Nudes in the Morning, Glamour in the Afternoon

 Earlier this week, I headed down to Leisure Land to
shoot with Joey at a new spot she located for us. Every time she finds a fresh spot around her area that looks good for a shoot, she lets me know, and I can usually find time to travel south to shoot with her. This happens at least once or twice a year. She challenges herself to find a new location for us every year. 

This time, she found a great spot on the river where many flat rocks and stone outcrops dotted the river bed. She had shot there only once before with another photographer, but wanted to shoot there early enough to catch the morning light. So, I got up at 5:30 am to make the drive to her home, and we were on the river, bright and early. We had a clear, cool morning with no breeze for our shoot. It made a chilly shoot for Joey, but I gave her plenty of breaks to stand in the sun and warm up while wrapped in her jacket.

The lack of the breeze made the water still and full of reflections. The only drawback to the spot was the vacation home across the river from us, but our activities didn't seem to bother the occupants, so we carried on for about an hour and a half. We started with art nudes, then, after a while, did some bikini shots. 

This shoot also allowed me to test my new RF 135mm f/1.8 L IS lens with a real shoot. It exceeded my best expectations. Here's a shot from that lens:

I wanted to shoot some backlit images in the same location, but the sun's position and the high tree line made that impossible. We headed down the road to another spot I hoped would provide the right light. I had shot with Joey there before, and I knew it was easily accessible with a lower tree line and more in line with the sun's transit.

I had three outfits I thought would work well at that location. The first, a colorful peacock print cover-up, created a brightly saturated image illuminating the silhouette of Joey's body beneath the fabric. 

The second outfit, a sheer dress made of tiny rhinestone crystals, created a less dramatic image, but still worked well. 

The final outfit, a flowing lavender-colored cardigan, didn't lend itself to backlighting,  but worked well with dappled light and shadows.

After completing that series of shots, we took a break to grab lunch and discuss the next set of shots, which would take place in the field and the woods surrounding Joey's cabin. Joey mentioned a hollow tree on the property, which she thought would be a good spot for some shots. 

I had brought a camera I had converted to infrared some years back, and I planned to use it for part of the hollow tree shots just to see what it would do. Unfortunately, the lens I brought to use with it had sat idle for several years and had a sticky focus mechanism. That made it tough to use until I exercised the focus ring a few times to free it up.

The next set of shots we had planned included a Red Riding Hood cosplay. We thought it would be a whimsical addition to the day's activities.

I also brought a couple of juicy ripe peaches for a quick set of images. If you look closely, you can see the juice dripping down her body and off her breast.

By this time, the day had become quite warm. Joey felt fine in her nudity, but I had started to sweat. The shade beneath the trees felt great when we began to shoot our last series of images, a theme I call Military Glamour. It features camo clothing, military-style gear, and a fun pinup look and attitude.