You're invited to my birthday party!

I will be in Las Vegas for a workshop in April, but I'm headed in a few days early so that I can celebrate my birthday on the 3rd. I absolutely love Vegas, and not only for the strip. Carroll Shelby's museum is located at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The 24 hour city never sleeps, and I can buy liquor at 4 in the morning if I so desire. Sin City has some of the best clubs in the world, including quite a few gentleman's clubs that I like. I have a taste for Texas Hold Em, although I can't say I'm a professional at it. Who wouldn't love this city?

The workshop is on the 4th and the 5th, at a studio about five minutes from the strip. You can view the studio website HERE.  When I spoke to Bobby Deal on the phone about renting the studio, we ended up chatting for over an hour.  I have no doubt that this workshop will be extremely fun, and there will be a group of very passionate photographers attending.  If you'd like to sign up for the workshop, you can do so HERE.

If you'd like to participate in the Birthday celebration, plan on flying in early.  Thought I would post a photo that showed a little of my fun side.**giggles**  And remember, what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.  

Multiple Uses for Airplanes...

For those of you that have never discussed aeronautics with me, I have a fascination with the complexity of flight. I find air traffic control all in itself to be absolutely amazing when you consider the number of flights leaving from any given major airport each hour. At one point I actually submitted a question to the FAA via their website about how many commercial airline pilots were employed in the United States.

Aside from the organization of traffic flow at the airport, the planes themselves intrigue me. I was five years old when I first dreamed of being a pilot, and after hearing that the helicopter was the hardest aircraft to fly, it became my goal. My mother had to explain to me that most pilots, commercial and military, had excellent vision. Since I wore glasses from the age of 4 to 14, my dream had some obstacles. The United States military also had limitations on asthma and severe allergies, so my military career ended long before it started unfortunately. Still, in high school I contacted the Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology to discuss their pilot programs at length. After graduating at 16, I was eager to experience life as an “adult” before I went back to textbooks and lectures. By the time I focused my energy on my education, my passion for numbers and accounting had lead me to believe I could make a bigger impact as a tax accountant than a pilot. Learning to fly is something I will accomplish in this lifetime, however.

Since I have not yet learned how to fly and do not own a private jet, I tend to rely on Delta’s Sky Team to get me to my destination. I’m sure plenty of you have heard me ramble on about some of my recent experiences while traveling, so I’ll spare you the rants and raves. I do wonder, though, if I might have some sort of curse on the actual aircraft itself. I have had some repeat experiences lately of listening to my captain tell me the plane is not safe for take off and we must return to the gate. I have also decided to pack my carry on with an extensive search in mind from now on. I find it amusing to purposely place items in my backpack that might make a TSA employee blush.

This past weekend I packed my backpack and luggage and headed to Daytona Beach, Florida for one of Rolando’s workshops. This particular workshop was an amazing opportunity, as there were a total of 3 vintage airplanes to shoot with. Jack Watson was kind enough to open up his fantastic studio/hangar for the weekend, and provide his full attention to making sure the models and photographers had everything they needed. I had a great time shooting with the attendees, and look forward to seeing some of the shots. I’ve never had the chance to shoot with a plane before, and while I was somewhat scared to touch the vintage aircraft, I was super excited.

So my love of air travel continues, and hopefully one day I will get the opportunity to pursue my dream of becoming a pilot. Until then, I look forward to posing with them as often as possible.

Travel Plans for 2009

So far on the books for 2009, I have trips planned to Atlanta, Philadelphia, Las Vegas, San Diego, San Francisco, Chicago, Miami, Baltimore, Phoenix, and the Virgin Islands. If you are are near one of those cities and would like to schedule a shoot, send me an email! If you have another location in mind, don't hesitate to suggest it. ;)

Let's talk about horsepower...

One of my biggest pet peeves in life is when the general public assumes I know nothing about cars because I am female.  I was racing at the track before I had a driver's license.  Before I can explain my love of horsepower, perhaps I need to tell the story of how I learned to turn wrenches.  

Growing up I was a total tomboy.  I know, you're shocked to read that, considering I still am.  I played with GI Joe and Transformers long before I started up a game of house.  In the mornings before school, I would actually get up before my mother so I could watch Optimus Prime kick some Megatron ass.  My relationship with my father has it's complexities, but the majority of the time that I spent with him growing up was in our garage.  That was our quality time, so I started to take notes as I handed different tools to him, and before long I was on a creeper learning what made what work.  My love for FORD grew on a daily basis, and the Mustang soon became an obsession.  I read every magazine, book, or newspaper article I could get my hands on regarding the working man's muscle car.

