Married to a Model

It's tough being married to a model. They're always traveling. Your model/spouse always has dozens of people swarming all over them, inviting them to parties, shows, events and so on. They're seen changing in front of strangers, people they barely know - people adjusting and repairing wardrobe malfunctions. It's also not great having the feeling that some stranger on the other side of the city or the world knows what colors are best on her than you do. It takes a very secure person to be married to a model. Yet, the way to survive it is easier than you know. 

Despite often wondering when your super in-demand model/spouse is gonna give it up, you (the lonely at-home one) soon realizes how much your model/spouse loves it. You know that if you ask her to give it up and stay home, she'll likely hate you for it later; not now and maybe not next year but at some point it's likely gonna be some friction about it. You know it's best to let her come round on her on without any pressure from you. You may haven't realized it yet but modeling for her is in her blood. It's not a fanciful pastime. It's a passion. Once a model. Always a model. It's not switch that can be turned off which is why it's so difficult for her to stop. Despite her doing so for years, if she's honest with you and herself she doesn't want to stop; not ever. 

It's not her fault. She's good at it and she loves it. Don't feel bad. You're paranoid about her being alone or finding that her glamorous life will soon find you boring her to death when she finally makes it home for a minute. 

It's okay to feel a little threatened. She's around other beautiful people male and female everyday all day; people telling her night and day how perfect she is, people giving her gifts and exotic trips and spoiling her with affection in fancy bars, clubs, villas and cafes the world over. You're at home likely changing a pamper wondering who might be pawing on her next, or you're at a soccer game cheering your pre-teen on in a sole voice of familial support.

Do you know where she is? Well after all the dancing, seasoning engagements, video recordings and posing is over and the lights are out and there are no more catwalks to be walked today, she's in some quiet hotel room thinking about you and how she can't wait to get back home. You're her rock. You're her support. You're a steadfast pillar to lean on and that consistent strength that allows her to do what she loves with vigor. That's why she's so good. That's why designers, stylists and photographers want her so. Your support gives her even more zeal to excel. The strangers don't know where her aura, confidence, talent and strength comes from. It comes from you - her foundation and the one she will always come home to. The one she loves and gives her unswerving loyalty. 

So the next gig that comes along don't scowl, don't fret or whimper. If she wants to pass on it let her make her own decisions. Instead offer her your support. Help her book the fare. Help her choose a bag for her pumps despite your color blindness and lack of fashion sense because when she's half a world away in a dressing room she'll be thinking about how bad you are with colors and laugh at your sad sense of style. She'll giggle about your thinking that gray is good with everything. She's thinking about how much you support her and then she'll get on her next catwalk or photo shoot and kill it. 

If you're truly supportive you'll see it in her face when she meets you at the terminal gates. You'll see how grateful she is that you're there smiling again with your pre-teen future soccer star; exactly where she thought you two would be. She'll be happy that life is truly beautiful because she loves what she does but she loves that you love her enough to let her.  

InstaDamn or Instagram?

I know what I am. I am an antiquity. I'm the last hold-out from a bygone era of dusty old principles; principles that are slipping away into obscurity and short on digital relevance. Nearly everyone I know has joined Instagram. I fully support and respect the reasons that they do so for THEM. But I'm still holding out for something better. Those icky Terms of Service are still terrible and carry a stench of foul but subtle manipulation that preys upon the wishful thinking of it's would-be users.

Let us first briefly state what social media is. Social media is about those who see and those that want to be seen. It's about finding and sharing new ideas. It's about discovery, opportunity and connection to other people, other places and things. But it is also a he-said she-said environment. It can be petty and cruel. It can be used to bully, prod and poke. It can be used to incite fear and divisiveness. It's also a medium for the trivial and pointless driveling rantings of the would-be obscure. It's a sanctuary for discourse compressed down to snapshots selfies and what has become barely a semblance of language edited and shortened for mass consumption in the briefest time. We're a society on the move. No one reads anymore. Nearly no one retains information, have conversations of philosophy over the nuances of life or the human condition. But unlike other avenues of connection in the past, social media did not fulfill a need. Social media created a need. A need for instant gratification for a society overrun with millions of distractions seemingly per second,  a short attention span and even shorter memories.

