These are some of the images that stood out to me from the new issue of KING, which I picked up today. Don't get me wrong, this is not a bad issue by any means, but I still think these editors need to take a little more initiative to start choosing marquee models for these magazines instead of "who's hot now" chicks (excepting Dollicia in this issue). The urban eye candy genre needs a new top model to attract advertising dollars and new talent to the game. It needs a new Melyssa Ford prototype - a Jayne Kennedy for today.

That's why I was interested in rebuilding Sabrina Hunter's image. She has the smarts and maturity to take the lead and handle the type of opportunities that came Melyssa's way. These club chicks with their tramp-stamps and booty shaking cam phone videos cannot handle a Sprint commercial. They're not flaship material and most importantly, they don't make other quality girls aspire to be in the industry. Just food for thought. (Click to enlarge - the last mode is Skye Marshall)

Tags: Dollicia Bryan, Skye Marshall, Sakara Ross

Alysha is such a pleasant model to work with. Photography by Indosplace.com. (Click to enlarge images)

Tags: Alysha Young

This is half of the FB Legacy (Fubu's Relaunch Brand) and Hip-Hop Weekly "Flawless Beauties" calendar. Bria Myles and Tahiry are in it, as well as Sophia Marie and a few others, including Chanice, who hasn't done anything in a while, and Tammy Torres. (Click to enlarge bottom photo)

Tags: Bria Myles, Tahiry Jose

Jenna Shea is in Black Lingerie #12 and featured on the cover. There's nothing better than watching a model slowly improve, and Jenna has definitely done that. This is possibly her best set with SHOW yet. (Click to enlarge.)

Tags: Jenna Shea

I hadn't seen these. And every single Khrysti pic you can find is worth downloading IMO. Reach Khrysti on Twitter here (Click to enlarge)

Tags: Khrysti Hill

Despite considerable user error (focus) in this set, I still like the look of some of these Suelyn pics. Reach Suelyn on Twitter here (Click to enlarge)

Tags: Suelyn Medeiros

I hate that new plot line with Dania and Turtle on "Entourage." And she plays bitchy a little too well, if you catch my drift, lol.

Tags: Dania Ramirez

This is the type of pic I'd like to put my name on. Credit for this post got to: http://fuckyeahsexychicks.tumblr.com/ - one of my favorites.

Tags: Autumn Reese

Here's a model I can support being on the cover of a magazine. Well done. Reach Dollicia on Twitter here

Tags: Dollicia Bryan

Commercial/catalog type shot of Alysha and Suelyn in Malibu California taken by your friendly neighborhood blogger. (Click for larger version without type)

Tags: Alysha Young, Suelyn Medeiros

Pics like this make me wonder if my photography makes any difference at all in showcasing this girl's beauty. You can reach Sabrina on Twitter here.

Tags: Sabrina Hunter

Okay, so the video of Ali Milan answers some burning questions about her figure. I would say that for the most part, she's straight! And this girl has one of the cutest faces around - I love models that look like cartoons. Oh, and for the record, the videos do look slightly better on SHOW's website, so you should check them out if you really like a model and wanna see her in hi def.

(Click image to see video - Quicktime required)

Tags: Ali Milan

She was pretty popular, so I thought a little video might shed some light on this beauty. Click image for movie. (You will need Quicktime)

Tags: Erica F.

Tags: Miss Koi, Koi

Without a doubt Mal Malloy is one of the most notable women I've posted on my blog. I could recount the reasons she became so popular so fast, but we've all dissected the Mal Malloy phenomenon ad nauseum. Instead I thought I'd just post a little reminder of why she's one of the greats.
A note about the red dress pic - Mal has picked up about 10 lbs since she first debuted here (to some of our delight!) That pic reflects that weight gain. Unfortunately, there aren't many pics of her at her new weight. Hopefully we'll get some video soon though. Reach her on Facebook here (it's her real Facebook).

Tags: Mal Malloy

I post Ali Milan's photos with the caveat that I've always been a little suspicious of her pics. And I'm not alone: in many of her posts on message boards there is speculation about plastic surgery and Photoshop assistance. It's clear that some of her earlier stuff was heavily retouched with regard to "enhancing" her curves. Notwithstanding that, she's still got a very appealing look and she's undeniably sexy. Of interest is the fact that her Myspace, Model Mayhem, and Twitter page seem to have up and disappeared recently. There's a lot of that these days in the urban industry. Maybe she'll post something in the comments section and let us know why she disappeared.

Click the image to be taken to the gallery page. Credit: Showgirlz Exclusive.

Tags: Ali Milan

Continuing in my patter of dabbling in commercial actresses, I bring you Simone Cook. Do a little search for Nationwide Insurance's "Vanishing Deductible" commercial and you'll find that Simone has a quite a following. The only problem is, no one knew her name. Thanks to a few of my homies on ASR, that little mystery has been solved (there's no mystery they can't solve, lol)

Tags: Simone Cook

Michelle Van Der Water got a lot of attention for the below Palm Pre commercial. She's a hottie extraordinaire. I saw the comment below on a message board and found it...interesting. Curious to hear other's thoughts on it.

i like girls like this physically, but i never like their attitudes. she goes to lounges and sips on martinis and on weekends attends art exhibitions. she will only date guys same complexion as her or lighter.she is too career-oriented and usually hangs around white people, as the token 'black girl'. all token black girls have that hair style. every single one. it is the hairstyle that ad companies use for black women in their advertisements. you'll never see a black woman in an ad without this hairstyle. it is because she is the girl who hangs with whites, so whites feel more comfortable watching the ad and it still has ethnic diversity. (on another note, the girl will always be the 'light skinned' black girl, never dark 'ghetto/african skin')

Tags: Michelle Van Der Water

Trying something new and different: galleries. Click the image to be taken to the gallery page. Credit: Showgirlz Exclusive.

Tags: Erica F.

UPDATE: This blog post has been updated. Alysha sat down today to talk in detail about how she landed this job, for all those aspiring models who want to know...

--How did the Walmart ad campaign come about for you (e.g., starting from how you got with the agency that booked you for the job, providing one of your agents booked you)...

I got the Walmart ad through my agency, the Daniel Hoff Agency. Getting an agent is necessary and I got mine through submitting headshots and resumes to all agents that looked like we could benefit each other. You can get a list of all the agencies and what talent they are currently looking for at Samuel French Bookstore. After I sent out my packages I heard back from less then 1/4 of the agents. I went in to do a test read of a script, got a call back offering me representaion.

--Was this job a buy-out, do you get residuals, etc.?

The job was a buyout I got about $2,000 for internet and print usage during Summer 2010. If Walmart decides they want to use the images longer than the summer then they have to pay me again. Also, there's an exclusivity clause - while this ad is out I can't do a similar ad campaign for stores like Target or K-mart.

--How long ago did you actually shoot for this ad, to give people some idea of how long projects like this can take to come into fruition...

I shot this campaign in the beginning of April 2010. They had me "on hold" for a week, meaning I was told to keep my availibility open just in case they wanted me (ahhhhh the suspense, lol)

--When you shot for it, did you have any idea of how you would be featured in the ads, if at all?

After I shot for the ad I had no idea where it would actually be used. They don't tell you. All I knew was it could be used for print and online, whatever that means. No one tells you the actual relese date. I didn't even know it was out until you told me . Sometimes I never get to see the final result, it's only in the Midwest. Sometimes they don't even use you... at all .

--What advice would give to aspiring models out there who wanna dip their foot into urban modeling but not foreclose opportunities to do an ad like this?

My advice is to know exactly where you want to end up in the industry and be selective with your work. If you want to be super sexy and that's the work you book, it'll probally open more doors to be super sexy, but there's the risk you will be pigeonholed to that. You have to remember your overall objective and stick with a plan that will keep you versatile. Don't get "caught up." KEEP FOCUS.

Congrats to Alysha! (Click to enlarge.)

Tags: Alysha Young

The Big Butt Book ($59.99, Taschen Books) is the fourth in a series of "art books" from Taschen celebrating the human form in all its glory, profiling some of the highest-profile examples and overloading on archival images from throughout the history of erotic art and nudie mags. Here, Taschen's Sexy Books Editor Dian Hanson follows up on The Big Book of Breasts and The Big Book of Legs. **Bria Myles makes an appearance in the book.**

This is actually a good look because this book will be around forever in stores and even some libraries, while the magazines Bria has done will have long faded out. This series of art books by Taschen is very well respected.

As Bria's lawyer, my only question is: can you sell an art book like this using other people's photos without their permission? (Rhetorical question, lol)

Tags: Bria Myles, Dian Hanson

Finally, what appears to be a worthy entrant into the game of urban modeling: Miss Tammy, or as she's known on Model Mayhem, Tamara Lightning.

Update: Thanks to member Mike Hill we know you can reach Tammy on Twitter here and on Model Mayhem here.

Update 2: Candid pic added...

Tags: Miss Tammy

So this picture by photographer Scott Hebert caught my eye because it is showcasing that rarest of rarities: a playful show of affection between a black man and woman that is not crass or debasing. Eva Pigford just looks fantastic here, and the way Lance Gross's hands are framing her tiny waist shows off just what an amazing figure she has. Personally, I think this is a hot photo.

Tags: Eva Pigford

Edit: Model is Erika R has now been identified thanks to member "kb3al".

Tags: Erika R

Despite the crispy artificial lighting used in an outdoor setting, Laura looks rather captivating here. These are magazine quality photos used for the galleries on her pay website. Not bad.

Tags: Laura Dore

I promise this blog won't become a Maxim wannabe. Actresses like Scarlett Johansson get enough press everywhere else. But I have to say, I'm smitten with her. I mean, have you seen Iron Man 2!? Talk about stealing a scene (poor Gwyneth).

But the thing is, I've always liked Scarlett, going back to Ghost World in 1999, so this isn't some fad-ish, trendy reverence. This is good old fashioned, died-in-the-wool obsession, lol. And she has such a cool vibe about her and no lame plastic surgeries. I would hate to find out she has a bad attitude and treats people crummy.

Tags: Scarlett Johansson

UFC Hottie Arianny Celeste is featured on the cover of last month's Maxim and is photographed by Jeff Olson. This soft, natural look continues to elude the urban genre. Even my pics for J'Adore are not quite as soft and easy on the eyes as this. Hmmm... I guess it's back to the old drawing board.

Tags: Arianny Celeste

Actually that's a cheap electric stove. Mine unfortunately, lol.
Credits: Photography - Indosplace.com | Make-Up: Tai Young | Model: Bria Myles

Tags: Bria Myles

I try to post women that look good, irrespective of whether I like the particular model or not, which I don't in this case (how can you be the [one-time] editor of a major urban magazine, and a model in it at the same time? Isn't that a conflict of interest?) Nevertheless, these are some nice pics of Vanessa Veasley.

Props to Dynasty Series for these.

Tags: Vanessa Veasley

Hit Miss Koi up on Twittter here

Tags: Miss Koi

This is one fine woman. (Click image to see video.)

Tags: Brittney Payton

If you've ever seen Amanda Byne's cute sitcom "What I Like About You," you know Allison Munn is packing a serious ass. Unfortunately for us, and unlike Olivia Munn (no relation), Allison has spent most of her career hiding it. Seriously, you'd have a better chance of finding the Holy Grail than you would a back shot of Allison Munn. Nonetheless, she is bewitching. You can reach Allison on Twitter here

Tags: Allison Munn

Look for this English-born actress to play Boris Kodjoe's wife Samantha Bloom on the new J.J. Abrams pilot, "Undercovers." Just the fact that Abrams is behind this means it stands a better than average chance of getting picked up. As such, I guess we'll be seeing a lot more of Gugu Mbatha-Raw.

Tags: Gugu Mbatha-Raw

There is a size 12 model on the cover of the new swimsuit edition of Glamour Magazine. I guess after all the attention Glamour got back in September 2009 for that photo of plus sized model Lizzie Miller, they realized there's money in featuring "big girls" that look more like your everyday Jane. At any rate, their exploitation is our gain. As this new issue also features plus sized hottie Kalyea Moss.

Tags: Kalyea Moss

Just a little wallpaper of Sabrina Hunter I made in 1024 x 768. (Credits: Photography - Indosplace.com | Everything Else: Sabrina)

Tags: Sabrina Hunter

Britten Kelley caught my eye from the Chica Boom video. It's a GIF, so let it load.

Tags: Britten Kelley

Question Posed: Has the deluge of big butts coming our way via Model Mayhem, Twitter, Facebook, blogs, etc. desensitized us to the women sporting them and lowered their desirability?

Short Answer: (Emphatic) No!

Discussion: When I was coming up, there was no J Lo or Melyssa Ford or Smooth Magazine. The best we had was The Fly Girls on "In Living Color" and Wrex-n-Effect's "Rumpshaker." This doesn't mean women with phat backsides were any less popular back then than they are today, it's just that they were an undercover pleasure. There was no such thing as butt cleavage in low jeans. Because big booties were kind of black market through much of the 80s and 90s, you had to go through a lot to get one. Of course athletes and entertainers had VIP passes, just as they do today. But for your average guy, getting a girl with a pretty face and big butt was hella difficult.

Cut to present day. Everywhere you look there's a pretty woman with a big booty - magazines, the interweb, television, movies...you name it. But the question is, have all the derrières we've been bombarded with somehow lowered the value of this one-time rare and secret pleasure? In my personal experience, not one bit. Big booty hotties are just as difficult to snare today as they were 15 years ago. The only difference is that there's a lot more counterfeits out there than there once were. Hyrdrogel injections, butt pads, expensive jeans designed to enhance the backside - all created with the goal of exaggerating a woman's posterior. But the genuine articles still know who they are, and they're still ultra challenging to snag.

Interested to hear other's thoughts on this one.

Tags: Bria Myles, Halie

I hate to post so much SHOW magazine stuff back to back, but these pics of Brittany Dailey -- whom I booked for her recent Smooth Magazine cover (pat, pat) -- struck me when I saw them a few weeks back. Props to my boy Smack over at CutieCentral for these excellent scans. CutieCentral is one of the few urban model blogs/message boards worth visiting these days, so you can see the rest of the pics over there.

As for Brittany, she has a versatile look and is not to be underestimated. She could be a Carmen Electra in the next few years. (Warning: these files are huge, so click at your own risk, lol)

Tags: Brittany Dailey

A few outtakes from her recent SHOW magazine spread.

Tags: Summer Walker

New SHOW video of Khrysti Hill. (Click image below)

Tags: Khrysti Hill

On the better photo shoots, before you actually hit the location, the stylist will hold a fitting just to be sure the swimsuits look just right. These are candid photos of Bria Myles and Alysha Young from such a fitting with M&A Style.

