Thanksgiving

As we pause to give thanks (and as you fawn over that Thanksgiving dinner to the right that yours truly prepared, in addition to chicken sausage gumbo and a pot of seafood gumbo), I figured it's my time to give thanks to folks who helped ol' SunArcher along the way. If I leave your name out, send me a message and scold me there. It's 3:45 in the morning and my memory may not be the sharpest:

- The good Lord. I may not be where I want to be, but I've made it this far because of my Creator. No sense in slowing down or giving up now; to do so would be an absolute waste.

- Terrie Lynn. Mama, you've been gone for half of my life now. It may not have seemed like it at the time, but I was soaking up your intellect, charm, and hustler's ambition like a sponge. I've made missteps along the way, but I sincerely hope that I have made you proud and that you're bragging on me up there. When I see the stars of Orion, just know that it's a reminder that you, Flossie, and Big Mama are never too far away from me. I love you.

- B-Fly. We've come a long way since that stroll on the National Mall, huh? The road may not always have been smooth, but at the end of the day, you were and are there for me. Whether around the house or in the studio, thanks for putting up with my moods, indecision, confusion, and me just generally being an ass.

- The models. Nikki, Brittany, and Phillip, you were all my first. Thanks for the trust. MelissaLynnette, Meli, and Nicole, you know you're welcome at my house any time. London, you know there's some new weird Southern food waiting for you anytime you pass through. Judy, thanks for giving me a chance to shine.

- The photographers. Ransom, keep doing your thing. Thanks for giving The Kid a shot. Roger, your hospitality and knowledge are deeply appreciated and never forgotten. Sita Mae, you damn teddy bear, you owe me a hug, girl! Will, keep shockin' and awein' 'em, dude. Frank, keep it hot in New York. Ted, keep it poppin' in the DMV.

- The stylists. Simaria, you know I'm lookin' you up every time I come to Houston, right? laT, you know I owe you lunch the next time I head to DC. Sharika, keep the faith and thanks for taking my work to the next level. Lane and Jennilee, you know you got a round on me when I come down 59.

- Model Mayhem. Enough said. The characters, the professionals, the haters, the idiots, the noobs, the up-and-comers, the forum rats. Thanks for making life interesting.

- Everyone else. There are lots of people who have encountered me in various roles, positions, and assignments. Each one of you contributed in some way to who and where I am now. Though I don't have room to name all of you, just know that I am eternally grateful for your contribution and efforts. Thank you.

The timer's going off, so the gumbo is about to head to the stove. To you and yours, have a safe and happy Thanksgiving holiday, and GO GRAMBLING!

Back to the Studio...

Time for a change. So I grabbed another roll of seamless and lightened up the portfolio a little. Today's guest to the SunArcher studio was Tyler, Texas's Ariel Danielle.

Ariel was a ball of energy from the start. She came with some great outfits that contrasted against the white background, so we rolled with some ideas and hybrids, hence the pic you see here. I like to call it "FAA Regulations Require Me to Tell You to Sit Your Butt Down!"

We also shot at the State Fair of Louisiana. Man, that was a near-disaster. We lugged the battery pack and the strobe up in there, just to find out that the friggin' battery did not charge! Display showed ZERO percent capacity! Ugh, so it was on to my trusty SB-600 flash, and we salvaged an otherwise frustrating shoot. And while she munched on roasted corn, I wolfed down a funnel cake with whipped cream, a delicacy I hadn't enjoyed since Cheyenne Frontier Days in 2005.

With that said, I have one more shoot before I head on another project that will require my attention. I have several shoots I'm working on confirming at this time, so I look forward to being back in the saddle soon!

Change.

I don't know what to think. To say. To do.

Somewhere in heaven, four little girls from Birmingham are probably crying their little eyes out. My friend says they are "playing ring-around-the-rosey with MLK."

Some say this country will be divided now because of America's choice. And they are right. Those who will not reach across the aisle. Those who put ideology ahead of country. Those who simply will not admit openly and plainly that they would not vote for a black man or for someone with a funny name. Whatever the reason, as much as this country needs to come together, there will simply be some who will leave the sandbox because someone new has arrived. And you know what? Screw 'em. Get out of the way and let new ideas and people shine.

It's time. Time to talk. Time to heal. Time to move forward. Time to have a consensus. We don't have to agree. Let's just start with a consensus. We have our marching orders. Time to show and prove.

Barack, Michelle, Malia Ann, and Natasha, celebrate. You all earned it. I'm proud of you all. Those who voted for Pres.-elect Obama are proud of you all. And a lot of countries around the world and their citizens are proud of you all.

Change. Enough said.

Sometimes You Just Wanna Shoot!

I'm getting my mojo back. After a bit of mental focus, it's time to get the creative juices flowing again.

To the left is Valencia. We met in a Sephora. I liked her hair. No lie, I shot her mainly because I liked her hair. Yeah yeah, her hair isn't really visible in the photo here, but I think we got some good shots out of it. Who knows, maybe you'll see her on Model Mayhem one day!

With that said, I'm looking to do some more test shoots. Gotta add to the portfolio. Basically, it's time for new things. It's time to add different looks and models to the port. With that said, if you can add something different to my book, let's see it. If you're of a different race, if you're tall and meet fashion spec, if you're tattooed, or otherwise can add something to my site or book, I want to see it! Who knows, maybe a test shoot will come out of it...