Yet, all is not in despair. While I may paint a world destined for a dystopian future of mindless beings, social media has created opportunities. It has provided a means for connectiveness to people and things that may have otherwise never crossed paths. Millions of business dealings have grown from social media. Businesses market and promote thru social media but no longer because they want to but more-so because they need to. It is quite frankly where people are and where they commune. But the details of that is for another post. This is about Instagram within the context of Social Media at large and why I feel like the last hope for mankind's sanity as I hold out indoctrination into the herd.

About four years ago Instagram was hit with what appeared to be a PR nightmare. I'm paraphrasing here so feel free to correct me. They modified their Terms of Service that essentially implied that any and all Content could be used for advertising by them and that you are agreeing that you have full uncontested rights to the Content and if it should be that you do not have such rights then all legal responsibility for such use by THEM falls back on you. Basically anything you uploaded was theirs to the extent they could market, promote, distribute, possibly sell or pretty much do anything with your own Content as a condition of using their app and if they are sued due to your misrepresentation of that fact then you would be liable. But in turn, you cannot and will not use any such Content created by them. People were outraged that a company would basically take your Content and use it commercially without any consideration to you. Or is there consideration? Of course. Read on.

Wait a moment! Don't you have to agree to the Terms of Service before using the app? It is your choice to simply say NO correct? That is correct. The consideration they're offering is use of their service. Yet, the social media community was outraged as was I, even though I had and still do not have intention of using the service. It was the blatant callousness of their claim to Content that doesn't belong to them that irked me. That were asking for people to agree to give them use of my work without anything further than an app use? I couldn't fathom that. Why would I do that? It doesn't even make sense I thought? Millions of people apparently don't feel that way. They'll give away anything for the promise of consecutiveness. I had no idea people felt that hopeless and alone. However, I was outraged over the 'feigned' anger from the general public as well. People could simply say No and move on to an alternative service. I did. But they had much rather bitch and moan; cry and plead for what they perceived as a lack of options as if Instagram was some kind of public utility necessary for social, economical and financial welfare of humankind. I was sickened by people's naïveté.

As someone that creates and/or works with video, photo and web media each day, I am both intrigued and disgusted how Instagram placated the masses with a dumbed down version of the same Terms of Service language. Sure they tweaked it. They sought to soften the blow of their Terms of Service. It was as if they took out the well written legalese and simplified it to the dumbed down vernacular of social media from which it came. Remember I'm paraphrasing here but put simply, they nearly said the exact same thing as the original language; at least in areas that are relevant such as use of Content. You are still responsible for any legal problems they incur for use of Content you upload that may not have been yours. No problem for me because I am a Content creator. But Instagram can use your Content without any costs to them. As part of agreeing to the terms of service, you have to accept that ALL CONTENT is owned by you and that you have rights to license the Content for use by them. Now what does that mean? It means you have to own copyright to what you upload or be legally responsible for such upload in every conceivable way. No picture I have ever taken to date has me willfully licensing it for use by a third party without my written consent with consideration. So how is it that Instagram can ask someone I have photographed to give away and license Content for use that does not belong to them? They just do. They don't care because their Terms absolves them of any wrongdoing. It puts app users at legal odds with the original Content creators they take images from. Yet, Instagram washes their hands of it and puts all blame on the user - the user of their service. It's a brilliant strategy by Instagram. Yet, it is a silly and even irresponsible strategy to even use the service by someone that is not the original creator of the Content.

If I create a photograph, upload it to Instagram, run through or choosing to bypass their icky and terrible photo filters and then on the off-chance they use it in an ad promoting themselves (or affiliate) on a huge billboard or television ad, then I'm the idiot for using their app and not getting paid for that use despite my Owning the Content. I would never willingly assign those rights without some consideration. Now let's say a person uploads a photograph taken or created by a photographer (me). Chances are the uploading person DOES NOT own and cannot license that Content to someone legally. If by some chance I decide to sue Instagram for Copyright Infringement, Instagram would have the person who did the upload bear the brunt of legal fees - as they should (according to their terms). If you're an Instagram user then that is what you signed on for. What if Instagram uses the images in a manner that violates our Model Release/Image Use agreement that you signed? Ever thought of that? That means you, (the app user) are liable. Not Instagram.

