NATASCHA BESSEZ - HEAL

NATASCHA BESSEZ - MISS LADY LIBERTY

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Natascha Bessez is at it again and this time she is going for the title of Miss New York USA 2012. It is with great pleasure to announce this news to the fans of REYNOLDS 2.2. Being that Natascha is my friend, she emailed me last week with a very important message about her goals she is in pursuit of achieving. Being this is something so very true to her heart I would not want to mis-represent her message. So I have decided to simply share with you all her cause and message in her own words - please read below:

Being a proud born and raised New Yorker, I am working very hard to set a positive example for young people today. I cannot do this alone though! I would love for you to be a part of my success by helping me achieve my goal of representing our amazing state of New York at the nationally televised Miss USA Pageant, owned by Trump Enterprises, NBC, and the Miss Universe Organization.

I am reaching out to all the people who know me best, as well as businesses, community organizations, and my loved ones, to see if you would like to become one of my sponsors! Sponsorship is the foundation for this event. Without your help, I cannot reach my goal.

As a former Miss New York Teen USA, I was able to help raise awareness and funds for many organizations I felt strongly about, such as the MADD/DARE Campaigns, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Best Buddies and Sparrow Club.

This year my most important cause is to raise funding for Multiple Sclerosis (MS) research. My best friend was diagnosed at the age of 20, and there is still no cure. With your donation, I will be able to pay for all the fees to enter the pageant, and part of the proceeds will go to the National MS Society.

Since the Pageant is the weekend of  January 14th, I only have 4 short weeks left to raise my goal of $5000! Most donations range from $50-$300. Please keep in mind that your sponsorship can also assist your business as a tax deductible business advertising expense.

All you have to do is click on the "CLICK HERE TO DONATE" link below and fill out your credit card information. If you do not have a PayPal account, simply sign in as a guest.  Feel free to share this if you or someone you love suffers from this disease. Simply paste this link on your Facebook page or blog: https://apps.facebook.com/fundrazr/activity/bd21c36702444bb6890dc5677fa5374f?psid=fc07a17879c945179291abb7b75a9d0e

CLICK HERE TO DONATE

Check out the new Melanie Iglesias Flip Book 4, featuring Natascha Bessez

Check out the Demi Lovato - Skyscraper video (French Remake by Natascha Bessez)



Follow Natascha on Twitter @nataschabessez

HOT GIRL - NATASCHA BESSEZ

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Natascha Bessez is the REYNOLDS 2.2 HOT GIRL for October 2011. I have known Natascha for many years and since then she has grown in so many ways. Working with her has always been a blast. This past September she was holding it down with me by opening up the REYNOLDS 2.2 - MONSTER video filmed at the Vitaminwater Zero / Gansevoort Summer Series pool party. Natascha has blossomed into a beautiful woman that has a vocalist voice that is out of this world. Men and women love her and she has my vote for REYNOLDS 2.2 HOT GIRL! Keep a look out for this sassy, raspy, sexy and oh so unique and beautiful woman that continues to take the stage and world by storm. 

Follow @nataschabessez on Twitter



Check out Natascha Bessez music video - Cover of Shakira's Rabiosa

This video is sexy and classy! The video was shot and directed by photographer Michael Creagh. Great work Michael and you continue to stay on FIRE!!!

Follow @michael_creagh on Twitter

REYNOLDS 2.2 - MONSTER

REYNOLDS 2.2 was on the scene of Vitaminwater Zero / Gansevoort Summer Series pool party in NYC. The very lovely Natascha Bessez was on the scene and did a great job at opening up the REYNOLDS 2.2 show. In this video we feature highlights from what appeared to be a very fun filled event. Check out the cameo appearance in the video of America's Next Top Model - Keenyah Hill. (watch in HD)

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A very special shout out goes to music producer/singer/songwriter Jack Niell. Jack created a sound along with the concept I had in mind to create this video and MONSTER is a sure hit!!!!!!!!! A super shout out goes to my dearest friend Paula Newlands who is the sexy girl on the single cover of MONSTER.

