Tampa Taxi Shots

A new Tampa Bay Sports blog

Check out my new Tampa Bay sports blog that will feature football, baseball and semi-naked women just like Ron and Ian on WDAE. Except I do the photography, a critical difference. Check it out at Tampa Pinup Sports.com

Pasco County wants to increase nude tourism for the local economy

As a photographer of Playboy style nudes, I am all for the expanse of naturalist travel to Florida. When you are doing this type of photogrpahy you must be in an area that is safe from prying eyes and trouble. That is why the pool at a nudist resort is ideal for taking it off. 

The people at the pool won't even give it a second thought and your model can feel very relaxed in this environment. When in Rome, do as the Roman's do. Unless you have a backyard swimming pool with a privacy fence, I reccomend the nudist colony.

Unfortunatly, not everyone lives in Florida and can get there in minutes. Sorry. There are some advantages to living in Tampa Bay. Anyway, you can now see my model from the front. She does look good coming or going I think. Nice girl with a lot of energy and works hard to get the right shot. 

Pasco County Florida Nude Resorts And Bigfoot

Model I shot at a Pasco Nude Resort

One of the major industries in Pasco County Florida is nudism. Pasco County is located north of Tampa and has a great climate, and year round sunshine. It is perfect for the international nude culture that has been established here.

People from all over the world come into Tampa International Airport and take a cab to one of the popular nude resorts in Pasco. Lucky me. Tourism is vital to Florida (The tourist capital of the world) and I am honored to take tourist anywhere they want to go.

I have been wanting to work a particular Bigfoot research area in Pasco which has had many skunk ape sightings. I just have not had the time to get up there. Today, I had the best reason ever. I got paid to go up there because my fare went there. I dropped them off after going onto the resort property to the luxury hotel. People everywhere were walking around naked, swimming,  playing tennis, and volleyball naked. They were just hanging out naked. Temps were in the nineties today, so why not. I would have joined them if I did not have something else to do!

This video below was shot south of SR 52 in rural Pasco county that has little population. I was hoping the only population I would see would be the big hairy guys, the skunk apes.

Working With Photoshop

I have spent most of the weekend working with my new upgrade to Photoshop Elements. Expsure, skin hue, and saturation are important in portrait photography.

This image was shot in an old garage which had been abandoned years earlier. By having the model barely on the porch overhand, it cast the right amount of light on her face for a difused pleasing look.

Angela Marie Finger: Model Missing From Las Vegas Could Be In Danger

Angela Marie Finger disappeared from Las Vegas In June of 2006.  She left behind a good job as a cage supervisor at the Mote Carlo Casino on the Vegas strip. She was young, beautiful, and her family misses her dearly. She may have been pulled into a life of internet porn, and possible human trafficking. She is considered a MISSING PERSON: ENDANGERED by the FBI. I photographed Angela in Phoenix at the Arizona Shootout (Arizona Model Photo Shoot) one year after she was missing. I was not aware of her status at the time.

 
Photo shot of Angela Finger at the Arizona Shootout April 2007

Angela Finger was coerced into leaving her job at the Monte Carlo Casino in Las Vegas during June of 2006. She had met a man on the internet through MySpace, who represented himself as someone he was not. Angela soon moved out of her condo in Vegas(furniture removed, electric cut off, phone discontected) and ran off with this man.

I received emails from Angela when I was setting up personal model sessions for the Arizona shootout of 2007, she contacted me with condolences about the passing of my girlfriend. She told me how sorry she was and that she would like to meet with me.

I met with her and her "husband" when I arrived and she let me take photos of her on Saturday and Sunday of the shootout. Angela told me she was a Phoenix model named "Angel the model." She signed the model release as "Angela Raether." That was not her name, but the alias last name of the man that was controlling her. His real name wasWILLIAM MATTHEW SMOLICH. He is wanted in several States for failure to register as a sexual offender.