Tags: Alysha Young, Bria Myles

Without question one of my favorite models to work with. Just a natural... (note: I may update this post later with one more pic) Reach Sabrina on Twitter here. (Credits: Photo - Indosplace.com | Make-Up - Tai Young-Jackson | Styling - Sabrina Hunter)



Bonus pics:

Tags: Sabrina Hunter

I'm glad I interviewed Ms. Cat when I did, because she's about to blow up. These are the type of images and Catya is the type of model that might have saved the urban modeling industry from the current slump that it's in. But there's a war afoot between models and magazine editors, and editors often give in to the models that are willing to do a little something extra to be in a magazine as opposed to who is the hottest. On the other hand, the hottest models can also be a handful to work with. In the end, it's the consumer that really loses out when these two sides can't get it together. Thankfully, they did in this case. Bravo to Ms. Cat and KING magazine! (Scans by me goddamnit, lol - click to enlarge) Oh, there are two pics I didn't scan so pick up a copy!

Tags: Catya Washington

Nuff said.

Tags: Bria Myles

Maybe both.

Tags: Sanaa Lathan

Rion Vernon is one of my favorite concept artists. Next month Mal is going to attempt to embody the look of one of his pinup toon pics. We already have one in mind, but to make it semi-democratic she thought it might be a good idea to put it to a vote.

Pick one of the three drawings below to see Mallory dress up like this next month.

Tags: Mal Malloy, Watchmalshrink

Follow Larissa on Twitter here

Tags: Larissa Bordere

I've liked Kristin Davis since back from when she played Billy Campbell's psycho girlfriend on the original "Melrose Place." She used to be pretty thick back then, at least compared to what we're used to seeing on television. I might also add that as you mature, seeing a beautiful woman in her 40s is even more impressive than seeing one that's 25. After all, everything is cute when it's a baby.

Tags: Kristin Davis

Let's be clear about something: just because I think Melyssa Ford isn't that appealing as an actress doesn't diminish her as an urban model. In fact, in my opinion, she is the undisputed G.O.A.T. of urban modeling because she did more to define the genre than anyone else. (Note: I couldn't find a verified Twitter account for Melyssa. If someone knows what it is, let me know.)

Tags: Melyssa Ford

Classic Stacey Dash and what appears to be a pretty solid outing for Smooth Magazine. Catch Stacey Dash on Twitter here (Now these are some scans I'm proud of. Again, these are unusually large files.)

Tags: Stacey Dash

Let's be honest, these days there are very few newsworthy events where urban modeling is concerned. The golden age has long since been gone. However, every now and again something truly worth blogging about comes along. Khrysti Hill's return to the scene in SHOW magazine constitutes such an event. Enjoy. (Click images for unusually large versions, lol)

Tags: Khrysti Hill

The Video
A month ago Mal and I decided she should do a brief review of Dan Clowes graphic novel, David Boring, because it concerns a big butt fetish. I don't think either of us realized what we were getting ourselves into. While I am pleased with what we eventually got, I'm not a video editor and Mal is not an actress, so it proved a little more challenging than we initially thought.
A note about the wait: this took awhile because Mal just started school again and I've got a job. Anyway, I apologize for the delay and appreciate everyone's patience. I think Mal drops some pretty interesting insights about what it's like to be a cute girl like her with a curvy figure (via her read of David Boring of course). It's not everyday you hear a girl with a big butt talk about why she thinks guys like what she's got.

(click Image For Video)

Behind The Scenes/Alternate Take
This is a portion of the first take Mal did of the book review. Her anecdotes about being voluptuous are totally different in this one than the main video. There's something a little sharper and not as mellow about her in this one (aside: As taskmaster, I think I might have driven her to drink, literally, lol (you may discern a slightly buzzed Mal in the main video). For those extra observant readers, I have added an unedited version of one of Mal's takes of the David Boring review as of June 8th - completely different material.

(click Image For Video)


About The Easter Eggs
This time there are several Easter Egg videos. Three to be exact. In them you get to see the cute panties Mal is wearing under her skirt as well as a take where it's questionable as to whether she's wearing any panties at all. Hint 1: most of the EE videos are placed in ads beneath blog entries that correspond to key dates in David Boring. So, for example, the story starts with David Boring telling us: "It is now February the 24th, 1998, 2:40 AM. Since moving to the city I've had sex with six different women." February 24th might be the blog date of one of the EE vids, if I hadn't given it away, lol. There are probably a dozen dates actually noted in the book, but the ones used for the EE concern major dates (e.g., the date of the attacks, and one is a date Mal refers to in her discussion of the book). You will know when you've seen the most explicit video when you see this guy. (Please do not post the EE videos anywhere else and don't give it away in the comments - however, I will drop more hints in the comments later.) Good luck!

Tags: Mal Malloy, Watchmalshrink

Model Claudia Colucci is the latest curvy model (read=big butt) craze outside of the US apparently. She just did the April Playboy (non-US) and the photo below is catching on like wildfire around the net. The shoot is very old school Playboy stylistically and has a great look. You can see the whole layout here. You can reach Claudia on Facebook here or Twitter here See more info. about her here (but you gotta be able to read Spanish).

Tags: Claudia Colucci

I have to thank Sight Beyond Sight for showcasing these two beauties.

You can reach Nyahale here and Vanessa here





Vanessa Wilson:

Tags: Nyahale Allie, Vanessa Wilson

For all you who hate Photoshop, click to enlarge and see those goosebumps. Reach Alysha here

Credits: Hair - JoshJarie Gibbs | Make-Up - Tai Young-Jackson | Styling - M&A Style | Photography: Indosplace.com.

Tags: Alysha Young

This has been a strong week for some of the mainstays in the industry. First that surprise Khrysti cover and now these candid shots of Maliah. The only thing that could top this off is some unseen classic Mel Ford. Click here for one additional Maliah shot that's too hot for Google Adsense.

Tags: Maliah Michel

Khrysti Hill was one of the first really big models to give me an interview for my blog, so I couldn't be happier for her. Plus, she's one of the all time greats in this genre.

Tags: Khrysti Hill

So I walked into the comic book store tonight and was dumbstruck by this awesome drawing of a leggy, curvy woman leaning against a scooter on the cover of The Amazing Spider-Man No. 602. I asked one of the store workers about it and he was like, "Yeah, very cool cover. She was on the cover the last issue as well." Well, the "she" he was referring to is Mary Jane Watson. She's come back into Peter Parker's life and apparently been significantly retooled by the artistic team.

I'll be honest, I haven't picked up an issue of Spiderman since the 80s, but I sure bought this issue. Hot artwork is hot artwork.

Tags: Mary Jane Watson, Spiderman

I'm a little late on this one. Eve is a Pisces and resides in Florida. You can reach this SHOW model on Facebook here
(Thanks to SmackDaddy at Cutie Central for these superb scans.)

Tags: Ivelisse Pietri, Eve

Melissa De Sousa is another model from the first generation of what might currently be considered video vixens that I photographed. Melissa has been in all sorts of movies and television shows, most notably Malcolm Lee's "The Best Man" and "Biker Boyz." She also had a nice recurring role on the television show "One on One" where she played Flex Alexander's girlfriend.

To see more pics click "Read More"...

(Pic from first day I met De Sousa - film btw)








Read More...

Tags: Melissa De Sousa

Check Mal out in anime school girl regalia as she gives a detailed analysis of the protagonist's big butt obsession in Dan Clowes "David Boring." Read up before class kiddies.

Tags: Mal Malloy, Watchmalshrink

It's simple. To be a successful actor/actress, first and foremost (even more so than having the chops) you have to be likable. Audiences have to be able to empathize with you. That usually entails being likable in real life, but not always.

Consider this - Julia Roberts, Cameron Diaz, Jim Carrey, Will Smith, Harrison Ford - all of these people are relatable and likable onscreen. I think this is even more important for actresses, just because male jerks are considered "cool" in our society (see Jack Nicholson).

The problem Melyssa Ford and most other urban models have is that they just are not likable people. They are stuck up, self centered, snippy assholes. Men have catered to them their whole lives and now they believe the hype. This personality disorder usually runs so deep in them, they can't even fake it on screen or in an interview. It seeps out through every pore of their being.

That's it in a nutshell. I would be willing to be bet that Melyssa will never be a successful actress for this basic reason.

Tags: Melyssa Ford

This Atlanta hottie is a transplant from Florida. She has a sharp tongue and a rockin' body. You can reach Missy on Twitter here. Her Myspace page has long since disappeared. Pics of her are hard to find, so enjoy!

NOTE: I don't like MJ Flix over the top retouching, but he seems to have the exclusive hook up with certain models, Melissa being one of them (Joanna Pena being another).

Tags: Missy Mason

EDIT: Here are a couple animated GIFs of Koi from our shoot that might be a little too racy for Mr. Google Adsense.

Tags: Miss Koi, Koi

Now if this isn't a girl who could be in hair ad*, I don't know who is. And yes, that's all her hair.



* Glad I shot her for one.

Tags: Megan Fusako Gaines

Kristina caught my eye this month on a few message boards. These pics of her are relatively tame, although I have included one of the racier ones here. Let's just say BlackPlanet had to shut this girl's account down a few times because the content was apparently a little too risqué for them. She kinda reminds me of Adaptation actress Judy Greer facially. I'll let you guys find the more naughty pics of her if you're interested; they are definitely out there and get considerably more naughty than this.

Tags: Kristina

Just six models I've photographed and featured on this blog that I think have brought something unique to the game. (Click to enlarge)

Tags: Koi, Bria Myles, Megan Fusako Gaines, Sabrina Hunter, Larissa Bordere, Alysha Young

There are some models you can always count on to come through in a pinch and whenever you are in doubt on what to post. Sabrina is one of those models, so she gets the title of Indosplace MVP. You can catch Sabrina on Twitter here. (Click for larger version)

Credits: Photography: Indosplace - Hair/Make-up: S. Hunter

Tags: Sabrina Hunter

Tags: Bria Myles

These come to us via the world famous Cutie Central, which is one of my favorite blogs/message boards.

You can reach Summer Walker on Twitter here. (Click to enlarge)

Tags: Summer Walker

Catya Washington aka Ms. Cat is my favorite of the new generation of urban models. Her body is crazy sexy, she’s all-natural – an increasing rarity these days – she has no tattoos, and she’s got a very attractive face. I’ve posted her on my blog and several message boards and the response is always extremely positive.
Ms. Cat recently granted me an interview to learn more about what she’s up to and her plans for the future. 



• I know you’re in a film with veteran actress Kellita Smith called “Conspiracy X.” Based on the film’s description, I couldn’t tell if this was a documentary or a work of fiction. Can you tell me a little bit about how you came to play the role of “Sasha,” what it was like working with Kellita, and when and where we can expect to see this movie?

The movie was fiction however it was shot in sort of a documentary style. The experience itself was amazing. I had a great time; I love working with fellow professionals. There's so much to learn from veteran actors and I was on set like a sponge, soaking up all the knowledge they were willing to give. The entire movie had an amazing cast, and I learned a lot.

• How did you get started in the urban modeling world and how were you able to get acting opportunities, especially given that you’re not based in Los Angeles or New York?

Well one day a friend of mine asked me if i wanted to participate in a black men swinsuit competition, and I at the time I had never even heard of Black Men's magazine, and I was like "Nooooooo way, there are gonna be smoking hot girls there" lol... Long story short, I finally agreed and I won, and after that I found out that I loved being in front of the camera.

• You hear a lot of horror stories about the urban modeling business in terms of guys in the business – from music artists to magazine editors – not being professional. Have you run into any of that? What has your experience been like so far in the business?

Absolutely! I've dealt with it from the artist, the artist's entourage, the staff on set, photographers, music video directors, etc...and the list goes on and on. But in this industry it's to be expected, because you have so many woman who do cross the line, and will do anything just to be on set, making it harder for those of us that actually showed up to WORK. So I always make it a point to let the people that  just how serious I am about my business. So at the beginning and at the end of the day you have to let them know that you are strictly business.

• What’s your opinion on all the fake body parts these days (e.g., hyrdrogel injections, ass implants, etc.) and do you think this is detracting from the credibility of the industry?

Well me personally I would never get any work done-- I pride myself on being all natural. However I respect the hustle. If its gonna make you money I say go for it. Playboy models have been doing it for years. However, when they start taking it to the extreme, and they start looking like cartoon characters or doing things to their faces, then I think it loses a little bit of the credibility, because you can only go but so far in the urban modeling world.

• What projects do you have coming up in the immediate future (i.e., magazines, films, etc.)?

I have been working soooo hard lately. I shot for King magazine and that will be out in April. I also start shooting another feature film in April and am in talks to do a reality show. I have a website coming soon and im shooting the calendar next month, along with hosting an event near you. My hosting schedule is really crazy right now so I'm bound to be in a city near you.

• Models often say they wanna get into motion pictures or the music industry, but you rarely hear about their plans to get from point A to point B. Without giving away all your trade secrets, where do you see yourself in five years and what steps are you taking to make that a reality?

Ha! The secret is to have a PLAN!  Get a great team and execute your plan. I have a passion for the arts, so I take it really serious. I'm at my acting class, on time every week, being in this industry we tend to rely on our bodies and I love the fact that actors take the time to perfect there craft. I had a director say to me once "Yeah you look the part but can you deliver a line" So in the next five years I'll be doing major motion pictures, launching my clothing line, still writing scripts, and maybe running for president! lol

• Are you single or on the market? If single, what insider tips can you give guys who are interested in you?

Im single but married to the business. With my schedule there's no room for a relationship. I wish I did have the time. As for the guys, I'm definitely taking applications.

• Finally, where can your fans go to see more of you?
The website is coming soon, but for now they can find me on twitter.com/Mscat215, also www.myspace.com/Mscatsworld. Or join me on Facebook 'Cat Washington, and Officialglamourgirls.com... and last but not least the one  and only Indosplace.com!

Tags: Catya Washington

Part II to this shoot for J'Adore Magazine is scheduled to take place next month. I'll keep the models involved a secret for now, but they are very hot and have been posted on this blog before.

Credits:
Make-up: Tai Young-Jackson
Hair: JoshJarie Gibbs
Styling: M&A Style
Photography: Indochine (that's me y'all, lol)

Tags: Bria Myles

EDIT: Mal's Twitter account is now live here.

NOTE: There are several other Mal Malloy videos on this site that cannot be (easily) found elsewhere on the net. Just click the tags below this post to see more Mal Malloy blog entries on Indosplace.com.

Mallory Malloy aka Watchmalshrink became somewhat of an overnight sensation on the internet. I say "somewhat" because in truth it didn't happen overnight. Mal actually started doing videos tracking her weight loss in November 2009. But for some reason her popularity reached a crescendo recently, with new video posts garnering as many as 100 comments in a day. 

