Did I really get to work with Rachel? Pinch me. I must be dreaming.

So... what would you say if the world's finest bellydancer's agent contacted you and asked if you could make a few images? Would you A) Say, thank's but I'm booked? B) Scream and hollar, jump up and down, and run around like a chicken with it's head cut off? C) Suddenly get worried that the Muse, in all her loveliness has left you? D) B and C?

I've heard of Rachel for several years and made a rather terrible video of her during a local event. Imagine my surprise when, in spite of the video, I actually got to work with Rachel and Sol?

What I've come to realize is that creative people are creative through and through.





There was a photoshoot that I did for a Steampunk theme set where a model came in with her entourage and tried to "own" the place. Rather like they knew what they were doing. But, as you can likely already guess, they were just young and inexperienced. They'll get better with time and we came away with a few good images (which have since been published).

When I work with true creative people (professional or not), the essence of who they are, what their craft is, and how they live in the world comes through, loud and clear. The Baron Samedi photoshoot was just like that. Scream'n hot great images from the "get, go".

Such was the case with Rachel, too. Solid. Centered. Clear vision. Just perfect to work with from the outset.





I've since spoken with one of Portland's leading photographic lights, Ted Mishima. He is a great artistst and is staying true to his vision. And we get to live his dream. Ted and I spoke a number of years back and he mentioned how fun it would be to work photography in an atelier in Paris, France.

Little then did I realize that my wife and I would be moving there. Soon.

After working with such fine people in Portland, I'm a little worried about being able to find such high caliber folk in Paris. Funny, isn't it? Yet, there it is.

If I'm lucky, creative people will like what I do there and my wife and I will be able to work with them too. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for good luck.

In the mean time, I have a LOT of potentially fine images to work from in our shoot with Rachel, and Eyerish, and Danielle, and....