Putting a calendar together of my photographs of girls from the area sounded easy, but I had to get the girls to come pose. I put out a “casting call”, meaning a notice of a possible job or project, on my portfolio’s on the networking sites. I quickly found that not a lot of local models read casting calls. So I also started sending messages on the site to models telling them about the project.

I had previously shot Kori and Destiny in bikini, so I just told them I was going to use their shot. They seemed excited, but not really convinced I was going to do it.

The way people shooting for calendars and other projects usually do it is they put out casting calls and have the models submit a photo and some information. Well I already had their photos from the online portfolios, and the information I needed was there too. Their age and location was about all I cared about knowing. Then the usual course is to set up a few days where the models can come “test shoot”. That means you take some test shots and see if they will look good. Then finally you pick the ones you want and set up the actual shoots.

This seems like a colossal waste of time to me. I decided to do it differently, I would set up shoots with models, and as part of the regular shoot I would do bikini shots for calendar submission. If the model, or I, did not like the shots we could shoot again. This way I was convinced I would attract more models to shoot with me in general. I was right. They would come if I offered a calendar submission shoot as part of the regular shoot.

One thing I was up against was a lot of photographers on these web sites will put out casting calls that they are shooting for a “national bikini calendar” and have the models come do “test shoots”. But the whole thing is a farce, they have no contract for a calendar and they never print it. They just trick the girls into posing for them. So the models on the site are wary of such ploys, at least the ones who are experienced are wary.

The first model I set up was Erin who was living in Mississippi just south of Memphis. She agreed to meet me on Mud Island with her husband, Andy. As I have said before, I don’t like escorts but this was before I had gotten so dead set against them, so I didn’t complain. I had my partner in the calendar come with me to hold the reflector, and mainly to see what all went on at a shoot.

We shot a few dresses and then bikini. When shooting out on location the girls have to bring a big T Shirt to put on and change under, or they change in the car if it is close enough. I have had models refuse to shoot with me because they thought changing in a car sounded “creepy”. Those are girls who see all the television shows and think that everyone goes into dressing rooms to change clothes.

The thing that shocks most people, and shocked the guy holding the reflector, is that as a photographer you give directions to the model and they do what you tell them. “Untie the bottom and play with it,” is a direction that I give often at bikini shoots and it is just outside most men’s experience when a beautiful woman who is half your age and barely dressed does what she is told. He liked holding the reflector.

I got a shot at this first shoot for my calendar that ultimately became the cover. But these were done before I figured out I could use the sun and the Mississippi river to look like a ocean sunrise.

I always liked to start shoot with the model in a dress. My theory was she felt more comfortable with something on at first and would relax. Erin really looked great in her little black dress.

I was on the banks of the Mississippi river. There is a lot of crap around and I thought it really did not look very good, but had not figured out how to deal with it. This was one of my first shoots there. I did have a lot of sun and shot most of these on Program.

I loved this shot. She is standing on some driftwood.

Another angle of the driftwood. It is starting to get near sunset and I am using my flash here.

Kneeling on the grass with the bridge. It was an ok background, but the wind was kicking up.

I did some more edits recently on this shot, but I loved the hair.

The sun is setting so I turned Erin so her back was to the horizon and used the flash. I shot it on Program, but it really caught her tones well.

A cropped version of this ended up being my first calendar cover. I decided I wanted sexier shots than others had in thier bikini calendars and thought this set the tone. And I just loved the shot and the way it showed how beautiful Erin is.

I love this shot. I am also kind of proud of it. I laid down on the ground on my back and had her straddle me and lean over and pose. Her face was almost directly over my camera and when it was in focus it made her waist and hips, which were small anyway, look tiny and out of proportion. But the sky and hair made the shot work for me.

So far in this blog I have been keeping to pretty much a chronological structure in telling my shoot stories. Once I meet Jerry Blansett and start renting his studio everything becomes more jumbled. I don’t have the sets organized in that order, and about half are just on my computer still. So we will be less structured from now on.

