I've been waiting to take this photo for over a year. I scouted this location last summer, just days before the parks department came in and razed everything to the ground (I have no idea why they would do such a thing). It didn't grow in fast enough to appear lush again - like the Garden of Eden - by the end of the summer. So I had to wait the winter out. Ever since this spring, I've been keeping my eye on it, waiting for it to grow sufficiently full, all the while worrying that any day the parks department might come in and raze it all to the ground again.
It's also located in a relatively populated area, so finding it empty enough to go about my business was another challenge (though I was not "illegally" exposed at any time during this shoot, I really didn't want to deal with the stress and the distraction of having spectators). As is always the case when shooting outdoors, the lighting and the weather was another factor. I had to go and do the shoot when the right opportunity came up, not necessarily when every condition was perfect. And I couldn't take a lot of time to tweak every little detail, since every minute I spent there was another minute somebody might walk around the corner and spot me.
All that having been said, the opportunity I had worked out pretty well. I'm not sure I'm 100% happy with the result, but at least I can say that I did the best I could under the circumstances. And it certainly doesn't look bad. I really wanted to emphasize the dual nature of my gender, with a focus on my more masculine front, and my more feminine back (more or less). And what more famous minimally dressed male/female couple is there than Adam and Eve? And though I'm not religious, I like the symbolism of the Garden of Eden, as a Paradise on Earth, where I like to imagine that people (if they ever make it back there) can live in sexual innocence (not to be confused with ignorance) once more.
Very nice work – well thought out and executed. I like your bold forthright male part, with that wonderful pose you strike so well, and your more shy and demure female part glancing over the shoulder. Beautiful imagery.
ReplyDeleteIs that a serpent wrapped around the feminine left leg? Intriguing.
I wonder what someone might have thought if they had happened on this scene? I would have enjoyed it. Again, beautiful work.
Yeah, that's a rubber snake. It was one of those little details that was hard to perfect. I tried wrapping it around my arm, but I really wanted to emphasize the phallic symbolism by having it coiled around my thigh.
ReplyDeleteAh, I thought it might be. And I was thinking about the phallic symbolism too, due to its trajectory, lol. I like it actually – it has a cool look against your light skin – and it's almost like a vine growing up the leg of a statue.
ReplyDeleteI hate to make a request and impose on your generous nature again, but I would love to see the original shots you used to produce the final product. I'd really like to learn how to do something like this myself, and it would be very instructive to see how you accomplished such a seamless result. If you'd rather not, I understand completely – but I found it very interesting and helpful when you did this for me once before.
Actually, this was a very easy and straightforward clone shot. That other time, I had to stitch together different exposures, which can get tricky. Here, I just set up my camera, and didn't touch it until I was done with the shoot. I used the remote to take the Adam shot first, then I fixed my hair and did the same thing for the Eve shot, making sure to stand far enough way so that the clones don't overlap.
ReplyDeleteThen all I had to do when I got home was place the two images on different layers in Photoshop, and apply a gradient to the layer mask of whichever layer was on top, going down through the middle so both clones show up. Essentially what I did was cut them down the middle and then fit the two halves together, but with a slight fade to smooth the transition line. Very simple!
Thank you, that's very helpful. I'm going to try it myself!
ReplyDeleteI think it's cool that you planned this for so long, and then finally got to do it. Was it hard to find a good time when you could be alone? What additional clothes did you have with you to put on after the shoot?
By the way, I like your bare feet in an outdoor setting like this. For some reason it makes you seem even more nude – even though you're not nude at all, lol.
Yeah, I know what you mean about the feet. It feels more naked too, because you're actually in direct physical contact with the ground. There's a reason nudists sometimes say that nudism is like being barefoot all over!
ReplyDeleteI wore my green slip-on dress (second picture here: http://pleasuresarethese.blogspot.com/2014/09/outfit-of-day-ootd-double-special.html) over the nude-colored panties, since it was something I could put on and take off real quick, and it was completely loose around the waist, so it wouldn't interfere with the leaves I was wearing, once I put them on and got them into position.
Here's my story about scheduling the shoot: once the garden had grown in sufficiently, I was getting antsy about taking the picture before it was too late, so I talked it over with my friend and sometimes assistant. I definitely wanted to have her along as a lookout, considering the conditions of the location and the shoot. I wanted to do it on a weekday when the area would be less crowded, and she had already planned to take the Friday off in anticipation of a weekend trip. So we agreed to scout out the location that Friday in the morning (although it turned out to be closer to noon).
