Introducing MHolloway Photography

Marshall Holloway Jr. is from Dudley, NC but has resided in Durham, NC for the last 20 years.

• If he could do a shoot for a celebrity it would be Rihanna!
• If he could shoot anywhere in the world it would be Africa because of the scenery and the culture!!

Advice 

To any up and coming Photographers, he offers: "study your craft every day and invest all that you can in order to get it to prosper and of course love what you do."

He started his company after receiving his first DSLR (a nice camera) as a gift, and from there he knew that photography was his passion! The name of his company is MHolloway Photography. This name emerged in 2012 but he had little success at first, so he let it go. Yet, the fire still burned inside of him to capture images. So, from there he created a plan involving investments, skilled developments, reinvented himself, and gave it another shot.

He’s been sharing his creative eye for photography for approximately 8 years. His first photo-shoot experience was a family session at Duke Gardens. What he remembers most is how much he didn't know about how to operate his camera effectively (-he laughs at the memory-).

The style of photography that most interests him are dramatic, dramatic, and more dramatic images! He loves shooting late evening/night and in low light. The combination of both brings so much life to his photos!

The Photo Life

The most beneficial class that he has taken is with the highly skilled and talented Photographer and Videographer by the name of Chris Cheek. But, he also spent hours upon hours of watching tutorials and reading books at the library about photography.

Of course, with any passion, there can be challenges and he finds that he mostly has trouble getting models to manifest the most flattering facial expressions. Sometimes the weather, distractions and sometimes the frames. But overall he find a way to overcome any obstacles. 

Check out more of his work below:

mhollowayphotos.com

Instagram: mhollowayphotography

Vision of Me Photography

Megan Hernandez-Tillmon is from Milwaukee Wisconsin. She and her family decided to relocate to North Carolina in June of 2016.

When she first started photography she had a business called Amelia's Illuminating Shots and Creations. She started that business in 2013. At the beginning of 2017, she decided to re-brand her business and with that she changed the name to Vision of ME Photography.

She received a dslr camera as a gift and started taking pictures in 2011. Her first pictures were of her four kids. She wanted her photos to look better so she started watching YouTube videos and reading books on photography. A year later she had family members asking her to take pictures of their children. They began posting the pictures online, and from there her friends started asking her to take pictures for them. The demand for her photography skills became popular and increased from there. 

Her first real photo shoot experience was actually with another photographer. She was asked to tag along with the other photographer to her shoot. Megan was super nervous because she had never met the model that she was doing the shoot for and she wasn't sure of they would be okay with her taking pictures of them. She remembers laughing about some of the poses that didn't come out quite like they envisioned. She had never worked with another photographer before so she recalls having to adjust to working around another person so that she didn't mess up her shots nor the other photographers'.

Her favorite type of photography is portraiture, especially when it involves kids and pets. She thinks kids are fun and they really allow their personalities to shine through in their photos. She also loves doing head-shots and has developed a love for boudoir photography as well. She thinks that it is important for women to love themselves and appreciate the greatness that they are as women. She, personally feels every woman should do a boudoir shoot at least once in their life time.

She took an online class a couple of years ago at Shaw Academy. They had a beginners and advance photography course and she decided to take both.  Prior to that she just read books and watched videos and of course practiced, practiced, practiced.

She thinks the biggest challenge that comes up is getting models to change their facial expression. Some people are super serious and others want to smile and laugh in every photo. She found that it makes things a little easier if she gives them an emotion to think about because that automatically changes the expression on their face, which gives their images more variety.

If she could do a shoot for a celebrity it would have to be Alicia Keys. She just loves her attitude. She says she seems very down to earth whenever she sees her doing interviews. She is beautiful inside and out. She loves that she is comfortable with or without makeup and she encourages young women to love themselves and to follow their dreams. She is also an inspiration to her daughter who plays piano, so she thinks it would be an amazing opportunity to just see her face to face and take pictures of her.

There are many beautiful destinations all over the world to do a shoot. But, If she could do a shoot anywhere in the world, she would want to shoot at Komodo Island in Indonesia. The sand there is pink and she thinks she could get really creative with the right model and the right swimsuits.

Advice that she gives from the heart: 

She says if photography is something you love don't give up on it. Also don't make shooting just about the money; make sure you are having fun and know that its okay to just shoot for fun. It gives you extra practice time but it allows you to truly tap into your creative side. Lastly, don't be afraid to ask other photographers for advice; like any field ,there will be some photographers who won't want to share information with you but there are so many that will.  