MICHAEL CREAGH

Michael Creagh is the renaissance man of the future. I first came across Michael's work after seeing the interview I did with Natascha Bessez being featured on Michael's blog at http://michaelcreagh.wordpress.com. I was very impressed at Michael's work and quickly reached out to him to discuss the REYNOLDS 2.2 interview and to work with him. Michael is not just a photographer, he is a innovator with a creative eye and touch. Simply Michael takes all the right risk! See below my exclusive interview with Michael Creagh and some images of his work that I felt to share with you all. Also don't miss out on watching the amazing Melanie Iglesias flip book video posted below.

REYNOLDS 2.2: Where are you from?

MICHAEL CREAGH: I am from the suburbs of Chicago, if you’ve seen Ferris Bueller’s Day Of­f that is where I am from. When he picked up his girlfriend from school that is where my first girlfriend went to school.

REYNOLDS 2.2: What inspired you to be a photographer?

MICHAEL CREAGH: Nothing, there were so many things I could have done and I didn’t want any of them. I just graduated college and was interviewing at a big consulting firm and thought I don’t want this job or any of them. Instead, I took off to the South of France and then Italy. I didn’t even know I could be a photographer. I barely owned a camera and I thought I might become a writer but apparently to be a writer, you have to write every day. I just walked around taking photos. Then I started taking pictures of my friends and that’s when everything inspired me.

REYNOLDS 2.2: What is one of your most memorable & favorite photo shoots you can remember and share with REYNOLDS 2.2?

MICHAEL CREAGH: There are so many and for so many different reasons that it almost seems arbitrary to stop on one. There is a general thrill when it is working:  when a photo shoot comes together. I have always loved the Trapeze shoot. It came during an important transition for me. It was my first big shoot after my Bubbles story and I was worried I couldn’t pull off these big production high caliber shoots every time. Trapeze was a fun day, but maybe the best word for it was smooth. The model looked great and acted great. The set was working, and all the energy I put in before the shoot happened ensured the shoot was easy and beautiful.

There is a whole different type of memorable shoots and they happen all the time. It is this connection with your subject and the creation of an image that is greater than moment it was taken. The most recent was just a couple weeks ago on the Melanie Iglesias shoot. I had photographed Melanie for a job a few months back and we talked about just shooting something for fun. When we got together it was just play time. One of us had an idea: we would try it. Hours passed and each idea ballooned into bigger ideas. Before you knew it, we were shooting a stop motion video. It was such a good feeling.  It was fun and sexy, and we felt like we had something special. For the next couple days I was excited to show my studio partner, my assistants, and my clients the raw 2000 photos…just clicking through them, not even put together yet -- just the potential. After the first week on YouTube now with about 400,000 hits and being featured on dozens of sites including the lead web pages Maxim, Sports Illustrated, and FHM - you feel really in tune that other people felt what you felt.

REYNOLDS 2.2: When did you start shooting fashion photography?

MICHAEL CREAGH: Fashion went hand in hand with my arrival in New York. I remember being intrigued when I lived in Italy by Italian Vogue. I thought the stories were so beautiful, but I had no means or resources to do it. When I got to New York, I started to make it happen. It was a mix of trying to be a professional and the actual opportunities that are out there. I had never before just run into models and designers, but in New York there are so many people trying to live the dream.

REYNOLDS 2.2: What type of advertising photography have you done?

MICHAEL CREAGH: I have been lucky enough to make some connections with some real creative innovators. I teamed up on several occasions with the extremely talented graphic illustrators Vault49, to work on McDonalds and Disney, O2 Telecom, Samsung (Leo Burnett) and Freestyle Diabetes testing meters (Ogilvy). With web leaders, Code and Theory, I worked on Microsoft (McCann Erikson), Ecko and Dr. Pepper. With OneSource VMS, we recently did all the store windows Club Monaco. I have a current campaign all over the web with Duncan/Channon for Blurbs Books, and one campaign coming out for Biolife with Pivot Design.

REYNOLDS 2.2: What's the experience like working with top brand names such as Microsoft, Sony and Club Monaco?

MICHAEL CREAGH: It is not that different from your everyday shoot, except generally the big names are more focused. They know what they want and need and you just have to give it to them. They usually have done their homework. It is not uncommon for them to have complete mockups of the shoot with other photos/sketches that you would look at in a meeting a week before the shoot. It just needs to be refined, produced and then executed. 

