Freakout at the Shootout + More Publications!! + FREE VIDEO! (Patreon)

Positivity and serenity are super important to me, but sometimes I still reserve the right to freak out. I love my friends and photographer buddies at the Arizona Shootout, but the swarming hornets throughout the weekend caused high stress for me and many other attendees! Located at an abandoned mining town in the middle of nowhere: no internet, no hospital, no cell service- The Arizona Shootout has terrific photographic opportunities, but this time around the elements were a bit overwhelming!

There were approx 90 attendees (40 models, 50ish photographers) this fall. Bees are attracted to areas with moisture (sweat, water), sugar (like leftover soda cans in the garbage), and bright colors. I was posing in front of some 1800s mining equipment during the free-for-all shooting hours, with 5 or 6 photographers snapping shots of me in a sexy cowgirl outfit (daisy dukes and a BRIGHT red and blue striped blouse). "Crouch Down" one photographer suggested of me, when I bent my ankles to crouch, I felt a pinch in my cowgirl boot by my ankle. At first I thought it was a rock, but the pain quickly became very sharp and throbbing. I broke character. Threw off my boot and a bee whisped away, leaving his poisonous stinger in my skin.

This was negative, the pain was intense, I froze. All the photographers were confused. "I'm stung!" I exclaimed. The atmosphere shifted from happy and productive to confusion and flailing. My model friend Lillias was there with her maternal instincts sensing my anxiety from 100 feet away. Like a Mama bear during poaching season, she swiftly came to the rescue with a pair of tweezers and the stinger-removal-knowledge of an eagle scout. She deftly extracted while all the nearby photographers expressed their concern for my well-being.

I had to take a break. If you know me, I don't like unplanned breaks when I am "on the clock", it makes me feel unprofessional. "Are you going to be able to continue with the group sessions?" The event organizer asked me. "Give me at least 10 minutes..." I have not been stung since I was 5 years old. I was unsure how my body would react 24 years later. Fortunately the pain and swelling subsided and I was able to continue posing.

Once I left my break and began posing around the dusty mining town again, the bees seemed more attracted to me. They were flying into my hair, crawling on my skin, and getting into my outfit bag- around 5-10 bees at a time. Maybe the scent of the stinger attracts their bee-buddies to "get the badguy"? I couldn't keep my cool... photographers would suggest a nice location, I would start posing, multiple photographers were trying to shoot me at the same time... and BEES were flying right at me! I ducked, squealed... darted... having already been stung 20 minutes prior I was already experiencing higher-than-normal anxiety.

This was unsafe, unfit modeling conditions. After about 15 minutes of trying to just DO MY JOB and model for the group session, I lost it and started RUNNING to escape the bees. One of the photographers tried helping by picking my outfit bag off the ground and following me as I made an ass of myself in front of EVERYONE! I was visibly and audibly shaken... and the bees kept following me! Whenever I stopped moving, they started crawling on my skin and getting stuck in my hair again. I tried running into the blazing hot sun- they followed. I climbed a staircase and stood on the roof of a stone building- they followed.

"I don't know what to do!" my voice was embarrassingly whiney and sissy. Gary, the photographer with my bag, hovered over me, with other photographers walking towards me in an attempt to help. I curled up in a ball in a crouch, tucked my face into my knees, and stayed still while bees invaded me- in my hair, on my clothes... who knows how many, at least 15-20 around that time. Some photographers trying waving around me to move them. I was SO FLUSTERED.

On my jaunt back to the model's dressing room (to HIDE) people were following me, expressing concern, asking if I needed anything... I was just so embarrassed.... UGH!

On day two I was stung THREE more times. twice more on the leg, and once on the ASS! The first one of the day was right at the beginning of a shoot where I was being paid an hourly rate. I had my friend Jin pull it out with tweazers, didn't ice it or anything, and just toughed out the pain through the shoot. I wasn't being swarmed on day two, fortunately. but I did get stung multiple times.

I am very lucky not to be allergic! Modeling isn't always glamorous. This is a great reminder of that...

See the attached photos for some BTS shots from the Arizona Shootout. I included a few selfies, and some candid behind the scenes photos. I am in the works of making a more in depth BTS video from the AZSO, waiting to get some edits from photographers to add to the film. Stay tuned!

*****RECENT PUBLICATIONS*****

In the last few weeks, I have been notified of some new publications I have been accepted into! One of them is an artistic portrait series of me in a handmade floral headdress for Surreal Beauty Magazine (Photos by Russ Turner), I am featured in this issue: http://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/1182631

Another is the latest edition of FemmeXposure Magazine, this will be my third time being published in this magazine. Here is the link to that: http://femmexposuremagazine.net/november-2016-issue-54-cover-model-maria-hernandez/ (a little more risque in this magazine! Photos by Dan Richards)

For you explicit level ($29 and higher)pledgers, I will have some exclusive photo sets and videos from this weekend for you very soon!

***FREE VIDEO***

Alright here is the FREEBIE I am gifting you, with Lillias' permission. Before we went back to participate in the Arizona Shootout, on the last day, Lillias , KayJay, and myself went into the middle of the desert and played around shooting eachother nude! 

I created a slide show from the videos and photos Lillias sent me. I really like her eye! She captured the moments really peacefully and beatifully. It was a magical morning! the 8am sunlight kissed our bare skin. 

I did my first ever OUTDOOR HEADSTAND which was a really big deal for me! So far I have only accomplished these in the privacy of my carpeted apartment with no wind. 

I also learned more about transitions and effects with Premiere Pro, I took extra time to experiment so this slideshow would come out nice for you all! I hope you enjoy! 

Here it is: "Nude Yoga in the Boonies" - Shots by Lillias Right 

I am enjoying my day off at home now, just returned late last night. More exciting news and more tittilating content will be available for my higher pledgers in my next post! This one is for all to enjoy :)