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NATURAL CLASSIC We are counting down what I have ranked as my ten best shoots of all time. Now we are at Number 9 on the list. This next shoot was another one of those I didn't think was going to make it on the list. I left that shoot thinking to myself that if this did not make my top ten, then it wasn't going to be far from it. That's how much I enjoyed this experience.
Her feet were already out of her socks and running shoes at the time I walked up to her. Many times, the women I approached had their shoes on, and it was a matter of convincing them to remove them for me. Other times, their feet were already out, and so the idea was to make them feel that their already-exposed feet should be the center of attention since the women feel good about them enjoying the nice air as well. Her polite sounding voice and her precious demeanor in accepting the invitation for an on-the-spot shoot warmed my heart. That was something special.
About twenty minutes after the shoot was over, that was when the sun broke out, and it was an enjoyable, pleasant walk through the park. I was contemplating whether I was going to have the time to do another shoot. Ultimately, I decided not to and opted to kill some time before I would start to make my way to spend some time with a lovely lady whose photos I had taken of some time prior. That shoot was a great piece of artistic display that I felt I did everything I needed to do.
NUMBER 9 - LIZBETH VITALITY
She is one of the nicest people I've ever met. Her heart is made of gold. She is kind, generous, and compassionate. She has a warm and loving personality and is willing to help others without expecting anything in return. Anyone who spends a short amount of time with her will develop the sense that she is trustworthy and loyal, as gold is a precious metal that is often associated with value and worth. Saying that she has a heart made of gold is a compliment that conveys admiration and respect for her character and personality.
Anyone in her presence feels the charisma exuding from her, even if she doesn't utter a word. You'll understand if you've met a celebrity who is charismatic.
She has an aura about herself that emanates out of her physical body, a magnetic attraction that can be felt by others. She lights up a room when she walks in. The Greek word 'charisma' itself means gift, and that is something anyone in her life will be able to explain about her as they praise her value to the heavens. I could tell that this trait was not something she learned, but instead it has more to do with her consciousness levels and the evolution of her soul.
She is a dancer, a personal trainer, and a loving wife to the happiest man in the world. She makes the world smile, and the world is a better place for having her in it.
POWERFUL DESCRIBES HER STRENGTH Being a personal trainer sometimes feels like she's more of a psychologist/therapist than a coach.
She's not dealing with pro athletes or high achievers. She is dealing with normal people who want to work out because they understand the benefits of working out. But fitness is not their identity, nor their priority.
It takes a lot of patience to support her clients, to find the best exercise cues that work for them individually, and to not get frustrated when they can't do what you ask them to do. Her job is to empower them, not to look good for them, adding that, "Too often I see arrogant fitness models who think training others is beneath them. But if it is, they should not be training anyone. Personal trainer clients need support, empowerment, and encouragement. If you demotivate them by comparison, you're not helping, and you're stealing their money without offering value."
She finds immense fulfillment in not just shaping bodies but transforming lives. It's more than a profession; it's a journey of empowerment and change.
Each day, she has the privilege of inspiring clients to achieve their fitness goals, whether it's weight loss, muscle gain, or overall fitness enhancement. Her approach goes beyond prescribing exercises and offering nutritional guidance; it's about building rapport, providing constant motivation, and celebrating their achievements.
Here's a montage of her working out, whether it's with her running shoes on or without: **Click Here**
THERE IS NOTHING SHE CAN'T DO When one is born impassioned to dance, a spirit is placed in a mortal body, and its only desire is to turn flesh into electricity and feeling into flight. That describes her to a tee.
There is really no choice involved. It is a given. She must dance. She cannot help but dance. Almost every movement she makes is perceived as a dance move, even walking, lifting, working, sitting. It is more natural than breathing.
As well as she treats her body, she treats her body horribly, ironically. She pushes and pushes and pushes and continues to push! She works and sweats and forces ... so hard. It hurts, it aches, it strains, it challenges. This will throw her body across the room, contorting it into pose and poise and balance and fluidity. It heaves for breath, then rests into perfect equipoise, only to begin again and again.
When the moment arrives and the costumes are on and the lights pour over the stage and the room is filled with humanity sitting, waiting, watching in silence for the first strains of music, she feels the synergy, the intake of a cosmic breath that draws audience and performer together into one creative body.
It is bliss. It is joy. It is victory.
There is nothing she can't do. Click below to watch this talented dancer: **Click Here**
THE BIGGEST LITTLE GIRL It may not look it in the photos, but if she is not the smallest woman I've photographed, then she's the second smallest. She's usually the smallest person in any room she walks into, unless there are children in there. She's barely five feet tall (154.4 cm)!
She's an ordinary superhero. She can increase her strength to a superhuman extent, exhibiting the power to exert force and lift weights beyond what is physically possible for an ordinary human being. She hasn't had a carb since 2005. When people were up having breakfast, she had run ten miles already. In fact, she is so strong, she can blow bubbles with Jolly Ranchers.
She can make anyone smile, and children love her. She finds humor in situations, just not the bad ones. She talks about the good things and shows empathy in bad situations.
A park is a great place to start a conversation with a girl. More people have visited Central Park than any other park in the world, and so when it comes to parks, there is no other place like this. With Central Park, everyone from everywhere knows what you're talking about, and they know what you mean. This thread has brought a new meaning to what that place so special. And on one special night of the year, the spiritual heart of this thread is held front and center. It is on this special night of the year where we go to a special place where legends live forever. This ceremony is the Mecca, where we look back on the women who stood out, whose photos and life stories are etched in the memories of anyone who has graced the pages of this thread. This is a repository of not just all the history of my work, but the hopes of others who aspire to do what I have done. What you are about to enter is the greatest history museum commemorating any one person's work.
Picturesque, quaint, evocative. Any one of those words aptly describes the Hall of Fame that has retained a charm of a bygone era. For one glorious night each December, this place thread has become the epicenter for the foot photography world. Admirers of my work come here to pay homage to the greats.