Why would I care if Instagram uses my Content, that I own for commercial purposes and make money from it? Because it is mine and to use and promote how "I" see fit. I cannot and will not GIVE that away. My Content has marketing value to me. It has marketing value to the people I photograph and create it for but by any extension I would not GIVE that value away nor assign it to be given away. I've read all the arguments as to why I should be using Instagram to promote myself. I've heard it from some of the leading photographers in the Industry. The problem is, is that they ARE photographers and the Content we upload IS OURS to do with as we please. I know and acknowledge why a model would do so. They need an avenue to promote themselves for contacts and maximum exposure. But there in lies the problem. It is seldom if ever the model's CONTENT to upload. They do not Own the Content in most cases. Yet, some photographers allow such upload on services like Instagram as a condition. But as you have now been able to deduce, doing so creates a potentially serious legal Conflict of Interest between the person uploading (model), the photographer and Instagram. Who is liable? Instagram says they're not. The photographer will cry Copyright Infringement because they did not expect to see their image on a commercial they did not get paid for. Or they'll see an image of theirs horribly edited or modified from it's original pristine version. Who is left in the middle? Everyone and no-one. Instagram will have the most lawyers, the model will be left broke trying to defend against Instagram and the photographer will walk away pissed off and likely tied up in a court case that may possibly go nowhere. Everyone but Instagram will be broke as a result. But the photographer does have some recourse under Title 17 Copyright Law and Content Registration which may allow the collection of legal and court fees. But guess where that costs will come from? You guessed it. More than likely the person using the app because they are the ones that claimed to Own the Content that was used.

This is a rare and improbable scenario. However, it is being highlighted here to emphasize how a Terms of Service agreement from an app runs contrary to established legal Copyright Law regarding Content use and Ownership.

So my conclusion - Instagram just isn't worth it for me. On the off chance of some kind of grand exposure that will propel my business to the next level that would make me want to give away Content on that level..? I think NOT! That's the kind of vanity that gets people used. Sure I'll still own the Content as Instagram professes. But I ask, why would I even care about Owning the Content if I cannot control when, how, where and to what extent it is used? That negates the benefit of ownership and that is where Instagram's Terms of Service is both ingenious from their own business perspective as well as extremely dangerous. They have successfully exploited a strong characteristic of human behavior; that need to be seen, to want to be loved and adored, to be popular, wealthy and have a huge fan following and in a sense they have it so we will even consider giving away some of our most prized Creations just to be relevant in a world dominated with digital noise and clutter.

Not for me; Not Yet and certainly Not today.

What to Expect on a Pre-Shoot Meet-up

Every photographer, stylists or designer might be a little different. But in the hope of fostering a smooth operation we thought that we might share what things are covered in the typical pre-Photoshoot meet-up. 

Not to say that all meet ups are the same. In fact, even ours will vary depending on the intended project or objective. If we're meeting someone for the very first time without any creative preamble then the meet-up is likely just to get to know each other creatively and to understand what each of us wants from the creative collaboration. If it's someone we know well and have worked with a time or two then chances are we're just discussing the details of a shared idea or group of ideas we'd like to pursue. Additionally it may be that we're meeting a makeup artist or a hair stylist or even a designer for the first time. The conversation will be different for each of them.

But when it comes to models, many if not most of the the meet-ups are the same. The items discussed include but are not limited to:

1. Setting and understanding image use rules 

2. Copyright Law

3. Nudity vs non-nudity, implied

4. Area of interests - fashion, beauty, lingerie, glamour, swimwear, cosplay, etc.

5. Limitations - schedule, availability, escorts vs non-escorts, body shame issues, level of comfort, what is deemed a non-starter, look limits, what can you do and what can't you do vs what you're best suited for. 

6. Compensation (if applicable)

7. Establishing and setting expectations (punctuality, time of shoot, showing up prepared and what that means, handling cancellations and reschedules, MUAHs, stylists and designer benchmarks).