Angela may be in danger. She has been on many porn sights that have been taken down since Smolich found out her parents were looking for her. He was pimping her out for imcome. If you were, or have been, associated with the Arizona Shootout in Phoenix circa 2007 and may know this girl, please come forward with information

MEDIA COVERAGE

Missing Daughter Shows up in Internet Porn, Family Uses YouTube to Find Her
A Nevada mother turns to YouTube to locate her missing daughter.

May-12-2008
(SALEM, Ore.) - Michelle and Patrick Finger say they aren't going to stop trying to locate their daughter. She became involved with a man who turns out to be a wanted, convicted pedophile. Sadly, the only sight they catch of her now shows up on Internet porno sites.

Michelle Finger says that two years ago, her daughter Angela worked at the Monte Carlo in Las Vegas as a cage cashier, which was looked at as a solid job that had already brought her two promotions.

"She worked there for a little under 2 years. She was bright and sweet, and was very close to her family. That all changed in a heartbeat."

She says that through MySpace, two days before Mothers day 2006, her daughter met a man who said his name was Craig Raether. He said he was 27, and that his parents were killed by a drunk driver. His story didn't add up for Angela's parents, but she was interested and they seemed to have little impact on her decision to begin spending time around the man who used the name Craig Raether

It wasn't long according to Michelle, before Angela began acting odd. "She started dressing like a street girl, and acted rude to us all the time. We were fighting a lot. Fathers day came, and she took her dad out to eat, and bowling. We started talking about her brother's upcoming wedding, and I told her we would take her, I didn't want Craig there. Thats the last time I saw her. They left shortly after that not to be seen or heard from for the next year."

Angela Finger's parents said it made them crazy, and they began digging up whatever information they could. They learned that the man had a shady past and that much of what he had told them was not true. Then at the age of 46, Angela Finger's mother Michelle had a heart attack.

"I came home from the hospital more determined than ever. I put up a fake myspace with his picture, and the words 'have you seen me?' I also put his picture on classmates.com, hoping to get a hit."

She also wrote to Craig Raether on Classmates, urging that he get in contact with her. She says that three weeks later she received a reply from the REAL Craig Raether.

"He had looked me up after my email on classmates, and wrote me. He told me that the guy with my daughter and impersonating him was a childhood friend named William Smolich. I was floored, but, I did know something was off from the begining."

She says that over the next two days, they combed the Internet and found porno sites with their daughter, and movies starring her.

"I was devastated. In the weeks that followed, we called the Boulder police, who are useless, and said if I was going to keep investigating to let them know, so they wouldn't waste their time, he is wanted there."

She says she does hold the Boulder City cops responsible for this, at least in part. "He is a sexual predator they let out to do this to our family, and we want our daughter home. As of the last week, I have heard nothing, but, found more sites where she is the pin up girl. Any and all help would be so greatly appreciated! If ANYONE has any private suggestions that could help, or any questions, please let me know."

William Matthew Smolich, who also uses the name Shawn Odow and several others, is 39-years old. He stands five foot eleven and weighs approximately 195 pounds. Smolich is a white male with blonde hair and brown eyes.

Police urges anyone who sees William Matthew Smolich to call 911 and not try to apprehend this individual yourself.

His prior convictions requiring registration are Attempted Sexual Assault on a Child by one in a position of trust (F4); and Sexual Contact-no consent (M1). If you have information regarding this individual contact the Boulder County Sheriff Office at (303) 441-4444. You can also contact the FBI at 702 636-5033.

 

IN THE IMAGE BELOW YOU CAN SEE THAT SHE SIGNED THE MODEL RELEASE WITH ME UNDER HIS LAST NAME...RAETHER

IMAGES I TOOK OF ANGELA IN ARIZONA AFTER SHE WAS MISSING

 

 

ANYONE WHO WAS ASSOCIATED WITH THE ARIZONA SHOOTOUT IN COW TOWN IN 2007, PLEASE CONTACT ME AT MY E-MAIL IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION OF HER WHEREABOUTS. SHE MAY BE IN DANGER. PLEASE, IF YOU KNOW ANYTHING, CONTACT ME SO HER MOTHER AND THE FBI CAN HAVE THE INFORMATION

Training Day With Justin

 I was really broke and very glad to be able to get back to work. I walked over to the office and was introduced to a man named Justin who would take me out today and train me on how to be a cab driver. He showed me about the taxi meter and how the radio worked before we even pulled out of the parking lot. He said all of this will make more since after we take a few calls and I get to see how all this works. 

