Rolando Gomez

It’s been a busy 2008 so this blog article is a bit long to catch-up. January isn’t even over yet and when my one-day workshop in San Antonio ended the week before last, I jumped on a plane to West Palm Beach and from there I’d rent a car and drive down to the Palm Beach Photographic Center in Delray Beach, the host of FotoFusion 2008.  FotoFusion is an annual event where photographers give back by not charging for spreading the gospel of photography while sacrificing their stay away from home. 

I often feel as though I need a small tank of oxygen strapped to my waist so I can breathe at a normal pace with my high-paced schedule as this past week was no different than the prior FotoFusio.  I was able to meet, mingle and teach with my old photographer friends and colleagues including Robert Farber, Vincent Versace, Douglas Dubler, Jeff Dunas, Rick Sammon, Rick Friedman, Shelly Katz, John Reuter, Harrison Funk, Nancy Brown and many others to name a few.  We missed Colin Finley, Eli Reed and a few others, but I’m sure I’ll see them again as we all go back for quite sometime. 

FotoFusion is a weeklong event where photographers meet each January for a week, without compensation, to give back to the community with the craft that has made them who they are, photography.  Their main goal is to spread the gospel of photography, passionately, while networking and encouraging others to follow their steps through workshops and lectures as well as computer labs. 

The week at Delray Beach, Florida includes over a hundred workshops, photography portfolio reviews, many hands-on sessions, some even with live models, along with other events such as the auction of photographs donated by the photographer instructors in the name of charity.   There is even a night out on the town where they close the streets for their annual “Jazz Festival” along with the annual farewell bash on the last night for those that still are there.

My week for this FotoFusion was not too much different than last year, though less “after hours” partying was done—we missed you Colin Finley—but ultimately it was great as not only did I spend time with my mentor Robert Farber, but I enjoyed making new friends and having dinner practically every night with a private instruction client of mine along with his girlfriend and top beauty photographer Douglas Dubler of New York. 

Dubler is an amazing photographer and for the second year in a row I sat with him on a Beauty Photography discussion panel along with Nancy Brown and our moderator (add her name here) Both Dubler and Brown not only make the panel interesting, but always provide me with some great inspiration. Farber normally sits on this panel, but he had to leave early to get back to New York so we really missed his insight on this genre of photography though I joined him for his hands-on, “Beauty on the Beach” workshop and provided him with some of my California Sunbounce reflectors for his students. 

When FotoFusion finally wrapped up this past Sunday I headed back to San Antonio, arriving home sometime after 8 p.m., there, after spending a few minutes with my three kiddos that still seemed to know I was there Daddy, I unpacked my dirty laundry and threw it in the washer.  Then I unpacked my photography gear to let it dry out as some of it had gotten wet from my outdoor, hands-on workshop I had conducted at FotoFusion.  Still tired from conducting four events, a seminar, lecture, hands-on and panel discussion at FotoFusion, I knew I had no time to rest as my next flight was in less than ten hours.  I also knew I’d have to repack pack my photography gear as I was leaving to photograph a national ad campaign for a major liquor company with full-page tearsheets in upcoming issues of Playboy, Sports Illustrated and Maxim and other publications. 

Because of the tight schedule and early morning flight to the airport, I never went to sleep as by the time I was done answering emails after finishing the laundry and repacking clothes and gear, it was time to hit the shower at 3 a.m. with no time to spare.  The only good thing going on at that time was the email from Delta that my coach seat was upgraded to first-class—it pays to be a member of the frequent, live-out-of-my-suitcase flier program and at platinum status upgrades are more frequent than sleep.

 I arrived on location Monday around noon, ready to light the set, as the contract promised the set would be built, all I had to do was light it for the shoot.  Well the folks that hired me were a bit behind, so I pitched in and we spent the rest of the day building, lighting, un-building, lighting and rebuilding and lighting, using a wonderful stand-in model.  Finally finishing near 10 p.m., we had dinner then I hit the bed shortly thereafter only to wake-up up at 5:45 a.m. as the “call” was at seven for make-up and light checks.

This was an important shoot as knew I’d have to overcome the over-the-shoulder onlookers as soon the studio would be filled with the make-up artist, assistants, producer, creative director, art director, brand manager, the account executive and anyone that could peek in.  I just wanted to meet the model as we’d only spoken over the phone before though we’d never met and on an important shoot like this, with only one day to get it done, rapport needs to be established and accelerated to ensure the model will give you the look that the art director wants along with the poses needed to fit the story-boards and comps the client has approved. 

Upon arriving at the studio we found out our model, Playboy Playmate Monica Leigh arrived earlier in the morning, with barely any sleep, due to flight delays and we’d be at least 45-minutes behind.  Like all things, once you’re running late, it runs over so we started shooting closer to 11:00 a.m. instead of 9:00 a.m., but Leigh was a real trooper and never showed signs of fatigue and we wrapped it up by 5:00 p.m. so she could make her flight back to Los Angeles—then Murphy hit again and Leigh’s flight was canceled. 

She found herself having to stay an extra night and when it was said and done, after getting up at 4:00 a.m. to run by the studio to pick up my lighting gear in freezing weather, the account manager and myself swung by the hotel to pick-up Leigh and her suitcases as we had similar flight times, 6:00 a.m., though I headed to Texas and her to California. 

As I write this tale, I’ll be arriving in San Antonio just before lunch, but I’ll have not time to take a break as I have a private shoot at 2:30 p.m. of a client that first started out as a private glamour shoot that transitioned into following her first pregnancy in a glamour fashion.  Hopefully I’ll be done and home by supper time as I still have to repack as my next flight is less than 24-hours away as I head to Los Angeles with a departure time from home at 4:15 a.m. to make it time for my early flight. 

Yep, it looks like I’ll be up all night unpacking, laundry, repacking, and answering emails again.  Some might think I’m crazy, but that’s the life of a photographer with clients, workshops and book deadlines—or what I like to call, someone who enjoys spreading the gospel of photography in his own way, mine is just sometimes crazier than others.  I think it’s time to refill that oxygen bottle and I thank my Lord for refilling that bottle just when I’m running on empty.   God Bless everyone, rg sends!