I'm a Ruin (Patreon)

Hello, hello.

June is here and the colors of the earth are definitely reflecting that. It's thick and moist and vibrant here back home in Georgia, and while I do miss the cool breeze of being up north, I am so very happy to be back home.

As I had said before, I apologize for being MIA for the majority of May as well as for the first few days of this new blossoming month; upon arriving back home, I promptly decided to catch up with friends alongside unpacking and cleaning and attending my sibling's high school graduation (yay!). Besides that, I thought I deserved a much need break and granted myself a few vacation days (and a weekend of absolutely no work or posting!). It was good, besides the slight nagging anxiety that creeps in when we freelancers stop working for any amount of time. Nonetheless, I'm ready to get back to work now!

So! Let's jump right in. My second-to-last photoshoot of my 3+ week tour was an impromptu session with Arthur! My plans for Maryland got a little messy and tossed around, so I texted him late one night with my availability, and luckily enough he was available and wanted to work together again! I'm so grateful for the pleasant creative minds that collaborate with me time and time again. He also let me in on an idea he wants to execute the next time I come through town, so that's exciting! 

As for this session here, this was our last photoshoot back in October of 2022. Arthur had scouted out some interesting ruins in the sticky forests of Maryland and we pushed through the sweat and bugs to make the art happen. I admit, I absolutely hate working in sweaty, sticky, humid conditions; it's hard to feel pretty when your hair is sticking to your skin, your make-up is a hot mess, and you can feel the sweat begin to bead and pool under the clothing. It wasn't pretty. Surprisingly, I do actually like how these turned out, and I think the moist tired look almost adds to it in some weird way. 

There are two areas pictured here: one of them is the ruins of a church in what used to be a small town in this section of the forest, and the other is the decrepit structural remains of some other building in the town, though this one was now covered in graffiti, some being lovely art, but the majority being crude words or tags or funny expressions. Graffiti isn't my usual cup of tea these days, but I actually didn't mind it here. As for the church ruins? Those always blow me away. Always. Even this one that was old and small and not incredibly impressive. Arthur had told me the backstory of the town, but I can't quite recall; something about it flooding, maybe?

Interestingly enough, our most recent photoshoot was similar in nature (no pun intended). I'll be back to share more once I have something to show from it!

P.S. Extra points if you know what the title of this post is in reference to!

Arthur Ball Images
Black gown & tight laced-up dress thrifted
Maryland 2022