MODEL / Janna G
PHOTOGRAPHY / JASON LEE
On a cold, windy morning, Janna and I drove out through the fog to North America’s largest sand dune. The wind was biting and made your eyes water. Working through the emotions brought by the environment, Janna brought this truly heart-touching performance to this portion of our shoot. Janna’s response to our shoot? “They turned out AMAZING!”
MODEL / ASHLEY ROSE
PHOTOGRAPHY / JASON LEE
Ashley is an overcomer who isn’t afraid to face her challenges, organize them and tackle each one until she is victorious. We shot in an abandoned rock quarry in January — just the place for sunny, snowy, fur-lined fun photos. And she rocked it.
An Excerpt from an article by the New Zealand Herald by Vera Alves
(c) New Zealand Herald
Why are we so hung up on the unclothed human body?
Does any major trauma come from seeing a stranger’s intimate body parts?
If the answer is yes, you’ve really got to start asking yourself why.
[A] woman who spotted the naked swimmers in Taupō said she was “horrified” at the sight.
We need to get horrified at horrific things – and there’s no shortage of those around. Get horrified about child cancer, sexual abuse, climate change and the threat of deadly pandemics.
Nipples and penises should be the least of your worries right now.
“But won’t someone think of the children?” I hear the Karens wonder in the deepest recesses of Facebook.
Yeah, Karen, I’m thinking of the children. The children who are soon going to be adults and grow up with some really messed up views of what bodies look like, if we keep restricting them to the bodies they see on porn sites or in fashion magazines….
This repressed and archaic view of the human body as something to be hidden and ashamed of is nothing if not a form of oppression – and there are far too many people going along with it without questioning it.
Ask yourself: why do you have such a big issue with seeing people naked?
“It’s just not right” and “it’s not the done thing” are not good enough answers.
You’ve been predisposed to think bodies need to be hidden and nakedness is wrong – but here’s the good news: you can change that way of thinking and absolutely nothing bad at all will happen. Your children will not grow up to be depraved – if anything, they might just grow up more confident and empowered – and isn’t that a risk worth taking?
Besides, you’re getting upset at the wrong thing. The problem is not nudity. The problem is the over-sexualisation of the human body, which leads to all kinds of issues. But a non-sexualised naked body – and I think we can all agree there’s nothing “sexual” about breastfeeding a child or going for a swim on a hot summer’s day – should not be a cause for concern, yet it all gets dumped in the same “lewdness” basket.
In fact, “normalising” the regular human body can be a really good thing. If our children are to grow up with healthy views of what a normal human body is, we need to shed these archaic taboos.
If your child sees someone naked, they will have natural questions. It is part of your duty as a parent to ensure you address these properly. It gives you a golden opportunity to talk to them about things like boundaries, consent and respect for others.
The human body is not immoral – stop making it so….
MODEL / Katie and Crystal
PHOTOGRAPHY / JASON LEE
When Katie and I worked together, we talked about creating a future shoot that would involve her sister Crystal. What a great idea! Think they had fun?
MODEL / Anonymous
PHOTOGRAPHY / JASON LEE
Here’s what the model wrote about our shoot:
My soul lies right between the earth and my body. Or maybe it is a mixture of the two. I was always intrigued by the human body, and was always interested in the strange argument behind why humans shame other humans for letting our bodies be free.
I’ve always believed that our most natural form is the most important form for us to embrace. To completely love ourselves, we have to start from the purity of the soul, and pay close attention to the shell that it lives in, which is our bodies.
When I was given the opportunity to do a nude photoshoot, I wouldn’t say it’s something that had crossed my mind before. But I also saw it as an opportunity for me as a human to practice the way of life we were originally created in, as humans.
It will always be nerve wrecking, to do the things that society now shames us for… to do the things the world makes us think is wrong.
But never in my life, did I ever feel so alive, so raw, so natural.
Standing there, in my pure, natural form, I found my body & soul connecting more and more to the earth around me.
Slowly, I felt it all become ONE. I found myself sinking into the earth, as if it’s all my body had ever known. I was stripped of all the restrictions that society had me drowning in.
