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When it comes to modeling, one of the most important things that any model - or, for that matter, any artists and technicians collaborating with the model on a shoot - should realize is that it's not just the look of the model that counts, but also where the shoot is taking place. Some locations happen to be more effective than others, not just because of how the place looks but also because of the type and amount of culture that occurs in that particular location.

Although I was born in Tennessee, it was when I was later living in the Carolinas that my sense of, and deep appreciation for, culture and the arts - especially photography, theater and cinema - was greatly enhanced. But it was only during my year as a college senior in Asheville, North Carolina - where I have still currently been residing since 2001 - that I started modeling for local photographers within the Western North Carolina (WNC) region, beginning with a short gig as a participant for the Asheville Speed Dating program during its commencement in 2007. And to tell the truth, I couldn't have picked a better place to start - my deepest regret was that I didn't start modeling earlier.

Asheville, North Carolina, which sits on a low-rise plateau within the Blue Ridge Mountains in the county of Asheville-Buncombe, has been dubbed the "Appalachian Shangri-La" by both residents and tourists alike. The region is full to the brim with artistic and cultural activities including pedicab rides, living statues, live poetry, regional publishing, independent filmmaking, classic and postmodern theater, music, museums, monuments, parks, fine dining, botanical gardens, hikes, biking, marathons, portrait photography, costume and set design, and dancing ranging from ballet and bellydancing to vaudeville and burlesque. Here, even during the current period of economic depression, people still come to escape the troubles of the outside world for entertainment, and its no wonder that many who come as tourists the first or second time around are usually inclined to stay as residents.

Therefore, there is also no shortage of modeling oppurtunities here. I have taken advantage of every one that I could find in shops and studios within the downtown district of Asheville, whenever it's posing in fashion or adapting a medieval, Renaissance-type look. But the surrounding areas that lead to even more creative outlets, with the forestry and foliage, rivers and lakes, outcroppings and overlooks, nature reserves, and of course, historical monuments including the famed Biltmore Mansion and Riverside Cemetary. And while public implied or full nudity is sometimes forbidden in public outlets, it's allowed in natural habitats that often remain hidden from the public's eye - sometimes with an beautiful stream, cave, waterfall or rock ledge providing a lavish background.

If you are a model who is searching for an excellent place to model, then come to Asheville, NC - it has done wonders for me, and it will do the same for you!