a new day

today is a new day and I hope that people will embrace that which is good and no longer mis-lead and lie...that art will continue to live and flourish and produce more creativity borne from the soul, freely expressed...without fear and full of truth...

The Greyhound brought Fernando

The Greyhound Bus brought Fernando to San Diego...we got a Motel room, damn...even Motel 6 is expensive these days. It must be tourist season...yup, that's it. Well, he was a lot of fun...we shot around the room, did some fun pics in the water and some outdoors as well. He's cool.....

What about Dylan

Two weekends ago Dylan's Dad paid for he and I to have a Motel room, to chill and hang out. Dylan needed to get away from his environment, is thinking of moving to San Diego. I've known him since his senior year in high school...we've photographed and filmed before, however...this time it was different. A few months ago I was getting ready for a trip to San Francisco, Dylan was interested in coming with...then one day on the phone he told me something had happened, he was going into re-hab for heroine addiction. I said, "so...what happened to get you hooked on heroin, did someone rape you?" Immediately he began to cry, saying that yes...someone had raped him. Over the weeks to come, we talked back and forth about the what had happened and he wanted to spend time with me, doing another shoot...nudes and fun, sexy stuff...also he agreed to open up on-camera, sharing about the rape and addiction.

This was a powerful weekend, we had a good time...he was very relaxed...we also shot around the city. I love this kid, he's been through a lot but he's doing much better now...I hope that I can finish this film, people keep shining me on...the Gallery in Los Angeles has flaked...they're trying to get Gus Van Sant to open their new location...the "Art World" fucking doesn't make sense...people are so fucking shallow and predictable...whatev. Any who, it's a release, it's pure and transparent, my photography and life experiences...the youth are real, life is real...ain't it all just so very grand.

The boys met in San Francisco...

The boys met in San Francisco...we made art for a few days...it was fun, creative and at times stressful for myself. Some things didn't go as planned, but all in all it was another great experience staying at Jimmy's place, the William Westerfield House. We walk and we walked and then...walked some more. I photographed Stellar with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background. It was almost "therapeutic", I'm still emotionally attached to the memory of Bray. Sam flew from Canada to be with us, Jesse moved back to San Francisco after living in Texas for awhile. I picked Stellar up in Pasadena, he'd been there a few days...took a bus from Las Vegas to Cali.
Here are a few pics from our time together.

LIMITED TIME ONLY, PROMO BOOK AVAILABLE

....AT: WWW.BLURB.COM
SEARCH: AMERICA'S FINEST KIDS

NOTE: Zander is not fully nude in this, so that'll make him happy that I've cleared it up...when you see the actual book...the INDEX page lists all the images and who is in each picture.

So, if you want this book...get it now, not sure how long I'll have it up on Blurb. Some people tell me to re-design it, cut it in half for fashion people, others tell me to leave it as is for the art people, others say this or that...well, what the fuck ever ya know...it's just for promo for a short while...I'll have a book published eventually by someone like TASCHEN, a Publishing House with some real ballz!

Okay, that's fucking that....
Peace,

~Terry

TOM NICON & MODEL/ACTOR/YOUTH SUICIDES

This morning as I signed onto my hotmail account, got my daily bulletin/update from MODELS.COM, it was sad to read through the comments regarding the passing of the Model, Tom Nicon. I did not know this young man...but have learned some of the possible reasons for him taking his life. People have all kinds of ideas about why others take their lives...I've lost too many friends this way. In my documentary it's a bit of a juxtaposition...including sexuality, innocence and suicide in the over all story.

Of course one must live a life first before being in a state of mind to consider and then end it. There must be a strong foundation for us to fall back on as we mature and move on in this life...it's never easy and often times can be overwhelmingly impossible to understand, and yet, living...the simple act of it has value. We the human race, come from all walks of life, cultures...some are familiar to us and some ways of life seem and feel incredibly foreign.

For many years I have said that all things in this World revolve around the reality of "relationships". Regardless of where we are or what we do, it's something we all deal with, accepting, rejecting, embracing, rejoicing in relationships...each and every day.

Models and those that dream of the "Celluloid lifestyle"...all have value, it sometimes appears only to be surface or superficial...the Industry of modeling, the Fashion World, Art World, Entertainment Industry...it's all about money, power, sex and ego...where is the real value? Clothing is clothing, Art is Art, a Film goes away in 90 minutes...it will be and has always been "the relationship". Humanity, we are amazingly complex and beautiful creators...truly from the inside out. We're drawn to the surface, but what really connects is the emotion, feeling, love which comes from within.

Regardless of our own desires for that which is superficial, sexy and fun...let's never ever become so limited in our human experience that we forget our humanity.

Let's all perpetuate life!

Sincerely,

Terry Smith

You can eat a meal at WENDY'S for only $2.70

Wow, what a value! I'm budgeting my days...getting ready for my week up in San Francisco...it'll be nice to see my friends up north and it'll be nice for those coming to see me...the road trip should be beautiful...I love the scenery of this amazingly beautiful State of California. Folk music, Bob Dylan or Woody Guthrie...hmmm, both are fine for the road...TOOL and Hendrix too. Well...I gotta say I'm thinking of Dylan...definately one of "America's Finest Kids"...such a loving, caring human being...this is a pic from one of our shoots. Peace to you my friend.

~Terry