REYNOLDS 2.2: What is a typical day like for Michael Creagh? 

MICHAEL CREAGH: Typical days are tough to define when you freelance. My day to day can really vary, and generally, most days are kind of fun. I get into the studio; talk and set up with assistants.  Client and models come; more talking. Sit around waiting for makeup; some last minute planning. Take some cool photos, eat lunch, and then more cool photos. 

I do have days that seem to be on repeat where you have done a shoot for a client several times before. Sometimes that is good, because it is easy and it is good business. Other weeks are just super busy with more shoots planned than days available, and every clients needs everything yesterday.

REYNOLDS 2.2: I have to say your work is amazing and REYNOLDS 2.2 would like to know what can we expect in the near future from Michael Creagh?

In the future, you will see more projects in more places. I have spent the last 2 years really building up the day to day shoots in my business; my core clients, the money jobs. I have been neglecting some of the raw creative stories. You will also see more videos. I have been experimenting a lot with both video and stop-motion videos. So expect to see a sequel to the big Melanie Iglesias video.

I also have a new book in the works. My last one had a lot of success winning 1^st Runner-up in the Photography Book Now competition. It is going through a major update that is really exciting. Link to my current book: http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/1106047 

REYNOLDS 2.2: Can you give aspiring photographers any advice on getting started in photography?

MICHAEL CREAGH: You have to ask the big questions and really delve into your feelings on subjects. Don’t worry about the camera as much as you worry about what a woman should look like. What is a man supposed to be like? Questions about how you see the world will shape your style and marketability. I would also suggest shooting as much as possible. When my interns came this summer, they were shocked when I said I expected them to photograph 15 models over the 2 months. When they did it, they not only had a whole new portfolio, but a new outlook. They grew in confidence and learned a lot about themselves. I am not just my portfolio. After 2000 shoots, some big productions, some little things; my perspective is sharpened and I am ready to take on challenges and create.

Michael comes across as a humble and wise man that clearly delivers and continues to mold the future of photography and video. Here is a link to the Trapeze photo shoot: http://www.michaelcreagh.com/video/8.mov 

Michael, thank you for the opportunity to interview you and showcase your work on REYNOLDS 2.2. Keep a look out for more coverage of Michael Creagh on REYNOLDS 2.2.

You can see more of Michael's work at www.michaelcreagh.com / www.michaelcreagh.net and follow Michael on Twitter @michael_creagh

See below an exclusive look at one of the contact sheets from the Melanie Iglesias Flip Book shoot by Michael Creagh. 

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See below more images of Michael's work.

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NATASCHA BESSEZ

Introducing the lovely and talented Natascha Bessez. I recently had the opportunity to exclusively interview Natascha for REYNOLDS 2.2. She has an amazing voice as a singer and she is very talented as an actress. She's a international mix of French & Spanish which makes her an exotic beauty that exudes personality. Working with Natascha over the years has been a great experience and I look forward to the near future of having the chance to work with her again. See below the REYNOLDS 2.2 interview with the stunning Ms Bessez.

REYNOLDS 2.2: Where are you from?

NATASCHA BESSEZ: Well, I like to think I'm a child of the world, but I was lucky enough to be born and raised in the most amazing city on the planet- New York City.

REYNOLDS 2.2: What languages do you speak?

NATASCHA BESSEZ: My mother was born in Santiago, Chile and my father in Cannes, France. When I was little, I was the biggest terror monster, and would drive my family crazy by never sleeping! So, the only way I would fall asleep was to running water and my mom singing "como la primera vez" to me in Spanish. The success rate was so high that I eventually became fluent in Spanish! lol. Being that my father is from probably the second most amazing city, I would travel there to visit my family as often as I could, and even went to school there. So, I can clearly say... "Je suis trilingue".

REYNOLDS 2.2: When did you discover your interest to be in the world of entertainment?

NATASCHA BESSEZ: After being accepted to the "Fame" School- Fiorello H. LaGuardia HS for Music, Art, and the Performing Arts, I realized there was nothing I loved more than performing. As a vocal major there, I was so inspired by all the amazing talent around me. The dancers, drama majors, and visual artists made me realize that you can express yourself in so many different ways artistically, and entertainment really does encompass every aspect.

