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Exotic Glamour, Beauty & The Nude Workshop, Virgin Islands, #30

Date: Nov. 8-13, 2012 (Early Bird Pricing!)
Venue: U.S. Virgin Islands
Details: The first Virigin Islands worskhop sold-out in less than 2-weeks! Most of the VI workshops for the past eight years sell-out almost a year in advance! Here’s your chance if you missed out in the past eight years! Only 12 Photographers and six Models for this workshop. First-come, first-serve!

This is year eight in the Virgin Islands and our 14th year conducting workshops! This is also our last Virgin Islands workshop for 2012 and if there is another in 2013, it’s at least a year away!

This is our 30th Virgin Islands workshop. The dates are Nov. 8-13, 2012. Fly in on Nov. 8th (Thurs.) into St. Thomas (Airport code STT) then we ferry you over to a smaller island where it’s a private, camp-style workshop–open to all levels of photography, from beginners to advanced–your departure day is Nov. 13th, (Tuesday) unless you choose to stay longer in St. Thomas on your own. Nov. 12th is our private shoot day. While not mandatory, on our private shoot day, we encourage it to work with your favorite models on a “one on one”  hourly basis.

These workshops promise more than the best workshops ever done–this is not a foreign country, this is the U.S. Virgin Islands! No currency conversions, no foreign language, no crazy inflated value-added taxes or worries about the food and water or your camera equipment held in customs till you pay the “bribe.” Currently, for U.S. citizens, a U.S. passport it not required, provided you present a government issued identification card, such as a driver’s license. Non-U.S. citizens require a passport.

We’ve got a place that rocks! The location was featured on HGTV and Brad Pitt even filmed parts for one of his movies on this secluded island. It’s not your “typical tourist hotel” trap found in other workshops–this is a private paradise 10-minutes from St. Thomas giving us great sunsets, sunrises, private infinity-pool shots with the ocean blue/green waters and golden sunsets in the background.

Complete with bbq’s, outdoor activities and a dinner on the beach after sunset, this workshop is better than the best workshops ever held! We even had one photographer sign-up for ten Virgin Islands workshops and another for five plus two Moab photography workshops, so all photography slots sell fast! We have a high return rate of previous attendees!

Limited to 12 photographers only! That’s right, we’ll shoot six beautiful models in groups of two photographers per one model, the whole time you’re there–you will photograph every model. There is no room for more than twelve photographers, period. Prices will eventually go up if not booked early! We’ll be staying on a private island off St. Thomas in a “camp-like” style environment as we enjoy the use of three houses with full facilities including internet connection DSL, refrigerator, stove, satellite TV, and phone plus we’ll serve breakfast and provide lunch options.

This package includes lodging during the workshop and most drinks and food–there is two optional evening dinners at your expense as we provide some of the dinners. Your responsibility, get there! Fly into St. Thomas. From there you’ll have the greatest time photographing models without hotel distractions, tourist distractions, etc…total focus on what we’re there for, the glamour, beauty and the nude photography of beautiful women. This is outdoor photography in a tropical setting!

This is a first-come, first-serve, non-refundable workshop. The workshop attendees will not be staying in a hotel, we’ll be staying in fully equipped houses that are cottage style, complete with satelite TV, DSL, refrigerator, stove, etc.–your house on a private island. Early-bird price is $1499, save $500 today before prices go up to $1999. Please use the button below to pay securely with PayPal.

Use this special button to reserve your “Early Bird” price at $1499 today, regular price resumes to $1999 before you know it! Save $500 now! Rates will go up after first four attendees sign-up, so save now Guarantee your slot!

Lighting is provided for sun-overpowering shots, though you may bring your own lighting too. We’ll have some California Sunbounce scrims and reflectors, again, you may bring your own too. Make-up and hair provided for the models too.