And just when when she hit her peak, Mal pulled the plug, leaving many fans of her Youtube videos wondering why she left and whether she'd ever come back. Well, the good news is, she is back, if only briefly, doing one last farewell video and interview answering some burning questions.

(Click Image for Video. Videos are WMV Format; you may need to get the latest Quicktime or VLC)



Your videos became very popular very quickly. Were you surprised by it all and did the sudden surge in popularity overwhelm you to the point that it was a factor in your decision to delete your YouTube and Facebook accounts?

I was very surprised. When I originally posted my videos I thought I would get mostly other women posting on my account with various comments of encouragement. Instead, I received sexual comments from mostly men who at the most only said I should "tone up."
The latter surge of popularity did play a factor in my decision to delete my YouTube and Facebook accounts. I felt that the time and thought I was putting into correspondence and reading comments was more than should be acceptable since I am trying to devote my time to studying before Spring quarter starts.

There was some jerk on the web claiming his harsh remarks to you were the reason you pulled your accounts. I never really thought that was true, but can you address that and also tell us your primary reason for closing your accounts?
  
I feel that those people have their own issues going on. It was not at all a factor in my decision to close my accounts. I originally expected negative comments and the ones I received helped me to "toughen" up a bit. In fact, I think that the next time I'm insulted in real life I won't just be putting on a good face to it... I'll actually feel ok emotionally about it.
    As far as why I closed my accounts...
Well, in part it's because of my decision to pursue a career in the Medical Field. It's not just that having sexualized videos might lower my chances of getting accepted to a good Medical School, but also that my job and life will be devoted to caring for other people. I have to be strong emotionally and learn to be as selfless as I can.
I decided that evening that things like overwhelming positive attention can be very addictive and have a very negative effect on how I view and interact with other people. I would like to stay humble and not let that sort of thing go to my head.
 
One of the things that I think made you so popular and interesting is the fact that you embraced your curves. In my experience while ethnic women typically embrace their curves (because the men in their communities are very vocal about liking voluptuous women), White women often seem to want to lose their curves. Artist Dan Clowes ("Ghost World") has a great comic book called "David Boring" and the female lead in that comic, the curvy Wanda Kraml, decries that her ass is "the bane of her existence." That seems to sum up the way a lot of White women feel about having an ample backside. But not you. How did you come to embrace your curves and has it opened you up to dating men of other races who like that body type?

Yes it is true that curves are not as well accepted in White culture (well, counting out curves from breasts, of course.)  I figure that it would be near impossible to get rid of my "curviness" anyway. Even if it were possible, that doesn't necessarily equate to manageable. At some point you have to make a choice: either you change the way you look or you accept yourself despite the applicable culture you live in. I think most would agree, whining is unattractive to most males whatever their physical preference.
As far as interracial relationships, I have already been open to dating other races. I have gone on dates with White, Asian, Latino, and Arabic men. However, the only non-White boyfriend I've ever had has been Asian.
If a man is physically attractive to me on some level and has an interesting personality... well, it doesn't matter what race they are as long as they can find me attractive as well! Of course, receiving so many positive video comments from "dark and handsome" men has certainly made me feel that being a relationship with someone raised in a "curve" accepting culture...well, it would probably be much more compatible.

You mentioned that you liked getting the attention that came with your videos. Would you consider yourself a bit of an exhibitionist, and if so, is this a newfound quality that you discovered through YouTube or have you always been this way?

I would now consider myself an exhibitionist! This actually scares me a bit because before the YouTube videos I've acted like an exhibitionist maybe once or twice, but I didn't really consider it to be apart of my character. Of course, this also goes back to one of things I considered before I closed my accounts.   

In the final video you did, where you acknowledged that you enjoyed people appreciating your videos, you wore a black leotard as opposed to the bra and panties combo that you wore in your prior videos. Was there any reason you chose to change this once you decided not to post a video under the guise of tracking your weight loss?

You know... I've been pondering this. I suppose that I equate nudity to sexuality. Or perhaps by being more clothed I'm subconsciously controlling the level of sexuality I'm expressing...

One thing I've found is that guys who are into women built like you are really into it, almost to the point of it being fetishistic. Is that something that you've encountered and does it bother you or are you okay with it? If you're okay with it, why?

I've noticed this as well but not just from those who prefer plump butts and/or large lower body... I've also found it to be true from those with big breast fetishes. It's pretty amusing to watch the two differing sides objectify various parts of my body. They usually are sooooo into their respective fetish that they've got it all ruled out down to specifics. I mean they'll have it down to a sort of sexual science. I've visited the site assmatrix.com and I've seen similar sites for difference preferences for breasts, waists, hair etc. It's kinda silly but understandable. I mean, once you've created an object out some part of a human being it's fair game to then pull it apart and analyze it. I guess it's just human nature.

Being curvy, are there any recurring themes you find guys want to explore with you behind closed doors?

Ha! Anal! I even dated one guy that really was more of a breasts lover. However, later in the relationship he expressed to me that of his two fantasy things to do with me one would be anal sex and I quote "because of your big ass and all that..." Hilarious! What is it with big asses being equated to anal sex. I mean my thoughts on whether or not I do it or like it aside...what is up with that! Ok I get the general correlation of big ass...anus...anal sex... but...but... Ha! It's silly Also, doggy style or reverse girl on top are popular ones ... However, the most popular is missionary with or without legs being ....er.... put by my head or (I'm not sure what you'd call it) lying on my side so there's a front and back view. Hahahaha.... It's silly, I'm still nervous about not being a virgin anymore.

You've mentioned wanting to go into the medical profession in the future. You've also said that you feel your YouTube videos might be incompatible with that career choice. How do you feel about that - the fact that a woman cannot openly display her sexuality, even if tastefully, without it having some negative connotation on her professionalism?

It is sad that sexuality tends to reflect negatively on a woman's professionalism... I think that it might be linked to sexual harassment and the idea that still persists that if she didn't want "it" she shouldn't have dressed or acted a certain way. The idea that just because a woman is expressing her sexuality that she inviting and/or wants even "negative" sexual attention. Yeah, I think it's probably linked subconsciously to that so to keep sexual harassment down you have to keep the workplace and your "sexplace" quite far removed from each other.

Would you ever create another YouTube channel to please all us anxious fans of yours waiting to see more of you?

Well, it would certainly be fun! I'll be considering it as the school year progresses and I get a better gauge on how I'm doing with my newfound confidence.
    
Do you think voluptuous women have become more accepted in the mainstream and if so, what do you attribute that to? (J Lo, urban modeling, etc.)
      
Well, I do think it has become more acceptable and I would certainly attribute it to celebrities such as J Lo, Shakira, and Beyonce etc. In fact, I would attribute a lot of it to Latin and Black music becoming popular all over the world and in so many different cultures. Of course, there are other factors... 40's and 50's style clothing coming back in fashion... various size acceptance movements etc., etc. 

NOTE: For all of you who actually finished reading the interview, Mal did two videos for this interview but we scrapped the first one because of low lighting. However, that video is hidden as an Easter Egg on the website. Hint: it is in a fake ad below a blog post that relates to this subject matter. Also, it's a blog post that occurred within the last 2-3 months and concerns an Australian model. Good luck!

 

Tags: Mal Malloy, Watchmalshrink

For some reason Koi reminds me of a sexy admin type in these photos.



*Bonus Pic*

Tags: Miss Koi

Very interesting concept with model Marquita Childress.

Tags: Marquita Childress

These rare shots of Melyssa Ford taken on the set of Jada Kiss's "Knock Yourself Out" video demonstrate why she will probably be the final word in video vixens for some time to come.

Tags: Melyssa Ford

Have a good week people!



Added 3/2:

Tags: Sabrina Hunter

Why "apocryphal" you ask? Well, her origins are dubious in nature. Other than attempting to be a Maxim Hometown Hottie, not much is know about Phallyn except that at one time she toyed with the idea of modeling. Notwithstanding Megan Fusako Gaines, I don't know of any other model who is hyped up as much as Phallyn on message boards with folks wanting to know who she is.

You can reach Phallyn on Twitter here.

Tags: Phallyn Espinoza

EDIT: Jernie as Freddy Krueger pic added.

You'll recall that the beautiful Jernie gave me an interview back in December. Well, once you're in the Indosplace family, you're in for good, lol. These are her latest pics. Such a cutie! (You can reach Jernie on Model Mayhem here and on Twitter here.)




Bonus Pics:

Tags: Jernie

Check out all 80 CG beauties here. Becky was rendered by artist Warren Louw from South Africa.

The 411:

• Who: Natalie Suliman is a 23 year old UK model whose mother is Sudanese.
• What: She is known for being the faceless bra model that caused a stir in Marks & Spencer bra advertisements last year. For a long time no one knew who was behind the incredible breasts in the ad.
• When: She hit the scene in 2009.
• Where: Ms. Suliman is from Islington, UK.
• Why: This 5'8" model is heading for the US to be the next Victoria Secrets model (at least, that's her aspiration)

*Regular Indosplace contributor Anartist first tipped me off about Suliman.

Tags: Natalie Suliman

This is the new video of Brittany. Unfortunately, she doesn't do any speaking in it, so you still can't really tell what her personality is like. Click photo to load video and give it some time - fairly big video.

Tags: Brittany

Atlanta Dymes have been around for a while. They actually shot Tomika Skanes. Bria Myles is looking good as usual. Reach her on Twitter here. (Click to enlarge)

Tags: Bria Myles

EDIT: Check the comments for an explanation from Mal herself as to why she closed her accounts.

NOTE: There are several other Mal Malloy videos on this site that cannot be (easily) found elsewhere on the net. Just click the tags below this post to see more Mal Malloy blog entries on Indosplace.com.

So the latest sensation on Youtube is this really voluptuous white girl from Kennewick, WA who goes by the moniker "Watchmalshrink" (her actual name is Mallory Malloy or Mal Malloy). Originally, her Youtube videos were posted under the guise of watching her progress as she lost weight. But at 5'2" and 140 lbs. it was clear that her viewers had little interest in her dieting techniques and a lot more interest in watching Mal prance around in undies that always seemed one size too small.

From my perspective, I think what makes Mal particularly fascinating is her rareness (the PAWG factor) and her lighthearted approach to having a curvy figure. She's bubbly and fun about it, and in her latest video she openly admits to enjoying being watched by guys who like zaftig women. She even dropped the whole ruse of making the videos to track her weight loss. If you like thick women, trust me, you'll be hooked in no time. You can reach Mal on Twitter here.

(Click to enlarge)



Click pics to play videos below:
Admitting she likes the exhibitionism of it all...



Post Valentine's Day Video....



Mal doing a standard weigh-in...

Tags: Mal Malloy, Watchmalshrink

EDIT: Images updated compliments of Dynasty Series.

I hate to say "I told you so," but these pics of Katherine Monsalve pretty much prove the point of my prior post of her: she's dope!

One thing that is kind of weird is the interview that accompanies Katherine's feature in BlackMen, which reads more like a grand jury inquisition to indict the character of a certain urban manager/agent. I'm not going to reveal who here, but I will say that it appears a gauntlet has indeed been thrown, lol.

You can reach Ms. Monsalve on Twitter here and on Myspace here (she's got some great new pics up on Myspace I hadn't seen before). Click to enlarge pics.

Tags: Katherine Monsalve

Brittany popped up on more than a few message boards after SHOW's Art of Sexy issue debuted nearly two years ago. She received rave reviews from anyone who laid eyes on her, but like a lot of urban models, Brittany has no identifying information associated with her photos. No last name, no biography, no Twitter page. Nothing. Now that her pics have dropped on Show Girlz Exclusive, we at least know she's from Phoenix Arizona, but that's it.
Anyone with any information on this stunning beauty will be handsomely rewarded.

Tags: Brittany

Well, this formally concludes Sabrina Week, but something tells me I'll be posting more from our last shoot before it's all over. You can reach Sabrina Hunter on Twitter here.

Tags: Sabrina Hunter

I'm only posting a few (there are about 15) because it's not my intention to dilute sales of this app (Konsole Kingz are good guys), but if you're a Bria fan, I would strongly suggest getting it. There will be more pics to come and video and also you can view these in much larger size.

Reach Bria on Twitter here.

Tags: Bria Myles

Tags: Bria Myles

Interesting fact about Sabrina for all you weave intolerant types - those beautiful locks are all hers (Click to enlarge)



And one bonus candid from the car:

Tags: Sabrina Hunter

As part of continuing Sabrina week and from our most recent shoot. (Click to enlarge)

Tags: Sabrina Hunter

Look at Sabrina, getting her Disney Channel on, lol. Anyway, I took these today. There are a couple different looks so stay tuned. More to come this week. (Click to enlarge - top pic only)
You can reach Sabrina on Twitter here.




And one candid from the shoot...

Tags: Sabrina Hunter

Jenna's pics just keep getting better in my opinion. I'm starting to see more of what this girl looks like in person in her photos. You can see a couple more of Jenna's new pics here and here, but these might be a little too risque for Mr. Google Adsense's taste, lol.

Reach Jenna Shea on Twitter here.

Tags: Jenna Shea

This is Vida Guerra's first picture ever! Vida did not get her start on the internet, so this photo in the December 2002 issue of FHM represents her origins. Also, she was not identified by name in the original spread. There's always a history lesson for those who care to know here on Indosplace, lol. (Click to enlarge)

Tags: Vida Guerra

Shots like this are why I got into this business to begin with back in the 90s'.

Sports Illustrated continues to DOMINATE the swimsuit market. Look at these natural, beautiful shots compared to that overly retouched, overly lit crap we're putting out in the urban market. Pitiful.

Tags: Bar Refaeli

Couldn't find a Twitter for Paula. This is a great cover though. (Click to enlarge)

Tags: Paula Patton

Ever since seeing her in the Flow Tight "Ghetto" video I've been interested in knowing more about Marcia Kim aka Kim Meinert. There's a certain restrained quality about her - an understatement and class that sets her apart. She's not the model going out of her way to get noticed at the club; she's the woman who is in the cut that will only get noticed by those perceptive enough to see her.

I was fortunate enough to catch up with Kim for an exclusive interview.
1. How did you get involved with modeling and are represented by an agency? Also, what are some of your most significant jobs to date?

Modeling sort of just happened, it was never a long-term plan. I started doing a couple of shoots then promo work and I gradually got scouted by a couple of agencies. I stared working with artist and photographers who then forwarded my details to other people who were looking for models, so I have been quite fortunate when it has come to getting work. I was with a couple of agencies, but as I was getting work from other people putting me forward I knew with the type of modeling I was doing one I didn't need to be with a load of agencies. I have a manager who I get advice from for any major work, but I generally work off my own accord. The Flow Tight Video was my most recent work, he was a great artist to work with. He's definitely got a lot going for him. You can see some of my other music videos on this page.