Contact and Gallery Information

Instagram: @visionofmephotography

Facebook : Vision of ME Photography

Website: http://visionofmephoto.wix.com/mysite

Cell Phone: 919-295-2685 or 

Email: atvisionofmephoto@gmail.com

With Big Dreams Model: Jasnia Alston

From Henderson N.C. We Give You: 

Jasnia Alston.

She was always into fashion and has been interested in modeling for awhile. She shares that her biggest idol is Tyra Banks. She hasn't done many shows, but back in 2009 she participated in one with a wonderful designer by the name of: Elegant Evenings. She enjoyed herself and felt very beautiful in those garments. She hasn't actually made it to the place in life she is dreaming of but with FAITH and PRAYER, she believes all her dreams will come true.

The Advice she would give to upcoming models would be, to just be yourself. She had many ups and downs as far as weight and her ideal image is concerned. But she had to learn that everyone is made in the image that God created us to be. So, she may not have all the features that others have but that is what makes her unique and beautiful. So in the end: just be yourself.

The one thing that she would change in the modeling industry would be the image of models having to be super skinny. She doesn't like that many starve themselves or are self conscious about the fact they have to weigh 100 pounds. Its not good she says. She wishes that more agencies and more companies would honor the weight factor. She reflects on her modeling strengths and weaknesses and one thing she believes she could improve on would be to branch out more, take on more projects, and basically just step out on FAITH.

She would love to do a photo shoot with a very well known model from the show AMERICAS' NEXT TOP MODEL: Eugena Washington. She loves how embraces her beauty and her humility. In her reflections she talks with us about designers that she would like to work with one day. One of those designers being Michael Kors. She loves his designs and everything about him! 

Her future in the fashion and modeling world is extremely bright and full of endless possibilities. She continues to grow as a model and has something in mind that she would like to try out this fall. She is currently brainstorming with hopes that the shoot she wants to do will come to pass.

You can contact her and see her upcoming work at the following: 

Facebook: JaszyMechelle

Instagram: JazzyMechelle

Plus Size Modeling In NC

Jonice Cromartie is from Fayetteville NC. She loves her family. They are the ones that inspired her to be serious about her modeling career. She has been in numerous fashion shows. She started as a model performing in hair shows. Yet, the hair shows she enjoyed the most because they were different and exciting! The hairstylists and designers would see her on the runway and ask her to be in their shows. She doesn't just enjoy modeling but she also likes to sing and dance too. 

 

She received a lot of her professional training from John Casablanca, the modeling school in Raleigh NC. But she also believed that modeling has always been a gift that was given to her by God. So, she already knew how to walk and pose long before she went to school. But, while in school she accomplished a lot and received the award for best runway in class. 

In her free time she reflected on her experiences and if asked to share any words of wisdom the advice she would give to any other model is to "never give up on your dreams and go for what you love to do." 

As the fashion industry transforms she also shares her opinion saying that if she could change anything in the fashion world she would change how BBW Models are treated in the industry. If she were ever to be a designer she says she would use plus models more on the runway. 

She has plenty of experiene being on the runway but if she could improve on any area as a model it would be learning how to apply her own makeup for runway and fashion shows.

If she could work with any Supermodel it would be Naomi Campbell she states excitedly! When asked why that particular model she responses with "because she has class, attitude and confidence on the runway like me." 

She can be found and reached at the following: 

Facebook- Jonice Cromartie,  

Instagram- Jonice 22 jonicecromartie@yahoo.com

"Hidden Artistic Compositions..."

Terrence Keith 

IT Guy and Photographer from Newport News, Virginia. 

"Hidden Artistic Compositions..."

He has two businesses, one for each of the hats he wears. The Black Tower IT Services, which he has dabbled in since 1997, and Dejanael Photowerx, formerly known as Dejanael Photography, which he started, in earnest, last year. The IT business grew out of him crashing his first home computer. He needed to get it back up and running before his wife got up the next day, and things kind of progressed after that. Dejanael started out of requests for portraits and wedding shoots, and it has progressed from there. 

While he has only been shooting “professionally” for about 6½ years, and only shooting as a business for one, he has carried a camera with him pretty much everywhere since 1988. During that time it was film, and he loved it because there were so many things you had to be mindful of; unlike digital, you couldn’t delete and re-shoot. Oftentimes you wouldn’t even have a second chance, so you had to really know what you were doing before the shutter button was pressed.

His first full-blown “photo-shoot” was a boudoir session for a dear friend. He remembers that he was nervous because he wanted it to be perfect. He also remembers there was this one shot, that she wanted to do, and it just happened! One of the most amazing photographs he has ever taken. He still marvels at it from time to time.