Rolando will cover many topics, from basics, fundamentals and concepts that you can use in glamour photography and other genres of photography. Emphasis on lighting, posing, and the ability to see and feel the light. You’ll get hands on instruction and demonstrations. Overpowering the sun with flash will be a big focus along with beach and pool shoots.

Rolando will walk you through, step by step showing you the in’s and out’s of the image, at the same time, every photographer will have his or her time to photograph lovely, photogenic models from sunrise to sunset. The emphasis is to take photographs not pictures. Plus much, much more!

Three full-days of shooting and one optional day to book private shoots! Private shoots are optional and will be scheduled reasonably for a small additional charge–this money goes straight to the model–first come, first serve. Shooting will be from sunrise to sunset–just like if you’re on assignment for publication. The workshop attendees will stay in three “home-style” cottages with kitchens, baths, refrigerators, etc., on an exotic island. DSL internet connection is available too along with satellite TV–though who will have time to watch TV? (grin) Time is allocated to enjoy the hot tub and swimming pool during non workshop hours–yes, have fun in the sun, work hard, and capture great images!

All proceeds are non-refundable, but we will allow you to transfer your seat should you have to change your plans with at least a 90-day notice. You must do the transfer on your own as we will not refund anyone due to the small size of this workshop.

Over 6,000 students have attended Rolando’s workshops and speaking engagements in the past thirteen years–Rolando is the only current glamour workshop instructor with national speaking credentials, a glamour DVD, photography book author, photo magazine staff writer with national and international tearsheets. Rolando also discovered the April 2006 Playboy Playmate for Playboy–she attended the April 2006 VI workshop as an actual model too! This workshop is open to all levels of photographers, from beginners to advanced–Rolando will take time to work with new photographers and will answer your questions before, during and after the workshop. No one is leaving the island until it’s over!

The workshop is intense, but designed for everyone. Breakfast and lunch are available every day upon arrival. Evening supper will be furnished two of the five days. Three days of supper will be your responsibility as we’re giving you the choice of staying on the island or going to St. Thomas. Refreshments will be provided. You can also venture off to St. Thomas for lunch on your own.

The price is for workshop and lodging costs and most meals, you are responsible for all travel. The price includes three solid days of shooting with models. We break the twelve photographers in teams of two, so you always work with a partner but never have to wait in line. Models are rotated daily to allow for major shoots with one model at a time per day–you will photograph all six models. We reserve the fourth shooting day for private shooting for a small additional fee, this is an optional day after your three solid days of shooting, for your favorite models. This system works so good we’ve had many repeat customers to the VI workshops.

Make-up will be provided and images may be used in off-line, personal and web portfolios, however, you can, for an additional $80 (paid to the model by the photographer, only once and covers all three days), secure an unrestricted release (except for adult pay-sites or membership sites), full use, including nudity. Releases are provided, and securing releases are optional and not mandatory, but highly encouraged.

First Come, First Serve Basis–limited seating–Reserve Your Slot Now!

A minimum of seven people must attend otherwise the workshop will be canceled and refunds will be immediately provided. Rolando has never canceled a Virgin Islands or exotic photography workshop in the past 13 years. Feel Free to email Rolando Gomez should you have any questions at rolando(at)rolandogomez.com with a CC copy to gophotog(at)gmail(dot)com and include your contact information and best time to call.

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Virgin Islands Exotic Nude Photo Workshop Exclusive!

Nude Model from Virgin Islands Workshop

This photo is from our May 2011 Exotic Nude Photography Workshop in the Virgin Islands.

Event: Virgin Islands Exotic Nude, One on One Photography Workshop (5 models, 5 photographers)
Date: May 17-22, 2012 (SOLD OUT)
Venue: U.S. Virgin Islands New! Special One on One Workshop, One model per photographer!
Details: Exclusive only to FIVE photographers, each photographer provided an assistant!