REYNOLDS 2.2: Can you tell me what was your most memorable experience performing and recording music?
 
NATASCHA BESSEZ: I've been blessed with so many great experiences, its so hard to choose! I've traveled to Miami, Brussels, Madrid and spots in France to record, which is memorable in itself! As a teen I was lucky enough to perform with Hugh Masakela and Paul Simon at Carnegie Hall, as well as Patti LaBelle at Town Hall. Also, I was chosen as a finalist to be a part of the Pussycat Dolls, on the CW's hit reality show "The Search For The Next Doll". The coolest night has to be when Pras Michel from the Fugees personally asked me to sing his hit song "Ghetto Superstar" with him at the Sundance Film Festival last year! 

REYNOLDS 2.2: Can you tell the REYNOLDS 2.2 viewers where they can find your music?

NATASCHA BESSEZ: For the moment, were still in the recording and writing process for my original work, but they can find awesome covers of some Spanish and french songs on my YouTube channel- www.youtube.com/NataschaBessez. Also, they can check out my Facebook page and comment on which are their favorites at www.listn.to/NataschaBessez. Don't forget to follow me on twitter too! @NataschaBessez

REYNOLDS 2.2: Tell me about your experiences with modeling and acting?

NATASCHA BESSEZ: After Miss Teen USA, I was fortunate enough to have gotten connections in the right places, so I was able to do a lot of my modeling and acting without an agent or manager. I finally decided to join an agency, MMG (Model Management Group) last year, where they were able to help me get to the next level. The agencies owner, Jeff Cohen, believed in me the second I walked into his office, and has been one of my biggest supporters since! I've been able to work on set of Sex and The City: The Movie, Royal Pains, White Collar, Gossip Girl, How to Make it in America, and a few feature films. Considering I'm in a family that loves to cook a good Latin meal, I tend to keep my womanly figure quite curvy, which of course, isn't always what today's modeling world understands. I think what I do best is showing off my outgoing personality! I love improv and love doing impersonations and accents... so of course nothing could keep me away from the big and small screen. I got into TV hosting by being casted as the co-host along with Louie Torellas, for a show called TeenTimeLIVE, which was produced by the amazing Michele Rella. We got to interview tons of celebs and cover amazing charity events, all while showcasing New York City's youth! Through that, I was able to host many more events such as the Sundance Film Festival for SwaggMedia, as well as being the co-host with ours truly, Mr. Robert Reynolds over at FASHION & STYLE!

REYNOLDS 2.2: What do you like to do for fun when you are not working as a model, actress or singer?

NATASCHA BESSEZ: I'm a huge supporter of the arts, and was on the resurrection committee for the Gen Art Foundation. The founder Ian Gerard is a great friend of mine, and he also believes in emerging talent! Being in NYC, you can't help but be attracted to the magic downtown, and I always go check out live music whenever possible. I love hanging out with my best friends and going dancing to our favorite DJ's. Also, my family has a country house upstate, where we love to go camping, fishing, and hiking.

REYNOLDS 2.2: What can the world expect from you later this year?

NATASCHA BESSEZ: New music for my solo project... and a European tour for my group Neo-Son, with Argentinian electro artist Gabo. Follow me for details and updates!

REYNOLDS 2.2: Any advice you would like to give to young girls looking to follow in your foot steps?

NATASCHA BESSEZ: Just find your truth. However long it may take... make sure no one pressures you to do something in your life that you think is wrong for you. Explore the world, meet new people, love and cry, and you will find what it is that makes you different from everyone else. Don't be afraid to go against the grain, and fight for the things you believe in.


Natascha you are amazing, beautiful and filled with grace! May life continue to give you amazing blessings and experiences. Much love to you my friend!

Photo(s) Credit: Michael Creagh - www.MichaelCreagh.com

NATASCHA BESSEZ

NATASCHA BESSEZ

NATASCHA BESSEZ

NATASCHA BESSEZ

NATASCHA BESSEZ

Natascha Bessez

Coming soon to REYNOLDS 2.2 the talented and lovely Natascha Bessez.