     On the way out of the parking lot, we head down an alley where there are some white houses and Justin says he needs to stop and get something. This apparently is his house. How cool is that!? I mean living about 200 feet from the shop would come in handy if you were running late. Justin got out and went inside. I was sitting all alone in the cab and I could hear over the radio "Fist call...second call...486..check 4..and so forth"  I would soon learn what all of that meant. 

    Justin gets back in the cab and I ask him is he owns this house. He says "Somebody own it."  I guess he must be renting.  He told me the owners of them company Nancy and J.C. (actually the managers, United Cab had been sold to a company out of Ft. Lauderdale called Gulf Coast Transportation inc.) owned  the house and he was living there.

     I did not realize it at the time but this underscored a real problem with the taxi business as a whole. Vetrern Drivers end uppennyless. I would soon learn that you can driver for twenty years and not have  a pot to piss in or a window to through it out of. It is even worse, there are no benefits and no retirement. I was not thinking about any of that, I just needed a job and I had decades to go before I retired. 

     Justin lived most of his life in Lousianna and was pretty much a wildcatter all of his life. He told me a story about a parish where the KKK had a hugh influence. There was a sign on the county line that said "Nigger don't let the sun set on your ass." I really hope that was a long time ago. Justin described himself as a "Coon Ass."  That was a compliment to be called that in Lousianna. He told me stories about drinking and gambling and fooling around with another mans wife. This guy really seemed to have lived an adventursome life. Mine seemed rather dull up to this point. 

   We swung by some of the stands so that I would know were they were at. Justin now said it was my turn to work the microphone in a bidding situation.  A stand 23 went second call. That means any cab that is in that zone, not on a stand, or any cab in a surrounding zone can give the dispatcher their location.  After the dispatcher takes all the bids, he will determine who is the closest cab. 

     I nervously gave our location as Kennedy and Himes. The dispatcher took a few more bids and determined that we had won the call. Cool! We now went over to channel two, which is our information channel to find out exactly where we were going.  Justin said we used to do it all on one channel, but other drivers were stealing fares, so they went to the two channel system. The fare was at the Days Inn on north Dale Mabry. 

     We roll into the parking lot up front of the lobby. This guy comes out with a couple suitcases and says he is headed to Dunedun to visit his elderly father who could not pick him up at the airport when he got in late last night. We were on our way. 

     Justin starts heading up Memorial Highway which will connect with US 19 in the heart of Dunedun. We stop at a red light. The guy in the back seat starts looking around and wants to know why he is seeing neighborhoods and red lights and stuff. He says that when his father used to pick him up, they would go over a long bridge over water. 

     "Thats the Courtney Campbell" Justin Says. "That would put another fifteen bucks on your fare sir if I did that" Justin insist. 

     The guy in the back seat starts to get agitated. He says he if from Broyklyn and he knows when he is getting the run around. That is what they do in New York and he is pissed. 

     "Your taking me the long fucking way you asshole" the guy from Brooklyn declars.

     Justin hits the brakes and pops the trunk. "Get the fuck out" he screams at the guy. The guys draw dropped. The guy says no and he and Justin argue back and forth. The guy finally promises to be good if we will just get him to his fathers house. Justin agress and we are now on our merry way.

    On the ride back to the office, Justin says that you don't ever have to take abuse from a passenger under any circumstances. Justin said he had put many a fare out for bad behavior, and he said you can use any profanity they use. I was thinking I was going to enjoy this job.

     Back at the shop part of my training was to sit in and watch the dispatcher do his job so I would have a better understanding of how everything works. The dispatchers name was Tom, but drivers called him Pirate. There was a time when they used handles instead of cab numbers. 