This is the third workshop that features our unique one on one format–plus, are third only, “Exotic Nudes” format along with your own personal assistant to help you get the shots!  This is our eight year in the Virgin Islands with almost 30 workshops in that period and over 500 workshops, seminars, lectures and more in the past 13 years. But this will be smaller, five photographers verses six, but five nude models to photograph!

While photographing a model nude is done more indoors than outdoors, our focus will be on outdoor, exotic nude photography. If this is not for you, then please check out the other Virgin Islands workshops for the months of April 2012 and Nov 2011 for our standard, less-expensive VI workshops where we have two photographers to one model ratios—this workshop is for a unique, one on one experience and offered on a very limited basis! Only FIVE Photographers and FIVE Models. You will be assigned a photographer’s assistant to help you during the entire workshop! First-come, first-serve, save $500 from our regular price! Four spots remain, prices will go up!

The dates are May 17-22, 2012. Fly in on May 17th (Thurs.) to St. Thomas (Airport code STT) then we ferry you over to a smaller island where it’s private, camp-style workshop–open to all levels of photography, from beginners to advanced–your departure day is May 22nd. (Tuesday) unless you choose to stay longer in St. Thomas on your own. If you are coming from Europe or from a long distance, such as the West Coast of the United States, then we will allow you to arrive a day earlier, provided you purchase your own food–lodging is provided for you only! We do have two lodging spots for “couples” for an additional $500 for your significant other–though that person may accompany you on the shoot, they are not allowed to shoot or interfere with the shoots.

This workshop promises nothing but the best ever done–this is not a foreign country, this is the U.S. Virgin Islands! No passport required for U.S. citizens, only a valid government ID card if you’re a U.S. resident. No currency conversions, no foreign language, no crazy inflated value-added taxes or worries about the food and water or your camera equipment held in customs till you pay the “bribe.” Currently a U.S. passport it not required, provided you present a government issued identification card, such as a driver’s license for U.S. citizens.

(Video below is from a typical 12 photographer Virgin Islands workshop back in 2007. The Exotic Nude photography workshop is a much greater experience as it’s more a intimate one on one setting with your own personal assistant and smaller overall group for more intense hands-on instruction.)

(All images below, photographed at previous Virgin Islands’ Workshops, actual models, equipment and location featured!)

We’ve got a place that rocks! The location was featured on HGTV this year and Brad Pitt filmed parts for one of his movies on this secluded island. It’s not your “typical tourist hotel” trap found in other workshops–this is a private paradise 10-minutes from St. Thomas giving you great sunsets, sunrises, private infinity-pool shots with the ocean blue/green waters and golden sunsets in the background.

Complete with outdoor activities and a dinner on the beach after sunset, this workshop will be better than the best workshops ever held! We even had one photographer sign-up for ten Virgin Islands workshops in the past eight years, so all spaces will sell fast! We have a high return of previous attendees! You’ll get five full shooting rotations, one per model, with each model for hours, not one hour, but hours!

Scheduled time:
Thursday, arrive, settle in, get an assistant assigned. (early arrivals allowed for those traveling long distances with prior approval)
Friday morning you’ll be given a lecture by Rolando Gomez, plus hands on instruction.
Friday, break for lunch.
Friday, from 1:30 p.m. until 3:00 p.m., you will be given the opportunity to learn how to over-power the sun with flash working with at least two nude models! This is a hands-on instruction class, outdoors, weather permitting.
Friday, from mid-afternoon until slightly after sunset, work one-on-one with your nude model with your own personal assistant.
Saturday, from sunrise till almost lunch, work one-on-one with your nude model with your own personal assistant.
Saturday, break for lunch–you have time to go into St. Thomas for lunch, shopping, etc.
Saturday, from mid-afternoon until slightly after sunset, work one-on-one with your nude model with your own personal assistant.
Saturday dinner on the beach, right on the waterfront!
Sunday, from sunrise till almost lunch, work one-on-one with your nude model with your own personal assistant.
Sunday, break for lunch–you have time to go into St. Thomas for lunch, shopping, etc.
Sunday, from mid-afternoon until slightly after sunset, work one-on-one with your nude model with your own personal assistant.
Monday, private shoot allocated all day, or just relax on the beach or go into St. Thomas and enjoy the town!
Tuesday, departure on a private ferry, then cab ride to the St. Thomas airport.
Wednesday, you’re home, enjoying the “new you” suntan while editing hundreds of exotic nude and editorial nude images!

