markvelasquez

Sunset Shore with Jesslyn, Pt. 15

But soon after I called it a full day, so Jesslyn put out the flare she was holding in the water then chucked it over her head somewhere on the rocks, still taking nips off her bottle and beginning to slightly slur her words.

As we made our way back up the long flight of stairs away from the beach, a local beach patrol off...

Sunset Shore with Jesslyn, Pt. 14

Thankfully, once she came out of the water, the heat of the flare was enough to keep her warm enough to still posing nude along the shore for a bit longer.

Sunset Shore with Jesslyn, Pt. 13

By this point Jess had been in the water off and on for almost an hour, and I knew that look in her eye which meant "I can't keep this going much longer," though she actually never said it to me.

Sunset Shore with Jesslyn, Pt. 12

Of course, once again, Jesslyn knew what to do, lighting herself from behind and in front, knowing her angles and what the camera would capture. I love that woman.

Sunset Shore with Jesslyn, Pt. 11

I'm a sucker for color, especially when a photograph captures a wide range of the color spectrum in one photo in an elegant manner. This was my first attempt with the flares, and I could not have been happier with the result.

Sunset Shore with Jesslyn, Pt. 10

Thankfully the bach was fairly secluded, so when we were finally ready I popped the road flares and hoped for the best. I had never operated a road flare before and learned to strike it like a match while reading the instructions there on the beach as Jesslyn dripped and shivered under her towel.I don't know who was more nervous...

Sunset Shore with Jesslyn, Pt. 9

With most of the light officially fading, it was time to begin the experiment I had dragged Jesslyn out there for in the first place...

Sunset Shore with Jesslyn, Pt. 8

The lady is simply a living work of art.

Sunset Shore with Jesslyn, Pt. 7

I finally began to use my flash because of the lateness of the hour, but I was continually impressed by how effortless her mannerisms were. To use a phrase I love, "it was exactly what I didn't know I wanted."

Sunset Shore with Jesslyn, Pt. 6

Jesslyn carries herself with a natural sensuality that even she can't control, not that she would if she could. I loved these shots when she turned to me without posing, just being herself. They seem far sexier than when she was trying.

Sunset Shore with Jesslyn, Pt. 5

I had her running back and forth from the water to the shore, trying on two different body suits I had purchased online. This was the second, which covered her with much more clothing on top but was surprisingly transparent on the bottom, or at least it became so when wet.

Still, none of that really fazed her, apart from s...

Sunset Shore with Jesslyn, Pt. 4

Her back looks extraordinary in this shot, doesn't it? I'm a sucker for the way light plays over the shapes and ridges of the human body.

Sunset Shore with Jesslyn, Pt. 3

And even though at times she was miserable, cursing me and my ability to convince her into doing just about anything, you'd never be able to tell in the photos.

Sunset Shore with Jesslyn, Pt. 2

At first Jesslyn was hesitant about stepping into the frigid evening water, but after enough vodka, she didn't really care so much any more.

Sunset Shore with Jesslyn, Pt. 1

Jesslyn is one of my closest friends and one of the most challenging, inspiring, and talented people I know. See the rest of this experimental, beautiful set of images using fire, flares, and flash at the $25 Level!

Stevie Adjusting, 2016

Find a pretty fabulous GIF of Stevie adjusting her undies at the $25 level, along with some other pretty spectacular and exclusive photo sets, videos, and more!

GIF: Stevie Adjusting, 2016

Stevie may not be known for being delicate, fragile, or meek, but she is strong, sincere, and never afraid to speak her mind. Or adjust her undies on camera.

Summer Days with Brooke Eva, Pt.14

Knowing I had a long drive ahead of me, we went and hung out briefly in her bedroom before I headed out. I gave her a deep hug and as always told her to call me if she needed anything, which she sometimes does. I love this special lady and wish only the greatest of things for her wide open future.

Summer Days with Brooke Eva, Pt.13

Her pose is pretty incredible here, right? I say "pose," but there is nothing static or rigid about this. Brooke just moves and almost dances around and I capture what I can. The process is not easy or lacking regret of shots I miss, but when it works, it works.

Summer Days with Brooke Eva, Pt.12

I'm sure I'm overthinking the cigarette thing, but if the cigarette were absent from these images, they shots would still be strong and striking, in my humble and biased opinion.

By the way, I love this diptych. 

Summer Days with Brooke Eva, Pt.11

With the heat seeming to build, she joined me outside and I shot her using a cigarette as a prop. The older I've gotten, the more sensitive to having props like cigarettes in my photos. I've never smoked, but with nieces and a nephew, I've become much more mindful of setting  a bad example for them and other impressionable ...

Summer Days with Brooke Eva, Pt.10

Apart from Pt. 1 of this series, this may be my favorite image of the whole set. It captures such a real and elegant moment of her lost within her own thoughts, I just love it. 

It's rare for me to enjoy looking at my own images, but there are many from this series I never tire of.

Summer Days with Brooke Eva, Pt.9

There's something about the simplicity of this image that stands out here to me, not just how great her shape looks.

Summer Days with Brooke Eva, Pt.8

Brooke has always been great at the art of teasing her backside whenever necessary.

Summer Days with Brooke Eva, Pt. 7

And thankfully, the dress was designed for someone much shorter than Brooke.

Summer Days with Brooke Eva, Pt.6

I couldn't decide if it was hotter inside or out, but I tried standing outside and shooting into the darkness in hopes of catching a breeze while Brooke flitted around in a great little baby-doll style lace dress she had found. The muted colors and blue-toned lighting really made me fall in love with the moment.

Summer Days with Brooke Eva, Pt. 5

As expected, even when not feeling her best, Brooke made the shoot easy. Her natural poses and instinctual movements are always a pleasure and easy to capture, and at this point we work so well together that almost no communication is necessary.

Summer Days with Brooke Eva, Pt.5

Thankfully their third roommate was gone for the day, so we stripped the bed and shot in his room using just available light from the sliding glass door that led out to a small outdoor space.

Summer Days with Brooke Eva, Pt.4

And as usual, she was up for anything. "Do you wanna shoot or something?" she asked once we got back to her place, as her roommate, model Jordan Bunniie, tapped away on her laptop on the kitchen table.

I decided to use her mood and capture some emotional, melancholy images that might fit both our moods on the stifling hot ...

Summer Days with Brooke Eva, Pt.3

Brooke is a hippy child, free-spirited and deep feeling. She takes on the pains and emotions of others and makes them her own, including stray dogs, and helps so much that she spreads herself thin. I love this special lady and worry about her a lot.