Shoot Date: July 18, 2010

I met and shot Najarra Townsend once before.  She was such a wonderful model to work with that I had to shoot her again.  :)

My lovely MUA, Phi, and I were brainstorming ideas, and she said that Najarra had the perfect look for a “dirty bride” shoot she had been wanting to do. We took that idea and ran with it! My roommate used to be an avid paintballer, and still had some of his gear. We thought Najarra’s delicate beauty would look particularly awesome paired with a big ‘ole gun. Najarra, ever the trooper, jumped right into the dirt and started “shooting”. Check out those gorgeous blue eyes:

It took a bit of scouting to find the right location, but I was pleased with the one I found. The backgrounds really have that dirty, combat-worn feel I wanted. And doesn’t she just look like a post-apocalyptic babe, straight out of a movie? She nailed all the expressions and poses.

I also wanted to do some badass, sexy, super-spy shots with her… and our location accommodated both outfits. Her bone structure is just so beautifully fierce… I loved the idea of shooting her as the femme fatale.

One of the benefits of working with this model is that, while she can clearly pull off the glamorous, the badass, the fierce, the rugged, etc… she has a gorgeous smile, which she uses frequently, and is a total sweetie. When we were decking her out with this outfit change, a group of people was staring from afar, and rather than get cross, she grins all huge and starts waving and shouting, “Hiiiiiii….” at them. Gotta love it. :)

When I saw this area of dry brush and palm trees, I was ecstatic. Thanks to Najarra’s acting chops and some items from my old Lara Croft costume, this image leapt to life exactly as I pictured it:

There is something special about working with actors on shoots. There’s a movement to their poses, and they seem to be down for pretty much anything I ask them to do, even when it’s as physically demanding as supporting their weight by one arm, while hanging off a ladder, holding a gun out with the other arm, for minutes on end, as I shoot them from different angles….

I love my models. :)

Najarra was recently filming an episode for CSI: NY, and I have no doubt this Tru Loved star will continue to rise. Thank you, Najarra, for a perfect shoot!

To see more of the paintball shoot, click here:

And for more of the badass shoot, see: