How did I get started modeling?
Well actually I always was told I was beautiful and should model, and I always wanted to do it, but I think I just procrastinated. I was always very skinnny, (not anymore ;p) and could eat whatever I wanted and not worry about my weight. When I was 17 I was approached by a tourist in Waikiki by Larry Silva (Ohio), an amateur photographer. Being my first time ever shooting I had a few bikinis and we went to a great spot in Diamond Head, a little topless beach I like to tan at that isn’t very crowded. Only a few surfers paddle out there. I wish I could find the pictures from the shoot. In my favorite pictures, I wore an aqua Brazilian bikini that flattered my body type well. The pictures were very amateur, but they were beautiful. I was so happy with them. My natural talent showed through, and by many photographers I have been complimented on the expression I show through my eyes. Especially in these first sets of photos could you see my dramatic expression.
My next shoot was with Paul Kusaba. We became really good friend and I got a lot of my practice on him. Our first shoot was some fashion shots at Temple Valley in Kaneohe. It was a fun shoot. I was getting comfortable with posing and expression.
Photo by Paul Kusaba
Hair and Makeup by Toni from Fab Beauty HI, Photo by Ryan Kerns
What was my favorite shoot?
I’d have to say my girlfriend Cher, also my talented makeup artist, started a clothing line called “Phragile.” It was mostly cut up tank tops. She wanted me to model for her line. It was super fun. And Marlowe Holt shot it. We went to that same beach where I had my very first photo shoot, on Diamond Head. Marlowe was super talented, and the shoot wasn’t too long. He made me look like a super model in almost all of the photos. I love collaborating and working with friends. I also did a lingerie show for Look Magazine as a favor. It was a really small show, and Reggie Miller was there. But the girl’s were cool, and it was really fun getting ready for it. I like to be sexy. ;D
Hair and Makeup by Cheryl P. and Photo by Marlowe Holt
What was my first nude shoot?
I shot with Clay Valverde when I was 18 after we had done a few bikini shoots. I started to feel more comfortable with him. I really didn’t know the scene yet, and he offered to pay me for a topless shoot, so I did it. I still brought my boyfriend along to feel comfortable. Sometimes you can just tell when a photographer is perving out. He seemed to always be licking his lips and staring at the wrong places. He always was trying to get me to do nudes. I’m comfortable with it, but it should be professional. I regretted shooting in that apartment with horrible lighting because it looked like amateur porn. I shot with him 5 years later in a bikini shoot with my girlfriend. His photography did improve greatly. But I don’t think I’d shoot with him again.
I’ve done implied nudity shoots with JT Gray from Northshoresurfphotos.com, Marlowe Holt, and talented Vince Cavataio as well. When I was 19 I had the opportunity to shoot with Mr Bob Coello from the Northshore, owner of artofwomen.com. He is so talented and uses mostly natural light to shoot. I shot some bikini pictures with another girl. He insisted that I do some cheesy coconut shell top pictures so I did. Regardless of talent, Bob Coello is the biggest fucking pervert I have worked with. He’s openly a pervert. I guess he knows he can get away with it. However, I am super pleased with my private collection of nudes that he did for me the second time we shot. They are beautiful. And he didn’t use a touch of photoshop on them.
Bob Coello
Have you been published?
I had a 3 page spread in Easy Rider’s Magazine. That was a fun shoot. We shot on a dope chopper from Kustom Fab. I had to do my own hair and makeup, and help with wardrobe because the guys were clueless. They asked me to help last minute and I did it for a friend as a favor, but they paid me well. ;D
I got a full page in Ryan Kerns’ spread in Look Magazine after I shot with him. After our first shoot at Toni’s house, I still was having fun shooting so I suggested that we (him, Kai and me) continue shooting at the Pali Lookout. He got some great candids of me and Kai. And a sepia picture of me showing my back in a $500 yellow Catherine Malendrino dress was published. It was nice to see a full page. ;D Too bad I didn’t get any credit as the model. It was actually funny because Ryan had been trying to get me to shoot with him for years. I had always declined. But I noticed his portfolio improving, so I decided it would be beneficial to shoot with him. Ryan has grown to be a very talented photographer. I thoroughly enjoy shooting with him.
Photo by Ryan Kerns (Not my favorite pic ;p)
Photo by Ryan Kerns
I shot with Vince Cavataio on the North Shore. He is a super mellow surfer dude from North shore, and practically is the King of bikini beach shots, Hawaiian Tropics style shoots. I’m pretty sure he invented it. We did some sexy bikini pics and implied nudity pics. He’s very professional and a talented photographer. There were many great photos in the set. He had some photoshopped pictures where he made my hips curvier and boobs bigger as well. They were pretty good too. If he didn’t live so far I’d shoot with him every week, if he’d let me. We shot a second time and attempted an underwater shoot at Rocky Point. I’m a water baby, but it was super hard. The current is super strong there. I couldn’t hold my breath very long. And relaxing my face while trying not to block my face with bubbles was difficult and working on my pose. 2 years later they published one of the pictures, (not the greatest) in the Women of Hawaii 2009 calendar.
I did a Coolio music video in Higschool. LOL. And a music video for my boy Ikena Dupont and Big Tease. I’ve also been on a lot of local fliers and posters and local businesses such as clubs and bars.
I’ve been in a lot of films at import shows and random stuff, I can’t remember now.
Vince Cavataio
Are they real?
