Georgia: George, part 1

George and I met through another photographer in the fall of last year. We chatted a bit on Instagram and planned a shoot, though he wasn't ready physically at the time, so it kept getting put off. Eventually I just gave up and got busy shooting other guys, so figured no real loss. George was determined though and once he found out that I was leaving the country, he got back in touch and helped make it happen. Given that it was January, it was quite cold out most days - and windy. We found the warmest possible day in the forecast and made a plan. I think it was in the high 40s on this day (Fahrenheit, obviously 😆).

The location I chose, of course, and it was pretty damn cool. The place, the hilltop ruins of an 11th century fortress that I had visited a couple months prior. The first time I went it was shrouded in heavy fog and I didn't go up to the top - only stood on a lower hill and could just barely make out the outline of the ruins in the heavy fog. It sits outside a small village up in the hills and over the mountain from the capital city where I'd been living, Tbilisi. The drive was 40 minutes or so and there was no bus, so knowing someone with a car was key. On my first visit, my friend drove us since he knew I liked old 'abandoned' shit, he suggested it. For the next visit and the shoot, George borrowed his brother's big, old Mercedes.

Once we arrived at the bottom, the most challenging and dreaded part of the day started - the steep hike to the top. Horrible. Painful. Almost enough reason not to do it at all as far as I'm concerned, but I pushed through and am glad I did. George is in his late 20's and a bit more fit than me (ha!), so he had no issue - in fact I didn't even hear his breathing change. After the steep hike we then climbed some very tall, narrow and steep stairs, which led us to the entrance - through the wall and up into the interior.

The temperature was a challenge, but George persevered. I was wearing gloves and layers, so no need to worry about me 😉 We got lots of great shots and had beautiful sun and skies. Half the reason I wanted to use this location was to get some epic drone footage up there with the model, which I feel I did. Unfortunately, the wind was picking up the longer we were there and the gusts started to get too much and I had to call it quits. Regardless, I think we got some good footage and we were both happy. We decided to call it a wrap on this location and headed back to another one we passed on the drive here, closer to the city. Those shots will be more gritty and much more revealing. Stay tuned!

Kojori, Jan 2022