    I was telling Pirate that it had gone pretty good with Justin and that he had lived an interesting life in Louisiana.   Pirate began to laugh.  It seems most of Justin's time in Louisiana was in theLouisiana State Prison! The rest of that must of just been bullshit. 

 

A Drunken Chick

                                                                     
      This night was going like any other weekend night; people were out partying and acting like fools. That’s the good part.  Unfortunatly, there comes that moment, late in the night, when the fares will turn the tables and try to make a fool out of the cab driver.  Alcohol combined with frustration can be a naughty combination, in more ways then one.  That is something you will soon learn as a cab driver at night. It was around 4:00 a.m. and the bars were closed when I got a call on the south side to pick up a female. This could be bad.  Unescorted females, at this hour, can be very bad news.

      I pull into the driveway and this glassy eyed woman gets into the backseat (I hate it when they want to ride upfront).

      “Take me to Deleon and Howard.”  She says.

       “No problem” I tell her.

       “Do you know where that’s fucking at?”  She says.

       With drunken chicks you can always count on the F word.

      I pull out of the driveway and head down to the end of the street and begin to turn south towards the Hyde Park area.  This should be a simple drive, just straight down Manhattan and dump her out.        

      “Where the fuck are you going?"  She demands to know.

      “I’m taking you home; you do live in Hyde Park right?”

      “All you fucking cab drivers want to take me the long way.”  She claims.

      I stop the cab and look back at her. This is the moment when I try to decide if I’m even going to take her another foot or tell her to get out. She looks really wasted.

      “Look miss, you are a little drunk, so just let me take you home.”  I tell her.

     “What makes you think I’ve been drinking?”  She says with slurred speech.

      She continues to demand that I head in the opposite direction.

      “Fine, let’s go your way.”  Now, I’m getting a little pissed.We head off in the WRONG direction, as per her instructions.  She just sits there quietly and says nothing. Then, the silence is broken.

      “Do you have any jams in this car?”

      I tell her I do, and ask her what channel she wants to listen to.  I am thinking it is the local Hip-Hop station.  Gee, how did I know that?  We continue now all the way down to Gandy. This is starting to get ridiculous.  If we go any further, we will soon be on the Air force Base. She now looks around and wonders where we are at.  She really does not know.

      I turn the radio down and tell her that if she is good, I will take her home.  The meter now has $10 on it (that’s what it would have been if we had gone the right way) and I tell her that is all I will charge her if she just lets me get her home safely.  She remains quit the rest of the way.

      We arrive at her house.  I am so happy.  I always feel uncomfortable around people who have lost control of their faculties.  She opens the door and gets out. She wads something up and throws it at me. It is a ten dollar bill.  No tip, no thank you, no nothing.

      “Fuck you asshole” she says as she walks away.

      Man, I love my job. 

Fetish Com Invades Tampa

 I had a special this morning from two guys I know from Los Angeles. They are in the adult film industry and produce content that they sell to web portals and outlets. 

The reason they were in Tampa this weekend was for the workshops at Fetish com at the Hyatt Hotel in downtown Tampa. The workshops they are attending are on the cyber aspect of the industry. 

Security is a concern, as well as, knowing how to promote your site with codex, spyware, viruses, and other things to make sure traffic is driven to your page. They don't want to crash your site, they just want your business. Downloading porn videos is the future. No longer do you have to go to the 'dirty book store' with the rain coat crowd. plus, this is the only way to keep Grady Judd (Queer Sheriff from Polk County) from kicking in your door. 

When we got to Hyatt, there was a commotion out front and lots of people (Please keep the Bible thumper's away). Wonder Woman and some other caped super girl were out front and getting much attention. The hotel has 521 rooms, and they block all of the rooms for this event (They really don't want families seeing this). This event is held here every year. It draws models, agents, and photographers from all over the country. I used to attend when things were better...got many a good shoot from this event. The Hotels suites are perfect for my type of 'high glamour' photography. 