2. What is your end goal as a model? In other words, where do you see yourself in the next three years with this?

In the next three years...Well I work full time so hopefully in a higher position with a different company or at least gained as much as I can from my current role. I work in property, which is a very lucrative business and I intend to stay in it. I do enjoy modeling on the side when I can fit it in but the way I see it the max most girls have in the game is 10 years. My aim is to be happy, but who knows, if someone wants to make me the next big thing with the cheque to go with it I wouldn't say no ha!

3. Have you ever been to the US and do you have any desire to model here? Also, what do you perceive as the differences in the eye candy genre in the US compared to the UK?

I have I've been to NY and ATL. Erm...that is a tough one I would love to have the opportunity to try but think how many girls there are in the US wanting to be the next big thing let alone London. Eye Candy in the US is so on point the girls are just flawless and amazingly beautiful, the UK are stepping the game up but you can always tell a UK girl from a US girl. I think that we are two very different places with two very different styles.

4. What is your government name and what led to your getting the "Marcia Kim" tattoo on your backside?

Marcia Kim is my government name...I got it because I was young and a rebel. I thought at the time my parents would never see it and how cool I would be in school. It was actually my friend Becky who designed it in a school lesson one day for me and I just got it tattooed the next week. Shout at the Becky Willshaw the designer of my first tattoo - love you!

5. In the US, there is a burgeoning use of plastic surgery to "enhance" models' appearances. Are you all natural and what is your stance on the use of surgical enhancements to advance your career in modeling?

I am natural and would not get surgery to enhance my career. As I said, I would not call modeling my career; it's more of a hobby. I mean when I get older maybe (for plastic surgery) but I think you have to learn to love what you have. Confidence is what makes someone ooze appeal, even if they are not the most beautiful person classed in society.

5a. As an offshoot of that question, how do you feel about the heavy use of Photoshop to beautify urban models?

Heavy use of photoshop can take the realness away from a picture that can make it less attractive to the eye, but used correctly I think it is a great piece of software.

6. As a curvier model, do you embrace your voluptuousness or is it something you've just come to live with an make the most of? In other words, are you happy being a bit zaftig, or would you prefer to be the Kate Moss type?

I like my curves. I wouldn't like to be stick thin or really curvy, but just as I am. I embrace my curves - I feel like a woman, which is how any women should feel whatever shape or size. As I said, love yourself if you can't who else will.

7. In the Grime Daily interview, when asked what men can do to please women in the bedroom, you said "listen." You also said that men tend to forget things, even though requests have been made. Can you give us an example?

Example...I just meant guys need to listen more to what women what instead of thinking they are so amazing at everything and using the same old techniques on each girl. Girls are not stupid and can see right through guys games these days, so step it up is all I can say.

8. I notice you've done a lot of music videos but I haven't seen any magazine appearances for you. Is that because of the lack of magazines in the UK featuring urban eye candy models? Do you have any plans to appear in any US eye candy magazines?

Yeah I guess the UK does not have any UK eye candy magazines for curvier women. I would like to be featured, but I think the US market is alot better than the UK for things like that. Bigger market to appeal to obviously more people.

9. During the behind-the-scenes of the Scorcher video one of the artists went to take photo with you, and it looks like you had to move his hand to keep him from grabbing your backside. Guys take these sort of liberties with models in the eye candy business all the time, especially in the US. Have you run into a lot of that in your experiences modeling, and how do you deal with it?

Not really. I tend to let people know I mean business from the get go and nothing more. I don't crave the whole lifestyle so bad I have to get with every artist I meet. I mean, what is good about being seen or being known to be sleeping with every artist or MC with a one hit wonder. That stuff doesn't phase me at all, I'm there to work, do my thing and leave. Guys flirting and having a joke is cool, but I wouldn't like to wear it on my conscience that 5 of the guys at the shoot had seen me naked ha ha ha! What a joke!

10. Where can people go to see more of Marcia Kim and what are your plans for the immediate future (e.g., magazines, TV shows, etc.)?
People can add www.myspace.com/marciakim. Also check out my Facebook- Kim Meinert

My plans are whatever comes along all of my work has generally found me so if I am meant to get that shoot or video then it is meant to be. I have a few things lined up but I tend to work first then let people see it. Anyone who is interested enough to watch what I do will see it, so if anyone wants to know more hit me up.

Shout to Grime Daily the UK's hottest link to the grime scene I GRIME DAILY. Shout out to all the Artist doing their thing in the UK you all work so hard and it has been a pleasure to of had the chance to work the a number of you. One last shout out to my girls, Nikolia, Shay, Deborah, Leesha, Nickita Martin and all of the amazing photographers, make up artists, hair stylists and everyone else who have helped me get me to where I am today. Not forgetting my family, much love to you all.

Tags: Marcia Kim, Kim Meinert

One of my favorite Bria shots from the website. You can reach Bria on Twitter here.

Tags: Bria Myles

The thick Melyssa Ford before she did her own DVD or calendar. Very interesting to hear her talk about leaving Canada for New York with only $25 in her pocket. Hmmm.... I wonder about the truthfulness of that, lol. Click here to download the HQ version.

Tags: Melyssa Ford

This is that killer set Nikki B did for Smooth Girl a couple years back. I don't believe they had ever been scanned right (and by "right," I mean I don't think BlackJackSkanz had ever scanned them). This is the model from the new Ludacris "How Low" video, by the way. Click to enlarge.

Tags: Nikki B

Not sure what to make of this pic, but I like Dollica. Be interested to hear other's input.
Here's one unretouched early pic of Dollicia too, which shows she's pretty impressive without Photoshop.

Tags: Dollicia Bryan

Here are a few of Catya Washington aka Ms. Cat's outtakes from SHOW's Black Lingerie #9. Visit their website to see more from this set. You can also contact Ms. Cat for booking here.

Tags: Catya Washington, MsCat

Sorry for the cheesy title - I couldn't help myself, lol. This Ciara Chantel's body is something serious.

Interesting factoids:

1. She's a Taurus.
2. College grad from A & M University in Alabama.
3. Notable quote: "Why should I have to apologize for being juicy?" (SHOW mag)
4. Her Twitter Page here.





Plus one candid (to show proportion - sheesh!)

Tags: Ciara Chantel

Here are a few of Bria Myles outtakes from SHOW's Black Lingerie #9. Visit their website to see the rest.

Tags: Bria Myles

This is the second time Nikki B has stolen the spotlight in a major music video - the first one was Drake's "Best I Ever Had." Whenever a model has folks making threads on message boards asking who they are, that's how you know they stole the video. Hopefully, I'll have some exclusive shots of Nikki coming up soon. For now, you can download a high quality version of "How Low" here and reach Nikki B on Twitter here.

Tags: Nikki B

Katherine Monsalve is what I'd call a collector's item - hard to find and valuable. For most of 2009 only a handful of pics circulated of her and she had no Twitter, Facebook or Myspace page. Then, at the end of the year, she was featured in KING's highly anticipated comeback issue. Not bad for a girl flying under the radar. This ultra feminine ingenue (she's only 19) is rocking some serious hips and a backside that puts fellow Colombian Shakira's to shame. To add insult to injury, she's actually nice! I talked to her recently about her low profile, choice of photographers and plans for the future (oh, and that little move she does in the "Shake That Thang" video).

You were recently featured in the new issue of KING magazine. How did that come about?
I work with Artistic Curves Talent Management. They called me told me I was booked to shoot.
Most of your pictures are with photographer Frank Antonio. Is that a deliberate choice to work with him exclusively or is it just a coincidence. If coincidence, are there any other photographers out there you'd like to shoot with?
I actually was doing a shoot for a lingerie designer and Frank happened to be the photographer. I loves his work so I continued shooting with him. I'd love to shoot with Importeyecandy Photography & Paul Cobo.

What are your long term plans for modeling? Are there any specific models whose careers you admire or would like to emulate?
I plan to get into acting. I actually just shot a scene for a film called "King of Paper Chasin".
You have a very multi-cultural look. I'm sure you get hit on by guys of all races. Are you open to dating men of any race?
A good man is a good man no matter what race he is.
For a long time, it was very difficult to find any contact information on you. Even now, compared to a lot models you're pretty low profile. Again, is this a deliberate choice, and if so, why?
I try to be selective with what is offered to me. I don't want to get burned out. That can easily happen in this industry.
In The Dream's "Rockin' That Thang" video featuring Ludacris you do this little move where you swivel your hips while Luda looks on. It's sexy as all get out. Did you come up with that on your own, or did the director give you specific directions?
I'm very good at teasing the camera. I usually do my own thing.
If you had to summarize your personality in 25 words or less, how would you describe yourself?
I am a fun and very outgoing person. I'm very loyal to my loved ones and I try to help all that I can.
Politics time: how do you feel about the Obama's push to reform health care?
Health care is very important because I will be old someday and I want to make sure I'll be ok with my health insurance.
What can a guy do to catch your attention?
Usually, if a guy is innocently funny, that catches my attention.
Finally, where can look to see more of Kathrine Monsalve in the near future?
I have shot for a few magazines. For political reasons, I can't say which ones yet. What I will say is that you'll see a lot more of me in 2010.

Reach Katherine Monsalve on Myspace here.

Tags: Katherine Monsalve

This is the result of over 9,000 votes on BlackJackSkanz - one of the best known websites for urban models out there.

A couple interesting notes: 1) Seems like Suelyn should be higher - she had a great '09, 2) Seems like Cubana and Vanessa should be lower; a testament to the power of a large Twitter following, and 3) Suleika's position seems well deserved.

Bria finished Second Place in Cutie Central's Top Vixen Poll for '09 (number one for Model in Highest Demand) so it looks like she is quite possibly the number one urban model right now.

Tags: Bria Myles, Suelyn Medeiros, Rosa Acosta, Vanessa Veasley, Suleika, Jesikah Maximus, Diznee, Maliah Michel

You might have noticed Mercedes as the other stewardess with Melyssa Ford at the conclusion of season five of Entourage. One thing is for sure, this UC Santa Barbara model, who resembles Summer Walker, has definitely kept a low profile. Sorry - no verifiable Myspace, Twitter, Facebook, etc. for Mercedes.

Tags: Mecedes Hawkins

When KING magazine was in full swing, it was chocked full of beauties. It would often use urban models in editorials, features and in a section called "The Break," which was like the latest news in the business. Other than Julexa (left, first row) and Margarrte Henry (left, second row) - who I can't find anything on - I have no idea who the other two are and KING was notorious for not crediting Break models. So if anyone had any info. on them (i.e., Myspace, Twitter, etc.) please leave it in the comments.

Tags: Julexa

Miss Koi's images seem to always get a good response here, and since it's tough to find pics of Koi out there on the web, I see no problem with posting her more than most models. This one is wallpaper sized, so click to enlarge.

Tags: Miss Koi, Koi

Four covers for one model! Unheard of!

Congrats to Laura Dore. (Click to enlarge.)

Tags: Laura Dore

I would say this a good example of standard retouching in urban magazines these days. Notice the following major changes:

1. Wrinkles in neck removed;
2. Breasts slightly augmented;
3. Waist tapered in;
5. Size and shape of butt enhanced significantly.

This is a good example because the "before" picture of the model is not bad at all and this is a pretty modest retouching job - I've seen a lot more extreme. What do think? Is retouching like this hurting the credibility of the industry or is this a necessary evil for good eye candy? Be interested to hear opinions.

Tags: Jade

Stick around this blog long enough and you will see every lost or forgotten Melyssa Ford artifact you can imagine. A couple other guys and I on an unamed message board started a little competition on who had the most rare Melyssa Ford photos. Needless to say, that thread went 30+ pages. Oh yeah.

Tags: Melyssa Ford

I'm going to start posting these more when I see one I like. Vital stats: Height: 5' 8" • Weight: 135 lbs • Measurements: 34-28-39.

I gotta give photographer Lee McDowell props on these. Stephanie's port was a little uneven and his pics were definitely the strongest.

Tags: Stephanie Holder

Squinty goodness from Ms. Myles. Reach out to her on Twitter here (it's one of the few places you can be sure you're not dealing with an impostor - she's got quite a few of them out there).

Tags: Bria Myles

Miss Koi's Vital Stats:

Height: 5' 4"
Weight: 150 lbs
Measurements: 36-29-47

Reach her on Myspace here.

Tags: Miss Koi, Koi

As most of you know, I've been a Jenna Shea fan from way back, so I couldn't be happier to finally be interviewing her. What I like about Jenna is her girl-next-door appeal paired with her va va voom curves.

Read on to see what makes this Virgo cutie tick...

• What are your plans for modeling in 2010? In other words, what do you hope to have checked off on your to-do list for modeling by the end of this year...

I hope to continue to take over the game as the queen whooty, lol.I hope to do more magazines and get my site up! My growing fan base deserves it!

• For all its outward glamour, urban modeling can be a pretty tough business. There's a lot in fighting between models (just see Twitter for proof) and unprofessionalism from the people who run the business. What lessons have you learned so far about this industry that you can pass along to aspiring models?

Don't sign ANYTHING! Don't listen to people who say they can help you! Do everything on your own! Do your own photo shoots because people can own YOUR image! I can go on and on...You gotta love this industry or you won't survive! You must belong there not want to be there.

• Urban modeling is primarily dominated by black and Latina models. Has being one of the few white models in the game with a truly voluptuous figure worked more to your advantage or disadvantage? Also, have you experienced any reverse racism as a result of this?

Well there are both. It's hard because I am white and I don't have an Ice T to get me ahead. I'm on my own. What is good is I stand out just walking down the street. I'm not expected at all.

• I've seen you talk about being single on Twitter, but I also know that Virgo women are notoriously picky. Why do you think you're single and what qualities does a guy need to possess to have a chance with you?

I am turned on by powerful men. Men who take charge and take care of business. I am picky! I'll take a gentleman with a great personality and a college education over a rapper or NBA player any day. I'm not with the Hollywood scene. I like quiet nights with a movie, not drinking and clubbing - not my style.

• In addition to working with SHOW Magazine, what other magazines are you interested in shooting with? Are there any magazines in particular you'd like to get the cover of? Also, are there any musical artists whose video you'd like star in?

I haven't done music videos. It's not that I won't, but I haven't. I want to shoot Blackmen, XXL, Smooth, ect. I am working closely to DJ Kayslay and will see me in Straight Stuntin' this year.

• Do you feel your photos so far have optimally captured your beauty, or do you believe your best shoots are yet to come?

Everyone says I look better in person. Every time I shoot there better! I get more creative and push the limits a little further.

• When you first hit the scene, there was some controversy about whether your butt was real or fake. As more and more pics of you have come out, however, that noise has died down substantially, but you still occasionally see it on a message board. What's your final word on that subject?

Feel it. That's all I'm saying. If you see me, feel it lol. I have wide hips and thick calves and knees. All natural booty!!!