8. Review or referencing current portolfio(s) (wants & needs)

9. Idea sharing and establishing baseline creative guidelines (if applicable); look books, mood boards 

10. Pre Photo shoot prep

11. How to handle submissions.

12. Post shoot editing and turnaround time estimates.

13. Publishing rules (if applicable) 

14. Model release review.

15. Get fitted for clothing or looks, (measurements) if applicable. 

At first glance, it seems to be an intensive meet-up outline but the actual meet itself is quite casual and in most cases they've been a lot of fun and more so than not they are conversational and laid back. Besides, who doesn't like talking creative over drinks, coffee, lunch or whatever he case may be? 

Doing a prospect meet-up is by far the most effective way to get the best images and have a great creative relationship post project. Models I've met with first perform at a much higher level than those I had never met prior. We suspect we do as well. Performing better usually equates to more images and/or higher quality images. Additionally, getting to know someone beforehand is great for establishing a level of comfort. Comfort and confidence is paramount to getting those believable captures. Those first few minutes, hours or looks are always a bit awkward even for the most seasoned professionals. Therefore having already met your creative partners will set the proper tone immediately. 

If too much time elapses prior to a project, a second meet-up might be a great idea if it's reasonably accommodated by all participates. When meets go as planned, no one will be in shock on how the shoot will go, be in the dark on what will happen on the shoot or who will be bringing what or why. Nor is anyone ever bitter about what they received or didn't receive. It's a perfect arrangement. 

On occasion it bodes well to meet up with someone we've (or I've) worked with before simply to discuss a unique idea or just to have an idea swap or refresher on what's next. Generally it's not a must unless the idea or project being considered is more involved or may require multiple participants or resources to execute. I also doesn't matter if the project is a paid assignment or not. I'd prefer it all the same. 

Now these sessions aren't always absolutely carved in stone kind of necessary. But for us they've become nearly a requirement for new talent or individuals I've never worked with. But it really depends on the individual and our perceived level of engagement towards giving them what they expect and what we would deem worthwhile. Basically we want everyone to walk away thrilled with their experience and that includes us. 

2015 MODEL OF THE YEAR

Dauntless. That is the word we believe best describes her. Never before have we seen someone so determined, fierce and fearless - yet, reserving all of her supple sensuousness. Like soft kisses on Spring breezes and fragrant scents of flowers - but flowers with steel stems. Beautiful, soft, rare, infinitely graceful but strong, confident and never yielding. She is a rare gift; an amalgamation of stunning elegance and strength of character. Olya Pickering is the 2015 SIRCUS magazine Model Of The Year.

We came to know Olya just shy of two years ago. We needed a very specific model for a publishing project we were working on at the time. We had photographed several people up until that point but we needed one person who could really capture a specific concept we required to finalize the publication. When we discovered her online we knew we could not complete our project without her and no one else would do. No other person had the look or body type. No other evoked the sense of strength and grace we were confident she had. After a time, the stylist says it has to be her. She has to be the one to wear these garments. An arrangement was reached and we would soon have our model.

Olya was just as we suspected she would be. She was as confident, beautiful and as determined as we imagined. We had never witnessed anyone take on a project with such bravery. She never flinched, never complained. Even early on in the shoot, we knew that Olya was destined to be a Cover Model and given time potentially a Model of the Year candidate. Had our arrangement allowed it at the time she would have been. It wasn't until 2015 that we worked with Olya again and she deservingly graced the front cover of Sircus Magazine Issue 11 and produced some of the boldest and most tasteful fitness pictures we have ever taken. We knew all along but this was even further evidence of her unrelenting self confidence and fearlessness.

People often ask me about Olya and we tell them first and foremost that she is authentic. She is kind and bold, but doesn't brag about what she has done or what she is doing. Often times, models brag about what they've been working on or they make almost impossible demands about needs and wants before even knowing what the project entails. Not Olya. Not ever. We've never had a disagreement, a cancellation, a bout of sickness, nor an unscheduled mishap.

Do you know how many misunderstandings we have had about image use with Olya? Zero. Do you believe she was timid or shy? Never. Do you know how many times she complained about the heat or the cold when we're shooting? None. How often is she late for an assignment? It never happened. How many shoots did it take before Olya pouted because she didn't have a makeup artist again or a specific type of hair stylist? None. At this time, how often do you believe that we would try within reason and all of our power to give Olya anything she wanted when she wanted it? Infinitely. When everything is said and done, who do you believe will get the first call when a new project is on the horizon? Olya Pickering. She is consistently the most daring, steadfast and trustworthy model we have ever had the pleasure of working with.