I should be out running my taxi most of the night.  I know these freaks will be at the Castle in Ybor City and all of the other drinking holes. This has been a very good week, and this is just the 'cream' on top of it. 

Who is this Doc Johnson guy?

Do You Like Watching People Screw?

 Well, you can watch all day long and night at the Fantasyland Video store in Drew Park. If you don't mind all the swingers, fags, drunks, crackhead, jerks, perverts, voyeurs, idiots, dirtbags, undercover cops and taxi drivers, this is your place. Glory holes and everything goes. Word of this place has spread faster than AIDS in the '80's. Just go by and look. The parking lot is overflowing and people are everywhere. I don't care, I make money picking up here and taking fine ass girls here who want to screw strangers, or people they met on the internet.

The image here is the 'pool room.' I think you are a step ahead of me. Your right. People do it on the tables. Its just not the eight ball that is going in the hole. Cum on by, and join the fun. The most fun in Tampa since the Led Zeplin Concert.

Happy 4th Of July!

There are two big reasons I love this county. 

ONE: we are to free to express our way in the manner that we choose without fear of reprisal from the government. 

TWO: after looking at this picture, I seem to have forgotten what the other thing was...Does it matter! 

When I go to Clearwater Beach which is still free of the Gulf oil spill, I can only think how fortunate I was to have been born in the United States Of America. 

Happy Forth Of July folks.  I hope you enjoy your barbecues and cold beer.  

It would not be the Forth Of July without a bikini contest at Sheppards Beach Resort on Clearwater Beach.

 

The Fabulous Sports Babe Works Very Hard

Nancy the "Fabulous Sports Babe" works for 1040 ESPN Sports Radio in Tampa Bay.  She once had a nationally syndicated talk radio show back in the '90's.  She has returned to the Tampa area and does the 12 noon to 3 spot.  I liked it better when she was on at nine in the morning because I could have breakfast with her live show..,."Breakfast with the babe."  Now its..."Lunch with the babe."  You can see how hard she is working. 

Changes To Tampa Taxi Shots - Republican Convention 2012

There are some changes to the blog Tampa Taxi Shots.  

With the 2012 Republican Convention slated for downtown Tampa, I want visitors to come to my blog for information about hotels, restaurants, nightclubs, golf and so forth.  I do not want this site to look like a porn portal.  That is why I have taken down all of the girlie stuff I could find.  Plus, I just want to be known for something else.  

Do you think Sarah Palin will be the nominee in 2012?  Not sure about that.  I am sure I do like this photo of her.  Sorry, I could not resist one more time. I used to take a lot of girl photos but I have now gotten away from that.  The economy was a large part.  Things move on, however. 

I know its a couple of years away.  Gee, I hope the Gulf beaches are not covered with black sludge.  If so, I don't think you will hear her saying "drill baby drill."  Just a thought. 

Facebook Photos: The New Porn

If I were to give anyone advice about the internet, it would be you are not alone.  Your friends aren't the only ones oohing and aahing over the bikini-clad beach photos you posted on Facebook: the most common activity on the site is men looking at pictures of women. Call it G-rated porn, writes Amanda Marcotte for the Daily Beast, who talked to men who say they aren't looking for smut—they just like to ogle photos of partying females. "You can stare as long as you want to," explains one guy, somewhat creepily. "I can print out, bookmark and/or download the images I see on Facebook to look at again and again and again.”

And in some cases, Facebook is becoming a replacement for other, dirtier sites. "Porn seems impersonal and gross," said a 29-year-old, who says eying photos of women on Facebook feels "semi-enlightened, in a way." And while "it’s hard not to feel optimistic if so many men are having fantasies about 'real' women," writes Marcotte, "there’s an undeniable ick factor to the idea of men getting off to pictures you posted for your friends to platonically peruse." So consider the "again and again and again" guy before posting anything provocative.

WHY ARE THE SWEDISH AFRAID OF ADINA FOHLIN?

A commercial for Apoliva, an assortment of personal care products for Apotoket, featuring Swedish supermodel Adina Fohlin has made a major splash, although not quite the one that the Swedish pharmacy chain was hoping for. Rather than running out to purchase Apoliva products, viewers are running scared.