Welcome to the 2024 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies
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THE LEAD INDUCTEE -- NIKKI BRIANNA This shoot could not have come at a better time for me. Nikki Brianna has was the turning point of how I changed my style in doing the shoots. She not only played a major role in revitalizing, maybe even saving, this thread, but also renewed my interest in doing more shoots going forward because it was around that time I was contemplating retirement from doing this all together. She single-handedly saved this thread and extended its life span by another few years. Had it not been for that shoots, this thread would've ended five years ago.
The attention she gets in terms of how much she's been brought up throughout the pages of this thread since I uploaded the photos of her compared to the other women seems weak on the surface. Yet, that is unfair in so many ways, for it is a function of a fresh new direction in my vision was looking for, even though I wasn't sure what I was looking for. She was the reason why this thread enter the Evolution Era phase in which the poses turned provocative in that the poses turned racy, and have injected a revitalization of my hobby. It was through the magic of that shoot in which I knew I could push the envelope a bit, which resulted to an increased engagement to my posts and boosted the reach of my content.
In my time of need, this woman came along and saved the entire thread.
A shoot like this would not have been possible without the inspiration of vision I was able to take away from the dynamic-shifting shoot I had with Nikki Brianna. This was another shoot that became a staple of the Natural Evolution Era, and anyone who it a shoot unlike most others I've done, and a shoot unlike what any other public feet photographer who approaches random women have done. She had so much fun with this, and that shoot will forever be a shoot for the ages.
BETSY AWESOME! Something fascinating about her that I bet you didn't know: "Betsy" is an awesome journalist. Yes, journalist. She is a reporter who is employed by a media organization in Russia to cover news and events. She's a news correspondent. She's not an "on-the-scene reporter" to where she's physically present at a breaking news event or location, giving live updates and reporting directly from the scene. Instead, she's a reporter in a general sense where she can investigate and report on stories from various locations, including the field, but not necessarily live at the exact moment of an event happening. She contributes news to a television network often from a distance, and not in the studio.
Betsy is a workaholic. She writes and edits all of her own material. She is a serious writer who is an instant expert on whichever topic she's covering that day. As a beat reporter, Betsy is fortunate and talented enough to cover subjects she has depths of knowledge that earns her a lot of money if she choses to leave journalism.
Miss Awesome rarely gets a lunch break, and she's grateful that she got to spend a rare "big long paid holiday" in New York, New York. She gets called in at odd hours, is expected to work weekends and holidays without complaint, and can get sent out of town with little to no notice. Betsy always has to know what question she's going to ask next, and has to be ready to (sometimes physically) chase down a story to get that question or shot on tape.
What little downtime the public may see of a her day usually involves her standing in front of the camera on a live shot, waiting for her station to toss to her. As much as that may look like a break, Betsy would love to see you try staring into a camera with a serious expression for five to ten minutes at a time and see if it feels like a break.
This is a news clip from a story she did: **Click Here**
In this other news clip, I tried my best to translate what she said. As accurate as I could make it, she said, "Not everyone can answer this question: what exactly do we eat? The food industry has become so firmly entrenched in our lives, that it has gotten to a point that even ordinary products are not so simple." The next time she spoke, she said, "This is molecular gluing. This is another good example on how you won't surprise anyone with cheese made from palm oil, or sausages made from animal products, skins, cartilage, and bones. As a result, the grocery basket contains seemingly the same goods but of a completely different quality." You get the idea of what the rest of that news article was about. The story addressed the question of just how healthy the foods we eat are? They talked about the chemicals the industry puts into foods that makes people eat a lot more than they should, which can lead to other health problems. In any event, here's that story. You'll see a lot more of her in this clip: **Click Here**
Betty's awesome feet are the type where if they were the last things I'd ever see before I go blind, then I would live the rest of my life just fine. Something that beautiful as my final sight would make the best use of my sight. She has the kind of feet that makes you forget all the worries in the world even if you are in a very grave predicament. My fascination with women's feet was given an extra life because they made me feel strong, healthy, and full of energy. The distinguishing traits and qualities about them were fully admired by me, and I felt it in my core because time stood still.
I got to live out a dream of massaging the feet, placing the soles of her feet on my face, and then taking in some deep, deep breaths, and in doing so taking in some mental notes of the little tiny bit of aroma that emanated from between the toes of an on-air personality of a news corporation. We were so focused on what was going on between us that we weren't aware of what was going on around us as the passersby down below glanced at what was happening. The limited space we lived in was ours to indulge, to play, and to fulfill fantasies. For a moment in time, we were in our own little world, just the two of us. Her feet in my hands, and her feet on my face, and she didn't mind any of that. A kiss or two and a little lick here and there with her feet was like the two of us sharing our innermost secrets with one another.
There's something special about having this kind of encounter with someone who is supposed to be emotionless and robotic, smiling, giggling, and just being cool enough to go along with the whole thing that made the whole thing pretty awesome. It was pretty cool seeing a different side of someone who does what she does for a living come out like this.
KATHERINE STILLS Someone with feet like hers cannot be left off the Hall of Fame. She has one of the best-looking natural toes I've ever photographed and perhaps the best-looking hands of all time. The way her fingernails looked, which was also in a natural state, made me think of having a hand fetish.
She looked as if she knew she was in the right place at the right time as she was sitting by a tree, watching the sun set. The look on her face said it all. She was watching the sunset one minute and having a complete stranger taking photos of her feet the next minute. Her feet were gorgeous. The soles of her feet and her award-winning toes were precisely what I was looking for. Seeing her feet and capturing it in its finest of existence made me count my blessings because it was proof that life can be beautiful.
She asked me out on a date towards the end of the shoot after the incredible foot massage I gave her. Actually, I don't remember if she had asked me out before or after the massage, but one of them happened not too long after the other. There was a time when we held hands for a few minutes right around that time as well. Sometimes you meet someone, a connection is formed, and something a little special would come of it, and that's what happened between us. We were lying together on the boulder where the shoot took place, and she shared a wonderful kiss as the sun was just about to set for good.
