Audrey is an amazing photographer in her own right. One day she asked if we could hit the trail together and check out some locations I had told her about and then she volunteered herself to jump in front of the camera. Amazing laughs, hiking, waterfalls and friendship!
This was Hannah’s first shoot. We found an amazing old dairy barn to shoot in as well as some sweet meadows and waterfalls. As you probably know, I LOVE waterfalls!We even managed to find a hot spring.
Briahna and I explored the Boise River to get these epic body paint shots. Here’s her thoughts, post-shoot: “Thank you. It was super fun. Took Forever to wash the paint out of my hair but it was worth it!”
Nicole agreed to hit up the Camas Prairie Nature Preserve with me to see if we could find some of their famous purple flowers for our backdrop. What we found is that we were too late for flowers, but it was windy and we took advantage of the plentiful swaying grasses for our bodypaint shoot.
It was 15 degrees. The streets were frozen solid and we fishtailed around every turn, but we made it to this magical parkland and knocked out some stunning shots in the snow. Even saw a deer!
I just got back from an experience like I’ve never had before: the 2018 edition of the World Naked Bike Ride.
Portland is about a 7 hour drive from Boise. A couple friends and I jumped in the car and made the drive and it was absolutely worth the time invested.
It turns out that of all of the WNBR events worldwide, Portland has the largest one! They’ve been holding the ride for more than a decade and this year’s estimate was that over 18,000 people participated.
It’s kind of remarkable if you’ve never been. We biked across the city from our host’s home to the staging area and had about an hour and a half to soak in the evening sun and listen to a great fusion jazz band (High Step Society) before the ride began.
The whole thing is voluntary and run by volunteers: no tickets, no demands, no clothes! AND there were no incidents of violence or sexual assault– just people truly being people.
It was an atmosphere of simple joy — it was quite relaxing — and I couldn’t stop feeling happy being there!
About half an hour before the ride, the crowd was starting to grow and the band was getting their groove on. I don’t it on video, but later the natural amphitheatre filled up with nude dancers having a wonderful time. You’ll have to watch the video to see what I mean, but when someone says “naked people dancing,” what do you think of? Maybe a darkly lit nightclub and a pole?
This wasn’t that. This was people having carefree fun in their skin.
I didn’t have my DSLR, but I did capture a few candids of people enjoying the pre-ride festivities, getting body-painted and managed to get just a few during the ride itself. Maybe next year a GoPro will be in order?
As I rode the 6 mile course through Portland’s beautiful neighborhoods and along a bluff overlooking the river, there were two things that really stuck out to me:
Riding a bicycle naked feels just like riding one with clothes on. Really! No, I didn’t get sore or chafed, but Yes, it was actually less sweaty and cooler because there weren’t any clothes to collect all that body heat.
Along the whole bike route, parents brought their children outside on their driveways where they cheered us on, waving and ringing bells and welcoming us to their neighborhoods. It was such an emotionally positive experience!
I would definitely do this again and I hope you’ll come with me next year! Here are a few photos:
Crystal asked if she could bring a wedding dress and work through some grief at this shoot and allowed me to help her process and capture the beauty of those moments and prove that Love is brighter than the pain. Thank you for sharing your heart with us Crystal.
Along the banks of the Boise River, enjoying the peace and solitude with Katie…
Katie says:
My shoot was amazing. I was definitely nervous because I had never done that kind of concept before. I felt anxious driving out to our location, and when I pulled up at the park, I really wasn’t sure what to expect.
Luckily, you arrived right then and I was reassured to see a normal, nice guy get out of the car. We introduced ourselves and made some small talk and I could feel myself relaxing a little bit. Like from an 70% stress level to a 50%. We talked through some outfit choices and posing ideas and I steadily felt more confident.
The location was so beautiful! The park was just like a forest with a gorgeous river and lots of plants and stuff. I felt like some kind of Pocahontas or something and it was really fun. But there was definitely some part of me that was holding back. My whole life as a woman I have been trained to behave “modestly.” To hide my body for fear of offending someone else.
It was insanely hard to fight this internal battle throughout the shoot. I know this inner struggle made me more difficult to shoot.
But you were great the whole time. Reassuring me, helping with my posing, and most of all having the patience to help me embrace my most natural self.
Your final product is stunning, I can honestly say this is my favorite shoot! ❤?