I was shooting today, running all over South Beach with two models today. My day started at 8am with waking up, finishing doing some cleaning/prep work around here for the shoot. First model got here at 10am. Stopped shooting around 7pm tonight.

My body is tired. It’s exhausting, really. Especially to shoot for that long. Drove to three different locales on South Beach (oh, and a trip across the causeway to look at one place which we decided against). At each stop, I’m unloading, setting up, moving all over the place around the model to get the angle, get the shot.

Shot on Espanola Way (no nudes), out on the jetty at the end of South Beach, and at the Botanical Garden across from the Miami Beach Convention Center. Walking all over the place, stopping, setting up video, changing lenses, working under time constraints, climbing everywhere (the jetty being the most cumbersome place)… tiring.

But, the good news is that I got some good shots today. And I got some good video. Shooting outdoors, though, is just so stressful. And tricky with people and audiences.

The video/photos on Espanola Way… thank god it wasn’t packed. When I was planning that in my mind the other day, all I could think was: I don’t want people in the background blur just standing around looking at the girls I would be shooting. Even with as few people as there were, all of the waiters from one restaurant came out, and everyone that came by stopped and stared. Cameras in the background going off. Cellphones. Ugh. When I did the shoot on Lincoln Road, that was perfectly fine. But I didn’t want it in this.

It’s okay. I got what I needed. And they’re both going to have great, great shots. And one seriously kick ass video.

But my god, I am tired. I’m going to bed now. Nice bonus to day: my bed now smells entirely of the body lotion used by the girls today and one exquisite perfume the first model wore. Since smell is my favorite sense, it’s going to make for a peaceful sleep with that lingering in the sheets.

Reading the latest comments on SouthFloridaDailyBlog.blogspot.com. Yikes.

Seriously.

For the past month and a half, I’ve been working as the personal photographer for two different models. I’m supposed to start working with a third girl shortly. It’s been cool. I’m enjoying it.

It’s consuming, though. I haven’t been able to focus on much street photography at all. However, I’ve been able to improve upon some of what I’m doing with shooting models. Although, at times, I feel a little stagnant. The latest model I’ve started working with, though… she wants to shoot different kinds of stuff from what I typically shoot, so that’s been cool in that it gives me the opportunity to expand a little bit.

It’s good stuff, doing this. I’m just hoping to have the time soon to get back to shooting everything, not just models.

So I decide yesterday, as I’m paying me cable/internet bill over the phone, that I don’t want cable any longer. The only reason I ever got it was for my kids and, of course, they don’t live here now. They tell me a guy will come out tomorrow (today) and disconnect it for me. Great.

Guy shows up today. Contractor. Comes inside, asks, “You don’t want the cable?” I explain about the kids. “Because you can keep it. They don’t have to know.”
“Really,” I ask. I’m so naive.
“No, they know what I tell them,” he says. “If I tell them it’s disconnected, then it’s disconnected.”
“But don’t they do periodic checks and stuff,” my eyes brightening over the thought of free cable.
“Nah.”

I ponder this. I’ve never stolen cable before, but here’s a cable guy offering it to me.

Then he says, “Just give me $40 and that’s it.”

Doh!

“Oh, man, I’m sorry. I don’t have $40,” I tell him.
“How much do you got,” he asks.
“$2. I think.”

He looks at me as if he’s actually considering taking my $2.

“I’m sorry,” I say. It would be a sweet deal, but I just don’t have the cash.

He fiddles some with his Blackberry.
“Ok, sign here.”
I sign.
He leaves.

He didn’t touch any wires. I wonder if I have free cable? Maybe he felt bad for me that I only had $2 cash on me.