Central Park is the place to be to meet someone new.
[ January 01, 2025, 10:38 AM: Message edited by: National ]
She's both a kind soul and a rebel who wants to go against "the system", referring to her opposition to established social, political, or economic structures and institutions, which can encompass a wide range of beliefs and attitudes, often rooted in a perception that these systems are unjust, corrupt, oppressive, or ineffective.
Critiquing authority, for example. She often challenges the legitimacy of authority figures or institutions, arguing that they do not represent the interests of the people. She may advocate for social change, emphasizing issues like inequality, discrimination, and lack of representation. Anti-establishment in that she rejects mainstream political parties and ideologies, seeking alternatives that align more closely with her values.
She's also eats, sleeps, and breathes video games. She went as far as to tattoo that mushroom from the Super Mario game on her right foot, I believe it was. She even compared herself to a casual gamer.
Gaming gear Casual: anything will do, really. Her: I need a really good keyboard and mouse setup or the game isn't worth playing.
Time spent Casual: four to five hours a week. Whenever he is free or feels like playing. Her: 2–3 hours a day, every day of the week. I have five essays and three tests coming up, so I am just gonna play some [whatever game is popular these days].
Attitude Casual: quite relaxed. He is there for a good time. Would be nice if he wins. If he loses, that's fine. Having fun is more important. Her: takes the game very seriously. I want to be the best and beat you decisively. I don't entertain the possibility of losing.
Game knowledge Casual: doesn't know much. Not very interested in exploring the game's depth. Did I mention he just wanted to have a good time? Her: takes learning seriously and knows a lot about the game and other related stuff. I have a neurotic need to improve and be the best. I also know the history of the main character's grandmother.
ALLISON DAWSON This was a shoot that warmed the soul. I think I shot these on a November morning. The only reason I was in the park that morning was because the temperature was a lot milder than usual for that time of year in New York. That really brought out the essence of the autumn season. The brisk, crisp, slightly sharp smells associated with this shoot include pumpkin spice, cinnamon, fruity breakfast cereal, kettle corn, and burnt sugar. That's how it was in the park that day. The softness of her feet, how well maintained (especially the soles) they were, and the beautifulness of her painted nails warmed the soul.
DAUGHTER'S LOVE The definition of what beauty is, inside and out. She is just as beautiful on the outside in the same way that she is when it comes to being being kind, caring, and genuine. She can light up a room with her presence and can make others feel comfortable and valued. She is the definition of true beauty because what she does shines through with her actions, words, and how she treats others. In simple words, she's truly beautiful she has a good heart and a warm spirit.
GemmaSweets Another fun shoot I had that would not have happened the way it happened had it not been for the shoot I had with Nikki Brianna. The same thing can be said about so many other shoots. This shoot was among those that were the beneficiary of Nikki's influence.
She's the type not to bother anyone. The "sweets" in her name refers to how much she smelled like strawberries. If I remember correctly, that had to be the reason behind it; otherwise, I'm just imagining things. But I distinctly remember how sweet that strawberry would've tasted had I tried to bite into a strawberry that smelled as sweet as her fragrance did. Whatever she put on, it smelled like something a teenager would wear, something a sixteen-year-old would've bought with the amount of money a sixteen-year-old would typically have on her. For some reason, that scent suited her well. If she were to go out at night, I would imagine the perfume she would apply on herself would be something that's more sophisticated, more elegant. But considering it was during the late-morning hours, she was just minding her own business and not wearing an evening gown; Gemma was delicious. GemmaSweets.
GREEK MYTHOLOGY She has a Greek family lineage. Beauty can be a topic that has mythical connotation, hence the name I gave her. She was nineteen at the time of the shoot, she's a feminist, and has one of the most gorgeous pair of feet I've seen on a woman. The pair of glasses she wore that day places the bow on top, which accentuated her endearing aspects. She understood why some women would have a problem with a stranger walking up to them and ask if he can take pictures of their feet, but she "loudly and proudly" said that she's not one of them. A lot of our conversation centered around sex, and so this fetish stuff with the feet didn't bother her at all.
CINDY LAUREN I've never been a patient of a dermatologist, but if I found myself in situation where I would need to see one, it would be Dr. Cindy Lauren.
During the shoot, she gave me a free lesson that was quite useful and how to best utilize soap when taking showers. Her use of complicated medical terms made me feel great, knowing I was in good hands. She was a wonderful and pretty cool person to meet and to photograph. Her feet were the type that made my day a lot better with how they looked.
[ January 01, 2025, 02:22 PM: Message edited by: National ]
Nothing more needs to be said, but in this case I will. Everything she had on that day matched what was around her, the background, even the grey clouds. I could not have chosen a better lady with a better wardrobe under more fitting weather conditions. If any one of you saw her, that inner part of you would love to have a catalog of her existence through beautiful photos to show the whole world. I wanted Bibi to have her place in the Hall of Fame, and here she is, to be seen forever.
I'll offer this: if you were to say to many women, "You’re beautiful," they'll tend to reply, "Oh no, I'm not beautiful; you should see me on a bad day" or some such thing. Bibi will say "thank you."
It makes a world of difference.
Her feet had the barely perceptible scent of lotion that was packed with natural moisturizers to soothe and smooth to let the milky texture of her feet live its softest life. That was giving way to her natural feminine feet fragrance. It was a scent that could only be detected when one pressed their nose between her toes.
Bibi is a beauty mark both in appearance and character. Her beauty is soft. It doesn't go out of its way to get your attention. No. It whispers. It's an all-too-innocent, sophisticated, and approachable kind of beauty... which is only further enhanced by the sound of her speaking. While she might not have been the most beautiful woman to ever walk through Central Park, she has that special quality that makes it hard to put it into words. It's not even something you can judge from a photo. It's the way she speaks and moves. A "movement" as fluid as an elegant cursive handwritten love note.
