Photo Shoot with Chris Crumley

[MermaidHyli]

Hi everyone,
I thought I would post real quick on my experience with Chris and I also want this to remain a DRAMA free thread. So before I begin let me tell you a bit of my mermaid dream.
I bought a tail from Raven of Merbellas, it is well made, sturdy, and I love it overall. I supported Raven because a friend of mine pointed me in her direction. I had seen Mertailor tails before but I decided to go with Raven. Now I know of the past drama with Mertailor and that is all I will say on that topic. I do not get involved, I have not personally met Eric or had any conversations with him until today so I can not and will not judge someone for any reason at any time. It is not my place. So I have my Merbellas tail and I contacted Chris Crumley (Mertailors photographer) about doing a shoot. He was very welcoming and willing to have me come shoot with him. He was very professional. He said that my tail was very beautiful and he loved the colors. We barely talked about Mertailor other than the fact that Chris was going to be shooting Mertailor's new product soon. (again I know nothing of the behind the scenes and I don't intend to find out, not my place) Chris was a blast and we ended up doing two sessions, one in my merbellas and then one in a mertailor pink tail that is seen in a lot of the pictures. I think it was a very beautiful tail as well and I was happy to put it on and model. Here is where I tell you about my goal of mermaiding. I started doing this because I have always dreamed of being a mermaid. I wanted to allow children to experience the awe and magic of meeting a mermaid. It does not matter what tail I'm in as long as I'm doing what I love. I do not take sides and some day I plan on owning a tail from each professional tail maker. Yes mertailor, fin folk,and mernation. I will not be tied down to one tail maker and get mixed into the drama. So I ask you as my community, my family, to not start drama because I'm in a merbellas tail taking pictures with the Mertailor photographer. Chris does many other branches of photography outside of mermaiding and I hope to be included in some.
Now I have been asked by Chris to come next week to shoot with Eric and one of his models for the new line of partial silicone tails. I have no opinion of how Eric made them, the idea, or anything. I am simply happy to grow as a mermaid model, gain experience, and have more contacts. So although I owned a merbellas tail first please do not become angry with me if I dawn a mertailor tail, fin folk tail, or mernation. Each maker is different in their own way and I admire that. I know people will talk, it happens. But I want to put my words out there that I am not taking sides, I don't know the behind the scenes information that other mers may and frankly I don't care to know, and I want to have a tail from each maker to grow in my experiences.

That is all and I hope you guys take it with a grain of salt

Hyli<3

[Mermaid Oshun]

That is very professional of you Mermaid Hyli. Congratulations on your new modeling job! I look forward to seeing the photos of you in tails by all of the tail makers.

[MerEmma]

I love the picture you posted on FB from the shoot. Looking forward to the new pictures, and congrats! :D

[Echinacea]

That is awesome, Hyli!! :jawdrop: Very happy for you, I know I would be over-the-moon ecstatic to have someone like Chris Crumley ask me to come do a shoot with him (rather than it being the other way around! ;) ), so I hope you have a WONDERFUL time, and I hope we get to see pictures!! :yay: :thumbs up:

[MermaidHyli]

That is awesome, Hyli!! :jawdrop: Very happy for you, I know I would be over-the-moon ecstatic to have someone like Chris Crumley ask me to come do a shoot with him (rather than it being the other way around! ;) ), so I hope you have a WONDERFUL time, and I hope we get to see pictures!! :yay: :thumbs up:

Over the moon is a VERY good explanation of how I feel. I'm honored, excited, pumped, and super blessed to be given this opportunity.

[AniaR]

lol it's sweet of you to try and avoid drama I have to say I didn't think he was mertailor's photographer... I thought he was Malena Sharkeys. He's been photographing mermaids loooooong before he met eric. He did a whole book before even meeting eric, and signed up with a fashion designer and they made several tails together! (I had chris on FB and he told me all about his origins, right after he did his first shoot ever with eric a few years ago). I think people just think of him as mertailor's because mertailor uses him the most, no one else really. But Chris has a huge body of work going back a long way, and loads of mermaids! :)

[MermaidHyli]

lol it's sweet of you to try and avoid drama I have to say I didn't think he was mertailor's photographer... I thought he was Malena Sharkeys. He's been photographing mermaids loooooong before he met eric. He did a whole book before even meeting eric, and signed up with a fashion designer and they made several tails together! (I had chris on FB and he told me all about his origins, right after he did his first shoot ever with eric a few years ago). I think people just think of him as mertailor's because mertailor uses him the most, no one else really. But Chris has a huge body of work going back a long way, and loads of mermaids! :)

Yes! I just referenced him as Mertailors photographer because that is what I thought most people would connect him with. His work is amazing and he does shoot many mermaids as well as other models. There were so many pictures that I have loved and didn't even know he was the photographer until he showed me his portfolio. :)

[Phoenix Mermaid]

Oh i saw the pic of you in the mertailor's tail earlier, I didn't know it was you though... But the 1st thing I thought when I saw it was "that looks an aweful lot like Hyli" lol Beautiful photo btw.