Real expensive! I got my D’s from Dr. Gregory Herbich in Honolulu. He is a talented dr. and I haven’t hesitated to recommend any of my friends to him. The 1st month I got them, I called my boy, Paul Kusaba. Thanks to him, I got most of my amateur practice on him. LOL! I told him we have to shoot my new babies, and we went back to my favorite spot, Diamond Head.
“My new babies. 1 mo. old.” Photo by Paul Kusaba
What’s up with my tattoos?
Its a long story. Kind of stupid. A reminder that I was in love once and never again. My ex and I did our swallows together. I have 2 on my pelvis, done by Q at House of Ink. He’s great, has a steady hand, and works fast. Ny ex has two on his lats. I wanted to go small for my first tattoo. It didn’t really hurt too bad. It stung a bit on the hip bone but the rest was ok. THen he dropped me off at the airport to Vegas, and he left for deployment the next day and I remember bleeding all over him, hugging and crying at the airport.
After we broke up that same summer, I did it. I had a Sinful t shirt with rhinestones on it with roses and swallows and a banner. I bought it at Metro Park. The same day I went to my tattoo guy, Andrew, an apprentice at House of Ink in Kailua and asked him to draw a rendition of that, in his own style. I liked Andrew’s style, he is a talented artist. I wanted my swallows to be different from the traditional jerry sailor swallows, like the one on my pelvis. Then he showed me his gray ones on his chest plate. It was perfect. But of course, different. I think subconsciously, out of hurt and heart break I tattood my back. I kind of regret doing it. But it’s always a symbol of love (and hurt) to me. It’s still a beautiful tattoo, and I wish I could finish it but my homey Andrew moved to SF. But hey! I’m moving to SF next year, so maybe I will finish it then!
I think getting a tattoo has hurt my chances at becoming a successful model. But I don’t really care. I’ve never been the type to conform. I like being myself and doing what I want to do without any restrictions. I think tattoo’s are getting more common everyday. Besides, I model because I enjoy it, not because I want to be some amphetamine girl role model for little girls and women everywhere. I think it’s a joke when girl’s who are no where near star quality actually think they have a chance in the model industry, and as they get older, eventually get manipulated into lower standard modeling, even playboy, or soft porn. Being in Play Boy in my opinion isn’t an accomplishment. Don’t get me wrong. Every girl in Play Boy is beautiful, but I think if you are a real model, you’d be doing runway shows at fashion weeks, in print ads in Gucci and Dolce & Gabanna, and getting paid $20k for gigs to keep your clothes on. Sometimes I do wish that I never shot nudes. A lot of people told me I’d regret it when I was younger, but I didn’t listen. But who does?
Who are my favorite photographers?
JT Gray Northshoresufrphotos.com, Marlowe Holt marloweholt.com, Ryan Kerns, Oh there’s so many, I can’t name them all.
Who are my favorite Stylists?
I never really worked with many. I’ve done most of my own concepts. Ryan Kerns always has innovative ideas. And Caleb Shinobi has great innovative ideas. I only got to shoot with him once, unfortunately, but it was so fun and creative. (and naked ;D)
Favorite hair stylist?
I have a secret weapon… shhh… you can’t tell everyone. Sunny Salon. And old Korean lady who has a shop upstairs from Like Like Drive Inn on Keeaumoku. She’s the only person that would do my hair perfect everytime. She’s amazing and fast! Everytime I’d come back to her after someone screwed my hair up begging her to fix it. I always leave there looking like a movie star. LOL!
Favorite MUA?
Cheryl Definitely CHER!
What inspires you as a model?
When I model I think about how I would look at my boyfriend. I want to look sexy. SO I guess I have a bit of a sexy deviance in my eyes.
PHOTOGRAPHERS TO WATCH OUT FOR!!!!
I use to work out at Power House and was approached by Emery Lucas. Watch out for him. he promises $200k print ads, and a $200k bonus for getting implants D and bigger. I told him I was already a D and he insisted they were C’s and I go bigger. He wanted an $800 deposit. Total SCAM. He also wanted to take pics of my boobs.
Kent Tran. His photography looks bad. He ran into me on the street and tried to flag me down and get me to join him for a drink at a hostess bar. He frequents hostess bars and tries to hook up with girls at hostess bars. A hostess once told me that he asked her to join him for a drink, then made her pay for it. Then when they shot, he demanded she be his girlfriend.
Bob Coello. He’s super talented, but he’s a total perv with no professionalism.
Clay Valverde. I never was comfortable with him. You just know.
Ty Ferguson. I met him at a MMA fight I ring girled for once. I hate to be a mean critic, he was a nice guy but his photos weren’t that great.
Bob Coello
Other TALENTED photographers I’ve had the privilege to shoot with
Mo Martinez
John garcia
Guy Nakanishi
Chozen Urflix.com
Kaveh Kardeh
Marlowe Holt
JT Gray
Ryan Kerns
Larry Silva
Brad Carlsen
Jayson Tanega
Photographers I hope to work with in the future
Bruno Talledo
Harold Julian
Brandon Ching
Eyeworks
John Akina
Wendell Levi Teodoro
David La Chapelle
RRPIX
Wendell Levi Teodoro
Please beware when choosing photographers to work with, esp. TFP jobs on Model Mayhem and Onemodelplace. These are all places for predators. I’m pretty good at fishing them out, but there are a lot of girl’s out there who get taken advantage of.
XOXO
Kristie Manning
Kristie Manning 