Scans By: Photovision Prints | Sweater: Gentle Fawn | Shorts: Free People
Boots: Jeffrey Campbell | Fashion & Lifestyle Blogger: Brittany Messner of Life Set Sail
A few words from Brittany about this shoot: We took these photos in the middle of Joshua Tree National Park and included…zero Joshua trees. It’s funny because if you’ve never been there yourself, you’d probably just assume that’s all there was, when in fact, there is so much more. I haven’t been since I was very little so my entire memory of this park was based off of a single U2 album (not an accurate representation at all).
I love this series we shot in the middle of the desert, even if it was so hot I was literally sweating in every place you could possibly imagine. We wound up doing three different sets, one here, one with actual Joshua trees and the last in the middle of a huge cacti garden. I only wish we had more time to go back, but it literally would have taken days!
I can’t help but laugh when photos come back to me because there are so many situations going on behind the scenes that the viewer is oblivious to. For example, I may look calm and relaxed in these photos but it was so hot (try high forties), that my feet got stuck in my boots because they were so swollen. On top of that I was really, really sweaty, trying to expertly position my boobs to not look weird, and fluff hair that was sticking to the back of my neck. Not everything is as glamorous as it looks people!
Luckily Justine and I seem to have this whole shooting thing down to a very well-timed art! Because we work together so often (and because of the nature of film photography), we don’t actually spend all that long taking photos. Generally it takes us about 15 minutes to shoot a look…which definitely comes in handy when you’re running from air conditioned car to the middle of the sweltering desert!
Looking back on these photos now, and really most of what we shot down south just makes my heart ache even more for adventure. I love the change of scenery, the chance to reflect, to see new things and take them in without being too stressed about the day ahead. Isn’t travelling so bittersweet that way? For now I will just have to try to find the beauty in my own backyard!