Over 100,000 people called in to protest how frightened they were of this haunting commercial set to the score of a Swedish folk song.  There is nothing scary about this.  No wonder the Swedish can't make good porn.

Breaking My Heart!

This little girl wandered into traffic today and some foolish cab driver stopped to pick her up...She told me that she doesn't eat much, won't keep me up late, and doesn't chew or make much noise....Right....You must be on drugs girl if you think I am going to fall for that...You are OUT at the first chance...You must be kidding..Think I am going to fall for that...

A PRETTY PIRATE

Carly is a very pretty Gasparilla Pirate. In the spirit of Saturdays major party event, I thought this image from a recent photo shoot was appropriate. This party is one of the largest outdoor drunk and disorderly party in the world. I am sure that Mardi-Gra and Carnival are bigger but we like our event. Cab drivers really l like it. It is one of the busiest days of the years for us. Don't drink and drive.

In a little bit of self promotion, note the TBT* beads around the models neck. Reps from TBT* one time came by United Cab in Tampa for a promotion. It was the last time anyone brought food by for the drivers and they had all kind of giveaways and I took the strand of beads.

Carly not only showed me her boobs for the beads, she told me she wanted them. So I no longer have them but what the heck. 

I have always had this idea that if TBT* wants to run a real British style tabloid. You know the kind that sensationalizes sex scandals and all that stuff, they need to have a page 3 girl. I will even take the images for free because I can get girls from the agencies who would pose with a bikini top on and I guarantee it will DOUBLE the circulation of TBT* overnight.

Plus. In all the images the girls will have on the beads. How about that for advertising!

NOTE: If you live in Tampa or you are visiting Tampa for this party please do not drink and drive. I know it is hard to find a cab but you might get lucky. Walk if you have to. A cab fare is cheaper than a DUI.....

Remember....it is all about the beads!

Happy Fourth Of July

I hope everyone has a wonderful 4th. Here is something to help get you in that "red, white, and blue" frame of mind. Freedom and liberty is a wonderful thing. GOD BLESS AMERICA!

Happy Birthday UNCLE SAM!

Hard Rock Casino, Texas Hold Um, And A Hot Blonde

Late this morning I got a ride out to the Seminole Indian Hard Rock Casino. That is a popular spot for after hours parties and people just wanting to play the latest craze - Texas Hold Um Poker. It is considered a sport now, and the casino offers a large room with lots of action.

My opinion is that many people don't realize they are not that good at it. A real pro will be wiling to fleece you of everything you have if you let him. I like the ride out, over $40. As a cab driver, I just hope he has that much left when he is on the return.

I did notice cabs waiting out front of the casino. None of them were United cabs. The other companies don't have the street business we have and they have to stake out places like this and the hotels downtown to find fares. This place does rock on the weekends. All the beautiful people from Hyde park come out here to be seen. They have the bikini contest at midnight and it does attract a young crowd. The older bingo, slot people are seen midweek with their buckets of coins going to play the slots that don't really pay very much.

I have to admit, this place is hugh. I have been in every casino in Las Vegas and this one has the square footage of any of them. They just don't have the full casino games like Blackjack and Craps. If they did, I would probably come out as a customer.

This has nothing to do with it, but check out the video of this hot blonde from the last shoot out in  Arizona. Download hot blonde.wmv

A Sick Model And An Early Flight

Michelle knocked on my hotel door and said she needed a place to stay tonight. Her plane was leaving Tuesday and I agreed to let her crash. We had a shoot planed and I had converted a section of the suite into a makeshift studio.

The shoot was awesome. Even though they were mostly nudes, this is one of my favorites from the shoot. After the shoot we were both tired and went to sleep. She had been eating a lot of junk food non-stop scone she got here. Cheese and jelly beans. She said she was hungry. Many models starve themselves before shoots, then pig out after. I heard her get up and she started puking. She had eaten about a million jelly beans with string cheese and turkey lunch meat.

