“Loving Summer”

I still don’t know what’s up with this darn computer. For now, its letting me at least begin a post. I don’t know if I’ll get to finish it. I’ve had to save bits at a time in a draft version. Hopefully, I’ll get this fixed soon.

Anyhoo…

Talk about a great 4th of July. I met Felix and his wife Summer in Panguitch, Utah for a 3-day camping and photo trip. I loved the place. Felix was definitely the man on this one. I’m starting to believe Utah might be even more beautiful than Tennessee, but the jury is still out on this one. The drive, itself once you got past Cedar City was amazing. For me, this was a scouting trip slash get-a-way time. It was a very spontaneous thing that I made up in my mind to do. Felix has already half way there when I got the word Thursday afternoon, that I was off work on Friday. I decided to jump in the car and follow the next day and I do not regret that decision. I got there Friday night. This was just a 3-hour drive. I wasn’t really prepared for this trip, which is one of the downsides of spontenaity. I had no camping gear. I had no rain gear. I brought some blankets which didn’t prove to be enough. Its July, but I froze in Panguitch. The first night wasn’t so bad, as I stayed in the tent with Felix and Summer. The next night, I elected to sleep outside the tent next to the fire that I kept going all night. As it got cooler, my pillow and blankets got all wet from the newly forming dew. It was warmer to stand in my birthday suit next to the fire, than to lay so low on the ground next to it. Had I been off the ground on a cot or hammock, it would not have been so bad.

Saturday was spent primarily at Bryce Canyon which is less than a 45-minute drive from where we camped out. We got lots of great shots there, but as lovely as it is, EVERYBODY is shooting there. I still want to go back and get some more shots there with a model, but the fact that so many people have images from there make it not the prime spot for me. When Felix took me back into the seclusion of the moutains and woods, that was a bigger impact on me. I have more of a draw to those places than the high taffic areas.

Thats what we did the next day; Sunday was spent exploring around between Panguitch and Panguitch Lake area. We found a spot like a mini-Bryce that I got to scramble around on. Climbing up to the highest point proved unnerving, not because of the height, but rather due to my sudden awareness of lightening and the threat of getting poured on by the rain with my camera in the open. It was sad to have to return home and reacquaint with the real world. But at least I know more of this area and have that much more of an idea of where to take a model. I’m already trying to see about another trip in August with them.

On another subject, I need to get out and talk to some more models. I’ve been more concentrating on my group work that I’ve put off my independent work. I’d like to shoot some girls for a non-themed project. As I have on my Model Mayhem profile, I’d just like to shoot for the sake of shooting right now. I might like to do some night-time nudes, too, but I could shoot the nude anywhere right now. I have this on my profile for possible endeavors:

THREE TOP PROJECTS AND ENDEAVORS:

1.) I plan to spend the next 18 months shooting nudes in natural outdoor environments in Nevada and Utah parks, as well as places in Colorado, Arizona, and Southern Cal.

2.) During this same time period, I want to also do indoor nudes of models in THEIR natural enviornment, shooting in their homes or favorite places where they kick back and relax. I’d also like to photographically document a segment of your life in which you go about your normal routines at home.

3.) Looking for a PHOTO MUSE or two: For spontaneous shoots that have no design, concept or project plan. This is just give me the opportunity to shoot for the hell of it, to experiment, or just because I’m in the mood. This person(s) will be a shapely female, preferably with long hair, who has time on her hands and would love nothing better than to take off her clothes and have her picture taken. AND she’s got to have a great spirit and an attitude that lends itself well to the camera.

And Dave Rudin was in town again. I got to have breakfast with him at The Original Pancake House again, but that was on Friday morning and I was gone by that night. I was sad not to get to hang out with him more, but at least he got to do a shoot up in Utah. I talked to him again on Tuesday, thinking we could hook up again. While I had every intention of doing so, I was way to exhausted by the time I got off work to keep my clothes on and drive through all the traffic. I called him to wish him a safe trip to San Fran. I look forward to seeing the images of the model he shot in Utah and some more of his work when he shoots in San Fran.