My Very Own "Next Top Model"

Some photography subjects are tougher than others. Especially if you're relatively new to the game like I was a few years ago. Having acquired my first Canon DSLR, I set out to focus on landscape photography because it was a good place to learn the camera and hone my skills. Besides, subjects in landscapes rarely become impatient, annoyed, or bored while the photographer works at getting the shot just right!

It wasn't long before my interests turned to shooting people . . . umm . . . with a camera that is! My wife, Carmee's magazine photo session with Nashville celebrity photographer, Dean Dixon helped to seal the deal. What followed was the purchase of some studio lighting gear from the awesome folks at Alien Bees and I was on my way. Remember what I said earlier about landscape subjects? What I quickly found out was that Carmee had apparently used up most of her patience for photographers in that single "15 minutes of fame" shoot with Dean. This left me needing to corral another photographic "guinea pig" to fill the void. Enter, my daughter, Ashley.

Like many kids, all through her childhood years, Ashley had always been eager to be in front of the camera. Smiling and posing were as natural to her as breathing. I figured I had it made. Needless to say, I figured wrong! Somehow when kids hit the post high school years the opportunity to be in front of the camera changes from a smiling face to one that clearly says "You can't be serious"! It took quite a bit of coaxing before my U of L educated, Fine Art degree holding, baby girl would step back in front of the camera. As I said earlier, some photography subjects are tougher than others. But this one has always been worth the effort. She definitely hasn't lost her touch or her hold on her Daddy's heart strings.




Additional images can be found in my Model Mayhem portfolio at http://www.modelmayhem.com/pics.php?id=445641