MODEL In The Middle Alex Sullivan
Colombian Cutie Angie Cepeda
Workshop: Arizona - Sep 30 - Oct 1 2023
Loving Look Back - Candy Loving & The Beginning
Melissa Cain Pictorial
Travel Valley of Fire - Daphne Doettger
Q&A-7 Wyatt Massingille
Automotive - The Longtail Rally #3 - Jeany Zhao
The month of August was named for the first Roman emperor, Augustus Caesar, back in 8 BC. Yet to us, it refers more to how we have passed the half-year mark for 2023 by some two months and about to enter the home stretch to year 2024! Yet as always, we’ve filled our issue with wonderfulness for our readers.
Starting with model and longtime friend of David’s, Melissa Cain. It’s been several years since they did their last set of incredible pictures together. But Melissa made her way to Vegas so they could do it all again. Melissa produces model-photographer photo shoots these days while also continuing her own modeling. It’s Melissa’s pictorial that opens this August issue.
Our contributing writer, Daphne Doettger takes us on both a visual and written tour of one of Nevada’s more famous destinations, the Valley of Fire. She shares gorgeous photographs of the state park’s red sandstone and limestone formations while adding fascinating information about this remarkable Nevada park.
It was last year we had country music artist, Jimmy Charles as our Q&A-7 interview. Now we share another rising country star in this month’s Q&A-7, who David met in a rather random way.
David was invited to former Las Vegas mayor, Oscar Goodman’s birthday party where this young man was also in attendance. They chatted, with David coming away thinking this guy is going places. Meet Wyatt Massingille, who tells us he is out to bring back vintage country music to country fans everywhere.
Now let’s talk about cover model and MODEL in the Middle, Alex Sullivan. How she ended up as MITM is quite the story. She’s a tele-skier, snowboarder, and entrepreneur out of Reno, Nevada. She was on vacation in Mexico when she heard about our June 2nd party happening at The Ghost Bar here in Las Vegas. She told us she so wanted to be in MECÉ magazine she cut short her vacation and made her way to Vegas! She met David at the party, told him how much she wanted to be one of our models and here she is our August MITM. With that kind of determination, it’s easy to see why she’s an entrepreneur!
Then, as always, David shares a few tidbits on how he lit and photographed Alex in his How it was Done feature following her pictorial. It takes lights to make light, even if you want it to appear to be only natural light.
Our Automotive Contributor, Jeany Zhao, always goes the extra mile(s) when exploring and taking in the world of motorsports. She’s done it again by participating in the Longtail Rally that covers multiple states over several days with long drives and fun, festive nights. Join her trip by catching her story, The Longtail Rally #3.
In the early 2000s David was still living in LA. He was contactd by a magazine similar to MAXIM, located in Bogota, Colombia. They told him one of their famous stars, Angie Cepeda, was coming to LA to make a go of it in American cinema and would he do some sexy pictures of her for them. Though he put together an incredible location, secured a great makeup artist and did a terrific photo shoot, the magazine never paid him.
So, he never sent the photographs, and they have remained in his archives until now. We share the pictorial he produced on the beautiful Colombian actress, Angie Cepeda.
When David began his freelance work for Playboy, it was in the late 1970s. This was a time when many of the most iconic Playmates were found. Playmates with names like Karen Christy, Dorothy Stratten and Candy Loving.
David shares his story about meeting Dorothy and Candy in this month’s, A Loving Look Back.
In closing, here’s something for all you aspiring photographers. MECÉ is sponsoring two 1-day workshops with David on the ins and outs of shooting for a men’s magazine. It happens September 30th and October 1st. You can attend on Saturday or Sunday or attend both days at a reduced rate. The topper... you will be working with three of our MODELs in the Middle!
September MITM 2022 Sam Mathias, March MITM 2023 Bella Mariposa and June MITM Azura Grace. With a lucky photographer(s) having the chance to be published in a future MECÉ special pictorial.
Go here for more information and to register.