Processing, Processing (Patreon)

Going through so many images shot while staying in Portland (and a bunch more shot while heading back home to Los Angeles) so I can make posts for you kind folks. Going through these shoots, also reminds me of the friendships I made/strengthened while in Oregon, particularly those made while shooting images with these special people.

The above shot of Shelby is by no means great, but I am drawn to the way the light caught the dust she was swiping off her buns in mid-air.  I wanted to post it mostly as a reminder to myself to really take those in-between moments seriously, the ones when a model isn't trying to pose are so often my favorite ones.

I really loved getting to hang out with my bug scientist friend Jessica on several occasions, especially our hikes. Aside from getting to shoot photos of someone so good at making interesting forms with her body to make amazing compositions, but I always learn a TON about the natural world around us, and get to walk along trails with a better understanding of the interconnectedness of an entire ecosystem. It reminds me that we are all connected - to each other, to the world, to the Universe. This isn't corny shit - the decisions we make and way we choose to live reverberate throughout the world and end up bouncing back at us.

When I met C.J. I was pretty instantly aware of how natural she was with the camera turned on her.  She was quick to smile and laugh, and made a perfect person to accompany Shelby and I to the local nude beach on a busy weekend afternoon. I didn't expect for a short conversation with her about body image and self acceptance to resonate so much for me though  - both in regards to who I shoot photos of and how I shoot those photos, as well as, perhaps more importantly, my own self acceptance, now that I am getting older and noticing the natural changes my body is going through and what is to come.

I don't know if i got the best photos out of my shoots with these people this summer, as i was often unfocused on the task of shooting, but I certainly felt a laser sharp focus on learning to examine myself and my relationship to others  - to people of color, to women, to the natural world.