When we got there, in comical, bad luck fashion, the parks department was all over the place cutting the grass. But I figured from my experience jogging in the park in the past, that if we stuck around long enough, they would finish their job and move on. And that's exactly what happened!
So it was a little awkward for us, staking out the garden (in case the workers decided to try to cut it down, too), pretending to take pictures of the flowers, but before fifteen minutes had passed, they had finished up and completely vacated the area. I was worried by that time that there might be some people coming out to sit in the garden on their lunch break, but this was the holiday weekend, and I think we lucked out in that most people were in vacation mode.
So we actually didn't see a soul while I performed my magic. I was still antsy to get it done and over with, because it only takes one person to spoil the atmosphere of the shoot, but all things considered, the conditions worked out pretty favorably for me, and I'm very grateful for that.
I love your story! Thanks for sharing it with me, and for going into such detail. I have to say that when I opened the comments section I was delighted to see a long reply from you, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
ReplyDeleteIt really sounds like fun, the whole adventure. I can picture you pretending to be absorbed in taking pictures of flowers, when you're really just waiting for the park crew to leave, lol.
I also identify with parts of your story that are similar to some of my experiences. I remember scouting out a bench in a good area for some nude shots, and then going there a few days later commando style in a loose pair of shorts with an elastic waistband that could be easily slipped on and off. I would get the tripod set up, make all the necessary preparations, then slip the shorts off in a second and do my shots, then quickly slip the shorts back on, lol. It was fun and exhilarating, and I liked the results. I went by there a couple days ago and was kind of amazed to think that I had actually stripped nude right there. Wow! It was fun.
I hadn't heard that saying that nudism is like being barefoot all over. That's cool, and I agree!
Back to the photo manipulation, do you use PhotoShop for your work. Is it available for the Mac? (I think you use a Mac.)
I have a similar story about this image: https://www.flickr.com/photos/zharth/6250236183/
ReplyDeleteI took that the first time we explored that particular park, and that location was at the end of a long trek through the woods. We thought we were in a remote part of the woods, but in hindsight, after having explored the whole park, it's actually a central thoroughfare that connects to a bunch of other trails, and isn't really that hidden. Every time I pass through there now I laugh at how dangerously exposed we were, but that's one of my favorite pictures I've ever taken, so I guess all's well that ends well!
I'm not sure what gave you the impression that I use a Mac, since I've been a Windows user all my life. But yeah, I use Photoshop (although not for anything super complicated). I think it's probably available for Mac. It's a pretty popular program, after all.
Oh I agree, it's always been one of my favorite shots of yours!! Absolutely top notch.
ReplyDeleteI like everything about it – the sinuous (sensuous) shape of your body, the beautiful total nudity of both of you, the wonderful garden-like setting, and the fact that your cock is actually being sucked as we watch. Wow! You have a great view of your cock in her mouth, and you've given us a great view too.
I find this photo so stimulating that I've got several shots of me stroking my hard cock in the foreground with your picture in the background on my computer. I've even got so stimulated that I've lost control a couple times, and have cum all over myself fantasizing about this picture. So yes, I have special feelings about this picture for sure, lol!
How were you two dressed before you got undressed for this shot? How long were you both exposed like this as you took the picture? I'd love to hear more about it! Did you take any other pictures of this set up, or is this picture unique? If you have some "outtakes" I'd love to see them.
As for the Mac, I thought I saw one in the background of one of your pictures long ago. I guess not, though. No big deal, it's just that years ago I looked into getting PhotoShop and at that time it wasn't' available for the Mac. I'm sure these days there would be no problem getting a Mac version.
If you click the right arrow on the flickr page, you can see some other shots from the same day. We weren't exposed for very long - just long enough for me to finish (I was pretty excited in that setting).
ReplyDeleteThanks, I had forgotten about those other photos on flickr.
ReplyDeleteI like the clothes you were wearing before getting nude – nice short shorts and an attractive top, both in deep rich colors. I also like your shoes and ankle socks – my footwear too when not in flip flops.
It's exciting the way you put it, "… long enough for me to finish." I can just imagine you "finishing" in that pose, with your cock being sucked on as you came – it wouldn't take me long, either. It would have been interesting to see a shot after you came. Everything about this photo is exciting.
Yeah, but that's one of those moments when photography is the last thing on your mind. ;-p
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