by photoanthems | Sep 4, 2007 | Blog
So this is me, hiking the Narrows at Zion National Park on Labor Day weekend. The place was quite crowded until you hiked farther and farther into the Narrows. This is a section of the Virgin River which has carved its way deep into the canyon walls. The website says the hike is 60% in water. Don’t believe it. I was easily in the water 93.7% of the time. Which wasn’t bad at all if you like walking on bowling balls size rocks…and actually, I do. Well, maybe not for as long as I was in it for. You can easily roll an ankle.
The place is abosolutely beautiful. Beautiful is actually an understatement. You are awe-struck by the sheer magnitude of the canyon walls and are amazed at the power of the water to create such a gorge out of the earth and rock.
The purpose of this trip was a scouting expedition. I wanted to visit more areas that I know I want to shoot in. Zion is full of possible locales. Its going to take me a while to check out all the places I want to see. Emerald Pools, has 3 different trails and I want to do some at Angel’s Landing. The Narrows takes priority. I can basically do the other trails anytime, but to do the Narrows, my model is going to have to get wet and thats not the best thing to do when it gets cold. I can handle one or the other, but I hate being cold and wet at the same time. I get flashbacks to my Army days.
I got to meet several people including two who want to consider modeling for me. I also met some new friends from Romania, Bogdan and his wife Irina (spelling may be off). We got to hang out for the last quarter of the hike and even afterwards, we did another mile hike at the canyon overlook. I did it barefoot because my boots had worn sores on my achilles tendons. It wasnt so bad. All in all, I got to see where I wanted to bring a model and place her. The trick is going to be in finding someone willing to drive out 2 hours away and then walk against the current and over huge rocks. Old women and kids were out doing it over this weekend, so its really not that bad, but we’d have to go deep enough into the Narrows as to avoid the public. Doing it during the week may help with that. I didnt do the whole thing which is 16 miles at an estimated 10-14 hours. I am not sure how far I did but I hiked for 5 hours. Any takers?
by photoanthems | Sep 3, 2007 | Blog
I’m not even going to elaborate on this. The post speaks for itself. I’ve commented before on her ability to effectively relay thoughts and this is a strong one that sounds as if it carries passion that was motivated by something or someone.
So just read Iris Dassault’s blog posting on 31 Aug for “An Obvious Indiscretion“.
And of course, this is her blog link: Iris Dassault Blog.
Again, I fully recommend anyone who has or might consider modeling for me to frequently research Iris’ site, her blog, as well as her work.
Terrell
by photoanthems | Sep 2, 2007 | Blog
I finally got these images edited. Sorry it took so long. This is another shoot in the Valley of Fire in Nevada. Natalie was a superb model for her first time out. This was an early morning shoot but we had to start wrapping things up by 8:30am. The heat was just like an oven even that early in the morning. We started out just before the 6 am sunrise. By nine or so we were on the road back. I can tell you for sure, Natalie is a real trooper. I am still getting used to shooting in the desert heat with the harsh morning sun. Several shots had the highlights blown out, but I was able to save many of them. If anyone has some tips on shooting in these conditions, make a comment. When I do it again, I will try it with a neutral density filter on my lens to see how that might make some adjustments. I may need to simply wait til the seasons are more favorable for photography out there. I still want to do one more shoot here with a model of a different body type.
It was a great pleasure to shoot Natalie. As always things started slow, as it normally does when I shoot a new model. This was more of a free for all session. I didnt have a specific concept in mind. Natalie gave me the idea when she made a suggestion about doing our second interview. Normally, I will interview twice before a shoot. In this case, our schedules simply didn’t allow this so for the sake of time, we just went for it to see what we could get. When we got further into the shoot and ideas began to flow, I found myself already making plans for another shoot with her since I knew our remaining time was getting short. As I mentioned in a previous post, many photogs will not or at least prefer not to shoot models with tattoos. Natalie has several prominent tats, most notably the one around her neck. I love it and plan on another shoot which uses her tats as my central theme. Natalie has several attributes that make me want to shoot her again. One is her great attitude. She came willing to work and was open to trying anything. It was great fun. You can visit my website for more images of Natalie.
by photoanthems | Aug 29, 2007 | Blog
It seems like I keep talking about Chris’ Blog, Univers d’Artistes. Well I didn’t have an intent to post today, but I read the interview for photog Andrew Kaiser of Absolute Reality Studios (posted 28 August), and could most certainly identify with his sentiments when he wasn’t shooting:
“If I go more then three days without doing a photo shoot I normally become a very irritable person. My friends laugh at me about this all the time. I love shooting pictures more then anything else. It can be as relaxing as a trip to a day spa, and as exciting as a rollercoaster. I have a very hard time imagining what my life would be like without it.”