He shares that Landscape Photography is his passion. 

He loves finding ruins, or anything that is abandoned. He's really partial to looking at common everyday things as if they are hidden artistic compositions. He fell into Portrait Photography because of family and friends requesting portraits pretty often. Then he found Fashion Photography, which he has grown to love, by a total accident but he is really digging it right now. 

In the world of photography he doesn't consider himself “gifted” at all. Honestly, he claims he is kinda so-so, but he loves what he does, and he loves how people feel about his work. He has never had any formal education, but he has no problem doing research, and asking questions. He has connected with so many amazing artists and photographers that have helped him improve his craft, that he can’t even begin to name them all! 

There are only a few things that he considers “challenges” during shoots. The first one is MAKEUP. When it is done right, he can deal with almost anything else. When it’s wrong, well, he gets a headache. Sometimes, less really is more. The other peeve is posing. He doesn't mind if the model isn’t experienced, but if they consider themselves a pro but posing them is like "manipulating a burlap bag of rocks", then things aren’t going to go smoothly. Lastly, he finds bad attitudes a major creative turn-off. If they come in like they own the place and begin their conversation like he is their butler, the session is not going to go well, if at all. Photography is FUN, and for him, it’s going to stay that way!

There are so many people he would love to photograph, but if he could pick only one well-known person, today, it would be former President Obama. If for nothing else, he thinks that conversation would be amazing, even if they did NOT say a word about politics. He has a lot of respect for former President Obama as a person, just watching his interactions with people and with kids. He’s got what he calls “The Grandpa Gene” and he reminds Terrence of his father-in-law in that respect. The photographs would be a treasure to him, but that conversation? Priceless.

He has done a lot of shoots in various places but if he could do a photo-shoot anywhere in the world it would definitely be Tuscany. He relates that the reason is because he and his wife watched “Under the Tuscan Sun” and fell in love with the region. He's a hardcore suburbanite, but he loves the rustic appeal of that entire region. It’s as if time just kind of… stopped there. It’s romantic.

The projects or events that are emerging is the anticipated collaboration with he and a fellow photographer. They are working on a coffee table book, which has him super excited. He is also going to be revamping some work he did for the anniversary of Nat Turner’s Insurrection. That project was on display in Norfolk a couple of years ago, but this time it’s going to be more exciting, and he is going to dig into the history, and the artistry of the project a lot more.

When asked if he had any other gifts or talents he laughs saying how he used to be a pretty decent singer, and a pretty good saxophonist too. He smiles saying that he should have been a musician, but life had other plans.

His Advice To Up and Coming Photographers

"Don’t forget that photography is about expression. Don’t get too wrapped up in being super-technical, unless that’s your thing. Knowledge of your craft is good, but being able to evoke a feeling in your audience is even better. Focus on pictures that put the viewer IN the moment, pull them into the story." 

He can be found at the following web sites:

http://www.500px.com/dejanael-photowerx

http://www.dejanael.com

http://www.facebook.com/dphotowerx

Champion Queen MC of Buffalo, NY: Shanta Fanta

She goes by the name of "Shanta Fanta" from Buffalo NY #716. She considers herself to be an MC. Her 1st mix-tape is called "Who is She" simply because no one knew she rapped. So when they finally listened to her music, she knew they would want to know who she was. Her second (latest) mix-tape is called "Time Machine Vol 1" because she did all throwback beats. 

Cash Plug Records We Are Global (Updates & Treasures)

Cash Plug Records is the largest networking promotions platform that the world has ever seen. We have plugs all over, from NC to TEXAS, to California, to all the way in London!

Here are a couple of the events that we are currently promoting:

But, We don't just make money, and promote events we also take care of our community. Mr. Dot Jones is the CEO of #CashPlugRecords. He is doing what he does best, which is helping others stand on the solid platform (#CPR) provides with courage, dedication and hope. 

Check out the video! 

Saturday: (September 12, 2015): Plus Size, Swimsuit, Lingerie and Fashion Show

Ladies and Gentlemen I am proud to announce that I will be apart of this amazing opportunity to showcase some of the best fashion by the most exclusive local designers in the Raleigh Area. 

Please come out and support the beautiful women and handsome men who have dedicated their time to adding a little "spice" to the NC fashion scene for your viewing pleasure. There will also be quality performances by the best of the best in the music scene!

I look forward to seeing many of your lovely faces out in the crowd. It will be fun and it will be a success!