Emily in Bear Canyon - Preview (Patreon)

I am uploading 100 hi-res images and video for my various tiers of this really nice memory of a hike to my secret with my pal Emily last June.  

I love doing these kinds of hikes, with people originally on the periphery of my life who have become dear friends through the experiences of photographing them in nature.  I met Emily years ago when I used to go to a certain coffee shop every morning where she was one of the baristas.  We followed one another on Instagram and kept in touch vaguely in that particular social media way (where I learned that she was also a writer and actress besides slinging coffee) until she reached out and asked if I photograph "regular people" too (I thought this a funny phrasing since a lot of my photos are of regular people, but I guess my photos made them appear somehow elevated?).  Of course I agreed to take her out to shoot with her.  

The first time was shot was on a misty winter morning as a storm was approaching LA - it made the setting beautiful but utterly cold and wet and a severely challenging situation for a first nude shoot for anyone! The second time we shot was in winter AGAIN, but this time in a snow storm!  After that i PROMISED if we shot again i would take her to my secret canyon in the summer, and so this shoot is filled with extra joy for Emily and I when we look back on the photos and recall how much more relaxed and fun it was - not just a challenging shoot that we conquered together, but a day spent relaxing and laughing and soakin up the sun and learning a lot about each other.