When I am shooting, I feel like I am right where I belong. When I am not shooting, I am thinking about shooting. I was talking with one of my models just yesterday. I noticed I had a propensity to direct the conversation toward something dealing with photo. I made a deliberate point to change the topic so as not to dominate the dialogue with photography. It didn’t work. I asked her about her trip to LA. She spoke briefly on it, and I was already commenting about how I’d like to do a shoot where she had visited. I realized my fault and apologized. She was gracious enough to make me feel better by claiming that she, in fact, was also going to mention to me about shooting there. Maybe it was the truth or maybe she was being nice. My point remains; I readily identify with Andrew Kaiser’s sentiments. Its like a drug and I am waiting for my next fix. Is this a bad thing? Who’s to say. I just need to shoot, that’s all.
by photoanthems | Aug 27, 2007 | Blog
I mentioned some goals I had in the interview with Chris on his blog Univers d’Artistes. It detailed visiting some of the most notable landscapes in Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and Colorado. My goal is to complete shooting in several of the National Parks and other places of interest that appeal to me. I have started this endeavor with the closest locations, beginning with Valley of Fire in Nevada since its less than 50 miles from me.
I have learned that this is a difficult place to shoot during the summer. I have photographed here before, but it was in March of 2006. The summer temperatures are exceedingly hot, but what else would anyone expect in a desert. My main issue was the intensity of the sun at so early in the morning. Sunrise is at 6. By 8am, I had to consider concluding the session out of concern for my model’s pale skin. (I’ve always hated the end of a shoot). Coming from Tennessee and Kentucky, I am not used to the harsh lighting so early in the morning. As soon as it crests the horizon, its almost unbearable. I may limit my time to sunsets but by the time it cools off you are losing your light.
I just did this shoot with a new model, whom I met randomly while shopping. She had an interesting tattoo around her neck and her expressive nature caught my attention. We had a difficult time arranging schedules so the shoot took some time to coordinate. I did not have any particular goal for this shoot. It was more of an introductory session but I’d like to work with her some more with a specific objective in mind. Many photogs dont want to work with models with tattoos. Thats not me. I’ll do them with gladness and would like to conduct a special project showcasing models with interesting tattoos. I’ll have these images posted to a new gallery on my website by the end of the week, so be sure to check it out. Feedback is always appreciated.
I will go through these latest images over the next week to edit before I post anymore of them. Anyone who knows of beautiful and interesting places to shoot in the states I mentioned should comment on this post. At present, I want to do one more shoot in the Valley of Fire using a model of a slightly different shape. I have done both the small petite as well as someone tall. I’d like to bring in someone of a voluptuous shape that will work well with the surrounding rocks. Next, I plan on working Zion National Park including the Narrows which was suggested, even though the site says 60% of it is hiking through water. So I will be searching out a model who doesn’t mind camping out over a weekend.
by photoanthems | Aug 25, 2007 | Blog
First things first…I made a promise to talk about how I find models, what I look for in models, and what photographers I identify with. In finding your models, I think two important elements have brought me success. The first is confidence. “Ask for what you want and get what you can” is a phrase I first picked up in the military. I am not afraid to ask a girl or woman to model for me. If I feel there is distinct characteristic that she possesses which will work well in a project I am working on, I ask. All she can say is no. Asking is not illegal nor is it for the feint of heart. When I ask a model to pose, just out of the blue, I am serious about it and it comes across that way. They know I am not joking, but rather that I exude a certain professionalism about it. Have something to show them, (a card, a portfolio, a website) that you are professional. Many feel flattered that I ask as long as they don’t take me for a perv. In other situations, I can develop a connection first and then raise the topic. There is much that can be said on this subject.
