12" x 12", Hardcover, 240 pg., $225 printed on demand
Excerpts from last year's volume of Seeking Beauty, collecting my best fine art nude photographs from 2024. All photos taken with a Canon EOS R5.
L Y R I C A L W H I M S Y
F e a t u r i n g
J E N N I F E R J O N E S
F E M I N A
J E N N I F E R J O N E S
F E M I N A
The concept of photographing a “duo” – capturing two models together – wasn’t initially on my radar. During the Venus de Tierra tour last year, I realized that including additional models in a frame significantly increased the compositional challenges. However, when Jennifer approached me, suggesting a duo with the well-known Femina, I eagerly accepted the opportunity.
With limited time to prepare, I returned to my favorite location from last year’s tour along the San Mateo coast. Even on a sunny day in November, its rocky shores can feel disquieting. To complement the location, I knew Jennifer would be versatile. However, in images taken by other photographers, Femina seemed an enigma, sometimes strikingly beautiful yet tinged with melancholy. Could I leverage that dynamic here?
As the two models posed among the Pampas grass, stretched along the shore, and gazed into tidepools, I followed their lead. Some scenes exuded a whimsical, almost lyrical quality, reminding me that not everything needed to be serious. Yet, other scenes betrayed a darker undercurrent – hints of insecurity, deception, and hidden pasts. This interplay of personalities, poses, and terrain resulted in a captivating variety of photographs.
F O R E S T T R A U M A
F e a t u r i n g
F R A N C E S
F R A N C E S
Within this forest, a savage song reverberates—a haunting melody of violence and pain. The echoes of century-old saws and axes still resonate through redwood groves, where the park’s main path once served as the original logging road. These once-proud trees, felled long ago, bear the notches chiseled by loggers to support their springboards. Now, their blackened stumps stand like solemn tombstones, remnants of a fiery past.
Being the talented and expressive artist she is, Frances merged with the forest. She channeled the trauma etched into this land, drawing from her own pain and frustration. The felling of these majestic trees, scarred by fire, the shifting seasons, and even the persistent drizzle—all contributed to the prevailing mood. Through Frances, we witness both madness and beauty, seriousness and whimsy. From the frigid creek beneath the Steel Bridge to the unruly single-rope swing and the lumpy stumps just beyond the Winter Gate, the forest revealed her secrets.
D U N E S C A P E
F e a t u r i n g
D A N E H A L O
D A N E H A L O
High above the beaches of Monterey Bay lie ancient dunes that have only grown over time. Back in the day, these dunes housed a number of firing ranges that formed an essential part of the Army training and combat readiness. To bring these dunes back to their near-natural state, the Army removed 162,800 yards of lead-contaminated soil and recovered 719,000 pounds of spent ammunition, before handing the site over to California State Parks.
Today, when the wind picks up, these tall dunes attract locals who love hang-gliding, kite flying and radio-controlled gliders. In fact, on the cool winter day Dane Halo and I had our photoshoot, several gliders kept “photo-bombing” our session. We took it all in stride and still walked away with many excellent images.
F I N D I N G H E R W A Y
F e a t u r i n g
S E R A P H I N A
S E R A P H I N A
Seraphina’s story unfolds like a captivating narrative. Her past connection with a Svengali-like photographer, her subsequent liberation, and her ongoing quest for life’s purpose and meaningful relationships all contribute to her enigmatic aura.
Of course, I didn’t know any of this ahead of our shoot along the San Mateo coast. Almost immediately after meeting her, we discovered a shared set of interests that kept us chatting throughout the entire shoot. I even had to remind her to get into character several times, we were having so much fun. In the resulting images, her emotions oscillated— sometimes quiet anxiety, other times fierce determination. The moody morning added depth to the experience.
Later exploring the tafoni sandstone, I juxtaposed Seraphina’s soft form against the geometric sandstone sculptures. This interplay of shapes and textures created a visually striking contrast. No wonder Weston includes her among his cadre of models for workshops in Carmel—the synergy between artist and landscape was undeniable.
V E R D A N T V A L L E Y
F e a t u r i n g
F R A N C E S
F R A N C E S
One spot down the Big Sur coastline that’s captured Instagram’s imagination is the so-called Calla Lily Valley. Pre-Instagram, this was simply known as the place where Doud Creek emptied into the Pacific Ocean at Garrapata Beach. At the time, Calla Lilies thrived in the protected ravine, nourished by ocean moisture, undisturbed and overlooked by most tourists.
Now with all the exposure, I knew we had to get there early to beat the crowds. To our delight, the morning greeted us with clear skies and an empty parking lot. We took advantage of the shadows cast across the ravine, courtesy of the sun rising over the Santa Lucia Range.
Beyond the obligatory beauty shots among the lilies, we ventured down to the beach where sand, rocks, and the creek became our canvas. Frances injected fresh creativity into this familiar scene, finding ways to pose in quirky and imaginative ways.