A few weeks ago we asked a stylist to describe Olya in five words or less. She replied, "timeless beauty, fearless and steadfast." We later went on to ask a hair stylist that once styled Olya's hair for us on what she thought of Olya and the stylist replied, "extremely kind, determined and gorgeous." We went on to speak with a makeup artist about Olya and her reply was "she is always so calm and confident, polite and professional. She has wonderful skin and hair and really takes care of herself." Testimonies like these go on to solidify our belief that she is everything we think she is and more.

We are not suggesting that 2015 hasn't had an immense amount of talent. In fact, 2015 was a fantastic year. We were elated to work with Actress Elizabeth Rhoades, who we can already foresee as a 2016 favorite. We were also delighted to work with our 2013 Model of the Year again last year, fashion, swimwear and glamour model ShyAng3L. There was also the forever beautiful Kim Jonet, and Chase "Whitehill" Rubeor, the first-time SIRCUS magazine Issue 9 double cover model along with many others. But "The Model of the Year" is about so much more than that. It's about distinction and how people conduct themselves before, during and after a shoot. It's about how they communicate and behave one on one as well as in a team environment. It includes how well they convey ideas, retain a post shoot

professional relationship and even how well they are perceived to work with other photographers and creatives. Are they crediting collaborators and referring other creatives when applicable? Is she supportive of artists and respectful of creative property? Is she difficult or arrogant? Model of the Year is about a person's professional character and how easy they are to get along with and work with. It's larger than anything we have done for the entire year and we believe that it is only proper to recognize an individual that goes above and beyond and when and where possible, award excellence. In a sense, it's akin to an endorsement and anything we put so much effort into creating, growing and nurturing deserves our scrutiny. We take it personal which is why we spend so much effort vetting and when it is deserving, acknowledging the best talent.

We have now known of Olya for almost two years but it was only recently in our exclusive SIRCUS magazine Issue 11 interview, that we had a chance to sit down and really find out who she is. Authenticity confirmed. She has this deep life-long belief in working hard, believing in oneself and never giving up. It shapes her competitive fitness philosophy and keeps her unwavering in achieving her goals. It also makes her very driven and a person of strong character. Intelligence, kindness, confidence, bold and beautiful; all the things that make Olya Pickering our Helios & SIRCUS magazine indisputable 2015 Model of the Year.

2015's Greatest Models Part IV with Elizabeth Rhoades

From a rare combination of personality, intoxicating beauty and an infectious smile I was immediately enamored with Elizabeth upon our first and only pre-shoot face to face. Elizabeth might be among a very very short list of people I could just kick it with - have a drink, a few laughs and just hang out for hours and wonder what happened to the day. I actually didn't want the meet-up to end. She's just easy to look at and very easy to talk to. Besides who wouldn't want to hangout with as gorgeous a woman as she? She has this warm easy going attractive thing working for her I couldn't let go of and I immediately thought, we're going to make some magnificent images.

It took all of about 43 seconds for me to want to shoot with her. The rest of the time was just making sure we're on the same page and ironing out a few, "who is driving this car" kind of details. You see, on creative projects it can be difficult to define who is running the show. On larger shoots you might have a creative director on occasion, a photographer, the model, a publisher or whoever else that might be attributing to or funding the idea. But there can be only a single driver in the end. Part of the meeting is to make certain we have compatible personalities and clear of what looks we're both comfortable with, styling protocols, preparation, image use, copyright terms, etc. It's just best to iron all of that out first. But once all of that was over I wanted to just stare and listen to her for a few hours.

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SIRCUS magazine Issue 12 at www.sircusmagazine.com

The most incredible thing about Elizabeth aside from the obvious was the fact that she has one of the most incredible online portfolios of every model I'd seen in all of 2015. Each image seemed to have been carefully selected for maximum visual impact, quality, style and taste. Like we've always said, it only takes a handful of images to make your point and she made it. In less than a dozen images she told us, she prefers high quality over quantity. She was saying that she wants refined, polished and tasteful images. She was letting us know that she is confident and daring but sophisticated and  premium. She had set a benchmark. But even more-so, she told us that she is very very selective about who she works with and that's the kind of model we want to work with. Someone meticulously caring and mindful of their overall modeling reputation. That very fact, the way she looks, her professionalism and personality gave us all the ammunition we needed to take this collaboration. I left the meet-up very excited and uplifted about the possibilities. I recall thinking, this is gonna be good.