The rest of your life your friends will be jealous and kicking themselves on why they didn’t go! This is a one of kind photography workshop with top nude models and top photography instruction.

Limited to five photographers only! Your personal assistant will be provided by us. That’s right, we’ll shoot five beautiful models in one on one rotatios–you will photograph every model and have an assistant to help you! Very personable one on one instruction for this event! There is no room for more than five photographers! Take advantage of the early-bird price now, as this will go up soon! This is a workshop worth booking early! We’ll be staying on a private island off St. Thomas in a “camp-like” style environment as we enjoy the use of three houses with full facilities including internet connection DSL, refrigerator, stove, satellite TV, and phone plus we’ll have breakfast and lunch. You are not charged for lodging at this location! Lodging outside of this location is your option, but not recommended.

This package includes lodging during the workshop, most drinks and most food–there are two optional evening dinners at your expense. Lunch is provided though you always have the option to venture out for your own lunch on Honeymoon Beach or St. Thomas. Your responsibility, get there! Fly into St. Thomas (airport code STT). From there you’ll have the greatest time photographing without hotel distractions, tourist distractions, etc…total focus on what we’re there for, the glamour, beauty and the nude photography of beautiful women on an exotic island. We ask that you book your flight to arrive no later than 5 p.m. and depart no earlier than 9:00 a.m. Besides, who wants to get up early when we have a small party on our last night there?

This is a first-come, first-serve, non-refundable workshop. The workshop attendees will not be staying in a hotel, we’ll be staying in fully equipped houses that are cottage style, complete with satelite TV, DSL, refrigerator, stove, etc.–your house on a private island.

(SOLD OUT)

Use this special button to reserve your special price of $3499! Save $500 now! Rates are going up unfortunately, so save now guarantee your slot! Regular prices resumes to $3999 soon!

Lighting is provided for sun-overpowering shots, though you may bring your own too. We’ll have some California Sunbounce scrims and reflectors, again, you may bring your own too. Make-up and hair provided for the models too–every day! We also allow for private shoot time in addition to the normal workshop hours!

Rolando will cover many topics, from basics, fundamentals and concepts that you can use in glamour photography and other genres of photography. Emphasis on lighting, posing, and the ability to see and feel the light. You’ll get hands on instruction and demonstrations. Overpowering the sun with flash will be a big focus along with beach and pool shoots.

Rolando will walk you through, step by step showing you the in’s and out’s of the image, at the same time, every photographer will have his or her time to photograph lovely, photogenic models from sunrise to sunset. The emphasis is to take photographs not pictures. Plus much, much more!

Three full-days of shooting (Friday, Saturday, Sunday) and one optional day (Monday) to book a private shoots! Private shoots are optional and will be scheduled reasonably for a small additional charge–this money goes straight to the model–first come, first serve. Shooting will be from sunrise to sunset–just like if you’re on assignment for publication. The workshop attendees will stay in three beautiful “home-style” cottages with kitchens, baths, refrigerators, etc., on an exotic island. DSL internet connection is available too along with satellite TV–though who will have time to watch TV? (grin)

All proceeds are non-refundable, but we will allow you to transfer your seat to someone else should you have to change your plans. You must do the transfer on your own as we will not refund anyone due to the small size of this workshop.

