Playing To Lose
August 24th, 2023
That’s art nude model Joceline in the photo above, taken at Joshua Tree National Park quite a few years ago. This was the one and only time I was able to work with this talented and beautiful model, not for lack of wanting to, but mainly because she lives in England.
I’m posting about this because Joceline, aka Ariel Anderssen, has just published a memoir, Playing To Lose, about her life from being raised a Jehovah’s Witness to today being a very successful BDSM model.
I have just finished reading my advance copy of the book and I can highly recommend it. It’s very readable, humorous, insightful, and, above all, honest. Check it out.
And I am going to share a few of my favorites of Joceline from that shoot at Joshua Tree. Enjoy.
On The Rocks
August 21st, 2023
A few with Eden, Gillian and Cheryl on the rock formations at South Coyote Buttes.
Playing in the Desert
August 16th, 2023
Fun at an abandoned ranch in South Coyote Buttes with Cheryl, Gillian, and Eden.
Playing with light and shadows.
Back to the Desert
August 13th, 2023
More photos from the desert southwest with three wonderful models, Eden, Cheryl and Gillian.
These were taken along a four-wheel-drive road in South Coyote Buttes.
This last one will give you a bit of an idea what the desert is like out there.
Eden in Black and White
August 10th, 2023
Something else a little different today. These are some portraits I did of Eden for my black and white portrait project. I shot these while we were doing the shoots out west that I’ve been posting.
This last one is my favorite. It captures the delightful person at Eden is.
Nikon Z vs Micro 4/3
August 8th, 2023
Taking a break for today from nudes in nature. About a year and a half ago I bought a Nikon Z7II. I was still very happy with my pair of Panasonic GX8s, but I wanted the higher resolution for a documentary project I was starting. So I shelled out way too much money for the Nikon and a 24-120 lens.
I love the files from the Nikon. They have tremendous detail. The lens is the sharpest lens I’ve ever owned, including several great non-zoom lenses, including some Leitz lenses. The files hold highlight and shadow detail better than any digital files I’ve ever worked with. There’s lots of ability to make adjustments without degrading the final file.
But I’ve come to the conclusion that I just don’t like the Nikon. The files are great, the camera not so much. It’s heavy. The Nikon and the one lens weighs more than my entire Micro 4/3 kit of two bodies and 6 lenses. And, though I like the programmable third control ring on the lens which I use for exposure compensation, in general the controls on the Nikon are frustrating and awkward. Plus they make changes to my settings, seemingly randomly. “Why are these files blue? How did the color balance get changed? Is Auto ISO on or off?” So it goes…
I only bought the Nikon because Panasonic hadn’t delivered a new sensor with more megapixels. That’s what I want. A Micro 4/3 camera with a sensor between 30 and 40 MP. I suppose it’s too much to hope that they would put it in a camera in the GX form factor…those GX8s are the best handling cameras I’ve ever owned. I suppose that’s what spoiled me as far as the Nikon is concerned. But if Panasonic comes out with a higher resolution sensor in whatever body style they want, I’ll line up to buy it. I probably will keep the Nikon (I’ve been a Nikon shooter since 1968, until I switched to Micro 4/3 because I wanted to go mirrorless and Nikon hadn’t gotten there yet) and treat it as a “view camera” brought out only for special projects, but I’ll gladly go back to using this nice kit of Micro 4/3 lenses if and when that new camera is available.
Meanwhile I’ve added the Nikon to the basic kit along with the GX8s for my day-to-day shooting kit.
Behind the Scenes in the Slots
August 6th, 2023
A few behind the scenes photos from our hike through Wirepass Canyon and Buckskin Gulch featuring Dave Rudin, Cheryl, Eden, and Gillian.
Buckskin Gulch
August 4th, 2023
The earlier posts were photos taken in Wirepass Canyon. These are from Buckskin Gulch. Buckskin is much, much deeper and longer than Wirepass. It’s also a bit wider in most places, although it still has a few tight squeezes in places.
Thanks again to my wonderful, beautiful models, Gillian, Eden and Cheryl.
More from the Slots
August 2nd, 2023
More photos from Wirepass Canyon with Cheryl, Eden and Gillian.
Down the Slots
July 31st, 2023
The next few posts will be from a trip to the desert southwest, specifically a day hike down some slot canyons with three wonderful models, Cheryl, Eden and Gillian, and my old friend, Dave Rudin.
We were in Wirepass Canyon which leads down to a junction with Buckskin Gulch. Some say that Buckskin Gulch is the longest and deepest slot canyon in the world…others say in the US. I don’t know if that’s true, but it is a beautiful place and is certainly very deep.
I’m always very careful about the weather when I go into a slot canyon. Flash floods can come without warning and are extremely deadly. There’s really no way out if a flood comes, and a flash flood in one of these canyons is just not survivable. Two men from the area where I live died in these canyons just this year. Caution is required. Rain 100 miles away can produce a flood.
I’m planning several more posts from this day in the slots.
