Jack Rabbit by The Naked Desert

Phoenix in January. It was so warm in the sun. I started the shoot with a jacket and immediately heated up in the sunshine.  Phoenix is so alien to me. I grew up on the East coast of the USA, and have never seen anything like it until I did in 2016.  The west coast inspired me to open my mind to the possibilities of my own country.  Cartoons and movies can't capture the quality of the tall, armies of Saguaro cacti.  They give me a sense of vertigo, like when I first saw how tall the buildings in New York are.  I couldn't survive in the desert. Even modeling these outside, gave me some panic that I might get a sun burn. Other than that it was incredible! No bugs! 

The one thing I've learned for sure from modeling, is that nudity sucks. Nudity looks great in art and clothing is uncomfortable.  I don't like the way clothing feels when it digs into my skin, and there are other things.  But clothes are one of our best inventions.  Clothes are protective from the cold, the sun, the pointy things, the germs, and the bugs! I got some splinters that I still haven't taken out of my feet from this shoot, but it beats bug bites. Phoenix and the desert east of the Rockys is devoid from fire ants, biting flies, mosquitoes, spiders, ticks, and whatever that bug is that I seem to be highly allergic to (still haven't figured out which it is, but it leaves huge welts on my body).  I hope one day to find or sew my own clothes to survive the summers.  Something sweat resistant and breezy, but long so that it shields me from the bugs and sun.  Maybe one day they'll make a stronger sunscreen and bug spray.  

I'm still amazed by the amount I, and other models, can suffer through to make a great photo.  No one could pay me enough to do another job if it also involved holding strenuous poses over sharp gravel, in freezing water at 5am.  This work always reminds me how much I need to take care of my body.  Modeling puts so much strain on it, that I really need to make sure to keep myself strong and healthy so I don't get sick or hurt myself at the next photo shoot. Why do I love this? lol. Sometimes I ask myself that.  It's a mix of the art and creativity with the challenge of having a small business.  I feel like this is the perfect job because it combines body, brain, and creation.