XaiJu
Monique

Monique

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Monique posts

Looming Shadow

On a frigid morning in January, 2015, Sekaa and I got up at 5AM on about four hours sleep to drive 1.5 hours to Big Talbot Island for a sunrise shoot. We were exhausted from many long days of travel and shooting. We pulled into a dingy gas station for a restroom break. There, we regrouped, bought coffee, cranked the heat as hot as it would go, and screamed at the top of our lungs. Whenever we had to do a shoot like this, in the freezing cold and on very low energy, we would scream it out to a...

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Big Talbot Island

Some shots I snapped during a sunrise shoot in this lovely Floridian wintertime landscape are now up at $5+ Enjoy.

Remembering how cold this shoot was inspires me to have a swim in the ocean before work. It's a beautiful summer day here in Jersey. Hope you are enjoying your Tuesday!

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Big Talbot Island

These are some shots I took of Sekaa almost five years ago, during the era of MonSekaa. We were shooting sunrise on Big Talbot Island in January. It was damn cold, so we would trade off posing. Whoever was taking a ...

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As Promised...

 


A few images Photosensualis and I made during the era of our book; Monique - Poet & Muse. 

That was my very first book, and I am so proud of every word and image in it. It also celebrates a very special few years of work with a good friend, while we both lived in the Wo...

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Resplendent

I felt as though I should second this post made today by a favorite collaborator and dear friend, Photosensualis.;

"Monique 2013

This image is included in the book that Monique and I created  - MONIQUE - POET & MUSE. The book features images of Monique by Photosensualis, and Monique's compelling and evocative poetry. We still have a few signed hardcover copies available. Patron price is $60 (regular price is $80 - we know it's pricey, but it is expensive to self-publish)....

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July 1, 2019 *mini set

Hi friends. I turned 28 years old today. I posted this on my personal Facebook, but thought I'd share with you, because this is where I'm at.

Here's what 28 looks like:

A few days ago, I was sitting alone at my kitchen table binge-eating a disgusting amount of ice cream... in secret, obviously. There's a knock at the door, and it's my mom, Jeffreeze sundae in hand, to sing 'happy birthday' to me. If you laughed, good. Because it's hilarious.

BUT ALSO-

I've struggled wi...

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July 1, 2019 *full set

2019-07-01 21:22:42 +0000 UTC View Post

Photograph Liv Sage (A Small Woman) w. The Desert Adventure

Just a friendly note to remind you that our early registration discount for The Desert Adventure; Fall 2019 ends in July! The full rate is $2900. 

Early registration: $2500

If you are reading this, that means you are entitled to the Patron discount, so your price until July is $2300.

We are also doing an additional $200 discount for women (all fem-identifying creatives).

If...

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Hey.

I've been a little quiet here the last two weeks. I just thought I'd share with you what this month has looked like for me. 

Growing up on the Jersey Shore, coming home from tour for summer time has always been very nostalgic. Returning home this time has been a very surreal experience.

This June was the first time I arrived home from tour and there was no one here waiting for me. My siblings, who I have always been very close with, moved to Virginia three years ago. Both of ...

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Stairwell

The lady in the stairwell

She speaks to me in rhyme,

I climbed each step towards her

Alas, she's lost elsewhere in time


She's drawn about the mirror 

The glass exposes her affairs,

Shining fixtures draw me nearer

To soft locks spilling down her stairs.

And I'd have spoken sooner,

Had the lady, universe

Sooner touched my naked thigh,

Had she not but stole my sighing words.


Yet the waters so reced...

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Doux Bébé Ange Doré *b&w set


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Doux Bébé Ange Doré *full set

Eva Luna dubbed me "Sweet Golden Baby Angel."

If you know anything about Eva and me, you know that if we aren't laughing or speaking in accents with heaps of sarcasm, we are extolling one another... maybe excessively.

Eva introduced me to Ben Taylor, in Portland.

Ben suggested ice cream for dinner, so now we're good pals.

Anyway, while shooting this denim set against gold fabric, Ben jokingly called me a "golden baby angel." A rational person can only assume that Eva w...

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Doux Bébé Ange Doré

Sweet golden baby angel in denim.

Going live tonight.

$1 unlocks the miniset.

$5 unlocks the full set.

$25 unlocks the black & white miniset.

Enjoy.

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Bonus BTS

Behind the scenes of my time in Utah outside of TDA. 

I spent a lot of days hiking, scouting and spending time with my partner John and Jake, the dog. We were living out of John's sprinter while he waited for his house to become available.

The first few days, Jake and I did a lot of hiking while John worked.

However, on one of our hikes, I got us extremely lost, which turned a 3.5 mile hike into a 7 mile hike. Jake is 15 years old, so he spent about a week recovering fr...

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Behind the Scenes - The Desert Adventure

Just in case you thought we take ourselves seriously... 

I took most of these images myself, so they are mostly of our participants and Eva, who is the absolute most fun human I have had the pleasure of posing with. 

2019-06-05 17:47:30 +0000 UTC View Post

p.s.

P.S.

I've been a little lost on Patreon this year. Between my grandfather dying, my Tumblr account vanishing without a trace, and my current transition into the next life chapter, I have been unsure as to what kind of experience I want to design for you all going forward.


When I first embarked on my Patreon journey, it was with the idea that my followers would get first dibs on my book projects. And that is what has happened. I hope you all have enjoyed (and continue ...

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Tempest Resurrected *full set

2019-06-01 00:15:25 +0000 UTC View Post

The Tempest Resurrected


As promised, I have re-featured 'The Tempest" for my patrons.

This is not exactly the same post from the 'Tumblr' era, but the original poetry, written to the original series of images shot by Photosensualis. This series was photographed during the touch down of a hurricane. 

While I was driving to the gulf coast, my car broke down on the highway....

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To Float

To Float


The moment you've recognized 

The absurdity of existence, 

All at once,

It becomes nothing

To do something

Extraordinarily profound

And I'm not in the least troubled

by the truth


With the delicate femineity

Of an hour in the wind,

And a flower on the skin,

Prone, with sincerity

I could float against

The stone and severity

The moan of austerity


I c...

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To Float *exclusive color series


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Moab; The Misfit Melting Pot

 *** Many of my patrons have expressed an interest in my life outside of modeling/photography. As some of you know, I am slowly, but steadily, making my transition into the next chapter of my life, which will focus more heavily on writing and academia. As part of that transition, I have taken a job with my local newspaper. 

2019-05-17 20:26:33 +0000 UTC View Post

Desert Reds


Many thanks to my patrons for bearing with me while I was off grid shooting for The Desert Adventure. I had an incredible time posing with Eva Luna for some of my favorite artists. I am currently in Los Angeles, and flying to San Francisco tomorrow for a couple of weeks. In my down time, I'...

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Desert Reds *full set

A look at the image before the crop.

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Desert Reds *favorites

My dear friend and mentor expressed that these are preferred edits. In honor of that friend, here you go. xo.

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Desert Reds


Many thanks to my patrons for bearing with me while I was off grid shooting for The Desert Adventure. I had an incredible time pos...

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Other Worldly


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Tempest Takes Moab *in color


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Tempest Takes Moab *full b&w



I hav...

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Tempest Takes Moab

By now, you probably know I tend to bring turbulent weather with me everywhere I go. Moab is no exception, and never has been.

Anyway, I decided to post a b&w series of strong poses tonight as a tribute to that.



2019-04-29 04:20:49 +0000 UTC View Post

Tomorrow.

Here's another sneak peek at tomorrow's post. 

Enjoy!

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