BLOODY MARY This shoot was just insane. If there was ever a time when I was that close to having sex with someone in Central Park, it would've been with this shoot. The world has a strange way of making certain things happen, and the cops just happened to be there as we were clearly heading in that direction. When I say the cops were "right there," I mean it would've taken me ten seconds to get from where I was to their car.
The cops patrol the park at night (during the daytime hours, too, but particularly during the night). A police cruiser came down a path where one wouldn't necessarily expect to see a motorized vehicle. It stopped as soon as it saw us getting a little too romantic for their liking. The driver flashed his side light onto us to let us know that he knew what we were about to do and that he, along with the cop on the passenger side seat, were not going to move from that spot unless we did first.
We left, and we finished what we started somewhere else.
She lives in Chicago now.
DR. BRIDGETTE HOLLAND Heroes lead by example.
Heroes put the needs of others before their own needs and especially their wants.
There is often an element of self-sacrifice.
Heroic action is not always readily visible. The soldier who throws himself on a grenade to save others is obviously a hero. The parent who dependably goes to work and denies their own trivial needs in order to provide for the needs of a child is also heroic.
Heroes serve.
Heroes know humility (well, often they do).
Heroes know fear but they master it.
Heroes set an example which others should seek to emulate.
Dr. Brigette Holland, scholar, brilliant, generous, and insightful. With all of the aforementioned qualities, she is still yet a humble lady.
DAISY JOY She is so kind, hence the "Joy" in her name. She is a kind, thoughtful, and pleasant, calming person to be around. She struck me as someone who may go out of her way to help those in need. Other words I would use to describe her are charming, gentle, and tender. She loves the wildlife. She's from Arizona (she was only visiting New York at the time of the shoot), and she spends a lot of her time in wildlife parks, constantly devoted to that environment and doing whatever she can to conserve it. Something I wish I had told her now that I look back on it is that she should look into hosting a show where the cameras follow her in her adventures in the wild, talking about the animals that roam there and what they tend to do. In the meantime, a lot of her work history involves making and servicing beverages, preparing food, and providing customer service. She makes and serves coffee and coffee-based drinks, such as espresso, lattes, cappuccinos, and iced coffee. She worked in some pizzerias in her life, and so that's what her résumé would generally show, with some of her deep love of all things wild sprinkled into the mix.
We left the park together after the shoot was over. Upon entering the subway station, she went to look for her MetroCard, and as she held the card in her hand, I jumped the turnstile ahead of her. I wish you were there to have seen the look on her face when she saw that. I don't know if that was the first time she'd ever seen anyone do something like that. She was shocked, and she liked it at the same time. Maybe she thought I was going to get into trouble and that she was going to be in trouble with me just for being associated with me. I don't think she was too concerned about getting into trouble because she said, "You're such a rebel, I love it!" All I did was jump a turnstile. That's one of the first three things a native New Yorker (typically a man) does after waking up. If that was her reaction to me doing that, then I wonder how she would've reacted had I robbed a bank. She thought I was the coolest guy in the world.
GIRL (NOUN) As a dancer, she has a strict routine of doing yoga, warm up exercises, dance practice and at times going to the gym to build body strength and stamina.
The other side of her life involves family and friends. Although she has a rigorous training schedule, she loves going out and having fun. In her perspective, too much of practice and training can also spoil the good form, and so a break in between is needed. She likes adventures, singing, traveling, watching movies.
She gets to travel, meet new people. Some people she meets, inspire her; some get inspired by her; some are just happy watching her performance if it's good and some might feel otherwise. Those little things make life more enjoyable and also challenging. Challenging because every time, something new is to be thought of. Creativity at its greatest! This is where her role as a choreographer get showcased. As she gets appreciated for her work, people will want to learn from her, and there she takes the role of being a teacher, too.
NEINE DORNVELD She is as loving and caring as she is tall and with large feet. She's an avid hiker, volleyball player (number 22 in that photo), and a competitive swimmer.
There's a special kind of confidence required to excel in those activities. It's hard to nail down all the ingredients, but there's some boldness in there with Neine, and a little naïveté doesn't hurt. She does what she does believing that she is or can be better than anyone else, which often requires a degree of reality distortion on her part. Instead of finding reasons why she won't succeed, she finds the reasons that she will. Past a certain point, everyone in her field of expertise puts in the hard work—conditioning is rarely the deciding factor. Whatever she needs to do to believe she's the best, that's what she will have to do. Neine Dornveld deserves it.
Her feet are in fantastic shape, and they are pretty strong and pretty beautiful. "Quite captivating" is how I would put it when describing her feet. It encompasses not just their outward appearance but also the unique charm and spirit it brings to the ground she walks on.
She's loving and caring, as I mentioned earlier. I'm going to talk about this from a different perspective. She is living her life giving and being kind to people. Her "giving to others" sets the format for who she's going to be in her life, and what she puts out is what comes back to her.
By living her life this way, she approaches people with an open and honest way of doing things because she lives it with the understanding that treating humanity with kindness will free her from the burdens of stress.
The world is not the most trusting place, and she hopes that people and humanity can offer that to each other, and that's what she does, hoping to make life have much more meaning for us all. It is her small contribution to the universe.
[ January 01, 2025, 12:02 PM: Message edited by: National ]
**These next four women are Australian** MARGOT BRULAND This shoot happened on one of the hottest days I've ever shot anyone. In the beginning, I felt bad for her for suffering in the heat, but the cloud cover saved the day. I saw the clouds coming through, and I could tell from the size of it that it was going to cover the sun for a long time to come. When the sun was no longer a factor, it felt so much better. Margot felt the further need to cool off by letting her hair down, being more relaxed and uninhibited, having fun with it all.
Towards the end of the shoot, there was an exciting and intense desire between the two of us that was unspoken. Flirtation, anticipation, and longing.
