A Seasonal Hesitation: Joe R. by JW Johnson

'My Favorite Color Is October.'

Usually by the second week of October, the colors of Autumn are in full swing.  This year, at least in the North East, Autumn seemed a little reluctant to embrace it's place at the seasonal table.  Summer was so hot and muggy, mother nature took a brief pause, saving their orange and reds until the air could be counted on to be consistently crisp. 

Seasons often hesitate to make their grand entrances, entering too early can be risky.  There is nothing more powerful than a season not ready to depart, so a smart season patiently waits it's turn.  We've all experienced a early Spring arrival, only to be damped by a winter that returns to cruelly cover tulips and crocuses with a blanket of snow. 

For photographers however, a hesitant Autumn can provide the perfect window for shooting outside.  There is a  brief period of time when nature's colors are near their peak and the sun still providing enough heat to ensure the temperatures don't dip too low.  With the sun's rays still beating down, models don't have to worry about their nipples getting hard and photographers don't have to feel guilty about asking a model to take off some of their clothing. 

JW Johnson certainly took advantage of this window when he shot with Joe R.  You can almost feel the sun's heat as it cascades across Joe's chest and stomach.  You can also feel the chill in air from the River and the yellows, oranges and reds that provide such a visually magnificent background.

For me, in addition to family and food, Thanksgiving is all about color.  I have vivid memories of going on long walks in the woods, football games on the back lawn and playing out in the leaves before being called into dinner.  I couldn't think of a better way to mark the day than heading into the woods with JW's shots of Joe.

JW recalls their Autumn shoot being Joe's first professional shoot, and remembers him being cool and  relaxed throughout the their time together shooting.  The ended up working together twice, and although this was his first shoot was up for experimenting shooting some implied nudes at the Inn that JW was staying in.  You can head inside and see a bit more of Joe on Page 2 HERE:

JW Johnson Photo