• Where should your fans look to see more of you in the immediate future?

My Twitter. I twitpic daily! @iamjennashea, also www.myspace.com/jennashea and Showgirlsexclusive.com. I'm the top rated web gem! Thank you to everyone who has supported me! xoxo

Tags: Jenna Shea

For your viewing pleasure, check out model Katherine Monsalve (she's in the new KING issue) from The Dream's "Rockin' That Thang" video featuring Ludacris. There's no sound, just video. On the upside, you don't have to keep scrubbing back and forth through the Youtube video to find this scene. You can reach Katherine on Twitter here.

Tags: Katherine Monsalve

I saw Briana tweet about this and say (jokingly) "Jet is KING for old folks." Actually, Jet is when they still had some standards in these magazines. Better yet, Jet is in most public libraries - try finding Smooth or BlackMen in the library. Jet is a part of Americana. I've been trying to coordinate an appearance for Bria for a while now. Heck, I'm not mad at Jet one bit. Congrats to Briana.

Tags: Briana Loyd

Just a little reminder to cast a vote for Bria at BlackJackSkanz's Top Vixen of 2009 Poll. Click the pics to enlarge. (Attribution: J'Adore Magazine)

Tags: Bria Myles

Secret weapon...

SUPER CUTENESS. (Note the chubby cheeks, almond shaped eyes, etc.) Australian model Rebecca appeared on cover no. 2 of SHOW's Black Lingerie Issue #3.

You can reach Rebecca Witchard on Myspace here.

Tags: Rebecca Witchard

Alysha is one new model I think has incredible potential, and not exclusively in urban modeling. In fact, I would bet that Alysha will actually make the transition into acting. I look forward to working with her again. (Click to enlarge)

Tags: Alysha Young

Okay, I give up. I can't find any problems with this girl. For all intents and purpose she appears to be FIONE! In fact, I am starting to get a very strong urge to want to photograph her, which is not good since the probability of that seems slim (begins to brainstorm about putting her in J'Adore shoot...) You can reach Halie on Twitter here and on Myspace here. Attribution: BlackMen magazine and Paul Cobo. Props to Ant and Tori T over at ECM as they appear to have discovered Halie.

Tags: Halie

Sometimes a flaw in a photo can work to its benefit. In this photo of Miss Koi taken By Doss Tidwell, the Hawaiian Grass Skirt was obviously supposed to be evenly distributed around her lower half. But as Koi herself noted, it created a peek-a-boo effect with the one her cheeks. *Sighs* That may have been a mistake stylistically, but man is that sexy! Sexier even than these shots we see just like this of models with no skirt, oiled down to the hilt.

I should also note that based on his portfolio, it would appear that Doss has "the eye." There're some dope models in his port. (Click photo below to enlarge)

Tags: Miss Koi, Koi

When I posted her Vibe picture I didn't post these because I wasn't satisfied with the scans. I'm still not. This was a tough set of pages to scan because the print quality was low - lots of white splotches in the dark areas. Still, it's hard for Jessica Lucas to look bad. Happy New Year people!

Tags: Jessica Lucas

If ever there was an aspiring model that proved you can get a lot more attention keeping your clothes on, it is Megan Fusako Gaines. This Twitter-less model has been posted on more message boards than I can count based on the pictures posted below, two of which I took. In fact, I just saw her on The Smoking Section's 2009 Retrospective on the top hotties of the year. Twenty women, all nearly naked, and there's Megan in that wife beater and jeans. It defies logic, but I'm glad I was in on it (thanks to my bud hair stylist Tara Copeland, who introduced us).

Tags: Megan Fusako Gaines

Angell Conwell has been acting since she was a kid and has been in several major movies, including Soul Plane and The Wash. Much like Meagan Good, she has managed to glide between acting and the video vixen world without much problem (as should be the case). It's funny because this is something Melyssa Ford always said was difficult to do. Maybe the problem only happens when you start as a video vixen and try to become an actress, and not the other way around.

Another interesting thing with Angell is that it's not easy to find pics that truly convey how cute this woman is (see Youtube video below). If you ever catch her on a "Moesha" rerun you'll see what I mean. At any rate, I think these pics do her at least some justice.

Tags: Angell Conwell

I spotted this model, Kimberly Chantale, on the cover of Dime Piece Magazine and I have to say she definitely caught my eye, but when I checked the message boards to see what there was of her out there I came up empty. That, and the fact that she has fewer than 1000 Twitter followers, tells me this girl is still somewhat under radar. But based on what I've seen, that won't be the case for long.

The Goods:

Height - 5'8" / Weight -140lbs / Measurements - 34- 28- 40 / Astrological Sign: Cancer

Contact:

Kimberly's Twitter / Kimberly's Facebook / Kimberly's Website

Tags: Kimberly Chantale

I've always liked Rachel Bilson since first seeing her on "The O.C." - she's very feminine without trying. These photos of her are all stuff I would love to do. Very natural and earthy.

Attribution: These gorgeous photos were taken by photographer Craig DeCristo.

Tags: Rachel Bilson

Early on in Melyssa Ford's career she did three photo CDs with a site called BlaqueImage.net. The first two CDs eventually leaked out to the net, but that third CD never shipped (although there was a preview shot of it on the site). My guess is that there was a dispute with Melyssa over these pics. After all, these are far from Melyssa's best pics and certainly rough by comparison of what was to come. Through mining around the message boards, I eventually found the third CD of 26 photos. There is a certain raw sexuality emoting from even these early pics of Melyssa. This is one model who has the IT factor in spades.

Tags: Melyssa Ford

If looks like Suleika beat Marisa Elise out by more than 20 points in the poll, despite my extra Marisa post. Thanks to everyone for voting.

You can reach Suleika here: www.twitter.com/SweetSuleika and www.myspace.com/Suleika_the_dominicanbeau.

If you wanna see even more of Suleika, check out Wasabi's gallery of her candid pics here.

Tags: Suleika

To get better control over my RSS and allow for better updates, I switched my RSS provider to Feedburner. Those of you using the older RSS subscription for Indosplace should drop that one and use this one. To make it easy, I've provided links below for standard RSS feed subscription as well as via email. One reason you should switch is that under Feedburner, when I modify a post (e.g., add photos) it will send out an update. With the old RSS broadcaster, you only got notifications when a new post was added. This will keep you up to date with the latest content.

Subscribe to Indo's new Feedburner RSS:

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Tags: Feedburner, Marisa Elise

So even though Suleika looks like she's gonna take it in the poll, I decided to post Marisa Elise for the time being because she's an interesting case study. I looked through her past pics and her Youtube videos and I see why she never really stood out to me before this. For one, her styling hasn't really optimized her appearance to date. She wore full back bikinis and swimsuits that made it look like she had no hip to waist ratio. (Hip to waist ratio is what urban modeling is all about) Marisa is one model where wearing a thong bikini really made the difference. Also, I wasn't feeling her hair styling prior to this SHOW shoot.

There's really only two or three pics out there of Marisa I'm feeling outside of the SHOW pics. This is a model who really has to tweak her styling to get it just right, but she clearly has a lot of potential. Attribution: SHOWExclusive.

Tags: Marisa Elise

SHOW #15 is chocked full of beautiful women. Let's see if we can come to a consensus on which one is the dopest, and then I'll do a separate post on that model. Cast your vote below.

Tags: Suleika, Brianna Amor, Brittany Dailey, Marisa Elise, Brittany Liss

Model Suelyn Medeiros from J'Adore Shoot.

Photographer's corner: This pic was inspired by the use of direct sunlight and lens flare by photographer Christa Renee (see pics below). When taking pics like this, forget about auto focus. It will never work under these conditions. And even manual focus will be challenging because you're looking directly into the sun. You'll be lucky if one in five comes out right. The model has to be patient because many of the good expressions may be out of focus.

Tags: Suelyn Medeiros

First let me just say that I was one of the first to post Jenna Shea on message boards and this very blog. It appears people are finally taking note. Niceness. Second, these pics are from SHOW magazine. There are several more from this set on their website, so check it out. Third, you gotta click this one to enlarge - what a difference those pixels make.


Edit - Add'l Pics Added (Attribution - SHOWExclusive):

Tags: Jenna Shea

Today I spoke with Briana Loyd, who is featured in the KING Relaunch issue. I have to say, Briana is a very pleasant young lady. She seems to be quite grounded about the business, perhaps owing to the fact that she's got her priorities in order (she just graduated from college). Still, being one of the key featured models in the KING comeback issue is kind of a big deal, so I asked her a little about the experience that led to that. (All pics may be enlarged by clicking.)

How were able to secure a spot in the new issue of KING with all the competition in the market these days?

It's kind of funny actually, I did a shoot for King for the "Candid Camera" section early this year. I was ecstatic about it, only to find out two weeks later that the magazine was going out of business! Months passed and then I got an email that said King would be relaunching and they wanted me to be in it and that brings me to today. I guess patience is truly a virtue.


What are your plans in urban modeling now that you've gotten that key break that will give you more exposure?

I plan to open up as many doors as possible with urban modeling. I have interest in everything from being a celebrity psychologist to acting. I would have never predicted that I would be in the situation I am in now, but I am grateful and I plan on taking advantage of it.

I notice you don't have a Model Mayhem page or a Facebook. Is there a reason for that and where can fans go to see more of you?

I previously had a Model mayhem but I felt I was over saturating myself, so I decided to delete it until the actual magazine dropped. As for Facebook I am on my third page. My other two have been deleted. But you can find me by searching Briana Loyd.

Finally, what advice would you give to aspiring models that are attempting to get their break in the business?

I would say stay strong and be true to yourself. Never do anything you really don't want to do, because at the end of the day modeling is only temporary and your life is permanent. The biggest thing is to surround yourself with positive people and ask questions about the business. Research models, agencies, and managers so you can be informed on what type of pictures to submit for video and magazine shoots. Make sure to only put your best pictures out, because they DON'T go away lol. Keep focused on your goal in the business and you will go far. =)


Plus a couple impressive candid pics:

Tags: Briana Lloyd

So here we have Ms. Ice making her second appearance here on Indosplace. I have to thank photographer Affinity Ratios (who posts here) for sharing these exclusives of Ms. Ice, some of which appear in the latest issue of ASIS Magazine. Affinity is coming along very nicely as a photographer - I see him as a force to be reckoned with and someone models would do well to work with. In addition to the photos here, see this as example of what I mean. As for Ms. Ice, well, I'm just glad I was one of the first people to give her some shine. She's definitely on her way.

Tags: Ms. Ice, Tina Blackwell

Congratulations to Briana Loyd for making her big splash in KING's relaunch issue. (She has one of the best, most consistent spreads in the new issue.) There are several other good pics from Briana's pictorial, but I'll leave the heavy lifting re: scanning to the expert, BlackJackSkanz. (Click for slightly larger version.)

Tags: Briana Lloyd

These pics of Bria Myles appear in the relaunch issue of KING and were taken by photographer Charlie Langella.

While certainly not bad, based on the video I saw I thought these pics might be a little better. There is one pic that I just don't like that I didn't bother to scan and another of just Bria walking away that was published by Harris to promote this issue - no point scanning that.

This was a tough bunch of pics to scan and I look forward to seeing the maestro's version, BlackJackSkanz. If I'm up to it, tomorrow I post Briana Lloyd's pics from this issue. (Click to enlarge)

Tags: Bria Myles

More natural stuff from the Maxim people. For those of you wondering "Who's Olivia Munn?" I suggest the purchase of beautiful flatscreen TV for Christmas. In the meantime, you can go here where you can see some behind-the-scenes footage of the shoot. By the way, and this is interesting, the photographer was using two point-and-shoot digital cameras simultaneously to gain different vantage points. But still, it wasn't even a 35mm DSLR. What the hell!?

Tags: Olivia Munn

Looks like Rosa Acosta took the cover. No surprise there - no one can deny that girl's hustle. Looking forward to seeing more. Props to Dynasty Series for this.

Question: why is KING's website not updated? Why don't any newsstands here in Los Angeles know about this? Not the greatest publicity campaign.

Tags: Rosa Acosta, Bria Myles

This photo from the January 2010 issue of Maxim and taken by Alisa Connan demonstrates the kind of naturally lit, soft beauty shot that would do the urban magazines well to imitate. The overly lit, hyperstylized shots in the urban mags not only age poorly, but make the women look less feminine. More like femme bots. The only urban magazine I've seen do shots like this is KING.

I'm going to start posting models that have been on my "Favorites" list for a while now on Model Mayhem. Tatiana Harvey is one of them. Although I was little disappointed with all the energy she expended addressing "haters" on her Myspace page (she's young), I do think she's got a great, versatile look as a model.

Tags: Tatiana Harvey

Nigerian born Badriya Moon reminds me of Bria Myles a little. What do you think? Look for her in the Zigga Zagga 2010 Calendar...

Tags: Badriya Moon

This whole shoot is posted at BlackJackSkanz.com, but it seemed like a good idea to have it here as well, since I took these shots. Props to J'Adore magazine and Editor-In-Chief Taneish Leslie. Models: Bria Myles, Alysha Young, and Suelyn Medeiros.

A part two to this shoot is under consideration for the March 2010 issue of J'Adore. What three models do you think would make good candidates for that shoot? (Click to enlarge)

Tags: Alysha Young, Bria Myles, Suelyn Medeiros

I just really learned about this Switzerland born actress today. Really cute, but more so I was impressed with this answer she gave on being biracial and how it has affected her career as an actress (See below, from her interview at Reel Artsy). I'd love to see this discussed with Jessica Lucas and this is what I mean about this not being touched on in her Vibe or Giant interview.

“Luckily I’ve worked my butt off. I’ve been able to do roles that weren’t necessarily meant for me because of what I look like. I’ve been fortunate enough to surpass certain expectations that anyone might have had of me. Sometimes it’s been hard, sometimes they’re like ‘oh you’re not black enough’ or ‘you’re not white enough’ or ‘we don’t know what to do with you’ or ‘you don’t match up with this person’. And sometimes it’s been a blessing, sometimes I’ve been able to blaze my own way trails and say: you know what I’m biracial, I don’t come from necessarily the background that some other people have but if you give me a chance I’ll promise I’ll do a good job and I know what I’m doing. And I think that color aside, and all of that aside, it’s work that matters. You being a good actor, being a good person, you know, it’s who you are inside that is going to make it either…you succeed or you fail.[H]opefully [I will] lead the way maybe for other African-American women who would love the same opportunities or who would love to do something different."

Oh, and I forgot to mention: She's on the CW's The Vampire Diaries. You can reach Kat Graham on Twitter here and on Myspace here.

