A rare peek at how TravelwithBessie.com is created!
When Bessie is not traveling the world over, this is her home on the bedside table!
Don't bite the hands that feed you.
As you can see in the pictures above, sometimes Bessie needs a little assistance in maintaining her composure during an important photo shoot. You will notice in the photo album that the majority of photographs did not require Bessie to be held. But on occasion that has not been the case. Usually a helping hand is required when: 1) The available surface was uneven and Bessie would not stand on her own. 2) It was a windy day and Bessie would not stand on her own. 3) The location was dangerous and if Bessie fell she would land in water, traffic or somewhere else that would really suck. This was a major concern most recently at Niagara Falls where, if she had fallen, it would have been the end of TravelwithBessie! (We held on pretty tight.)
Here you can see what the final versions of the original pictures looks like. The first image was taken in Hollywood on a railing along the sidewalk. On the other side of the railing was lots of busy traffic. We didn't want Bessie to fall in and get ran over! Next, in Atlanta, we took this shot looking down the street with Bessie perched on a fire hydrant. Because of the akward nature of the hydrant, Bessie needed to be held so she wouldn't tip over. Finally, in Los Angeles at Newport beach, this last picture was taken along the pier stretching out into the Pacific Ocean. If we had not held on tightly here, Bessie would likely have fallen into the water 40 feet below us!
The Mask is removed!
Here are several pictures of the TravelwithBessie crew. Obviously, Bessie can't travel alone! Enjoy these pictures because we prefer to be behind the camera instead of in front of it. The first picture was taken in Atlanta during the shoot in the Olympic Park. The second picture is on the carosel at Six Flag's Great America in Illinois.
Taking the shot!
In the picture on the left, you can see how yours truely carefully balances Bessie while taking a picture at the same time at Niagara Falls. The picture on the right was the one being taken at the time. You can see how it would have been impossible to set Bessie down without her plunging into the falls!
To hold on or not to hold on?
In July of 2001 during the photo shoot in Cleveland at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, there was some discussion as to whether the shot could be pulled off without using our hands to support Bessie. After the first photograph was taken, your trusty webmaster decided that cropping the image wouldn't do it justice and wanted to get a "hands free" picture. The problem: It was a windy day, the surface was unevenly curved, and a fall would result in Bessie landing in the water of Lake Erie! However, against his better judgement, and disregarding a combination of all three warning signs, your crazy webmaster went with his gut instead and pulled off the great picture you see on the right! (You can also tell from picture #2 that we went down further on the pier for a better angle on the building.) We snapped the picture quickly and got Bessie off the post before she could fall over.