Margot Bruland is into adventure travel and outdoor sports. She has a passion for exploring the world, sharing captivating stories, and she has taken part in a wide range of adrenaline-pumping activities and breathtaking landscapes. Her engaging storytelling and vibrant personality have made her stand out to me as a pretty outstanding individual.
THE 90s KELLY Today, a lot of women want to have the same look and hate being natural. They cake up their makeup, forgetting the simple idea that less is more. They don the drag queen makeup, huge painted eyebrows, huge swollen lips from lip injections, fake tan, thin but with huge unnatural asses.
Not the 90s Kelly.
One of the coolest chicks ever with one of the coolest feet ever which resulted in one of the coolest shoots ever.
LIVELY She was a joy to shoot. She is excessively jovial and expressive and would strike all the right chords to get you feeling just as she's feeling. She is an expert on a wide range of topics and can talk all day long. Her exuberance rubs off on you with her joviality and forces you to tag and laugh along.
Part of her having the name I've given her has to do with her charismatic personality, her sincerity. She has a certain something about her personality that people gravitate towards. She wants to get to know you; she feels good around you and is gladly willing to do things for you.
Charisma has to do with the positive energy you radiate. Charisma means you have the ability to mesmerize and wow people with your upbeat attitude, positive language (verbal and physical), a commitment to your values, and the power to motivate a large number of people.
Charismatic people are usually open, expressive, jolly, smiley, fun to be around, and engaging with others, and they make people feel very good about themselves. That’s the key.
CLAIRE REDDING An Australian chick with the most unusual accent I've ever heard in my life. I wish I could remember which part of Australia she's from because it wasn't a place I've heard of before. In fact, I wouldn't know how to find the words to describe it to you, but it was one of the cutest voices I've ever heard spoken. There may have been times in which I was not able to pick up on the words she spoke, even though she was speaking English the entire time. Her feet were just as adorable, just a wonderful as the person herself.
NIGHTING DREAM This is one of those shoots that makes me want to grab the camera and go back out again.
There are some shoots that turn into something special, and this was one of them, while also being one of the more artistically sound shoots I've done. The Natural Evolution Era phase of my work allowed me to expand my creativity to explore what else could be captured, how the nighttime could change how the subjects behaved, and how observant my vision came in sync to portray the mood of the scene. When not too many people are around, the subjects and I roam more freely.
Nighting Dream allowed her instincts to come out in my presence and through the sounds of the flash from the camera. Towards the end of the shoot, every time the flash popped, she started to make sounds, little moans, of soft climaxes, drawing herself closer to my body. I kept pressing the shutter because we both knew we were inching closer and closer to intimacy. It was simply orgasmic for her, with her breathing becoming uneven, anticipating more pleasure, relying on me to guide her through. She gave in and surrendered to the situation at hand.
What started as her looking at the turtles and Canadian geese, minding her own business, ended with her wanting me to take her, the moon looking down from up above. That's the magic of a random encounter in Central Park.
THE IDEAL WOMAN Tall, huge feet, long toes. At size 12.5 (U.S.), she's either third or tied for second when it comes to the biggest feet I've ever photographed. We walked towards each other, and it wasn't until I got a view of her feet from the side just as we were about to pass each other that I realized just how humongous they were. I felt the beauty of her feet course through my veins when I felt the ground give way to the pressure of her feet with each step she took. Little rumbling sounds from the impact of her feet. She had my ideal feet, ideal toe length, ideal soles shape, and a lady who could not have suited all of the attributes better than her.
All of this puts into place the fact that she's heavily involved in the CrossFit community. She began her CrossFit at a location that operated out of the shared space of a church basement gymnasium just over a half mile run from her home on the Upper West Side. She was drawn to the expression of strength with the balance of technique and the need to understand your body's own capacity.
There is a massive difference between professional athletes and people who do CrossFit recreationally to stay in shape. Just like this is a huge divide between guys who play football on the weekend with their buddies and the defending Super Bowl champions. Your buddy who still plays football on the weekend doesn't train the same way as the professionals do.
The workout she does in competition looks a lot like what an average Joe does in the gym (although, of course, the volume, skill, and weight get amped up for her). Where they divide is the goal. The Average Joe does CrossFit workouts to generally stay fit, relieve stress, and have fun. She does CrossFit workouts in a competition environment with the goal to win, perform at the top of her ability, and make a living.
She also has an extensive history of working in film production. The pace of working in that environment is often frenetic, with the crew working long hours to stay on schedule and within budget. There is a palpable sense of excitement and creative energy as everyone collaborates to overcome obstacles and bring the script to the screen.
THE QUIET DREAM
Dream is not what you see while sleeping. Dream is something that doesn't let you sleep. Achievement of dreams is a success. It brings ultimate happiness. We always work hard to fulfil our dreams. And being able to do so is a blessing. No matter what you dream of. Just get set and do all that you can to achieve it. I was living in a dream during that shoot. It still feels as if none of this ever happened. What your dreams look like in your sleep involve her face and feet.
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THE LEGACY GIRLS This category for the Hall of Fame is called the "Legacy" wing. Inductees in this category are from the earliest era during my Bryant Park days.
SUNSET GIRL The sun was setting when I took photos of her, hence the name. There weren't too many people around and she was sitting there to give herself and her feet a break from walking around the city streets for too long that day.
She studied law in Tulane Law School in Louisiana, but there came that time when she was forced to leave when Hurricane Katrina slammed into the gulf coast. She went to BYU for a semester to study common law. She knew people out there, and they had an extra room for her to in their house, which made the decision to go to Utah much easier. Even with all of the hectic moving around she did at that time, including going back to Tulane the semester after Katrina, she was still able to graduate on time.
Sunset Girl is an attorney, admitted in New York State in 2007, registered with the Office of Court Administration (OCA) of New York State Unified Court System.