Tags: Katerina Graham

I noticed Amy Lee (she spells it "Amylee" on Myspace) sometime back on Cutie Central's forums and had been meaning to post her, but forgot. Also, I'm not crazy about the fact that these pics are overly retouched and overwhelmed by the watermark. She has also gone by the name "Amy Rodriguez," so she's tough to track down on the net, which is not a good thing for an aspiring model seeking to gain greater notoriety. Her Official Myspace is here. Amy is Cuban/Japanese, 5′6″, 135lbs, and her measurements are 34C-23-38.

There's definitely something catchy about this Virgo cutie. I'd like to see more of her.

Tags: Amy Lee

It's amazing how little retouching you have to do to a photo of Bria for it to look good. This is from the J'Adore mag shoot I did a couple months ago.

Tags: Bria Myles

Jessica Lucas, who is on the new Melrose Place, is in both Giant and Vibe magazine this month. Both mags have an urban bent, yet neither touch at all upon Jessica's racial background (her dad is black, mom is white). Anyway, I like this girl. I see good things in her future.

Tags: Jessica Lucas

Now that she's got a regular column in Smooth, she gets a new picture in each issue that comes out. Nice. Expect an update to this post later with the two pager. This issue Maliah writes: "Women are ultra-competitive. If we think that there's a woman who's better than us, then we'll do whatever we can to beat her." No news there. I always suspected as much, but it was nice of Maliah to confirm it.

Tags: Maliah Michel

Real talk, Flow Tight's video features some of the sexiest models I've seen a long, long time. US rappers need to take note. All the bikini girls, including Elisha Jade who I just interviewed, are hot. The one who they show first - who comes out to the turntable - is also amazing.

Do yourself a favor and go HD with this one. You can purchase Flow Tight's song at the iTunes Store here.

Tags: Elisha Jade

Hey everybody - just so you know, I'm transitioning to Echo for my comment system. They have some cool new features, like the ability to Tweet your comments here, post videos and images in your comments, add avatars easier, etc.

You can check out some of the new features here where there are several webscasts explaining Echo. I'm sure most of you, being fairly tech savvy, will be able to figure it out on your own.

EDIT: I realize some of the old features that were available under the Haloscan system, like using an email you're comfortable with to be notified of replies, are gone. The truth is, this was a forced transition. Haloscan is going out of business. It's servers are faulty and if you looked at the older posts here, comments weren't even showing up. So you would see some incredibly hot post of say, Maliah, and it would look like there were no comments on the post. This was just the Haloscan system failing. I like some of the new features on the Echo system, but it's going to take some getting used to for everyone. My apologies for the inconvenience.

Loving Alysha's expression on this one... (Click to enlarge)

Tags: Alysha Young, Suelyn Medeiros

Reach Alysha on Facebook here and Suelyn on Twitter here.

Tags: Suelyn Medeiros, Alysha Young

(Click images to enlarge)

I've been a fan of yours since before you were in SHOW magazine, but how did your feature in SHOW magazine come about given that you live in London and they're located in Los Angeles?
Well I had been such a huge fan of SHOW mag and over here we don’t really get any urban glamour publication stuff like that.... So I emailed the owner directly and thought he would not get back to me but to my surprise he did and asked me to come over. So I did, lol. I caught a flight over as mad as it sounds...You only live once and I could not turn his offer down as I might not ever have gotten the offer from him again.

How did you initially decide to get into glamour modeling? What was the catalyst to you making this decision?
Well, I first started out doing commercial stuff, like clothed and beauty shots... Then as I got more and more into modeling more and more layers of clothing came off, lmao
What are some of the differences you've found between London and Los Angeles in terms of reception you receive as a curvy model, the opportunities available, public perception?
With the UK it's so, so narrow minded. If you ask any urban model here they will say the same thing as I'm now about to...You have to be stick thin, blonde, have huge fake tits, and no curves whatsoever. If you have the chance to look through UK magazines here you wont find one ethnic model! It's hard, hard work. I have to work 50x harder here and still nothing. Ethnic models get treated like absolute shit in London but in the US it's more open minded... The market in urban modeling is huge like with the hip hop videos, hair and beauty magazines... I can go on and on lol

In the US, girls with big booties and cute faces are notorious for being difficult, arrogant, etc. You know the old Bel Biv Devoe song "Poison" - "never trust a big butt and a smile." But from your photos you don't seem to take yourself -- or your considerable derriere -- too seriously. You appear to use your "booty power" for good instead of evil, lol... Are there times you've used your voluptuousness to manipulate men or situations to your advantage? If so, can you give us an example?
Oh gosh I don’t take myself serious at all. If I became big headed my mum and brother would tell me about myself and pull me back down to earth. I'm a nerd I sit and watch the History Channel.... My friends call me "granny" because I have to be dragged out to hit the clubs and all the way to the club I moan about having to go... But once I'm there and get some grey goose in my system I'm off on that floor and that’s when Elisha Jade comes out to play and trust me I'm wild. I dance on the tables and when I get too drunk... (considers, goes mum) But, eh, I could never use my body to manipulate a man or a women. I don’t have the heart to as I would hate to have it done to me (when I'm drunk I seem to end up making out with girls as for some reason they flirt with me)
What is your ultimate goal as a glamour model aka where do you see Elisha Jade a year from now?

I would love to be over in the US featured in various videos and magazines -- that would make me so happy! I would not take it for granted as I want to show the UK that dreams are possible and I'm just that little UK girl that wants to prove the point that ethnic models in the UK are just as good!
What are some of the pros and cons of being a lingerie model that you've found?
The pros are people get to see you looking sexy and it can open doors like it kind of has for me. The more and more I seem to do the more people get to see.
I get given free tables in clubs along with free drinks, lol, which is a deadly combo
Well let’s get on the cons lol...
People judge me because I look a certain way; people think I’m so sweet and innocent so when they treat me bad they think they will get away with it, but I’m very hot headed and I say what I think... As a fan put it, I have a face of an angel, body of a goddess, but a mouth of a sailor I never have beef with girls, it's always men bringing drama my way. They seem to think they can try and use and abuse me, but I’m very smart. I think all models have to be as you never know if a man likes you for you or the person in pictures.

What was your general perception of the United States when you came to visit; could you ever see yourself living here?
Everyone liked my accent hahaha. They kept asking me to say things. I was shocked I got noticed when I landed at the airport which was scary. I was like "how do you no my name????" I would live in the US any day. I'd pack my bags tomorrow. The way I see it I’m young I have no ties. I have no children or a man so I want to do as much as possible and get out much out of life before my babies come along as right now I’m 100% committed to modeling. But when husband and babies are here I will be fully committed to them as they will be my life and my world
Do you plan to appear in any other US publications?

I have no idea. I hope so but I have nothing in the pipeline and if I did I would not tell you lol you have to wait for the surprise... I like to shock people you might be able to tell I like doing this with some of my wild club outfits.
In your bio it says you were born in La Coruña Spain. Did you spend significant time there as a child/teenager or did you primarily grow up in London?

Yes, I did. I didn’t come to the UK till I was 4 or 5 I didn’t know a word of English, which was hard but now I don’t know hardly any Spanish just English But I’m going to have lessons I think Spanish sounds so sexy also when I’m mad I will cuss in Spanish hahaha
I notice that a lot of pictures of you out there are not Photoshop'd and are completely natural, yet you still look fantastic. What's your opinion on models overusing Photoshop to gain a competitive advantage, and further, what is your opinion on surgical enhancements to gain an advantage
At the end of the day I'm just doing me each to their own I say I'm so open minded...with people having surgery it's all up to them if they feel it makes them happy that’s their business. I personally would not have anything done. Believe it or not I'm low maintenance. I hate wearing makeup when I don’t have to. I hate even brushing my hair lol. Weaves drive me crazy so that’s why I don’t have them.... I have what I have for a reason. I have flaws but I have learned to love them. I'm never negative about my body, as I feel life is to short to be worrying about being a certain way. I'm happy with my body and the way I look and that’s all that matters. I don’t care what people think of me. I am aware I'm not everyone’s cup of tea but I don’t live with them or see them.

Well, that's it. Feel free to throw in a question if there's something in particular I didn't cover that you wanna plug or put out there.
Urmmmmm everyone watch out for me in 2010 you might be seeing a lot more of me also thank you to every one for the support so far it means so much it keeps me from quitting modeling check out my site www.iloveleesh.com.

Tags: Elisha Jade

This is a scan of Halie originally done by "BTB" that I cleaned up a little. This photo is from the latest issue of Smooth Magazine. You can reach Halie on Twitter here.

Tags: Halie

This "Backshot" feature of Dollicia is from the November '07 issue of KING magazine (which is rumored to be making a comeback this month). Scan compliments of me. (Click to enlarge)

Tags: Dollicia Bryan

Simone Baptiste was the Applebottoms girl for a while and she was the lead in over 17 music videos (Christian, Jet Magazine, Video Vixens Show That They Are More Than Just Pretty Faces, February 12, 2007, Pg. 54). She's also been in Maxim Online. (Click to enlarge)

Tags: Simone Baptiste

This history of XXL Eye Candy, which starts with issue number 4 somewhere around '97-'98 and goes through 2006, gives you an idea of the evolution (or perhaps the devolution) of the urban eye candy genre. As you can see, it started off with celebrities such as Jennifer Lopez and Traci Bingham. This was back when BlackMen magazine still featured women like Tyra and Beyonce on the cover of their magazine.

We also see that Melyssa Ford was an Eye Candy as far back as August 2000, which means she's been in the game nearly a decade now. Notice there is a lot of repetition in those early years, because there was a dearth of name brand eye candy models. People like Gloria Velez, Sincerely Ward, and Pasha were all featured twice.

And then between 2004 and 2006, urban modeling hits its stride, with models like Vida, KiToy Johnson, Summer Walker, and Esther Baxter. Too bad that's where it ends. It would be interesting to have seen the years between 2007 and 2009. (Click to enlarge)

Tags: Melyssa Ford, Buffie The Body, Esther Baxter, Summer Walker

Photo compliments of me. You can reach Miss Koi on Twitter here. (Click to see larger version)

Tags: Miss Koi, Koi

Love these pics... (Click to enlarge)

Shout out Alysha on Facebook here. You can reach Bria on Twitter here.

Tags: Bria Myles, Alysha Young

Also, see Jernie's super cute Indosplace authentication sign pic here. You can reach on Model Mayhem here.

Tags: Jernie

Ruby Campbell proves something that I've always suspected: good looking women look even better when they get older. The beach shot was taken in '95; the shot of Ruby in the dress was taken this year. Still beautiful as ever. When I shot Ruby she was in a Karl Kani commercial that was playing nationwide. She was also in a popular Boyz II Men video. She was always a tough one to track down. If you wanna see more of her, check out a movie called “Love Goggles” if you can find it. Not a bad movie, and Ruby looks great in it.

Tags: Ruby Campbell

I posted the BTS previously, but this is the final result.

Interestingly, the classic booty shape is still there. All you have to do is imagine this same, exact shape like 10-15 pounds heavier to know why no one was really messin’ with Melyssa in her prime.

Tags: Melyssa Ford

I’m always talking about urban magazines needing to change it up. Well, that’s just what industry vets, photographer Treagen Colston and publisher Sean Rush, have done just that with Kiss Magazine. Check out their latest issue to see what I’m talking about.

Tags: Treagen Colston, Sean Rush

And one bonus Suelyn pic (The top pic enlarges)

Tags: Alysha, Bria Myles, Suelyn Medeiros

Per request by IMAX, this is another photo of Tracy Hudson, the model on the cover of my ’95 Darker Image Calendar. In the late 90s this girl was very hot, running in the company of Elan Carter and Karin Taylor. She was on the boxes for hair product, in magazine ads, and had a TV show in the works.

EDIT: Additional pic added.

Tags: Tracy Hudson

Every now and again I’ll come upon a model that I think has the potential to go farther than usual in the urban modeling game, but because of her location or the resources available to her, she may not able to fully maximize her potential at the moment. That’s how I feel about this month’s Diamond in the Rough - Jernie. Lucky for her, she’s got many years ahead of her to make it happen (she’s only 19).

Anyway, hopefully one of the magazine editors will see this and reach out to her. I’m not crazy about a lot of her “pro” shots so I’m just posting a few that I think show off her versatility. (Click to enlarge)

UPDATE: Link to video of Jernie photo shoot added...


Video of Jernie photo shoot:

Tags: Jernie

Posted for the sole reason of giving y’all a peek at what the other side of that white swimsuit looked like.

Tags: Bria Myles

These are some pics of Miss Koi from the Los Magnificos Car Show on November 22, 2009, in Houston, Texas. Gotta love this girl’s combination of killer curves and a cute face.

Tags: Miss Koi, Koi

There are so many beautiful aspiring models on Model Mayhem. I’m going to try to give one of them some shine each week. This week it’s Maryland’s Myriah Noney.

Tags: Myriah Nonay

What if Melyssa Ford had done a provocative photo like this in her heyday. What would the black communities’ reaction be to it? Would we say this is going too far and is in poor taste? Sometimes it feels like there are greater restrictions on the commercially acceptable* sexual expression of black models, and the curvier and more innately sexy they are, the greater those restrictions. Just food for thought. Be interested to hear other’s opinions.

* By this I mean sexual expression that is allowed mainstream acceptance, versus sexual expression that is limited to the internet and sites like Model Mayhem, but will never see the inside of a Barnes & Noble book store.

Tags: Jenny McCarthy, Melyssa Ford

At 5’9”, Jameka is packing a lot of beauty into her statuesque frame. I posted her because I think she’s a very good example of a model that has done the urban glamor thing with class. With these photos, Jameka can do anything she wants in the future. She’ll never have to look back and think, “I regret taking those pictures.” You can reach her on Model Mayhem here and on Twitter here.

BTW, Jameka went to famed photographer Nick Saglimbeni’s Model Kamp, and based on these photos I’d say she got her money’s worth. Just something to consider for all you aspiring models. Every photo except the fourth is attributable to Slickforce Studios. (Click to enlarge.)

UPDATE: If you want to see more of Jameka (some candid shots), visit the world renowned Wasabi’s links to more Jameka photos.

Tags: Jamekathemodel, Jameka Carter

I had these custom 6” x 8” booklets made for the crew and models on the J’Adore shoot. I went through Apple’s iPhoto printing services. Very nice... If you’re interested in one, PM me. But they aren’t cheap. (Click to enlarge)

Tags: Suelyn Medeiros, Alysha, Bria Myles

Can you believe Melyssa Ford has been in the game for a decade now!? Who else has gone this long? She should be an inductee into the Urban Modeling Hall of Fame (if there was one).

