• Day 35/90 – Bodyscaping Photography

    Day 35 of the 90 Days of Awesome is in the bank! What made today awesome? I got to do a photoshoot with Ben Stadler-Ammon, including some bodyscaping work.

    I have friends who are amazing photographers. They’ve shot amazing photos of me over the years at Ignite Phoenix and doing flash mobs with Improv AZ. At the last Ignite Phoenix event, Ben asked if I’d be interested in doing a photo shoot with him. I jumped at the chance.

    One of the types of photo work Ben does is called bodyscaping. It’s a type of photography that is usually in black and white that focuses on shapes made with lighting and the curves of the body. (Yes, since this type of art focuses on the body, the photographer needs to see your body; therefore, most bodyscaping is done in the nude. And in case you were wondering, when you’re working with a professional photographer – like Ben – there’s nothing sexual about the shoot. It’s just about taking beautiful photos.) When done well, the resulting photos are absolutely gorgeous. Ben does an excellent job of capturing your best angles and making your eyes sparkle. We met for a shoot a few weeks ago and it was so much fun – and the photos were beautiful. Here’s my favorite one from that shoot:

    Gorgeous Photo by Ben Stadler-Ammon, June 13, 2015
    Gorgeous Photo by Ben Stadler-Ammon, June 13, 2015

    We did another shoot today. What made this one special was my friend and fellow model Sara Santiago was there to do some modeling and also learn about taking these types of photos to better understand how to take a good photo. It gave me a chance to learn about what makes a good photo and I got to take some shots with her so I got to see another artist’s perspective. Working with her was different because since this was her first time shooting, setting up shots took longer, which presented me with the challenge of holding still longer.

    Here’s something no one tells you about modeling – the most beautiful pictures involve contorting your body into poses that no normal person would use in their daily life. There’s a lot of twisting, back arching, and leaning in ways that no one does naturally. It’s funny at the time and the pictures that come from it are fantastic.

    Ben did some “organic” photos of me today too – just me being me. I can’t wait to see the results.

    In case you missed it: Day 34 of the 90 Days of Awesome – I finally hung my wall art.

  • Day 33/90 – Breakfast with Jeff

    Day 33 of the 90 Days of Awesome is in the bank! What made today awesome? I got to have breakfast with one of my best friends, Jeff.

    Jeff & Ruth - Two Cheesy Geeks at Breakfast
    Jeff & Ruth – Two Cheesy Geeks at Breakfast

    I met Jeff Moriarty at the inaugural No Pants Light Rail Ride in 2009. We stood next to each other on the train and we were instant friends by mid-ride. I’ve been calling him my partner-in-crime ever since. We’re also known for organizing flash mobs and other shenanigans in the valley. I love his bold thoughtfulness and the fearless way he executes new ideas like Ignite Phoenix and the Phoenix Ultimate Geek Smackdown.

    Back to breakfast – we met at Snooze, one of the most are some breakfast places in Phoenix. I thoroughly enjoyed my sweet potato pancakes. Our conversation was probably nothing that would interest anyone but us – just two friends catching up over a meal. Ok – maybe there was some talk about future shenanigans, you are not privy to that. But otherwise, it was pretty mundane. It was the perfect way to start a holiday weekend.

    I suspect some people think my life is always exciting. One of my friends once asked, “Do you ever have a dull day?” The answer is “Yes,” and to be honest, it’s often the most pedestrian activities that make me the happiest. I will take a stress-free meal with a good friend where the hardest decision I have to make is which awesome pancake do I want any day.

    In case you missed it: Day 32 of the 90 Days of Awesome – Raising my Game as a Lawyer!

  • Kicked Out of Costco

    Ignite Phoenix 17 Speaker's Bootcamp by  Brandon Larkin (Creative Commons License)
    Ignite Phoenix 17 Speaker’s Bootcamp by Brandon Larkin (Creative Commons License)

    My friend Alan made me a white board sign – it’s two small white boards screwed to a stick of wood. It’s basically a reusable protest-style sign. I love it. It’s a fun way to make a statement without saying a word.

    (I’ve been saying for years that I need a shirt that creatively conveys the message “Stay away from me” for the days that I had hate everyone but have to leave the house but it’s so creative that people want to talk to me about my shirt. Now I have a customizable sign that I can use instead.)

    Rosie needed a refill on her glaucoma eye drops and our doggie ophthalmologist said that Costco pharmacy had the cheapest price, so off I went with my sign to get her meds. I don’t need to buy anything by the vat or gross, so I’m not a member of Costco. It’s a warehouse of consumerism that I usually find overwhelming. (You can use their pharmacy even if you’re not a member.)

    I walked in a 9:30am when they opened to drop off her prescription. The front of my sign said, “I bite. I really do.” My friends wrote that on my sign and I left it there – but it’s true. I do bite. The back said, “Be Awesome to Everyone.” It’s always fun to watch the reactions when you violate social norms. I walked in, dropped off Rosie’s prescription, and walked out without incident.

    Fast-forward three hours when I returned to pick up Rosie’s meds. It was high noon at Costco – the peak of free sample time. By then I’d changed my sign to say, “Stupid should hurt” on one side (hat tip to Improv AZ’s Fake Protest Flash Mob) and “Stop doing things you hate” on the other (hat tip to Gary Vaynerchuk). Based on the parking lot, I should have written “Cool kids return their carts.”

    As I walked through the door, I think someone said, “Do you have a membership card?” to me, but I was completely oblivious to the staff. I was on a mission to get Rosie’s meds. One of them caught up with me at the pharmacy where I’d lowed my sign and was politely waiting for the tech. I think she thought I was “special needs.” She was very deliberate with her words and explaining that the store was private property and when non-members use the pharmacy, they need to be escorted, but that I couldn’t bring my sign in the store again. (She had no clue that I’m the lawyer who literally wrote the book on flash mobs and pranks.)

    I finished my transaction and she escorted me out of the store. She even carried my sign for me. She seemed to soften a bit when I said I was there to get my dog’s glaucoma medication.

    So now we know – when your awesome friend makes you an awesome white board sign, stores may not appreciate it as much as you, even if you’re quiet, polite, and legitimately there to make a purchase. And they might suspect you have a mental disorder.