CA and L

***As of right now, I'm not doing any TFP work. I'm getting some work in the music business and other venues so fashion and glamour have to take a back seat right now. Most of you are some really talented models that I would have enjoyed working with, but time is in short supply right now. Please feel free to check with me if you want to shoot, but please don't be offended if I just don't have time. Thanks, and good luck to you all!***                                       

After working as a photojournalist for years I am wanting to expand my horizons quite a bit and get into more artistic work as well as do more commercial work. Both of those ventures will require me to work with people and make them look good. As a photojournalist I just photographed what was there. Commercial and artistic photography present many different challenges which I am finding very rewarding and exciting, renewing my love for being behind the camera.

I am still honing my craft and do not claim to be some great guru. However, I am improving every day and I think that I can do much better than what is in my portfolio. I want to produce photos that evoke an emotional and visceral response from the viewer. I think that art should be more than pretty, viewing art should be an experience that one remembers.

I have no interest in getting models to disrobe in front of a backdrop and calling it 'art' to get some cheap thrills. I'm not looking for a girlfriend, tryst, or any kind of hookup. I have no ulterior motives whatsoever. I want to become a great photographer. I love the challenge of making a name for myself in this highly competitive field, especially when there are so many great photographers out there. I'm still finding my way, but I'm still trudging along.

Here's the way I work:

1. I don't want to produce a series of snapshots. I am looking for just a few GREAT photographs rather than a bunch of OK ones. Look at it this way; when the big dogs on 5th Avenue do a photoshoot for Guess jeans, they spend hours and even days to get ONE image for an ad. They might produce 5,000 images but only a few will even make the final cut. I have found that being that picky and anal is what it takes to make a great image.

2. I include the model in the planning process. Capturing a great image seems to be much easier when the model has input on the creative side of the shoot. I have found that even models can have insecurities in their self-image and if I am not sensitive to that we might spend a lot of time shooting outside a model's comfort zone, wasting a lot of time. There's no need for that. Let's collaborate and come up with a plan that you are comfortable with so that you can actually enjoy the shoot and be proud of what we create together.

3. I don't mind escorts as long as they don't bring negative energy to the process. I realize that in today's world people have to protect themselves and I encourage you to do so also. I'm harmless, but I'm still a stranger to most of you so don't worry about offending me if you bring someone along for safety's sake. Like I said, I'm not looking for anything but great photos. As long as they don't interfere with that process, I'm glad to have them there because it usually makes a model feel more at ease and that shows in the finished product. Just don't bring someone that you are nervous around or afraid to act goofy with.

4. If we do TFCD or TFP, please remember that I am pretty anal about the quality of my work. You should be about yours also. After we shoot, we'll sit down and look at the photos and try to get an idea of which ones we will work with. I don't want to burn a copy of every photo, nor should you. I like to delete all of the crap so that there will not be some mediocre or lousy photos of you that I took floating around cyberspace. Like I said earlier, we're going for just a few GREAT images.

5. It should be fun. Life is short enough without wasting a bunch of it doing things we don't enjoy. I have a dry sense of humor that a lot of people don't get at first. So if I say something that makes you mad either one of two things is probably true: Either I goofed up what I was trying to say or I'm making a joke. I never try to hurt anyone's feelings with underhanded comments. I do like to kid around and act like a fool.

I'm looking forward to working with many of you. Please check out my website (the link is at the top of the page) for more of my work. All of it is from the past six months. My contact info is there as well as more information about me and what I do. Also, check out the links. They are all either clients, friends, or colleagues.

I highly recommend these models if you are looking for reliable ladies who are total professionals who can get the job done. And they are all a hoot to work with.

http://www.modelmayhem.com/jenilu http://www.modelmayhem.com/EllieMay08
http://www.modelmayhem.com/1281755