Her feet were was a sight that was special to behold and massage. Anyone with a women whose feet looked like hers would feel as if he's got it made.
I would also love to wish her a happy birthday. She just turned 48 years old a few days ago.
VANILLA COFFEE
I gave her that name because there was something about her and the thermos bottle she had with her made me imagine that she was drinking vanilla flavored coffee. She was a down to earth lady who modest, who doesn't often brag about her successes, who doesn't tell you about her wealth, or complain about her lack thereof, and she won't laugh at you for your misfortunes. She is not pretentious. She is always kind and helpful to other people.
Elizabeth was in her late-20s when these photos were taken, and so she would be just shy of being forty years old today. At the time I met her, she was a medical student at a university in upstate New York. Her father is a physician, scientist and educator. Following in his footsteps into medicine, Elizabeth and her other two siblings are now in the medical profession field. Her specialty is in the pulmonary and critical care aspects when it comes to what she does in a hospital.
There were one or two time in which I talked about a lady who got bent out of shape when I asked her if I could take some photos of her feet. It was one of the more memorable reactions I've ever had in all of my years doing this. She played a role in this story. Some time after the first woman turned me down (I don't remember if it was days or weeks later), she decided to get a front row seat to the shoot I had with Vanilla Coffee. The whole thing was strange and I got a kick out of it. I bet she didn't know what to make of the situation that someone would say yes to allowing photos of her feet to be taken by a complete stranger.
Vanilla Coffee now lives in Pennsylvania with her husband.
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These inductees exemplify why these women are awesome individuals. The National Gallery Hall of Fame of Women is an innovative museum dedicated to uncovering, interpreting, and celebrating their contributions to society. As a photographer who took so much pride in his work, the Museum brings to life the countless untold stories of women throughout history, and serves as a space for all to inspire, experience, collaborate, and amplify these women's impact—past, present, and future. That is what this Museum is about, and each year we have seen fit to add to that pantheon, add to the number of the most inspirational human beings so that they become immortals for all others to aspire to. That, to me, is a wonderful, wonderful moment. You visit the Museum, and you will see who the celestial beauties of essence are.
If you have any comments or questions about the CrossFit competitor, The Ideal Woman; the cute, blossoming flower, Claire Redding; the news correspondent, Betsy Awesome!; or any other newly-enshrined members of the Hall of Fame, leave those comments down below. Otherwise, this is National, and thanks for being a part of this special moment in time.
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HOW TO GET THESE WOMEN TO POSE FOR YOU You see someone who looks interesting, unusual, characterful, or photogenic. You walk up to her and ask if you can take some photos of her feet. This can seem really difficult at first, but believe me: once you get used to it, it all falls into place very quickly, and you'll find that a lot of them will be quite receptive and will say yes. I guess they're quite flattered to be asked, and you will see how it'll will reaffirm that the world is not a uniformly terrible place.
In the moment of "yes," I gave and I took, which is a critical concept when it comes to doing the kind of photography I did. In other words, I wasn't just asking for something... I was also giving something. In those moments that I told the women, in essence, that there was something unique I saw in them and how I would love to catch it, it was an invitation and validation. When the women accepted, those were moments of collaboration and co-creation. The entire experience is a lot more wonderful than anyone can imagine.
∙ A great way to get started, especially if you're a bit apprehensive about doing this, is to go to women who look good, who have made an effort. It could be they're wearing fabulous clothes, they've got great hair, an unusual hat, lots of tattoos... whatever it is, they're likely to be proud of it, and that usually means they'll want to show it off, and they'll happily pose for you.
∙ Make sure you approach these ladies in a calm, relaxed, friendly manner with a smile on your face. If you seem relaxed, they will relax. If you seem nervous and shifty, they will begin to have doubts. Smiling is quite infectious, and this initial warmth will go a long way to helping you get a successful shoot. This engagement with the subjects will help them relax, and the photos will be better for it. One final point on that before I forget: try to approach them from the front or the side, and not from behind them, which can appear threatening or intimidating.
∙ As you approach these women, maybe raise your camera slightly so that your intentions are clear. Don't try to hide it because this will just make you look dishonest or evasive. And again, do this with a smile on your face. Be confident and well-practiced in your approach; know what you're going to say and how you are going to say it, and know how you're going to introduce yourself.
Work out a little script... a prepared and practiced speech... something that works for you, and be prepared to explain what you're doing, and always remember that a bit of flattery works wonders. You must keep your approach short, snappy, and confident... this isn't the time for your life story.
∙ Remember that you're in charge. Don't be afraid to direct them. When they're posing for photos, most of them are far more comfortable being directed. If your subjects are being told what to do, they'll almost always feel less awkward, less self-conscious, and you'll get warmer, more engaging shots. They will welcome this intervention. They need it sometimes, so don't be afraid to direct.
∙ Take your time and don't rush things. Rushing it will add to the nervousness of you and, potentially, your subject. You'll be disappointed that you didn't get the best possible outcome from the situation if you rushed it. I usually spent a half hour or more just from that random encounter in the park.
∙ Rejection is all part of the game, and it's all part of the fun, if you can believe it or not. Take it on the chin and accept it. If a woman says no to you, then that's not a problem because you can just move on to the next one. It's important to respect rejection, and a no is a no. I know this can be hard to take at first, but trust me on this: it really won't be long before you start to brush negative encounters to one side and move on as if those things never happened. Some women just don't want to have photos of their feet taken by a stranger.
Now that we're on the topic, what happens if you don't choose wisely? What happens if she says, "I'm so sorry, I'm busy." Don't try to convince her that she's not busy. Thank her and say, "You know what? That's exactly why I asked. No harm, no foul. Enjoy the rest of your day." Whenever I got turned down, the women were as polite about it as anyone could be about anything else, in which case I would say, "No worries. Thank you very much." After that, I would walk away. That's it.