I take that obsession with me to the track each time, and race like it's the last time I'll ever be behind the wheel.  My driving has changed since becoming a mother; I'm less fearless in my old age.  When challenged to a dyno test that calculated reaction time, I beat everyone in the building that day except for one 65 year old man that built his first car out of a junkyard.  I began to get paid to race, partly for the attention a pink helmet can bring to a stickered out sponsor car, partly for my reaction skills.  Of course, there were a few heated discussions on and off the pavement, but I developed a reputation that preceded my name.  After motherhood, the visits to the track were more to the spectator bleachers than the driver seat, but the knowledge and passion for motor oil lives on.

Consider that knowledge if you do ever decide to talk cars with me; I love a good debate about Ford vs. Chevy.  Nothing irritates me more than visiting a dealership and listening to the ridiculous sales pitch of a man that thinks a car needs more blinker fluid.  When I purchased Jezzebel (an 05 Roush Edition black Mustang) a few months ago, the dealer representative attempted to explain that my car's check engine light was probably just a sensor.  I then asked him if he considered the Bassani exhaust and the 6 O2 sensors, he choked on his coffee.  Then again, this is coming from an individual that couldn't tell my car had full length headers or cold air intake even after popping the hood.  Sigh...

Avoid the stereotypes, do not judge a book by it's cover, and do NOT underestimate a woman. 

Back to the Ranch Event

Check out the next BTTR event..there will be two in 2009.  The new location is to die for.  It has a ghost town with everything from an old church to a dress maker shop.  This town is so big, three groups could be shooting and never be in each other's shots.  There is a pond with paddle boats, a horse barn, a covered wagon, longhorn cattle, gigantic rocking horses, and even a mechanical bull!  I had a blast checking it out, and that was only one night.  

I believe there are still some slots in the June event, and I know there is room in the October one.  To see the website for more info, click here.   You can also see the group photo from the very first BTTR event.   

How I got started in modeling...

Modeling became an interest of mine when my youngest daughter was two months old. I had modeled a bit when I was younger (before I was able to sign my own model release), but never took it to a professional level. At the age of 23, with a newborn child to consider, modeling was never an intended career path. I went to my local Glamour Shots to purchase a holiday gift for my family, and perhaps boost my self-confidence along the way, when I was approached about my face in thousands of retail stores nationwide. Stunned, I accepted their generous offer, signed a release, and went about my way carrying a gigantic framed image of myself. (On a side note, I still can't figure out where to put that damn thing. It looks like I'm a bit self absorbed to have it hanging above the fireplace...)
I went home that night with thousands of thoughts running rampant inside my brain. Is this something I could do? Curiosity got the best of me, and I started with google the next morning. There are many networking sites for beginner models, some with honest intentions and some not. I posted the images from GS on a few and went about my business. By the time I checked my email a couple of hours later, it was completely full. I got emails from photographers that wanted to help create my book, for the low price of 1500 dollars. Being a single mother of two, those emails went directly to the trash folder. I received emails from local photographers that wanted to “manage” my modeling career. I learned many valuable lessons in those first few months, one of which was to terminate the phone call when a photographer starts discussing the ‘chemistry between a model and photographer, even if it means crossing certain boundaries that aren’t normally accepted in other professions.’ I also received emails from legitimate photographers across the United States that were willing to help me build a portfolio with professional photos. Filtering through the emails, however, was a nightmare. It seems in this industry there are numerous crooks out there to prey upon a new recruit. Whether it’s a promise to get your photos in front of top agencies or a low life scum bag trying to get you alone in a hotel room, my advice is to stay clear of anything that seems to good to be true.
A few of those photographers that helped me gain experience and knowledge of this industry became very close personal friends of mine. I have met a few of their wives, some of their children, and even a couple of mothers along the way. The more comfortable I became in front of the camera, the better the images I received after the shoot. It didn’t take me long to realize that I needed to let loose and have fun, whether it was the first time or the last time I was going to be working with a photographer. I must take a brief moment to mention Michael Weller, the most professional photographer I have ever met. I worked with Michael during his trip to San Antonio for a PPA conference, and despite snow and ice that weekend (yes I said snow and ice in San Antonio!), I worked with him twice before he was back on a plane to California. Michael never pushed me outside of my comfort level; he treated my escort and I like guests in his home. During that particular trip, he also photographed my best friend, who is a bilateral amputee due to a tragic accident, definitely in need of some photographic therapy. My friends, that is another blog post all in itself. ;) After working with Michael that first time, I felt a burst of passion for being on that side of the lens that I had never felt before.
So I suppose the rest is history! Almost four years later, I have the experience and diversity in my portfolio to call myself a professional model. Modeling is my main source of income, despite my degree in accounting. I have had the pleasure of meeting at working with some very talented individuals, models and photographers alike.

Lorelei