Downtown Greensboro with Bethany Walker (Photo shoot)

Beautiful and talented, Bethany Walker has it all. Not just a cute smile and a bubbly personality, Bethany is a tough, adventurous chick. Looking at her gorgeous tattoos and feminine beauty, you wouldn't immediately guess that she's a seasoned suspension artist who can skate roller derby against the best of 'em.

In addition to her interests as a suspension artist, a model, and roller-derby, Bethany is a talented artist and a sociology student. For certain, this young woman has a bright future ahead of her, as bright as the city lights at night.

Enjoy checking out Bethany's photos. I certainly enjoyed shooting with this sexy, charming, and gracious young model. Hopefully, I'll have more work with Bethany to publish in the future.

Inclement weather and a tight shooting schedule kept us confined to a small area in Downtown.
Undaunted by weather, a rushed shoot, or other technical difficulties, Bethany helped me work fast and made the best of everything.

This session took place on the second day of the Annual NC Tattoo Convention hosted in Greensboro. Bethany had already performed two suspensions that day, one by the shoulders and one by the knees. Somewhere between the two suspensions and our photo shoot, she also found the time to get a new tattoo on her calf.

Bethany's body art is a work in progress. You can see some pictures of her tattoos by following the link to Bethany Walker's Suspension page. On that page you will also find links to the suspensions she performed earlier that day.

Despite her hardcore hobbies, Bethany doesn't have an imposing physical presence. Although she can be quite outspoken and quick to jump in someone's face, she's practically a pixie. When we got started shooting, I got a real "small town girl's first time in the big city" vibe, but that's not Bethany. You can see a lot of forced perspective shots in this collection, where Bethany seems nearly as tall as the buildings. That's Bethany. Bigger than life.

We spent a great deal of time at this corner, using different angles. Greensboro is alive with moods, and each direction on this corner yielded up a completely different theme. We walked several blocks looking for interesting spots. The weather was angry and threatened a downpour at any second, so my planned locations downtown had to be scrapped in favor of a frantic run around a few block area.

We ended up using this location twice, and Bethany nearly caused a car accident both times. We're forced to suddenly look up at the sound of screeching tires and car horns. Cars full of faces and the only ones watching the road are Bethany and me. Even after the near miss, the cars are in no hurry to move along. Traffic bunches up and we go back to shooting.

Men on foot whistle, make cat calls, and try their luck with lewd comments. Ah, classy Greensboro. This city has been my muse for a long time. Decades. Bethany shows me a new side of my city, or maybe it's the same old side with a fresh face.

Saturday night in Greensboro. An old man with a substance addled look, smokes a Newport and walks by with the look of wine or malt liquor in his eye. He nearly earns himself a curb party when he shouts a crude epithet. We approach him and he blurts out a "sorry" and wisely keeps walking, before I can put my camera down or Bethany can take off her heels.

Questionable characters and potential car crashes. Bethany and this corner of Greensboro are an accident waiting to happen.

As a kid I was a scout, and I still live by "Be Prepared." I had a vinyl sheet ready for any wet surfaces, when I saw the weather was going to challenge our shooting schedule. Bethany didn't want to bother with it. A little wet ground isn't going to stop her from getting the shot.

As the photographer, I spent more time lying on the pavement, anyway.

At Right & Below:

Bethany is larger than life. Looking as tall as the buildings that provide a backdrop for her beauty, she is an Amazon. Bold. Beautiful. Not to be messed with.

I'm asked all the time, why I keep getting tattoos? Why does anyone? Well, there are lots of reasons.

Bethany embodies one of the best reasons to get tattoos. She exudes confidence and comfort in her own skin. Her smile belies her youth. She smiles with the wisdom of a woman who knows something you don't. It is far better to know your limits than to imagine where they are.

The clock in the background of these shots, mirrors the urgent rush of our shoot. It's a race against the weather, and with the Tattoo Convention. We have to be back across town in time for the Tattoo of the Day Contest. I'm the photographer, and Bethany is entering her new piece, a "Peanut Butter and Jellyfish" on her calf.

On this corner, at this angle, I'm reminded of the harried White Rabbit who was always running late. With her top hat and stiletto heels, and my eye for perspective, Bethany becomes the girl who grows and shrinks. It's as if the bottles marked "Eat Me", "Drink Me" are right at hand.

Right & Below:

Is she small as a mouse?

Or tall as a house?

"She's beautiful, and therefore to be woo'd; She is a woman, therefore to be won."

William Shakespeare

"Henry IV, Part I" Act V, Scene III

As Bethany passes a window front, even a stony faced bust of The Bard takes notice of her. The North Carolina weather is as schizophrenic as any of Shakespeare's characters, baking hot by day and chilly at night. She shrugs off the cold night easily, with a confident hold on her thin jacket.

I love Greensboro. She has been my muse for decades, almost before I could be counted a grown man. I love my city, and she has always been good to me. It is hard to love a place. It means loving sounds, smells, weather, strangers. Greensboro is a complex lady; a beautiful train wreck.

Tonight, Bethany gives my beloved city a face. She gives form to the spirit of my town, that I love so much. Gives her a smile, eyes, a body, legs, a confident walk, an ability to pose for me like never before.

The familiar buildings, streets, and alleys are new again as I follow Bethany with my camera lens. It doesn't seem at all surprising that her hair matches the very bricks that build my long time home. Bethany takes in the city's beauty and the city takes notice of her.

Everywhere we stop, people stop to look at Bethany. They take her in with their eyes. I take pictures. I've heard a picture lasts longer.

Check back soon for links to pics and videos of Bethany Walker's most recent suspensions, and other related content from the 18th Annual NC Tattoo Convention.