The Original JT Photography

My beautiful friend Sammy Allen has finally released her album – I shot the cover art. Yay me!!
Sammy has an absolutely AMAZING voice.

Do yourself the favor and go buy her music.

Today begun with an odd mix of enthusiasm, desperation, confusion and frustration. Late last night I received two frantic phone calls – one from an intoxicated friend who was “whisper screaming” to me about her boyfriend who she suspects has been cheating on her. The second call came from -the boyfriend who was audibly shaking and scared that she was going to hurt him. Both were asking if I could “PLEASE come get her”. Bare in mind that going to get her requires a six hour drive (each way). Know what, I don’t feel like going into details with that story. Just know that I decided to avoid being sucked in to someone else’s drama. Yay me! Additionally, my ex sent me a text (we don’t speak) saying that she would be by to pack her things. I had expressed that I couldn’t being around her anymore so when she came by the condo I would simply leave. I think the finality of her actually leaving had just begun to set in and it was really fucking with me. I know I mention her a lot but, again.. it’s my blog and I need to vent. lol

So, back to Astrid. Normally, the night before a shoot, I go through all of my gear, make sure all batteries are charged, lenses are cleaned… everything is ready to go. Needless to say this was not one of those shoots. I pack all of my gear into my jeep, drop off my dog at day care (yes, I’m one of those people) and hit the road to San Diego. My secret weapons are my Dyna-Lite XP1100 and my Alien Bees Vagabon 2 DC-AC inverters (fancy names for portable electricity). Once arriving at Astrid’s house, driving to a location, setting up my lighting… I find out that BOTH of the batteries were dead!! I feel about two inches tall. The sun is going down and there is no way to salvage this shoot. Thankfully Astrid is a great sport, she just laughed it off and only gave me a few wise cracks. We went to a cozy local bar, had a few beers, some killer hot wings and then I headed home with my tail between my legs… lol

Moral of this story: Don’t let relationship drama (yours or anyone else’s) throw you off your game.

I just got off the phone with hottie Astrid Jaymes. Both of us decided to skip the AVN convention in Vegas so we’re going to make the best of the weekend and do a shoot down in San Diego. I met Astrid about two months ago when I did a quick shoot in my apartment. I was having a bad day and just didn’t have my head in the game. As a result, I hated the pics so much that I pretty much begged her to shoot again. She struck me as being really, smart, lively and creative and I just didn’t capture her spirit and spunk. However, tomorrow – it’s on.

http://astridjaymesxoxo.wordpress.com/

Easy come easy go.. I guess Muddy’s lyrics were appropriate after all.
Then again, I had a really fun shoot yesterday with Andi Anderson and Jaelyn Fox. Will post pictures later.. I’m off to bed now.

If I could figure out a way to have theme music for each blog entry I would be thoroughly amused.
Actually give me a sec.. cuz this needs to happen – iTunes time.
Well, I tried to do the right thing and post a link to the iTunes store for this tune but for some lame reason it’s not available from the iTunes store so enjoy: Got My Mojo Working

Music Playlist at MixPod.com

I’m still learning how to be a blogger so bare with me if I’m screwing up. And, yes, the lyrics don’t really apply but it feels right.

OK, so, I’m a regular guy, not a bad ass, thug, gansta or pimp wannabe… but I’m generally not that emotional or demonstrative. The break up I just went through did a number on me – I’m human. I really wasn’t feeling all that great about myself and though I knew I wasn’t to blame for the break up – I beat myself up for it anyway. Why am I telling all of this? Because it’s my blog and I can say whatever the hell I feel like saying!

Last night, my lovely friend Jayden Jaymes and very cool colleagues Ivan http://iamivan.com and DJ Sativa threw a toy an food drive Xmas party. I’m a real homebody but I’m SO glad that I went out last night! Jayden Jaymes knows how to throw a party!! I’m not one to kiss n tell so I’ll just say that thought it may have been a fluke – I seem to have some mojo. And, I had A LOT of fun. Maybe I just need to get out more…. what a concept.

To Jayden and Ivan, THANK YOU again for the hook up and if you read this, next party you throw please invite the same bunch of hot, insanely fun women. LOL

I shot Asa today, she’s insanely sexy and pleasantly intelligent. It’s been so nice to have had consecutive shoots with girls who can actually hold a conversation and talk about more things than partying or all of the self-induced drama that they are in denial about. Hopefully Asa and I will work together often. She “gets it” and is a joy to photograph.

Her Twitter: http://twitter.com/AsaAkira

Maybe I’m not really the blogger type after all. lol Then again, where’s the rule that says you have to be consistent with blogs? The last few weeks have been rough for me. I got dumped and it broke me down like never before. Generally when a relationship ends I see it coming from miles away. In hind sight, I guess I saw this one coming too but I firmly believed that we’d work through it and get married in a year or two.. raise a few rug rats, cats, dogs and live happily ever after. Shows you how clueless I am! One thing I did learn, or rather re-learn… women love the idea of love, they are more into the fairytale than the reality of life’s ups and downs. Status, fame, fortune & bragging rights are more important than being treated with love and kindness. Of course this doesn’t apply to all women – just the deceptive, cheating, selfish ones I wind up with and 90% of the ones here in LA. lol
Kinda sucks though cuz she was the love of my life, my best friend, wife to be, all that shit… and now… now I want nothing to do with her cuz I think she’s an opportunistic asshole…. and really don’t care who knows it. Which I guess would explain why I’m saying this “publicly”. Gotta amuse myself somehow right!?

Anyway, enough of that. I’m listening to Garth Brooks ‘Chris Gaines’ album right now while editing pics from the last few days of shooting, I’ve had this album for a few years but this is my first listen – I dig it and it’s helping the tiring task of editing go by much more enjoyably.

Today I shot the delectable Capri Cavalli, that woman just does it to me. Her body is so…. Mmm! Really easy to work with and fun to talk to. I thoroughly enjoy her company.

Her twitter: http://twitter.com/capri_cavalli

I’m going to do some blog time traveling and recap the past few days and shoots. I’ll post them according to their proper date so that it looks like I actually stayed on top of things.

I had the pleasure of meeting and shooting Gabrielle on a shoot where the guy that hired me totally stiffed me on payment. First and last time dealing with him. As soon as Gabrielle stepped out of the car I felt a bit of drool running down my lip. lol She was as pleasant as she was beautiful.

I get to hang out with some pretty hot women. One of my all time favorites in Lindsey Meadows. She’s an absolute goofball and total sweetheart – no divatude here what so ever… quite refreshing.

Her Twitter: http://twitter.com/lindseymeadowsx

My favorite quote from Jayden: “When I first met you I didn’t like you – now I love you!” She randomly told me this in the middle of a shoot a few months ago – a good three years after we first met. LOL! Jayden has a rep for being a bitch but she’s actually a sweetheart and lot of fun once you get to know her or rather once she lets you get to know her.