[Merman Arion]

Congratulation for your new modeling job, Hyli. Those are great shots! you look stunning! :D

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[Mermaid Kelda]

So although I owned a merbellas tail first please do not become angry with me if I dawn a mertailor tail, fin folk tail, or mernation.
Honestly I don't think anyone would be angry at you xD lots of people own tails from multiple makers. There's no such thing as exclusivity here.

[halesloveswhales]

AAAHHHHH HYLI SO GORGEOUS! I am so proud of you! Way to go girl!

[Ariel-Starfish]

Gorgeoussssss <3 !!!

I wish I could do this one day.....

[Mermaid Oshun]

were you under water? If not how did he get your hair to do that? I am wondering bc the background looks like paper so it's confusing.

[Mermaid Danielle]

Congrats to you on your new job and contacts! That is awesome!

[MerEmma]

were you under water? If not how did he get your hair to do that? I am wondering bc the background looks like paper so it's confusing.

She's underwater. I believe the pool is just unique in its' building? Mertailor has used the same pool for like all of his photoshoots haha.

[Mermaid Oshun]

thanks Emma

[Brittany McNeely]

I also would love a tail for every tail maker, all have such unique taste and all are amazing (: I only have a partial silicone tail but am hoping to get my first silicone in the future.. I just cannot decide which maker I want to go with. I love them all haha.

I would like to also say thank you again for the beautiful starfish top you made me. I adore it and am so honored to have of had you to be the one to make it. I really look up to you more so than all the "famous" mermaids because you show me that of I really want this to be my profession that it can really happen <3 good luck gorgeous. I know you're going to be big (:

[Lady Aurelia]

Wow! I love that merbella tail with the angler fluke! Very whimsical :) These shots are stunning and you seem so relaxed and comfortable. Beautiful work!

[AniaR]

Did you get anymore photos?

[MermaidHyli]

I did I have to upload them but I also did topless but my husband isnt too keen on me posting those haha. I should have some from the shoot with eric today sometime later in the week :)

[MermaidHyli]

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[Mermaid Kelda]

Love the first one. Your hair looks ethereal!

[Merman Arion]

OMG... That hair!!! :D

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[Mermaid Oshun]

You look AMAZING Hyli!!! I love it all! And I can't wait to see the photos of the shots of the new fins :yay::thumbs-up:

[MerEmma]

You look absolutely gorgeous, ungh, the pictures came out great! <3 I love your tail so much and your hair is so long. o_o

[Echinacea]

*sigh* You are drop-dead gorgeous in those pictures, m'dear! I just keep coming back and looking again! Thank you for sharing! :D

[MermaidHyli]

Thank you everyone!
Alex...I dont have the curves to be compared to Beyonce haha I wish..

[Mermaid Oshun]

YES I am a total hair fanatic since I am in the process of growing mine! Yours is BEAUTIFUL!!! :clap:

[MermaidHyli]

YES I am a total hair fanatic since I am in the process of growing mine! Yours is BEAUTIFUL!!! :clap:

Its taken me 4 years to get it that long. My senior year of high school my hair dressor ahem..trimmed it..to my shoulders I balled my eyes out so I didnt let any one touch my hair until my best friend finished her cosmetology schooling and even then she has to show me exactly how much she is cutting. If she hadnt been doing my hair since we were in elementary school I dont think I would even let her touch it haha I was scarred for life since I never had my hair short minus when I was super little and I had to let it grow. So keep at it it will come :)

[Merman Arion]

Thank you everyone!
Alex...I dont have the curves to be compared to Beyonce haha I wish..

Maybe but that doesn't stop me from thinking that you are as beautiful as her. To each his own beauty.

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[MermaidHyli]

Maybe but that doesn't stop me from thinking that you are as beautiful as her. To each his own beauty.

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<3 you are a sweetheart

[Mermaid_Dominique]

I love your photo's and tails! It's like something out of a dream, beautiful!

[Ariel-Starfish]

OMG...:drool: I wish I was this beautyful underwater !