What happens after you get the shots you want? It's a moment to celebrate. It's a moment to share, and it's a moment to thank them and express how appreciative you are for the time you've spent together, and, depending on how they look, you might turn around and show them. Quite often, what can happen is some of them will ask you where they can find these, and if you have an Instagram account, give them your Instagram account. Tell them, "If it shows up, that's where it'll show up."
What would happen with me sometimes is I would hand them my phone, with the page of this thread at the ready, and I'll let them scroll through the pages and photos for themselves, all before they ask what I intend to do with the photos or what the photos are for, and they'll make their decisions final. There have been other times in which I've had the woman tell me to not post her photos online. I didn't, and I respected her wish.
Sometimes they will reach out to you, whether their images show up or not, requesting that you send the files to them. *Do it*. The reason you do it is because in that, you just made the world a slightly better place.
It really is fun once you get into it. I know it can be intimidating, but it's fun, and I can guarantee that you'll have some really interesting and memorable encounters in the park.
Some key takeaway points from this: firstly, go about this with a sense of purpose, a thought-out objective, a plan. Secondly, accept rejection. It happens all the time... Don't be hurt or be put off by it... It's part of the game; move on to the next one, and you will get acceptances. The more you do it, the easier it becomes.
Give this a try and enjoy the experience. Hopefully, you will start a thread of your own where you can share with us your experiences of doing public feet photography of random lovelies you've met at a park. I'd love to hear what you've been up to and how it's been for you.
-National
[ January 08, 2025, 09:22 AM: Message edited by: National ]
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We are counting down the Top Ten shoots I've ever done, and so on with the list we go.
NUMBER 8 - ANNA SOFTINOVA She holds the record for the longest shoot I've ever done (must've been three hours) and the record for the most number of shots I've taken during a shoot (just over seven hundred photos). That's incredible, considering that that was an impromptu shoot with a total stranger I met just minutes before and not a shoot that was planned days in advance. This was one of four or five shoots I've done in which I felt that if I had not done another shoot for the rest of my life, then I would've been perfectly fine with that.
I love my peace and quiet during a shoot, and she made the shoot all the more enjoyable to put together because there wasn't a whole lot she said during those three hours during our collaboration. The shoot simply, and magically, called for a peace and quiet setting where talking wasn't a thing.
Despite her soles being a bit dirty, the shape of her feet was immaculate. She knew it as well. She was proud to pose it in any way I desired. She allowed my creativity to shine through so that it could get the most out of itself.
I couldn't believe the shoot went on for as long as it did. If the camera had lasted another hour longer, she would've been fine with that. She was an incredible person to have this experience with. That time with her was monumental. She winds up on this list, having left an impression on me that will last forever.
This was a shoot where it felt as if everything I could've ever asked for or wished for happened that late afternoon. Time slowed down. My imagination expanded, allowing me to try new things and experiment with different poses with someone who had all of the time in the world. This was a dream come true.
NUMBER 7 - AMEE PEARSON This was one of those shoots in which I wanted time to stand still and enjoy the shoot for a bit longer than it was. Actually, now that I think about it, this was one of those shoots in which time was standing still. I can remember with crystal clarity everything that was happening around me, except for what I was wearing. The entirety of the shoot and of the moment is frozen in my mind. Time stood still, and you knew in that moment, something was available, something was happening. I knew then, and I know in retrospect, the specialty of that moment.
The soles of her feet were reminders that dreams do come true because I loved them through and through. A shoot like that with feet like hers is what makes this hobby a lot more rewarding than anyone can ever know or realize. I loved how the sun played a role in some of those photos, bringing out more of the beauty that was Amee. I thought I knew what living in peace was. But as I was creating those photos, that was when I truly knew what living in peace was. It was peaceful and quiet. Just what I wanted and needed.
NUMBER 6 - AIMEE YOUNG
I named an award after her. That should be the first, second, and last reason why she's on the list. This shoot came not too long after the one I had with Nikki Brianna. Nikki got my curiosity going because I saw that as a potential direction my artistic vision could take me. The shoot with Aimee, however, solidified that the Natural Evolution Era was going to be the way forward for me for quite some time.
The shoot started fairly tame until I suggested we try some more risqué poses, and she went right along with it. The more I directed, the more she smiled. We connected earlier during a conversation on the bench where she was reading a book, and so it only made sense to keep the feelings and emotions going.
After the shoot was over, she told that she had so much fun. Only in Central Park.
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Kacey is a Director in the Accounting Advisory Services practice of an accounting firm, specializing in the delivery of buy-side and sell-side in the technology, telecom and media industry. She has advised clients on technical accounting issues such as business combinations, consolidation assessments and a variety of other accounting and SEC-related issues. To work at a place like that, the company typically looks for candidates with degrees in accounting, finance, business, or related fields while having a strong academic record (often a GPA of 3.0 or higher).
Kacey constantly consumes information on new topics. This is not limited to just academic pursuits, either. She's also interested in the latest technological gadgets and loves to stay up to date with pop culture news.
Because she tends to be more introverted, Kacey often self-selects and maintains friendships with people who are also introverted. She may not go out as much as other girls her age, but she connects with people through common interests and activities.
Because she is not as fashion conscious or concerned with looking "perfect," Kacey often has an original sense of style. She doesn't follow trends too much, so she's not doing things just because everyone else is doing them. Even though one might think her outfit makes no sense, it does to her.
She's a fantastic communicator. You will get the sense that you can open up and talk with her, without feeling judged. When talking to her, you'll feel comfortable enough to talk to her about anything.
She was walking towards her home to. I was walking in the opposite direction. I looked at her face and then her sneakers, and I decided to make a U-turn and asked her if having photos of her feet taken would be okay by her. She found the request amusing and decided to go ahead with it because the whole thing is harmless. Why not, she figured.
It was a pretty fun shoot, I would say. We shared lots of laughs and I was glad I got to see how her feet looked like. I was curious to see them when I first saw her, curiosity got the best of me, and I thanked her for sharing the time with me and we went our separate ways. She's going to far in her life.