Now she has the shakes and takes over the main bed. I guess I will be sleeping on the couch. She is asleep right now. I am trying to be a gentleman, oh well. I have a flight early back to Tampa. That really sucks. At least the public transportation and  cab service is reliable in Phoenix. Imagine that.

Hanging out with models is a hell of a lot more fun than driving a cab.

I have known Michelle for while now and we frequently email. Her last trip to Florida was right after Julianne died and I did not get to see her. I had to leve in the morining and tried not to wake her and her friend Kerri up. I had to get back to Tampa.

Oh well, back to United Cab...Tampa's finest cab company. Wow.

EMAIL I SENT TO HER:  Hi Michelle, this is Tim Fasano. I want to thank you for the great shoot we had. I have put the one image I was photo-shoping on my OMP site under glamour. I really love the image. Check it out. I gave you a model link. I hope you and Kerri got out of Phoenix ok. I tried not to awaken you guys when I got ready in the morning. I was twinkle toes around the room. LOL. Thanks for being there and thanks for being an "Italian" friend. I am half Italilan. Thanks for adding a little rainbow in life when I really needed one. I hope to shoot with you again. Take care and best wishes for continued success in your field of choice. I really hope you are feeling better. Take care, and God Bless.

Downtown Tampa, Bipolar Running Backs

As I was merging into downtown Tampa today, I noticed how much the skyline has changed in recent years. Tampa is growing. No doubt about that. It's not all for the good. Rising property values have prevented many people from owning homes and even being able to rent them. Free markets I guess.

Traffic is a major concern. A recent article in US News And World Report addressed this issue. Tampa Taxi Shots was quoted in this article. Did anyone see it? I have been a little out of it. I know I should not have been.

I mean a death like this. It is a blow to find someone you love dead on the living room floor. And now I have to except things that I may not of known. Like the North Carolina connection. How could I have had the nerve. Grieve. Somepeople think I was not even her Boyfriend. I never said I was. Only that we were close and had an eight year relationship. I really don't know where her real boyfriend is. He dosn't seem to care or is not here, I guess. There was an LL Cool J song about call me punk or something like that....thanks for the sweater.

The most famous Bipolar person of all time was Hall of Fame Running back John Riggins. He had all the symptoms, erratic behavior, irresponsibility(he once had 2 million dollars in uncashed paychecks in a drawer while he was living in a flop house), He often went to skid row to drink with the bums behind dumpsters. He was major running back in the NFL. The problem was he could not be tackled. At 6' 4" 245  lbs. and the fastest man on the field, he was rather formidable. He broke a Super Bowl game wide open with a 55 yard run ageist the Miami Dolphins. Hard to believe that was 25 years ago! Wow!

The Redskins had a basic playing style....Riggins run right...Riggins run Left...Riggins run up middle....Joe Theisman throw the ball. In any order they would score 500 points a year....Just like the Bucs Right!

A View From The Pool In Arizona

Just to let ya knew I got into Phoenix without a hitch. It was a great plane ride, nothing but blue Sky's.

When I got to the Raddison Resort, I ran into my photo bud from San Francisco Harry Chow. He is a great portrait artist and very good with newcomers. His gang was on their way to rent a car. I checked in and went to the pool. The low humidity here is awesome. It is hot but you don't feel it.

People should be flooding in tonight. We are going to Sedona tomorrow where the red rock canyons are. Awe inspiring scenery.

Stay tuned. THe next few days should yield some to the best shots I have ever taken. I am stoked! You may want to look with one eye if you know what I mean.,

Meet One Of My Models

Meet Kerri. She is one of the buffed and beautiful models we have hired for the Shootout. I will be leaving tommorow morning - a day early. I go to this shoot twice a year. Why not? I can spend a week photographing beautiful models outside while the rest of country is settiling in for winter. The location is a photographer's dream come true. An 'old west' town set, great vegetation, incredible sunsets, great scenery. We are expecting a one to one photographer-to-model ratio. Just like our last shoot, this shoot promises to be an experience to remember.