Over 6,000 students have attended Rolando’s workshops and speaking engagements in the past eleven years–including over 200 attendees for the past Virgin Islands workshops, many more than once, some even up to ten VI workshops! Rolando is the only current glamour workshop instructor with national speaking credentials, photography book author, photo magazine staff writer with national and international tearsheets. Rolando also discovered the April 2006 Playboy Playmate for Playboy–she attended the April 2006 VI workshop as an actual model too! This workshop is open to all levels of photographers, from beginners to advanced–Rolando will take time to work with new photographers and will answer your questions before, during and after the workshop. We always provide gorgeous models, past models include State Beauty Pagent winner, Deal, No Deal model, Playboy Playmates, Playboy SE Models, American Idol Superstar and more!

The workshop is intense, but designed for everyone. Breakfast and lunch are available every day upon arrival. Evening supper will be furnished two of the five days. Three days of supper will be your responsibility as we’re giving you the choice of staying on the island or going to St. Thomas for lunch. Refreshments will be provided.

The price is for the workshop, lodging costs and some meals, you are responsible for all travel and your film costs if you’re not shooting digital. The price includes three days of shooting with models. We break the five photographers with your own assistant as a team of two, so you always work with an assistant, but you are the photographer only for that model each shooting rotation. Models are rotated twice per day to allow for two major shoots with one model, per shoot, per day. Friday you have class instruction, plus a shooting class where you’ll photograph two models nude, Friday is the only day where afterwards you’ll have one full rotation. All other days are two full rotations. We reserve the fourth shooting day for private shooting for a small additional fee, this is an optional day after your three solid days of shooting, for your favorite models. This system works so good we’ve had many repeat customers to the VI workshops in the past seven years.

Make-up will be provided and images may be used in off-line, personal and web portfolios, however, you can, for an additional $100 (paid to the model by the photographer), secure an unrestricted release (except for adult pay-sites or membership sites), full use, including nudity. Releases will be provided, this is optional and not mandatory but highly encouraged. This is not $100 per shooting day, but $100 for all three days for each model! (Total is $500 for all)  Most models of this caliber charge $200 and up per hour so it’s a heck of deal! We ask that you consider the make-up artist and your assistant for a small graturity, though voluntary.

First Come, First Serve Basis–limited seating–Reserve Your Slot Now!

A minimum of four photographers must attend otherwise the workshop will be canceled and refunds will be immediately provided. Rolando has never canceled a Virgin Islands workshop in the past seven years. Feel Free to email Rolando Gomez should you have any questions at gophotog (at) gmail.com

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To Write About Life, You Have to Experience It First

U.S. Army Pathfinder Training--Slingloading

U.S. Army Pathfinder Training--Slingloading

There is an old saying, “In order to write about life you must experience it first,” and when you’re my age, 47, you’ve got a lot to write about, though sometimes I don’t think people will believe half of what I’ve lived in my photographic career of over 30 years. Regardless, I’m a person who loves to convey messages of life through my photography and my writings, so I decided to give away my fifth photography how-to book away for free—because I want to give back, educate and tell the stories of the power of photography to help build or rebuild self-esteem, more specific, photographic therapy.

 

After all, who would believe that a U.S. Army, soldier, would be posing nude for the camera during an ongoing investigation on soldiers that sexually harassed her? Not to mention she was almost raped by an Army Ranger and the Army was doing its best to throw her out of the service because they didn’t want to deal with her. She took the chance while under this stress to pose nude for my camera and immediately began to feel better about herself.

Just like the story of the young Air Force officer who returned from the Officer Training School only to find her own clothes on the front porch because her newlywed husband chose the bridesmaid, her best friend, instead. Yes, she too used photography to overcome her sense of helplessness, betrayal, and rejection.

While I spent over 17 years combined federal service with the U.S. Army as an active-duty solider and as a U.S. Air Force civilian, not all the stories are military related like that of the young lady who lost 131 pounds thanks to bariatric surgery.

