Barefoot in a Forest

This is Liz. Liz is one of the most beautiful and sweetest people I know. Often, she is my guinea pig. I will begin rattling of crazy ideas and she's there like “Yup. I sincerely understand you even though you stopped speaking English five minutes ago.” I have made her climb on unstable rocks, up steep and obviously dangerous hills, and walk barefoot through a forest. And she has done all of those things in the name of art.

One of reasons I love the fact that Liz is my go-to model is because she knows about photography too. Sometimes she has an idea for a picture for me to take, or knows the best way to pose herself. I like the fact that when she has an idea, she doesn’t hesitate telling me. This photo is actually a result of a combination of Liz’s and mine’s genius. While we were walking through Akron Falls Park, she said that she brought this one dress that looked really fluid and pretty when she spun around really fast. So, after when it came time for that outfit we went down by the river bed and weaved our way through a few trees. Then she began spinning and I began clicking. Obviously we took a few breaks because she got dizzy fairly quickly, and I most definitely did not want her to puke. Due to timing issues, most of the photographs I got were of her back. This photo was one of the few that I got her face in the shot. I went in an added the little light speckles just because I thought they looked cool.

This picture has a very ironic sort of theme to it. She is wearing a black dress, but overall the image is very innocent and almost childlike. When we grow up we are subject to facing the dangers, corruption and despair this world seems to spoon-feed us. It is important that we remember what it is like to be silly and childish. We need to have fun, and walk barefoot through a forest just because we can.