And I will be answering questions again in an upcoming blog.

But today I want to tell about my first trip to participate in an actual bikini contest. R.J. Wells owns Caribbean Tan and he works to make the name a marketable brand. He sponsors bikini contests where the winner gets prize money and a trip to wherever they are shooting the calendar. He invited me to come and he invited my friend Joe, who I had brought in as a lawyer to represent R.J. when his company was drug into the suit I had going for Erick Blair against Hawaiian Tropic. He wanted to thank Joe and the invitation included Joe’s wife Anne. R.J. was providing the suite.

We got to the very nice two bedroom suite in Hot Springs, Arkansas in the afternoon. R.J. then said we would be sharing it. We go in and there are two beautiful young girls there. Now this did not surprise me as putting as many people in a room as you can is the way to save money. Caribbean Tan had often thrown 4 or 5 girls and two photographers into suites. But Joe and Anne were surprised. They took one room, the two models took another room, and I got to sleep on the couch in the living room.

Nancy and Gwen had come up from Texas at R.J.s request. He promised them room and board it they would come. His motive was that he had a bikini contest that night and he wanted to be sure a lot of girls showed up. Their motiviation was the prize money. They had made a deal that they would split and money they won since they were going on the trip together. The girls actually went to two or three bikini contests a week in the Dallas area and used their winnings as a part time job income.

Nancy said she came in second and third a lot, and Gwen said she won a lot. Gwen had recently been in Playboy Magazine’s special lingerie edition.

We all went out to eat with R.J. as the contest did not start until late. Then we went back to our very nice room. The girls said they had come up the night before and the room was not ready so they stayed with R.J. and his dad at their house, and it was “nasty, I did not want to touch the shower curtain.” Gwen told us. I had been to their house and R.J. and his dad lived like single men do. Not a lot of cleaning. I liked it there.

The girls then asked if we would help them pick the bikini they should wear for the competition. They began taking turns coming out of their bedroom in different bikinis and posing for the three of us. I would offer my opinon and Anne would tell them what she thought. Joe sat and looked nervous. About the third time Nancy came out I said “that is so sexy and hot” and Anne said, “I like that.” And we turned to Joe who was not saying anything. Anne looked at her husband and said, “its ok, you can say something, I’m not jealous or upset.” Joe then started in telling his opinions. We helped the girls pick out the two we thought were best.

The event was fun. It was outdoors at a marina and some of thegirls were ones I knew. They had the girls line up on stage, in a group and pose. Then they had each girl walk across the stage posing and trying to incite the crowd. The judges were randomly selected by R.J. from men in the audience. One he selected was Joe. I was there with my camera to record the whole thing.

It was fun, lots of whoops and hollers from the audience. In the end, Nancy came in first and Gwen was second. Nancy was so excited, she had never placed first. But this all ended about 11. Then we all went to a dance club in downtown Hot Springs. The girls put on different bikinis. We hung around until about midnight and then they had a second contest that the club sponsored. It was a lot less informal and the judgingwas by audience response. I remember either Nancy or Gwen placed in this, but the winner had a bunch of her friends there who made lots of noise.

So we go back to the room and the girls set up their computers and got on the internet in the kitchen area, which was right by my couch. Joe and Anne went their room and went to sleep. I was worn out, but the girls stayed up talking and typing until real late. I was relieved when they finally went to their room and I could sleep. The next day I took them out to shoot, but that will by my next blog.

Gwen in the bathroom of our suite.

Nance puts on her makeup using the mirror behind the bed in the girls room.

Nancy and Gwen together and seperately posing in their official Caribbean Tan outfits.

All the contestants lined up on stage.

Nancy in the bikini Anne, Joe and I picked out for her.

Nancy is the beaming winner. The two Texas girls won $1100 that night between them at the two contests.