Kay is pretty and her skin is essentially flawless. No hard work in Photoshop here.
A New Year’s shoot with Kay is a fantastic way to start a fresh year! Kay is a model from South Dakota, and unlikely place, and I’m lobbying for her to move to Tucson. She is all things desirable in a model. Tall, great figure, pretty face, amazing range of expressions, strong, brave….I think you may get the picture by now. She’s a beautiful person and fun during the set.
A dramatic and somewhat spooky pose in the studio.
You may find this short dress memorable. Sexy and cute simultaneously.
We shot together on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. We said goodbye to the worst year in memory (2020, of course) and Hello to one we can only assume will be better. Go to the edge, look over. I think it will be a better year. If the photos with Kay are an indication, it will be great.
First, we shot in Barrio Viejo, an old neighborhood in Tucson. Barrio Viejo is full of rusted fences, crumbling walls, and doorways with character. Kay is 6′ tall. She put on some 6″ heels and then she was 6’6″ tall. Wow! Her mini skirt was tantalizing. She was able to change outfits right in the street, slipping one off as she slipped the other on. She explored the studio’s makeup kit and found the bright orange/red lipstick that really popped in her headshot.
Simple studio shot of Kay. She is so relaxed in front of the camera.
Then we shot in the studio. We did figure study shots and nudes first. That’s how I typically shoot. The simple shots go first. We added a posing block. Eventually, we even moved the aerial silks to the middle of the room and took a few shots on those. She was game to try the silks though she had no experience or training. We kept that safe and low to the ground. We also took shots on the window sill.
The shots we took outdoors in the sculpture garden were some of my favorites. I had a black wall and I had purchased spray paint. She painted a graffiti wall, and then we shot in front of that artwork. She perched on the various sculptures and gave them her unique twist. We lucked into some dramatic skies, so some of the shots were pretty special.
Dramatic skies assisted here, but her expression really makes this bold image special.
At midnight the fireworks exploded around us. Tucson likes its fireworks, and my neighborhood put on quite a show. Now the next part is sad, or humorous if you are mean. In the dark, Kay kicked a barrel cactus. It did a pretty good job of poking her big toe. It bled a bit. But she won the fight. She had kicked the cactus hard enough that she knocked the newly planted barrel right out of the ground!
By midnight, I had roughly 2000 images of Kay. Enough? Nah. The next morning we decided to take 400 more. We went back to the studio and took shots that were very relaxed with a bit more sensuality and intimacy. The comfort we had developed made working so easy. She was fantastic. But, don’t think that I think she’s perfect. Like most models, she can’t just eat any old thing put in front of her. Actually, she was very good at eating all I made for her, but she is a vegan/gluten intolerant human, so that was the one challenge. I had to shop specifically for that and make menus that worked. I think I did so with success. At least she ate every meal with grace and I was fooled if she did not like it.
The big picture window in the studio was dominated by the pose Kay selected.
Kay painted the graffiti and danced the dance. How much more could a model do?
If you ever get a chance for a New Year’s shoot with Kay, take that chance. Or any other day of the year. We had Moet and Chandon champagne, but if we shoot again in summer, a simple margarita and lots of bottled water may suffice. Happy New Year’s to all, and may 2021 be a better year. Thanks Kay!