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SIRCUS magazine Issue 12 at www.sircusmagazine.com

It took a few starts and re-starts to get things rolling until finally our project day arrives. After many months I finally saw our talent again. Here she was, after so many long months of planning. I hope she didn't catch my slight lost of composure. She was stunning. I may have audibly gasped a bit. Even before makeup and hair styling I recall asking myself, "has she gotten even more beautiful?"

It was a several hours later that felt like minutes. You see, when things flow very well and you're getting the takes you want, you just don't seem to tire out. You're still excited. Our only regret is that it didn't seem like it was long enough. We wanted more; more looks, more images, more of Elizabeth. On the best days and best shoots, it always happens that way. If we just had her in front of the camera for just a couple more hours I thought. But such as it is, we all have other tasks to get done and we couldn't just adopt her and have her move in to be an on-call 24/7 model now could we? That would awesome and yet preposterous all the same.

In summary, it was a fantastic shoot and a great experience. It was easy, laid back, fun, stimulating. and most of all... productive. We can't say enough how important portfolios matter. Be objective and selective. Yet, personality matters. Talent matters. How you groom yourself and interact with the team all matters. Elizabeth easily goes down as one of our greatest models of 2015 because she is by far one of the most well-rounded models to date; the ultimate combination of beauty, class, talent and flawless execution. Thank you again Elizabeth for a fantastic 2015. 

2015's Greatest Models Part III with Chase "Whitehill" Rubeor

She was Sircus Magazine's most wildly distributed and popular Cover Model. She was the first double cover Issue Released model Sircus had ever had for a single Issue release. Additionally, she is 5'11" of absolutely perfection in every way.  Chase is the epitome of flawless. She is one of the most naturally born models we have ever run across.

A perfect set of events had to happen for our chance meeting. A prior model learned of a casting and told Chase about it. Chase in turn contacted us for a last minute meet up in the middle of nowhere to discuss her potential inclusion for publishing in a special swimwear magazine edition of Sircus Magazine. We were literally down to the wire on time and she literally squeaked in at the last possible second to make the shoot and publishing deadline. She literally drove through three cities in mid-day traffic on a weekend just to have a face to face and to discuss just the possibility of being chosen for a spot. I was already impressed by her dedication and commitment. When someone does that we're already likely to extend a great deal of trust in them and willing to put forth a lot of effort to make sure their included.

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It was a good thing she did. If looks were all that it took then she sealed the deal. The stylist was with me the day we'd met Chase for the first time and seconds after our meeting adjourned she was busy discussing ideas and the exact styling she had in mind for our newest prospective model. When the stylist is that excited about a model I knew at that exact moment magic was gonna happen.

Once the garments and accessories were chosen by the stylist, Chase's measurements were checked again, then confirmed and the stylist worked her magic. The day of the shoot came quickly after weeks of planning and styling. The very first image was absolutely amazing, and then the second and third and so on. The clothing was made to her it seemed; superbly fitted and styled marvelously accentuating her best and plentiful extraordinary beautiful features. Few times had we seen anyone so stunning and visually commanding. We were also all stunned by how effortlessly she moved from pose to pose; those subtle gestures that seemed so nuanced and yet so powerful when the image was captured. I call them transition poses or flowing gestures. She glided between them and she displayed some of the most dynamic posing we had witnessed. Tasteful, powerful, attention-grabbing and also beautiful, lithe and graceful. Chase has it all.

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In 2015 and more than 18 months later Chase visits us once more. All those subtle graceful poses and naturally ballet like transitions were still there. The stylist planned polished cowgirl-like denim wear look to a metro chic white on white silk romper with the accessories to match. It was stunning. Chase... like she always does, mastered every single look.