P I C K U P S T I C K S
F e a t u r i n g
F R A N C E S
F R A N C E S
The forests of the Monterey area truly are havens of tranquility. People of generations past had set aside huge tracts of Monterey pines for future generations to enjoy. It was in one of these forests where Frances and I decided to explore for our next photoshoot.
Despite the uncharacteristically bright sun and heat on the day we visited, Frances deftly worked the scene. Her ability to seamlessly transition from Vogue-worthy poses to playful handstands was remarkable. And the infusion of her inner world—imbued with uninhibited imagination and childhood memories—added depth to each frame. Altogether, the images formed a captivating tapestry, a testament to both the forest’s allure and Frances’ artistry.
P R E S C R I B E D B U R N
F e a t u r i n g
V I V I A N C O V E
V I V I A N C O V E
A monochrome landscape. Embers still warm to the touch. Trees that survived the burn, standing as green sentinels on an otherwise powdery-grey field. That’s what Vivian and I encountered the day we hiked into the redwoods at the site of a controlled burn.
It wasn’t like that everywhere. Over the crest of the next hill, we plunged back into that lush green landscape that characterizes the coastal redwood forest. We found an old redwood, its base bulbus with a circumference of at least ten pairs of arms. A hollowed-out stump that could fit at least a dozen people inside. And a forest floor, carpeted with sorrel, Douglas irises, and bay laurels.
Vivian and I shot in both locations, wearily watching for hikers that might pass by, joking about (and later, flicking off) ticks, and futilely trying to brush the ash off our clothing and skin. Taking a “short cut” back to the car, only realizing that the trail dumped us onto a busy road a good half mile away. No matter, it was good for both of us to get out and hike, take photos, and refamiliarize ourselves with this beautiful forest in our own backyard.
C A T O U T O F T H E B A G
F e a t u r i n g
K Y O T O C A T N I P
K Y O T O C A T N I P
When Cat is not following the band, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, around the country, she travels the world as a fine art model. Originally from the Bay Area, returning to the San Mateo coast for our shoot was a little like a homecoming for her. It was a grey morning, but rather warm and calm, perfect for shooting outdoors.
Cat turned out to be a very down-to-earth and joyful personality. Not knowing this going into the shoot, but she prides herself on her body hair, as well as natural poses that other models tend to shy away from. I found her to be simply delightful and goofy, immediately relatable, and extremely relaxed. She didn’t approach the shoot with a pre-programmed set of poses, but instead, interacted with the scene as a child would their first time seeing tidepools and gravel beaches.
What came out of the session were shots that celebrated the sensuality and joy of the location, the company, and the interaction. The photos exude a warmth and appeal that is not manufactured but really does reflect Cat’s personality and approach to life.
W I T H I N T H E S E C A S T L E W A L L S
F e a t u r i n g
F R A N C E S
F R A N C E S
The Santa Cruz mountains are home to what was once the largest lime burning facility in California from the 19th century. What remains are brick structures overgrown with ferns and forest debris, reminiscent of the visuals used by the old Tomb Raider games. Another model in the area once called this place “The Castle”, and laughed about how hard it was to photograph there because of its popularity with hikers. We were lucky—Frances and I went early, and only once did we have to get dressed when a few curious hikers approached the structure.
We shot in the archways, posed with the ferns, climbed the brick walls, and really did try to capture that Tomb Raider vibe. It did not disappoint. Even though I had (inadvertently) arrived early, waking up Frances sleeping in the back of her car, she perked right up after I administered the requisite Diet Coke. But unlike Game of Thrones with its Starbucks cup, we successfully kept the Diet Coke cans outside the frame of the shots!
S W I M M I N G W I T H N E E D L E S
F e a t u r i n g
F R A N C E S
F R A N C E S
Deep in the redwoods of Carmel Valley lies the county’s largest redwood tree, an historic lodge, and an emptied pool. It is said that Henry Miller had once spent a summer here in an attempt to finish one of his novels. But after the 2016 Soberanes Fire burned through the canyon, the place is slowly coming back to life. You can almost hear the guests of decades past being welcomed at the lodge, or their kids jumping and splashing in the swimming pool below.
For Frances and me, this was our playground for the morning. Stretching out on the patio with the points of the compass beneath her. The cane chair in the corner of the restroom beneath a thicket of Daddy Longlegs. Over the stone bridge crossing the creek to the needles-filled swimming pool with its Spanish tile trim. It all beckoned us to pose, emote, and play under a sun that cast dramatic shadows on the rough stone walls and umber tile floor. Only when we were walking back to the car did we almost get caught by hikers who marveled at Frances’ flip-flops, oblivious to the fact that moments earlier, she was posing nude inside a burned-out redwood tree.