Joshua Tree with Merrique - October 2015

Always one of my favorite place to visit and to photograph Joshua Tree is the perfect place to photograph models in the natural landscape. I've been working with models there for over ten years.It's hard and rough surfaces against the soft skin of the model makes for a great combination of textures and colors. Merrique came out to meet me for the afternoon and we started at the 29 Palms Inn where I was staying. It's been a few years since I last stayed there but I've always liked the funky cool of their adobe cabins. After that we worked our way out into the park and ended up at the ruins of Ryan Ranch at sunset. I first met Merrique on a subway platform in New York and have now worked with her in Mexico, California and at my studio in Olympia. She's so good at what she does and her beauty so pleasing that the hardest part is editing photos down to a manageable amount. Here are a few from that afternoon.