On the Beach with Riann

Riann Nova came back to the Pacific NW this summer and asked me to shoot again. The last time she visited, we shot a mix of boudoir and backyard glamour. For this shoot, we went to the beach to shoot for some outdoor glamour and nudes. I'll admit, her purple hair threw me for a few minutes, but I rolled with it and I think we came up with some fun shots.

Riann travels with her emotional support doggie, as sweet little thing, that was happy to simply sit in the shade with her bowl of water and watch us shoot. I was a little concerned because we planned for a longer shoot and as the morning progressed, it got quite warm. The pup handled it well though, and the shoot went well. 

As usual, I shot a variety of outfits and I made sure to get some 4th of July themed shots as well. Riann had a large driftwood log to pose on and she made the best of it. Fortunately, the sand never got too hot and we ended the shoot with some nudes in the sand. 

Bikinis and Genies - Floofie Shoot #45

Floofie - Purple Slingshot

In 2019 I shot several different concepts for Merrique for Patreon site. One concept featured her as a djinn in the desert sands. At the time, she coordinated her shoots with the release of movies or tv shows, and the live-action version of Disney's Aladdin had just been released. I found the genie concept compelling and had planned to shoot it again with a couple of different models. The remainder of 2019 was exceptionally busy with other shoots, so I didn't get a chance to recreate the concept that year. Then in 2020, virtually all shooting halted. The concept faded from my intentions, and it wasn't until this year that I recalled the genie shoot and decided to recreate it with a different feel and model. Since I decided to shoot it in the sands of the beach, the "bikinis and genies" plan came together.

Ready for the 4th

In the summer, the Sauvie Island beaches fill up on the weekends. On weekday mornings, however, arriving early can yield a mostly empty beach. This is my preferred time to shoot as well, as the sun is lower in the sky and provides better light into the tree line and along the shore. It can, however, be chilly for the model, so I always take a thick oversized towel or a blanket to wrap the model between costume variations. Fortunately, Floofie and I had a decent morning for the shoot with cool, but not chilly air that quickly warmed as the morning progressed. 

Silver Metallic Bikini

We started the shoot with a variety of bikinis and slingshot swimsuits. I think my favorite was the metallic silver bikini, but the abstract flag bikini we shot for the upcoming 4th of was nice too. Since we have worked together so many times, Floofie and I have a pretty good rapport and can get a lot of different poses and images done in a short period. We very quickly completed all the swimsuit shots and moved on to shoot the djinn images.

I chose to do two colors for the djinn. When shooting, I like to do at least a couple of variations on theme––more if possible. This provides me with the flexibility to use the images for a variety of different purposes. These shots will be used and sold via a couple of different online channels. 

After we completed the djinn shoots, I had one final outfit I wanted Floofie to model. I've used it with several different models and it's one of my favorites because of the vibrant colors and the style. 

Shooting in the Trail of Two Forests

The last few weeks have been quite wet, but with the good weather returning this past week, I decided to take Joey up to the Trail of Two Forests near Mount St. Helens for a lengthy outdoor shoot in a place I call The Shire. For those who don't know, Mount St. Helens is an ancient, but active volcano. The Trail of Two Forests spreads out from the mountain's base and contains the remnants of previous lava flows. Lava tubes,  tree molds, and small caves are scattered throughout the landscape of the forest. The Shire is simply a large mound of deteriorating lava rock covered in deep, soft moss. During the spring rains, the moss thickens, greens, and forms a thick, soft cushion over the crumbled mound of rocks.  It's perfect for an outdoor glamour shoot.

A few trails meander through the forest, but the Shire lies a bit off the normal trails, and during the weekdays it's seldom disturbed. The mound forms three levels from its top to the forest floor. The forest surrounding the Shire provides a wonderful backdrop for images. The light filtering through the canopy, softened by the leaves, illuminates the mound with dappled beams perfect for backlighting.

I had three concepts in mind for the three hours we shot at the Shire. The first concept we shot was Woodland Glamour. For this, the model wore several different sheer or lace outfits that worked well with the dappled light. We shot this concept mainly on the forest floor and on the flat top of the moss-covered mound. Despite a recent, unfortunate brush with poison oak, Joey performed wonderfully, providing me with many lovely images. Her red hair contrasted well with the green of the mound and the forest backdrop and I was well pleased with the images.

Butterflies and Skin

The second concept included butterflies––lots of butterflies. We shot these images on, or perhaps, in the middle level of the Shire allowing Joey to lean back against the soft moss while I walked around her shooting from different angles. The multi-hued butterflies strategically covered her body while a leafy crown adorned her brow. The dappled light completed the illusion and the soft moss allowed Joey to remain comfortably reposed throughout the shoot. 

The final concept for this area featured a Forest Fae, a concept I had shot in a different form and forest years ago. I wanted to give it another go with a different model and location. For this shoot, we moved to a different area of the forest that provided a wilder, more primeval look. The outfit featured ornamental chains of silver and green, a leaf-covered thong, a circlet and fairy ears, and wings of leaves, moss, and twisted branches. Excepting the crown and jeweled pasties, all were custom-made. 

Forest Fae

Enamored of the outfit and the costume, Joey took videos of herself while I shot some behind-the-scenes images. The poses she provided were elegant and her expressions worked well for the concept. The forest provided the perfect backdrop for the concept, the old trees towering over us and the moss-covered logs and green undergrowth spreading across the forest floor.

During the entire three hours of shooting, we heard hikers only twice, saw distant hikers only once,  and were otherwise undisturbed. No one saw us, nor came close to where we were shooting. During the summer months, I expect there would be more hikers, but I would hesitate to shoot here then, and I have done so in previous years. 

Should you choose to visit the Trail of Two Forests for a hike or a shoot, be aware that you'll need a Northwest Forest Pass to be able to park in the lot near the interpretive trail.