She was recently exiled from Twitter, otherwise I would post that link. But not to worry - life goes on. Melyssa just completed a shoot in Atlanta today called “alter ego” where they made her up to look like a sexy crocodile. Check out the BTS shots here and here. (Click pics to enlarge)

Tags: Melyssa Ford

Megan is one of those models that it's tough to take a bad picture of. Unfortunately, she has no Myspace, Facebook or Twitter. She used to have Model Mayhem, but I think it’s gone.

Tags: Megan Fusako Gaines

This is a photo of Bria Myles I took between poses at the J'Adore Magazine shoot.




_mg_9687-bria-med by Indochine is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

Tags: Bria Myles

In a first, the Eye Candy of the Year is a tie between Rosa Acosta and Tammy Torres. You can keep up with Rosa Acosta on her Twitter or drop her a line on her MySpace.

Don’t rule me out of the scanning game fellas.

Tags: Rosa Acosta, Tammy Torres

Larissa is probably one the most versatile and beautiful models I've ever shot. Even though she was in over a dozen music videos, including Ice Cube, Jay Z and LL Cool J, she turned it around and went commercial with her modeling. This girl has a serious body too. See ladies, it can be done. (Click to enlarge ads)

Tags: Larissa Bordere

She may be gone, but she's hardly forgotten. Happy Thursday!

Tags: Sabrina Hunter

What a difference 10 years makes. I remember back in ’95 it was damn near impossible to find a thong shot of a model like Bria Myles, short of looking in a magazine like Players or finding a copy of Howard Morehead’s infamous Bronze Beauties calendar (and those women were not Bria Myles calibre). There was no internet back then. And even if there was, there weren’t any black women on it. I took the photo above of model/actress Tanya Baetz for The Darker Image Calendar back in ’95 and it made a lot of waves at the time. So much so that she was asked on the Jenny Jones Show to talk about it, where she proclaimed “My butt is the most talked about butt in LA!” And it probably was, because that sort of thing was hardly seen in those days, much less in Barnes & Noble bookstore.



I think we would all agree that Tanya’s photo is modest by comparison to what we’re seeing today, however, which Kedesha Ferguson’s photo on the right typifies. Don’t get me wrong, I love the black woman’s shape (and for the record, I like that Ferguson photo). In fact, back in ’95 I was trying every line possible to get women like Kedesha to wear a thong, but it never worked. But now I’m starting to wish for the old days. The days when we all knew 40” hips were a thing of wonder, but could only see it undressed if we earned that right. I mean too much of anything can desensitize you to it, and I don’t wanna be desensitized to women that look like Melyssa Ford. I also don’t want people to get the impression that this is all beautiful black women who want to model are good for - ass shots. So I guess this is yet another post bemoaning the state of urban modeling and asking everyone who is a part of it to be cognizant of your role. Don’t just go with flow. Change it up. Improve the situation, or in another 5 years you may be out of work.

Tags: Tanya Baetz, Kedesha Ferguson

I believe this picture of Ms. Cat originally appeared in Straight Stuntin' magazine. From a photographic perspective, this pic has some serious pros and cons. The pros are the subject, the candy bikini, the setting overlooking the city. All thumbsup. The cons are the horrible lighting that creates harsh shadows on her face.

Anyway, still an interesting photo, if for no other reason but Catya’s raw physical appeal. (Click to enlarge) Follow Ms Cat on Twitter or her MySpace.

Tags: MsCat, Catya Washington

Check out Bria Myles new SHOW pics at BlackJackSkanz website. Nobody does quality scans like BlackJack, and these are no exception. Great work as always.

You can follow Bria Myles on her Twitter or visit BriaMyles.com.

Tags: Bria Myles

Just a reminder to all you urban model photographers: make sure you keep an eye on your subject’s face. Technically, you should be able to crop to just the face and still have a good and/or interesting photo. If you can do that, that’s how you know you’re shooting a worthy model and you’ve taken care of hair and make-up as needed.(Click second pic to enlarge).

You can reach Miss Koi on Twitter here and Myspace here. (There is no Facebook)




img_9224-koi-med-cropped by Indochine is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

Tags: Miss Koi, Koi

This is a spot on Jenny Jones for the Darker Image calendar I shot and produced while I was in college. It features Jossie Harris and Amy Hunter. You'll probably get a kick out of the feathered hair, but having dealt with models of this calibre is what makes it tough for me to deal with some of todays biddies, lol.

Tags: Jossie Thacker, Amy Hunter

I found this girl to be downright non-responsive when I attempted to reach out to her about an interview on the blog and a photoshoot. Later, when I suggested her for the J'Adore photoshoot the feedback I got was chilly to say the least, which leads me to believe maybe she had rubbed a few other people the wrong way. BTW, these gorgeous scans are attributable to BlackJackSkanz and SHOW magazine.

Follow Ms Cat on Twitter or her MySpace.

Tags: MsCat, Catya Washington

This is one girl that just radiates raw sexuality in her photos. We actually had to cut back on that some for this shoot. Imagine saying that to Suelyn. "Okay, that's great, but uh, less sexy please." lol

Funny story re: this girl’s sexiness. At one point the hair stylist -- who is a female -- had to make an adjustment to her swimsuit, and after she was done she playfully tapped Suelyn on the butt (which gave a heavenly ripple). Suelyn says to her: “you just wanted to touch it.” Imagine that! She said that to a female. Now you know she has to be pretty confident that she’s hot if she said that to a woman.

(Click to enlarge)



suelyndriftwood-cropped-med by Indochine is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

Tags: Suelyn Medeiros

This editorial in BlackMen from 2006 typifies the blurring of the line that started to happen between “models” that were known strippers and models who had never been involved with that side of the business. (Esther is not a stripper.) I can’t even think of the white analogue to the model/stripper in the urban market. Who has Maxim of FHM (repeatedly) featured on the cover who was an admitted stripper?

Anyway, I think these type of features were the beginning of the end for the urban market. This and glamorizing girls like Angel Lola Luv who were obviously not the genuine article.

Tags: Esther Baxter, Buffie The Body

Headhunter doesn't need any additional pub from me - he gets plenty of attention on his own on Model Mayhem, lol. But I find his work visually striking and interesting. Besides, he shot Joanna “va va voom” Peña - see below. He is also a great illustrator.

This photo is an outtake of a shoot I did with Bria Myles where we were copying an idea that Herb Ritts had done with Claudia Schiffer many years ago (see below). The idea is to have the sun shining through a diaphanous sheet with an attractive pattern and put the model in front of it. I was really tempted to use that gold reflector to bounce light onto Bria, but my assistant hates the gold reflector, so we went with white.

What we wound up with wasn’t really that close to the Schiffer photo after all - it kinda became its own concept (or at least that’s how it seems to me). You can see one of the fully edited images here. I actually think the outtake looks better than the final, lol. Also, notice how much retouching had to be done to fill in that fabric above Bria’s head and below her waist.



Bria Outtake Yellow by Indochine is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License


Photo imitated (love this picture):

Tags: Bria Myles

One of the better programs for the Mac is their Powerpoint substitute, Keynote. Keynote Pro is a company that designs templates for this application, and they’re all pretty nice. A lot better than most of the stuff that comes with the app or Powerpoint. You can download the high res (1680 x 1050) of this image here.

Tags: Suelyn Medeiros, Bria Myles, Alysha

Photographer’s Corner: One thing about shooting into the sunlight - autofocus usually stops working so well. That’s what makes these types of shots particularly challenging. Gotta get your manual focus on. Give Alysha a shout out on Facebook here. (Click to enlarge)

Tags: Alysha Young

Stylists corner: That scarf Suelyn is wearing costs $500 and is by Alexander McQueen. Those bracelets are about $750 and are by Louis Vuitton. Finally, the white monokini is by Aguaclara $120.

Tags: Suelyn Medeiros

Ms. Ice is what I'd call a classic beauty in the sense that the guys in the barbershop would have gone nuts over her 20 years ago, and they still do today. The freckles, the undeniably sexy hourglass figure (showcasing a powerful lower half), the genuine smile - that's just good genetics! However, I wonder if an OG beauty like Ms. Ice can stand apart in today's highly exploitative urban market, by which standards her photos are relatively modest. I recently reached out to Tina to find out her thoughts on urban modeling and where she'd like to take this.... (Click pics to enlarge)

• Given the current state of affairs in the urban market, and the fact that you are intent on doing things with class, what's your plan for world domination?

My plan is to hold my ground and not fall under pressure in trying to please everyone. When I first started I was determind to not shoot "eye candy", I did not want to be labled as a "booty model" but when I came across other models like Ms. Koi I saw how beautiful her images were and how she was able to keep it clean and sexy, I decided to give it a try. But of course, I have shot from some angles that I wish I could take back.

• What are limits in terms of what you will and won't do at your photo shoots to be perceived as sexy?

There are shots out there that I wish I could take back, for example the full back shot (no face included). I will not shoot a pic of me making out/ licking on an object smh. Those images, to me, scream out PORN. I will not shoot any "girls gone wild" images meaning they are kissing and touching each others "temple" again, to me, that screams PORN! I will not be on youtube popping my assets, I will not shoot nudes. I will try to keep it creative, by bringing themed ideas for my shoots. I will try and leave something to the imagination. I will shoot only implied nudes.


• What have your experiences been like so far in urban modeling so far?

In modeling it has been hard for me because every photographer I would schedule a shoot with would cancel on me once I told them I'm not doing "eye candy" and they would tell me that I would not make it in modeling because urban modeling is the only thing out there for black women with curves. So after hearing that a number of times I decided to research more on the whole "urban eye candy" thing and it was not until I came across Bria, Laura Dore, and Ms. Koi (to name a few) that the word eye candy wasn't so bad. Now the only problem I have is dirty old men trying to get me to shoot nude smh.

• If you could name one model that has inspired you to get in the game, who would it be and why?

I cant name just ONE! Tyra and Kimora inspired me to do modeling, because they are sexy and sucessful black (or half) women. Ms. Koi, Bria, Melyssa Ford inspired me to give urban modeling a try.

• How long do you intend to be in the game and what are is your ultimate objective?

I really don't know how long I plan to be in modeling. My life is not built around being in the spot light, meaning you will not see me degrade myself just to stay in the game. I have too many things to fall back on. My ultimate objective is to finish school (May 2010 !!!). My ultimate objective in modeling is to become a commercial model.

Tags: Ms. Ice

Recent Maryland Institute College of Art graduate Zach Osif asked if he could paint Bria for one the works at his first major exhibit. He just sent me an email tonight with the final. I think it looks fantastic.

Who knows, this may be worth something some day....

Tags: Bria Myles

Photographer’s Corner: This picture of Alysha was taken midday with strong overhead sunlight. To give it an even, natural lighting both a silk and scrim were used. These pics may look simple, but controlling light outdoors is tougher than it appears. I had three assistants, and even with that at times it seemed like we were shorthanded.

Tags: Alysha Young

Tags: Bria Myles

I’m going to take a break in my regularly scheduled programming to talk about something that warrants discussion in my opinion: the rapid decline of the urban modeling industry.

As anyone who follows urban modeling knows, after Buffie the Body hit the scene in 2004, the quality of the market took a serious nosedive*. These days, booty shaking videos and thongs abound; one piece, full back bikinis, however, are nearing extinction. Say what you will about Melyssa Ford, but at least she did this with some class.

Why is class important?

Advertising Dollars

For urban modeling to be taken seriously as a genre and attract advertisers that will support the magazines and websites featuring your favorite models, it cannot continue in the direction it is heading. Advertising in print magazines is already becoming increasingly rare as media migrates to the net, but poor content is also to blame for top advertisers abandoning ship on urban modeling magazines. "Advertisers refuse to advertise in Smooth because a black woman with curves…resembles pornography." (Westhoff, “End Run, How a Few Black Publishers Are Making a Play for the Maxim Man” Village Voice (May 22, 2007) The Village Voice Online.) That’s right. To the mainstream world, a picture of Bria Myles oiled down in a thong is pretty much porn, and quality advertisers do not want to be affiliated with that type of content. No advertisers means no money, and no money means no sustainable business model for profitability, aka a dead industry.

The Best Models Are No Longer Willing To Do It

I recently shot a model named Sabrina Hunter who was featured on this blog. She got an incredible response and quickly started burning a trail through the internet. But less than a month after we had shot, she decided she didn’t want to do it anymore. Her reason: “I HATED the reputation urban models have earned and I don’t want to be guilty by association.” (See Sabrina’s Blog Post)

This is not an isolated incident. The more urban modeling is associated with stripping and booty shaking videos on Youtube, the less any self-respecting woman is going to want to do this. Fewer quality models means less respect for the genre and fewer advertising dollars, not to mention that we the consumers miss out on the best girls because the market has become a cesspool. Again, a dead industry.

What’s The Problem; What’s The Solution

The women who’ll do anything for some spotlight aren’t really the problem; it’s the consumers who are too shortsighted to see that their insatiable desire for increasingly risqué content is driving this market into the ground. For the market to be restored, consumers have to demand quality.

To analogize with the black filmmaking movement, ten years ago people complained that there were too many “ghetto” films, but when a quality flick like “The Best Man” or “Love Jones” came out, it didn’t draw the same large numbers as “Jason’s Lyric” or “Menace to Society.” So the studios stuck with the safe bet and we got more ghetto movies. When they finally realized those movies had run their course we were left with nothing. That will soon be the case with urban modeling. At this rate, there won’t be any urban modeling in 5 years. It will just be porn.

We’re at a turning point with this market. I saw a thread on a message board the other day with a picture of Bria from her recent J’Adore pictorial and someone said: “She is a beautiful young woman…No back shot needed.” We’re going to need a lot of more of that and a lot less “When she gonna do porn?” if the market is going to revive.

For those of you shaking your heads and thinking “This fool doesn’t get it. I could care less about respecting these women, I just wanna see ass!” Don’t worry; there will always be Cubana Lust type videos. The internet opened a flood gate to that sort of content that will never be closed. But there won’t always be quality magazines and websites featuring top-notch women if this train doesn’t get back on track.

Regularly scheduled programming will resume forthwith.

*Buffie was not the cause of this nosedive per se, but her entrance on the scene marks the point when the quality really started to slip.

Tags: Sabrina Hunter, Melyssa Ford, Buffie The Body

Sometimes less retouching, less artificial lighting, less styling, is better. This simple pic of Suelyn sitting on driftwood let’s you get close to her in a way a lot of her other urban modeling pics don’t. Compliments of J’Adore Magazine!

Tags: Suelyn Medeiros

For the J'Adore shoot we used two surfboards (one pink, one yellow), but for some reason the yellow one found its way into the best pictures. So we wound up with several models using the same surfboard. Urgh! At any rate, this is one of Suelyn's better surfboard shots. This idea of shooting into the sunlight and letting the photo wash out with lens flare elements was something we wanted to do from the start with this layout. You don't see this style of shooting much in urban modeling, but it's in a lot of the cooler magazines like Foam.