[Lady Aurelia]

Agreed. Your hair is ~faaaaaabulooous~ Ethereal was the same word that came to mind. Can't wait to see the new partial silicone tails, I think Eric's been working hard and has made a good turn-around from a few years ago.

[Thalassa]

What I'd love to hear is what the process was like getting these photos. Maybe this should be another thread, but I'm very interested in the "nitty gritty" of working with an experienced underwater photographer, especially if one is inexperienced at working underwater like me. I'd be interested in how he was to work with and how his process was to do.

[Sea Pearl]

OMG you look amazing MermaidHyli! Thank you for sharing you pictures with us.

What an great experience that must have been.

[Ariel-Starfish]

What I'd love to hear is what the process was like getting these photos. Maybe this should be another thread, but I'm very interested in the "nitty gritty" of working with an experienced underwater photographer, especially if one is inexperienced at working underwater like me. I'd be interested in how he was to work with and how his process was to do.

same here :waves:

[AniaR]

those are beautiful! And as a fineart nude model, I am telling you, beautifully done and very tasteful! I would love to do topless mermaid shots again but every time I do anything even remotely sexy the haters come a calling. lol good on you.

[MermaidSaku]

those are beautiful! And as a fineart nude model, I am telling you, beautifully done and very tasteful! I would love to do topless mermaid shots again but every time I do anything even remotely sexy the haters come a calling. lol good on you.

Awe~ : ( Raina I love all of your shoots. XD
Who cares about haters if you have the body why not do it.
I'm super shy when it comes to my body. Haha, So I don't think I could ever be as brave as you or Hyli. Lol

[Phoenix Mermaid]

Awh those are beautiful photos Hyli!

[Mermaid Danielle]

Hyli, your photos are incredible! And your hair looks amazing!

[Mizuko]

seriously stunning <3

[Winged Mermaid]

Wow, these are stunning Hyli! :jawdrop:

And I agree, I don't think anyone should be "tied" to a certian tail maker by any means. If people have an issue with a tail maker that's their business. As long as people get good/quality tails from whoever they ordered from and are pleased with them than that's what matters to me :)

[PearlieMae]

Absolutely stunning!

[shimmygoddess]

haters are everywhere...*&%$ them! LOL. You have to do what makes you happy :)

[*Celine*]

Those are amazing, I wish I was that beautiful and I wish I had the chance to work with someone as great as Chris. Truly amazing photos!!!

[MermaidHyli]

Did an evil mermaid shoot this week and here's a picture =] I had to squish it a bit to fit mernetworks photo limits so the better picture is on my facebook page
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[*Celine*]

Waow Hyli!! I mean, SERIOUSLY => WAOW!!!

[Ariadne]

That is so amazing! Scary and beautiful at the same time!

[AniaR]

Very Halloweeney!

[PearlieMae]

Very cool!

[Sea Pearl]

Amazing!

[Ariel-Starfish]

Pure awsomeness!! :drool:

[Ondine]

Wow, your pictures are stunning, I love the Hallowe'eny one! And your hair looks absolutely fabulous! Any tips for us mers whose hair seems to remain resolutely flat in the water? ;)

[AniaR]

The thing about Hyli is that she takes mermaid hair to a whole. notha. level!!!!

[MermaidHyli]

The thing about Hyli is that she takes mermaid hair to a whole. notha. level!!!!

Hahahaha! I've never been able to tame this beast of a mop ;)

[AniaR]

it's wicked. I'm envious XD looks amazing underwater for sure! I'm so glad you got to do such awesome photos!

[Ondine]

It's fab! You're inspiring epic levels of mer-envy ;)

[MermaidHyli]

From the recent merbride photo shoot. There are a few more I'm going to ask him to edit. the dress is my wedding dress. I got a chance to wear the mertailor flipper again and then also with my angler from merbellas.
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[MerEmma]

WOW! I love the second photo and it's crazy to put such a nice dress in water. Is it still holding up? The pictures are gorgeous. <3

[MermaidHyli]

Thank you Emma and yes it is! After the wedding, being in the ocean, our local reception, going down a slip n slide, and now in a pool its doinggreat. Getting my moneys worth out of it

[Mermaid_Dominique]

That is soooo awesome O.o Love the dress and the pictures. The second one is my favorite, nice job :)!

[PearlieMae]

Absolutely stunning! Congratulations!

[Mermaid Dottie]

*cries at the beauty*
I hope you know, Hyli, that when I was growing up, I wanted to look like you.

[AniaR]

oh ma gawwwwwd these are to diiiiiie foooor ahhhhhh