'll heed the doctor's advice and wait. I guess it will make it all the more sweeter if I wait. I think my ex-wife said the same thing before we were married. Not so sure how sweet it was. I think that's when I'm most prone to re-injure after having waited so friggin' long!

On the Portraiture

"A portrait! What could be more simple and more complex, more obvious and more profound."

- Charles Baudelaire, 1859

Life...

This is the single most important element of photography that I absolutely have to photograph. Its the summation and hub of every element or aspect of photo that I endeavor to shoot. And if you drill down from there in order of importance for me, then next is the nude and then the portrait takes the tertiary role. Everything else that I do are either in supplement or complimentary to those three primary focuses for me. Life in general is what I endeavor to capture and in its purest form, the nude represents my favorite aspect of that, but the portraiture of my model is the deepest connection I have with the nude and is probably the most powerful aspect of anything I do.

Does that make any sense? I do some interior/architecture photography. Its still a representation of life, as in someone's expression of life as they see it for either a functional or aesthetic purpose. I photograph events and occasions which are moments of life taking place. I do still-life photography for my fine art work. This is evidence of life that it has existed and left its mark. I have photographed death which is the culmination of life or rather the conclusion of one aspect of it. I photograph life and death along with everything in between, as most every photographer does, I guess, to some degree. And like many, I do have my specialties. I will shoot almost anything and add my particular style of interpretation to it, but my primary focus in life is the nude and the portrait.

The interesting thing about the portrait is that it does not need to be nude. In some cases, the difference is not obvious and then sometimes it is. Whether a close up or the bust, the portrait still remains the most powerful aspect of photography, I believe. It is powerful because its limits are boundless. A good portraiture does not have to have pleasant features to be impactful. Exposure does not have to be correct, nor does even the focus. Sometimes, in the same way interesting ruins or abandoned buildings can be appealing, rough facial features can also draw the attention. However the portrait has one other distinguishing component that no other genre of photography captures and that's the connection that any human being can have with the subject by peering into the eyes. Even in some cases where the viewer cannot see the eyes of the subject, there can still be an implied connection between the mind of the viewer and that of the subject. You might wonder where the subject has come from, what they feel, or how they came to be. There is a voluntary transference that takes place which can draw in the viewer unlike no other depiction of any image.

"Who sees the human face correctly: the photographer, the mirror, or the painter?"

- Pablo Picasso

Mesmerizing, hypnotic, and even intoxicating can be terms ascribed to portraitures that are done well. This is why I love them above landscapes. I was looking through some of my images from my hiking expeditions over the last few years I've been in Las Vegas. I will go with people from the meetup groups I belong to or with close friends of mine. Ofttimes, I will go alone. However when I do go with people whom I may know or not, its funny how I'm one of the few photographers who will return from these trips with almost solely portraits and hardly any landscape. I was recently asked to licence a photo of Big Falls, a major natural landmark at Mt. Charleston, here in Nevada for a local publication. I've been up there several times, but had to look hard to find a good shot. Then when I found one, it wasn't anything that I had initially edited. Pretty much everything was of faces. Faces along the way. Faces with the falls. And faces along the return trip. Its the human condition that I shoot, although that may be a term quite overused. Most of my portraits are not posed, but rather candid shots in the moment where the subject may or may not know I'm taking the shot.

Heads. Faces. Some people are more interesting than others and for me, that starts often with the hair and then the eyes. Hair will often get my attention, but the eyes will draw me in and then I think to myself that I need that person's head. I tend to like faces that seem to tell a story or which may make me what to know about this person. Its interesting on the things that draw me to one person over another, because this is how I see the world. I am constantly looking at people. Its like a radar. I can pass through a crowd and there might be only a few faces that bleep in my range of scope. Some ping quite strongly with me. Others may ping less strongly, but my desire to photograph their portrait is no less as strong. What can I say? I like faces.

"Every portrait that is painted with feeling is a portrait of the artist, not of the sitter."

- Oscar Wilde