(Click to enlarge)

Tags: Suelyn Medeiros

So Miss Koi shot with the talented Doss Tidwell today and here are a few of the images. Hit her up on Twitter and let her know what you think.

Tags: Miss Koi, Koi

This is a shot of Bria that didn't make it into J'Adore Magazine. There are dozens of pics that could have made the cut, but didn't because there just wasn't space and the goal of this was to show off swimsuits, not models. So you guys will be the beneficiaries of this glut in coming weeks, lol.
You can reach Bria on Twitter here.

Tags: Bria Myles

I promised more of Alysha - this is one the photos I took of her for J'Adore Magazine's latest issue. She is featured as the Creme De La Creme in the issue. She was a great model. When the sun started to set and everybody else was packing up, she was still going strong without a complaint. Now that's professionalism. (DVD Extra: there was small editorial battle as to which model would get to have the “surfboard shot.” It was tight but Bria got it; however, Alysha got her own feature so everybody won.) (Click to enlarge)

Tags: Alysha Young

Another exclusive from the J’Adore Magazine shoot. You can reach Suelyn on Twitter here. (Click to enlarge) Edit: Link correction for Twitter page (she tweets a lot, so it’s some interesting reading)

Tags: Suelyn Medeiros

This is one of my favorite shots from the shoot. I love the colors and styling thanks to M&A Style. So rarely do we see urban models just laughing and having a good time like the women in a J. Crew catalog. Again, thanks to Taneish Leslie and J’Adore Magazine for believing in this idea. (Click to enlarge - this one you gotta see big to appreciate)

Tags: Bria Myles, Suelyn Medeiros, Alysha

I was fortunate enough to shoot a swimsuit layout in the latest issue of J'Adore magazine - the Sports Issue, which will be on newsstands in the next week or so. I have to give a big shout out to the editor Taneish Leslie for giving me this opportunity.

The idea behind this editorial was to bring that clean, natural aesthetic you see so often in Sport's Illustrated to a layout of video vixens. No baby oil, no thongs, no artificial lighting. Just beauty and sunlight. (I never felt the urban magazines had really done justice to the traditional beach shoot (see, KING’s botched Dollicia cover).)

In the coming days I’ll be posting high res photos from this shoot, including outtakes that didn’t make it into the mag. Thanks to Bria, Alysha and Suelyn for some great modeling.

Tags: Bria Myles, Suelyn Medeiros, Alysha Young

Does anyone (other than me) find it a little odd that Diznee has never been in any other major urban mag but SHOW...
At any rate, I’ve always thought this girl had that something “extra” that keeps people’s attention.




Bonus candid:

Tags: Diznee

One of my favorite Esther sets because of the colors and playful theme. Come to think of it, I haven’t heard much from her these days.

Tags: Esther Baxter

I grabbed these revised scans from CutieCentral’s interview with Bria. These are the latest photos of Bria Myles from SHOW magazine. Bravo to CC for these scans, which are top quality. (Click to enlarge)

Tags: Bria Myles

Here's what: I'm going to continue posting pics of this girl until people stop asking for more. In other words, be prepared for more Sabrina posts, lol. (Click to enlarge)

Hit her up on Twitter here.

Tags: Sabrina Hunter

These were first seen at ClicknSpark and you can see the rest there.. I took BTB's scan and color corrected it slightly and made some other minor adjustments, but his originals are quite good. Click to enlarge.

Alexa’s Myspace.
Alexa’s Twitter.

Tags: Alexis

I’m not really a fan of Nia Long’s, but this is a nice ad and I really don’t want this site to become about nothing but booty, so enjoy! (Click to enlarge - scan by yours truly)

Tags: Nia Long

More urban artwork by the extremely talented Nils. First pic: unknown model • Second pic: Kimmi Kennedy • Third pic: Joanna Shari • Fourth pic: Solei. (Click to enlarge)

Tags: Solei, Nils, Joanna Shari, Kimmi Kennedy

More old school photography by your local blogger - me! This is Amy Hunter, who had a very nice commercial modeling career and starred as Laz Alonzo’s mistress in the hit, “This Christmas.” I had a huge crush on this woman back in the day. (Click to enlarge)

Tags: Amy Hunter

Brittany Dailey kinda grew on me. I think she’s a natural beauty and all, but I always thought she was better suited to commercial work than urban modeling. However, she falls in the weird cross section where she’s a little too thick for mainstream commercial work, but not thick enough to stand out in the urban world (see also, Chanta Patton, Mia Michelle).

Ironically, she’s now teaching urban modeling in photographer Nick Saglimbeni’s ModelKamp. Just goes to show you how much I know. Take a look at BlackMen’s website to see more of Brittany.

Tags: Brittany Dailey

One of my favs, compliments of BlackMen magazine. You can reach Angel on Myspace here.

(Click to enlarge)

Tags: Angel Davis

Based on reaction to the first pic yesterday, here is one more from this set...

(Click to enlarge.)

Tags: Miss Koi, Koi

Let Miss Koi know what you think on her Twitter Page. This pic actually enlarges to a very large size, so click away.

(Credits • Photography: Indo • Make-Up: Tai Jackson-Young • Styling: Ashley North of M&A Style)

Tags: Miss Koi, Koi

The funny thing is, at the time I really didn't think she was all that, but she was actually a really good model and beautiful in a way I couldn’t appreciate yet.

I was looking at a lot of Sports Illustrated in those days and the big thing was blowing out the background, so I went out and rented a Nikon 300mm f/2.8 because that's what I had seen Walter Iooss using in those SI making of videos. Anyway, looking back on it, it wasn't so bad. Largely due to her no doubt.

(Click to enlarge)

Tags: Melissia Hill

More Sabrina Hunter, just because...
(Click to enlarge - only bottom image)

Tags: Sabrina Hunter

This is a primo gig for an urban model. Congrats to Maliah Michel. This was first seen on ClicknSpark.

Tags: Maliah Michel

Continuing my trend of posting blasts from the past, this is Charity Hill from the movie "Gang of Roses" and the LL Cool J's “Who do you love?” video. This girl was the bomb.com back in the day, believe it.

Tags: Charity Hill

The last time I communicated with her, she was considering retirement. Let's hope not. These are her latest from SHOW Girlz Exclusive.
You can check out this voluptuous Latina on her website. Click to enlarge. (This isn’t everything - visit SHOW’s website to see the entire set. )

Tags: Joanna Peña

One of my favorites... (click to enlarge)

Pic compliments of me and Tara Copeland (hair stylist). This series of photos appeared in Sophisticates Black Hair.

Tags: Megan Fusako Gaines

The Fly Girls on In Living Color were the top tier of yesteryears video vixen. That’s where J Lo got her start, as well as lesser known Jossie Thacker. I’m biased, but I still believe the first generation urban vixens were superior to the current crop. Many of them are still working today, including Jossie. This pic here (taken by me) has minimal retouching. That’s just how her body looked - flawless.

Tags: Jossie Thacker

‘Nuff said. : -)

Tags: Bria Myles

As promised, this is Part II of my Sabrina Hunter post, all photos compliments of your friendly neighborhood blogger. Click to enlarge.

Tags: Sabrina Hunter

UK Hottie Freema Agyeman has three things going for her:

1. She's a Pisces.
2. She's beautiful.
3. She's classy.

On the downside, I don’t think she’s got a single swimsuit shot in circulation, lol. Check her out on Law and Order UK (Click pics to enlarge)

Tags: Freema Agyeman

Every now and again a model will pass through the system who does not get the shine they deserve. Enter Angela Henderson. This is one urban model that definitely warrants a second look. One interesting note about these photos: they’re not retouched. Few women look this good in a bikini. Pics compliments of Show Girlz Exclusive.

Tags: Angela, Angela Henderson

Maliah is the newest columnist for Smooth Magazine. (Click to enlarge)

Tags: Maliah Michel

First seen at Click ‘n Spark. See the rest of the photos there.

These independently produced photo shoots with models pose an interesting dilemma to the urban magazines, because it's getting to the point where they're almost just as good. Mags gotta step their game up. (Mia and Paul get particularly good results together.)

Tags: Mia Michelle

You can count how many of these she did in her career on two hands, and even those were somehow vaguely unfulfilling. Always some weird camera angle or obstructed by something. None of them were just both cheeks in the wind, unabashed back shots. This shot here doesn’t even fully look like Melyssa to me.

Oh well, with Melyssa you take what you can get. (Click to enlarge)

Tags: Melyssa Ford

Sanaa Lathan one of the sexiest black actresses in the game to me and seems to be getting better with age.

Tags: Sanaa Lathan

This is what you call the best of the best jobs for a video vixen. Today, Bria Myles shot for the cover for Chamillionaire’s forthcoming release of “Venom,” the artist’s third studio album. The album is scheduled for release on December 3, 2009.

This job is great for several reasons. First, the shot will just feature Bria and the artist on the cover of the CD and promotional materials. That elevates Bria’s status and builds her exclusivity as a model. This is how Darlene Ortiz and Coco became famous. Second, the pay, which was quite good for five hours work. Lastly, this is the type of job the gives good after burn - it will be in stores and on iTunes forever.

This situation also illustrates why it’s important as a model to build good relationships on set on not alienate hair and make-up artists. This job came through the incredibly talented Tara Copeland, who has styled Bria’s hair in the past (see her website homepage photo). Bria and Tara have a good relationship and when photographer Jonathan Mannion needed suggestions for a model on this job, Tara recommended Bria.



Bria’s shoe selection for the shoot - models eat your heart out, lol...

Tags: Bria Myles

After three years away from the urban modeling game, aspiring novelist Sabrina Hunter has decided to give it another go. I caught up with her recently and took some brand new photos of her, proving she's as gorgeous as ever. I also asked her a little bit about her past in urban modeling and why she decided to give it another go. An accountant studying to obtain her CPA certification, this college graduate is far from your typical urban model. But we'll let her tell you in her own words... (NOTE: All pics can be enlarged by clicking)

When did you first appear in the urban modeling scene and how did you get started/noticed?

I got my first job in a video for Bubba Sparxx and it was arranged for me by a friend. After that video, I was "noticed" by my former manager at an event. I gave her my contact information, she contacted me, and the rest is history.

What were your most prominent jobs once you got started (e.g., music videos and/or magazine appearances)?

I did videos for Kanye West, Jon B., and Fabolous. I was also a cover/feature in the Rookie Edition of Smooth Girl Magazine 2005, and I was in King Magazine with The Game in March 2005.

What made you decide to step away from urban modeling for a while?

The main reason I stepped away from the urban modeling business was due to financial reasons. I do what makes dollars and SENSE. I had just graduated from college with my Bachelor's degree when I was getting the most work and I was ready to see some cash and stability. Modeling full-time didn't provide what I was looking for in a profession, because the work didn't pay enough on a steady basis so I put my degree to work for me instead. I chose to not model part-time, either because the cost was more than the benefit, so I dropped it altogether.

What made you decide to return, even if only in a limited fashion?

I want to make myself visible to the public. I just finished writing my first novel, entitled Skeletons in the Closet, and my desire is to be published, so I'm using modeling as a marketing technique. The novel is about a young woman in LA who falls in love with a man who is a professional football player who turns out to be bisexual.

Are you concerned that urban modeling will come back to haunt you in your professional pursuits, and if not, why?

I'm not concerned because I do what I feel is right for me. Also, there are some things I just won't do. If I'm not comfortable or if I feel something could harm me professionally, I don't do it. I know the urban modeling profession, as a whole, has a pretty bad reputation. As in any profession, there are people who do the right things and there are people who do the wrong things. I just stay professional and let my work speak for itself, whether it's modeling, writing a novel, or preparing financial statements.

If you had any advice for new talent looking to get started in urban modeling, what would it be?

First, decide where you want to go with modeling, create a plan and then go for it. Second of all, stay professional and true to yourself and your plan. Set boundaries and don't compromise yourself or your plan. Realize anything and everything you do in your personal and professional life has the ability to get you closer to your goal or haunt you and inhibit you later.



Look for another blog entry about Sabrina later this week with additional photos. Meanwhile, enjoy some of her oldies below and shout her out on Twitter...

Tags: Sabrina Hunter

I shot Alysha recently for a magazine editorial and this girl is the real deal. Good head on her shoulders, no tattoos, in college. Between set ups during the shoot all she did was sit over in the corner and read a book. She's skeptical of the urban industry, so I'm not sure how much more we'll see of her, but we could certainly use more quality models like this in the game.

Tags: Alysha Young

Suddenly, Mileena Hayes is the new hotness on the net. She’s been around for a while, but people seem to be really feeling her now. Here are a few rarely seen shots. Click to enlarge.

Mileena’s Twitter here.
Mileena’s Myspace here.

Tags: Mileena Hayes

Once upon a time, when big booties ruled the earth, there was one model bigger and badder than them all. Tasha Destiny was her name. Due to circumstances we still can’t explain, the giganticus bootycus species disappeared from the urban model landscape without a trace, although a few occasionally show up here and there and wreak havoc on the countryside.

Tags: Tasha Destiny

Click to enlarge.

Dollicia’s Twitter and Myspace.

Tags: Dollicia Bryan

Hoopz isn’t as hot as she used to be, but she’s still got a diehard fan or two out there. So for those fans, here are a few Hoopz pics I had never seen.

Tags: Hoopz

The closest I’ll ever get to Tyra Banks is having my photography featured in the same scene she was in in John Singleton’s “Higher Learning” (see poster behind Tyra and Omar Epps below). Back when that movie came out, I was photographing a calendar called The Darker Image that was getting some hype. Singelton’s production office called and asked if they could use some of the photos as props in the dorm rooms of characters. He was really cool and invited me and my business partner down to the set to see where the stuff was used and watch them film scenes. I was just a kid and was very impressed with the whole process. Ah, the good old days.

Tags: Tyra Banks

Which is looking good as all outdoors. Erin gives new meaning to the word Amazon.

Tags: Erin Adams

Looks like Jenna is going to be on the cover of the newest Straight Stuntin' magazine. Check out behind-the-scenes of the shoot here.

Tags: Jenna Shea

She’s been around over a year but I’ve never seen the beautiful Candace in any of the major mag (e.g., BlackMen, SHOW or Smooth). I wonder why?

At any rate, you can see more of her here: www.myspace.com/candacelips and http://www.modelmayhem.com/1047793

Tags: Candace

As you may or may not know, Dollicia was in a flick called See Dick Run starring Kel Mitchell of Kenan and Kel fame. Well, for those of you who don't want to try find this movie, here is her clip. Be warned, there’s some sex in it, although I doubt that will bother most of you. I thought she was okay - I could see an early Stacey Dash. The camera definitely likes her.

Click link to see video (you’ll need Quicktime):

Dollicia-SeeDickRun

Tags: Dollicia Bryan