The second thing is knowing who to ask. You increase your chances of success if you don’t go up to the preacher’s wife in the middle of service Sunday morning and drop the question. You odds of success dramatically decrease. You can, however develop a knack for determining women who have an air of confidence about themselves by the nature of their dress, their conversation, or their overall style. Timing is important. I dont stop someone while they are on their way to their car at night in a Wal-Mart parking lot. I also don’t ask if I can clearly see she is busy, frustrated, or otherwise in ill-comfort. Get to know women a little bit and one of the best services you can do for yourself is to not ask me this question. Ask a woman. Ask a few women. Ask them, if you (hypothetically), wanted to ask another woman to pose, what would make them feel comfortable to answer you. Go to an university art department and ask someone who is already a model on how to approach women. Personally, I am a black man, yet I have the most problems getting a black woman to do this no matter what I do. Asian women and women who are pregnant are also challenges for me.
As for models I prefer, I dont really have a particular one thing. I have photographed large women as well as sub-one hundred pounders. I have shot from the ages of 18 to 55. I guess the element most important to me is what’s on the inside of the model, moreso than without. I hope she is a giving person who lends to the experience by possessing a great attitude and a willingness to take a vested interest in what I am doing. When I have that, I can usually make magic.
I have recently had a GIGANTIC spike in visitor comments to my site and blog, due to my letter to Domai. Let me say thank you all for your kind words and constructive criticisms. I will get back with each of you who requested so over the next week.
by photoanthems | Aug 24, 2007 | Blog
Guess what, Eolake Stobblehouse of
Domai.com just featured my letter of the week on his site. I wrote it a few weeks ago about my first experience with open nudity. Its called “
A Soldier’s Story” and it details my moment of understanding, an epiphany if you will, of the difference between sex and nudity. I think its a good story and you should check it out.
A whole lot of people must genuinely like the model posted with this entry (and the last two). She now has 8 of the top 12 images on my website! She’s a very special person whom I am glad to have became friends with. I had known her more than a year before we finally did this shoot together just before I came to Las Vegas. As a matter of fact, it was requested today that I submit a photo shoot of her to Domai.com which is a complement not to be taken lightly. Does anyone else feel the same about that?
I have to keep this entry short. I promise to get to the model questions tomorrow or the next day at the latest. Its getting late for me and I still have much more work before bed. So check out more of this beautiful girl on my website @
http://www.tlneasley.com/.
by photoanthems | Aug 22, 2007 | Blog
I figure I must be doing something good. I really appreciate all the traffic, comments, and questions about my site and blog. I’ve received exposure from Art Nudes, Univers d’Artistes, Iris Dassault, and now afuckaday. Yeah, afuckaday…don’t trip. There’s no sex on this site, its just more quality work by someone who appreciates promoting other photographers, models and note-worthy blogs. This site belongs to rob, whom I contacted about showcasing my work. From my recent success, I have been looking to do the same with more sites like his. I try to collaborate with other blogs and sites of interest that I feel is consistent with what I do and presents a quality standard that I can appreciate and respect. Its been a great way to let more people see my artwork and I in turn also will let my readers and viewers know about their work. I am always happy to return a favor.
I also plan on addressing some questions that have been asked of me in my next few entries. I have noticed some
photogs do a FAQ page on their sites such as this excellent one by
Looknsee’s FAQ. That may be a best practice that I try to emulate later on, but for now, I think I will just take on repetitive individual questions and see how it goes. Mainly I have been getting questions referring to how I get my models, what kind of model I prefer and other photography works I identify with. Some questions about commissions and model experience, I can answer easily enough, but I mainly refer them to
my website which already has those answers. Rest assured, I will post a blog entry to address the modeling questions soon.
In the meantime, you can also get some good information from my list of links and resources. Visit my site and check back on my blog for updates. I appreciate
everyone’s interest in my work and I thank you for the comments. As always, feel free to contact me about questions you may have regarding my work, about me, or to debate whether or not
Dark Matter truly exists. I saw that on the Discovery Channel the other day. It was really interesting…. really, it was!
by photoanthems | Aug 21, 2007 | Blog
Its taken me an extra day to get this blog entry done, but I want to direct your attention to this blog: Univers d’Artistes, run by Chris out of France, who noticed my work when my site was featured on Art Nudes Blog by Michael Barnes about a month ago on July 25th. Chris made a nice comment about my work on his site. I contacted him and through this exchange he also featured my site on his blog along with a full interveiw. If you view his blog, you’ll see a collection of work that you will indeed want to take an interest in. So let me take a moment to thank Chris for this site feature AND for selecting such incredible work to highlight and promote. That’s by no means a boast on my part. I speak directly to the other aritstic photowork that is sure to grab your attention and make you spend some time in observation. In addition to that you can spend a moment coursing through the margins and checking out the plethora of link resources that he has added for your benefit. The man deserves our applause!