Phoenix is a popular vacation destination, Phoenix has an average day time high temperature in April and October in the mid-80s, perfect shooting weather.

For pros and beginners alike, this shoot is a great chance to add some killer shots to your book. And also to meet and photograph some of the models you've seen in print and on the net often photograped at incredible locations. Now its my turn!

This shootout is all about learning and upgrading your skills. There are 2 or 3 photo workshops/seminars over the weekend and  experienced pros are always there to answer your photographic questions.

I am ariving early and a photographer friend of mine from Chicago have booked two models to go up to Sedona where the scenery is very dramatic, if not, heroic. They often film movies and car commercials from this local.

When i droped off my cab today. I was a little sad. When you pound it every day like I do, it becomes your friend. Cab driving gives sanity to your world.

Now its time for some insanity!!

What's In A Name?

Plenty. According to the people at Maxim Magazine, there was a nightclub on Westshore blvd in Tampa that was infringing on their copyrighted name. That is not good. They started a lawsuit against the owners of "Maxxim" Steakhouse.

Very close I would think. But ya' know, people can always correct their ways. That is why the owners now call themselves Penthouse Steakhouse. What?!

I don't know about you but perhaps they should consider naming it something that is not so close to a nationally published magazine. Just my idea. That reminds me of something.

On taxi stand 23 there is this little cat that has been hanging around. He is solid Grey and I think he is homeless. We have put food out for him but he does look well fed. There is a Burger King and a Chili's in the parking lot, and I know he smells the meat cooking.

We named him "Smokey." I know that is not a really original name for a Grey cat. But at least it is not some kind of copyright infringement. Perhaps the people that own this steakhouse should consider coming up with their own name.

UPDATE: Apparently this club is an official club for Penthouse Magazine. They have advertising in the local papers using the term "Magazine" and inviting you to come meet the "Pets" in person. I'll be damn. They seem to be doing it right. I bet they are paying a ton for this

Was Hugh Hefner Right?

Was the Playboy founder more accurate in his belief of future men and womens roles in society? Maybe.

In the 1960'S you had two schools of thought: You had the Feminist. They believed that women would get past merely being "Sex Objects" for men. That they would strive for higher education and rise to success in the business world. Parallel with that would be an acceptance of women as equals with men and they would be respected for their minds and ideas, not their bodies. A primary proponent of this idea was Gloria Steinem, a  leading feminist voice who moonlighted as a "Bunny" to understand the nature of mens sexiest attitudes, as well as, the $300 bucks a night she made for working in the club. A concept I will get back to....Note Fallon on the couch at Ybor Strip.

Hugh Hefner painted a different picture. His was a world of "Male Romance." A world were men dominated, were successful and women were merely their playthings. Men had it all and women were the reward. After all, beautiful women only want to be with rich men, so this made tremendous sense. If women were liberated to the point of wanting sex like men without the unrealistic "Female Romantic" concepts. Men would then have it made.

What you see every weekend night in Hyde Park are women parading around displaying their bodies like a piece of meat on a butchers block. This is the sort of behavior the the '60S feminist would of decried. What has happened? What I think is going on is women now feel that sex is a tool. A powerful tool. women can make money with their looks. Go into any office in Tampa and the chicks that work their are probably hot. The laws of averages and genetics are really against it though.

They must really work at it. I mean all of them are in shape. Where are the fat chicks, frumpy chicks, homely Chic's, skinny chicks, freckle face chicks, average looking chicks? You know, like the ones on the E-Harmony commercials. You will not find them out on a Saturday night as this exercise in Darwinism unfolds in South Tampa.

"Sam" Is Not A Man

Green eggs and Ham. I photographed this babe in a junkyard. Why does that work? It is called Juxtaposition-creating a dichotomy between soft beauty and harsh, rough texture. That's what they tell me.

If you want to see Sam Nude, as well as, nude images of all the other babes in this blog, go to my personal web site at Tim Fasano.com

Sometimes you just have to get out of the cab.