Yes, these stories did happen amongst many others that I was able to witness at times in the form of hearing, seeing, and believing thanks to my camera lens, my subject’s mirror. This process brings out life experiences in a subject who is in the need for photography to help build or rebuild self-esteem. I see it everyday as a photographer, people seek strength in the barrel of a lens, not a gun, but when the photographer fails or doesn’t comprehend the subjects needs, then the photographer’s lens barrel can fast become a gun barrel, especially for someone in a depressed state of mine.

Photographers must be careful in the photographic therapy process and understand they are not there to replace medically qualified professionals. Photography is powerful, hence why I’ve giving away my fifth photography book away for free. There are no gimmicks, no adware, no spyware; it’s a book designed in Adobe InDesign and edited by one of the top photography editors in the world, Alice Miller of Plum Communications. It’s a 3.1-megabyte file in a clean PDF format and like all my books, it’s 8 ½-inches by 11-inches, full color, with over 60 photos and captions.

Plus, it includes 11 chapters, a preface, index, recommended resources, and more make up this almost eighty-page book targeted for photographers but written and designed in a hybrid format so potential photographic therapy subjects can learn and perhaps relate to the stories told. Perhaps potentially even save a life, so please pass it on to your friends and colleagues that you can download a free copy at http://www.freephotographybooks.com or here at this blog. It’s free! You can’t beat that, especially when my other books sell for up to $40 at local bookstores worldwide. And if you feel the book has given you something of value, you can provide a donation toward the costs associated with the distribution of such a large file. Every little bit helps as I’ve returned back from another successful Virgin Islands workshop filled with life’s experiences that I’m sure I’ll write about someday. Thanks, don’t forget the troops and their families, God Bless–Rolando Gomez

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Glamorous

While I personally prefer listening to country music, most models today listen to various types of music, including the more hip music. While conducting my Virgin Islands workshops, we have the ability to plug-in an I-Pod, or in my case, my I-Phone, which has caused me to download songs from I-Tunes, more in tune with the younger model crowd

I often use music to get my creative juices flowing, whether writing articles or books, or when photographing models on location, especially in the Virgin Island, Glamour, Beauty and the Nude workshops. I tend to choose music that will relax the models and get them moving and with glamour photography, one song that seems to get the models, and even me, flowing, is the song by Fergie called Glamorous.
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Virgin Islands-Nov 09′ (SOLD-OUT)

Date: 11/5-10/2009 (SOLD OUT)
Venue: U.S. Virgin Islands
Details: The first Virigin Islands worskhop sold-out in less than 2-weeks!  All of the VI workshops for 2008 sold-out, most sold-out a year in advance!  All of the 2008 workshops are sold-out! Here’s your chance if you missed out to book early for 2009!  Only Twelve Photographers and Six Models per workshop.  First-come, first-serve! 

This will be our 20th Virgin Islands workshop.    The dates are Nov. 5th-10th, 2009.  Fly in on Nov. 5th (Thurs.) to St. Thomas (Airport code STT) then we ferry over to a smaller island where it’s private, camp-style workshop–open to all levels of photography, from beginners to advanced–your departure day is Nov.10th (Tuesday) unless you choose to stay longer in St. Thomas on your own.

These workshops promise to be better than the best workshops ever done–this is not a foreign country, this is the U.S. Virgin Islands! No currency conversions, no foreign language, no crazy inflated value-added taxes or worries about the food and water or your camera equipment held in customs till you pay the “bribe.” Currently a U.S. passport it not required, provided you present a government issued identification card, such as a driver’s license.
 

(All images below, photographed at previous Virgin Islands’ Workshops, actual models, equipment and location featured!)


We’ve got a place that rocks! The location was featured on HGTV this year and Brad Pitt filmed parts for one of his movies on this secluded island part of the islands.  It’s not your “typical tourist hotel” trap found in other workshops–this is a private paradise 10-minutes from St. Thomas giving us great sunsets, sunrises, private infinity-pool shots with the ocean blue/green waters and golden sunsets in the background. 

[Read more...]

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