Secondly, while I am dispensing praise, I also want to appreciate someone who works on the opposite end of the lens, and that’s model
Iris Dassault. You can check out her website with the previous link, but here is
her blog as well. Iris recently added me to her list of reputable blogs links, which was a pleasant surprise. I have never worked with Iris, nor have I met her. We had a brief exchange of emails at one point and that was it. The reason I have her as a link on my blog is because of the insight she gives from the model’s perspective. She has done work with several great photographers such as
Dave Rudin and
Jim Young . She is beautiful from the inside and out. I can say that even though I have never met her because her words qualify that beauty from within. Check out her blog and you will see the facts that I am referencing. I like what she has to say and can fully respect and admire
her choice to model less often with only a select few photographers even though she could easily choose to make more money from the demand for her services. You have to respect that. You’ve just got to. This is why I now refer potential models to her blog and website so they might have a good idea from an experienced model’s perspective on how this is done and what is truly important. If you have not visited her site…stop what you are doing right now and click the links! So thanks again, Iris.
I have included a couple of images done this past May with a lovely model in the woods of
Land Between the Lakes and surrounding areas of Kentucky. You will be seeing more of her on my next few posts. Enjoy!
by photoanthems | Aug 19, 2007 | Blog
I am still getting aquainted with the sites of Las Vegas. For the most part, I know the place well, in terms of getting where I need to go, but not for locations to shoot. Thats still a trying task for me. I’d prefer someplace nearby for right now since I like to scout out my locations before I actually do a shoot there. From what I am hearing from several people is that I need to get out of the city to get what I am looking for. I have been out to Valley of Fire several times now and truthfully, I can’t get enough of it. That place is just gorgeous. Its crossed my mind to do several sessions out there with different models. I can just shoot in different locations within the park. After a while I know it starts to look the same, but I believe working with different models can still give it a twist of uniqueness.
It was also suggested yesterday to check out Zion National Park. Now I have been to Zion, but my trip wasnt all that long and I didn’t get to do the hiking trails I wanted. I have been told to hike the Narrows, which is supposed to be really nice. I understand that a portion of it is through water thats anywhere from 2 to 4 foot deep. Don’t know if that’s true or if it depends on the seasons but its certainly worth checking out. My issue is that I have to drive out almost 3 hours to see it before I shoot it. I may just go out to hike it and come back with a model. I’d like to go with a fresh face, but a first time model may not want to go that far out with someone they just met which means camping out is also out of the question. Decisions…decisions…
Well, I will get it done at some point. My thoughts are to hike it, come back, shoot a new model at Valley of Fire, and then depending on how it goes, discuss a trip out to Zion. I have heard Spring Valley Ranch should be nice as well. I’d appreciate some suggestions if you got’em. I have included 3 pics of a Colorado adventure in this post. This girl freaked me out when she climbed out over a cliff that had a drop of at least 300 feet. There was a 3 foot long triangular shaped flat rock that extended from the cliff about 10 feet down. I made her come back up and then climbed down there myself to test it out before I agreed to shoot her there. The LAST thing this black guy needed was a naked white girl at the bottom of a cliff in a area where I got to see only one other black person the who week I stayed there. We were all over the Black Canyon near Gunnison, CO. I only planned on stopping overnight. I ended up staying there a week and shooting 4 different models. Loved it. Isn’t that an intersting tree?
So this is me, hiking the Narrows at Zion National Park on Labor Day weekend. The place was quite crowded until you hiked farther and farther into the Narrows. This is a section of the Virgin River which has carved its way deep into the canyon walls. The website says the hike is 60% in water. Don’t believe it. I was easily in the water 93.7% of the time. Which wasn’t bad at all if you like walking on bowling balls size rocks…and actually, I do. Well, maybe not for as long as I was in it for. You can easily roll an ankle. 
The purpose of this trip was a scouting expedition. I wanted to visit more areas that I know I want to shoot in. Zion is full of possible locales. Its going to take me a while to check out all the places I want to see. Emerald Pools, has 3 different trails and I want to do some at Angel’s Landing. The Narrows takes priority. I can basically do the other trails anytime, but to do the Narrows, my model is going to have to get wet and thats not the best thing to do when it gets cold. I can handle one or the other, but I hate being cold and wet at the same time. I get flashbacks to my Army days. 