She is more than a perfect body and a flawless face. She is intuitive; sensing every change in my location and she anticipated angles of capture and followed my movements for the best light and composition. She is also highly imaginative and creative knowing when to engage the camera directly and when to look away casually and candidly. When we shot the denim she posed more casually without being told. When we went to urban chic looks she was more refined and yet dynamic. She sought interesting angles for the ideal body lines, shapes and shadows. By all intents and purposes, Chase is a perfect model.

Should anyone ask about what we're looking for in a model we simply say study Chase's posing. Study Chase's body language and facial expressiveness. But what Chase does that can't be taught is replying to a casting call in timely manner. What we can't teach you that Chase did on her own is willingness to drive across town to meet us in person to insure we shared common goals and objectives and to prove her commitment to the project. What can't be taught is letting us know with an email and a call that she has received our Call Sheet and that she has every expectation of being able to make and keep the shoot schedule. What can't be taught is making it to the shoot on time and not rushing thru it and allotting the appropriate amount of time to see the project through.  What we can't teach is respecting other artists time on the set and staying the course until the shoot is done. Very importantly, what we can't tell you to do is to periodically check in and let us know your availability and modeling status from time to time and if you're still interested in upcoming projects. All those things are just as important as being talented and gorgeous. It could be said, that those are the things that make you a professional and Chase has it all.

Like any great model, she is not overly demanding. She is not burdensome or needy. She always arrives on-time, prepared and ready for anything. She made our 2015 - and quite frankly our 2014 spectacular. 

2015's Greatest Models Part II with ShyAng3L

For all the reasons she was the 2013 Model of the Year and Cover Model of Sircus Magazine Issue 5, are the same things that make her one of 2015's Greatest Models. There are few people we have worked with as much as her. In fact, there may be no one we have worked with as often as ShyAng3L. But to be fair, we do tend to give preferential treatment to individuals that are extremely professional, talented, diverse and quite frankly have agreeable personalities.

It is her ability to shift from one visual persona to the next that makes her so intriguing a model. One shoot with her can often appear to an outsider to look like ten different shoots if we so choose. She fully engages what we're shooting on a emotional level. If we're doing dark and moody she will emote dark. If we're shooting light and fashionable, then she will emote light and fashionable. No one else changes as effortlessly as she can.

Yet, with all her abilities it is her stunning beauty that captivates us the most. But she doesn't flaunt it. She is not even fully aware of how insanely gorgeous she is and that makes her even more attractive than most people I know; people who actively model day in and day out. Additionally, she is the sweetest person I've ever met. Her voice is barely a whisper but when she models no words are needed. Her body, her posing, her skin, face, hair, her extraordinary and infinitely youthful look screams volumes.

Even after more than three years she can still be a little anxious at the start, (those first few seconds). But given just the right amount of coaxing, she swiftly goes right into character.  Despite her namesake, I don't necessarily feel that she is shy. She is simply gentler and kinder than most people we've worked with before. But if you need a bad ass harlot for a look or a fairy princess, ShyAng3L is definitely the model to have because not only can she do the look, she is the most creatively malleable person I've personally ever known. She can do both on the same shoot and within minutes of one another in a way that is both beautiful and convincing.

She is not going to push back and tell you something isn't possible. She will not argue with you and tell you she won't do it or try it. If it's stylish, tasteful and she trusts you, then she will do it and do it well. In fact, no model I've ever had with the exception of maybe Trexie Dorrell has successfully done and mastered as many genres as ShyAng3L. Fashion, beauty, cosplay, lingerie, art, creative and swimwear are just a few of the things we have done together over the years. We have done more themed shoots together than anyone and I have thoroughly enjoyed each and every one of them.  She would bring me an idea or two and we would just do them - no questions asked on why or how. She was simply that kind of person and model. You want to do everything for her because you know she would excel in all that she does. As a result, we would always make extraordinary images. As of yet, those images still remain some of our best ever.

Unfortunately, we suspect that as time carries on our sessions will be fewer and farther between. It is simply the way of things as we scale back our operations to pursue different graphic design and video projects and she travels more as the demand for her talent continues to grow. Yet, as far as modeling and friendship goes, ShyAng3L can return again and again as much as she desires and we will always try to make time for her. Her talent, beauty, versatility and kindness has no equal. She remains and will likely always be one of our most revered collaborations.