I felt free, and that’s what it’s about. It’s about finding freedom — showing the world that our bodies are the most unharmful things. Though our minds can be corrupted, but our bodies are merely just a build up of bones, skin, fat. They are natural, they are real, & instead of being shamed and sexualized, they should be glorified for the beauty they are, and the beauty of being human.
We humans need to take back the one thing we have to take pride in, and it’s what we were born with, and given as a gift. These shells our souls walk in, are not to be shamed, we need to accept them with open, bare arms. We need to accept them, love them, and set them free.
It is a different view than what the world is used to today, but it’s the most beautiful view, from the inside and out.
MODEL / NOELLE
PHOTOGRAPHY / JASON LEE
In a beam of sunlight… We shot this in an ancient golf course clubhouse that had burned down in the 1940s. The forest had grown up all around it and it wasn’t that easy to get into. The light from the sun still managed to find a way through the trees. And you never know who you’re going to meet! Noelle came along as a friend on a different model’s shoot. Before long, she was in front of the camera too! It never hurts to ask.
Want to shoot with me? Hit Contact.
Lounging in wet swimwear isn’t as glamorous as the Kardashians make it out to be. Wet swimsuits can cause problems ranging from yeast infections to UTIs.
“Yeast and bacteria really thrive in moist, dark places, like a wet bathing suit or wet workout clothes,” says Alyssa Dweck, an assistant clinical professor and OB/GYN at Mount Sinai School of Medicine.
Women with weakened immune systems, such as those who have diabetes or who take certain medications are more likely to be affected, but it’s good advice for anyone. So, here’s a much-needed wake up call to motivate you. Below are a few reasons to never, ever [wear] a wet swimsuit:
1. It’s the perfect combo for bacteria.
Let’s face it: The inside of a wet swimsuit is both warm and moist, so it’s basically a breeding ground for bacteria.
When in the water, swimsuit material tends to absorb the various chemicals and bacteria that exist in pools or the ocean. Your private parts are cradled inside of your suit, along with all of those gross substances. This can throw off the balance of healthy bacteria in the vagina or introduce harmful bacteria into the urethra, leading to a number of maladies, including vaginitis and urinary tract infections.
2. It can lead to yeast infections.
Since yeast thrives in warm and wet environments, wet bathing suit bottoms can cause yeast infections in women, especially those who suffer from recurring yeast infections. The bacteria that festers in wet bathing suits can cause an overgrowth of yeast cells in the vagina or vulva, according to University Hospitals. This can lead to some pretty uncomfortable symptoms, including burning, soreness and clumpy discharge.
3. It may result in an itchy rash.
You’ve heard of athlete’s foot, right? Well, sitting in a wet swimsuit can cause a very similar infection around your genitals known as “jock itch.”
If you’re wearing a wet suit and happen to come in contact with a type of mold-like fungi known as dermatophytes, it can spread to the skin of your genitals, inner thighs and butt, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians and the Mayo Clinic. This growth leads to red, itchy rashes that may grow in the shape of a ring.
“It’s very similar to a yeast infection in the vagina because they’re both caused by fungus, although it is a slightly different strain of fungus,” Dweck said.
Even if there is no fungal infection involved, people with sensitive skin may experience skin irritation from wearing wet material. “Some women just get irritation from constant moisture,” Dweck said.
Now that the ugly facts are out there, it’s time to take charge. Your body will thank you for it.
A great conversation to have and to listen in on. Art is a language of the soul that all can understand. Genesis Modeling and Photography was founded to speak this language.
MODEL / Taylor
PHOTOGRAPHY / JASON LEE
This was my first artistic nude shoot. Great memories. Ask me to share the story with you sometime.
MODEL / MAYYE
PHOTOGRAPHY / JASON LEE
Mayye is one of the spunkiest fun people I’ve worked with. We had such fun working the shores of this lake.
MODEL / KT
PHOTOGRAPHY / JASON LEE
The sun was warm, the water was refreshing and KT and I made some beautiful art… and played in the mud!
MODEL / MONICA BLUE
PHOTOGRAPHY / JASON LEE
When you’re not wearing clothes to hide, they become fun accessories.
MODEL / Breane
PHOTOGRAPHY / JASON LEE
When Breane walked out of the ivy, she instantly reminded me of a type of Eve.