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NATURAL CLASSIC Here we have a woman of honesty, integrity, trust, and respect. This is someone who doesn't behave like a princess, even though she is beautiful enough to be one.
It was getting dark, and I was towards the end of my last go-around of my route in the park before I called it a night. I happened to look to my right, and I saw her sitting on the grass, reading a book. I had a pretty good idea of what she looked like from where I stood, and I wanted to get a better look at her up close by walking up to her. The children playing around off in the distance somewhere, laughing and screaming, cheered me up a bit, and it made the conversation we had at the outset noticeably happy and optimistic. The first thing I asked her was if I could take some images of her feet. One of the children screaming in the background (from having too much fun and not from getting hurt) struck us as awkwardly funny. She found that cute and adorable. There was something about that that made her say yes, figuring that if they were having a good time, then so should we.
Just like the newly inducted Hall of Famer Betsy Awesome, our next subject of admiration also makes a living by reporting the news. She's an investigative journalist from Argentina. Aside from Spanish, she's a brilliant speaker of the English and French languages.
The word "investigation" in a dictionary tells us that it means systematic inquiry. That means our lady here is taking her time, and she's going about things in a systematic way to analyze what is really going on in the world. To this, we'll add that the work she's doing is original as well as in-depth. Systemic, in-depth, original reporting is the crux of what she does.
"As an investigative reporter, I tend to think like an honest public prosecutor or a good police detective. I form a hypothesis of what's going on. In effect, you can say that I use a scientific method in which I form a theory and then I test it. I go out there and I find the facts that will either support or not support my thesis. That's one of the hardest things about what I do because if my facts don't support my theories, I have to abandon it."
As the juicy part of her job, she has to make public things that are secret or hidden. She often deals with secret information that people, especially those in power, don't want to come out because it's embarrassing or it shows that they abused their positions or power in society. Part of her job is revealing those things to the public so that people really know what's going on. Sometimes it's not deliberate. Sometimes the facts of a given situation are just hidden behind a maze of circumstances and other factors, and it's her job to put those together. In the end, two plus two may actually equal five.
She loved how I was an eloquent speaker throughout our conversation, and what was even more impressive to her was the fact that I didn't use any filler words at any time in our talk. I was impressed that she noticed that, and we were impressed with each other, together. The two of us share the same pet peeve of the over-reliant use of those words (um, uh, like, you know, etc.) inappropriately placed in a spoken or written sentence. I then told her (in a way that was presented as a joke but had some elements of truth to it), "If it were up to me, someone would go to prison for that. Listen, I'm not unreasonable. Actually, I wouldn't put them in prison, so let me correct that. I'll put them in jail. I'm not saying someone should be sentenced for five years for that, but I think that's worth thirty days in jail."
To that, she immediately said, "Yeah. Yeah!" The first "yeah" sounded good to her. The second "yeah" came after she gave it some thought and liked the idea a lot better than what she did originally. She added, "If this was a legal thing, you could put the forces of law behind it, and I would vote for you."
We talked about this for another minute or two, and it was during this point that I don't think either one of us knew to what extent we were being serious about this. How much of that talk was serious, and how much of it was just us being humorous or sarcastic about it? Even though we expressed our thoughts in a serious tone, I'll never know.
When these photos were shot, she was a student at Columbia University, where she majored in investigative journalism. Before that, she was at the School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, where she received her Bachelor of Science in Broadcast and Digital Journalism.
STIMULATING CONVERSATION STIMULATED US We spoke on a variety of topics such as literature, arts and culture, and current events. We had quite a stimulating conversation with one another in which we looked together at ideas or events. We were fully engaged in exploration. We had the ability to value the contribution of the other even if the input was at distinct variance with another. The outcome wasn't necessarily a change of view but sharing together in the privilege of a highly valued exchange of ideas. Our conversations were works of art, truly bestowing.
There came a time or two in which she had been presented with an opposite opinion. She suddenly faced an opinion that was not her own. She had to contend with someone else's perspective. How was she going to handle hearing an opinion that was not her own? Did she listen respectfully? Did she offer empathy, grace, and kindness to the man to whom she pledged her vote? And while she may not have agreed with everything I said, did she take that moment to listen, empathize, and understand what her potential dating partner had to say?
"You are lucky that you look the way you do, which is to say you look very, very attractive. I can see why many others were receptive to you, and so I'll let you get away with it."
If anyone has ever wondered where I fall on the attractiveness scale, on this point, and I say this totally objectively and fairly, she got it right. I get a passing grade in that course, and that's according to The News, okay? Not me. I'm just giving you the facts here. I may never be labelled as Time magazine's Sexiest Man Alive, but she certainly knows a good thing when she sees it.
What else did she say about me? Let's find out. "I get the impression that you do the right thing even when no one is watching. You are a man of your word, and you're not swayed by peer pressure or popular opinion. You protect the integrity of yourself and those around you. You're a great dresser, polite, you show grace under pressure, you're affable and benevolent, but you will stand your ground, and you don't trade crude insults, but you know how to block bad behavior elegantly. Even though we disagreed with each other on one or two things, you have a way with words, and you communicate your points so well, and I learned something valuable from you."
I have to say that that was a complimentary passage that I took to heart. I should have you guys know that I sent her quotes about me to a team of trained and qualified fact checkers, and they've all come back and unanimously and unequivocally confirmed that all the claims she made about me are 100 percent incontrovertibly true. Look, that's what they've told me. That's what they told me.
Being the investigator that she is, she took the time to ask me some questions about my foot fetish: how long have I had it, what is it about feet that I love so much, etc. That's someone who showed a lot of interest, and that part of the conversation was certainly a turn-on for the two of us because here I was being open and honest with her about my love for feet, and here she was, baring her feet naked in front of me while she was asking those questions. My answers shifted her perception of feet, and it had her interest, desire, or curiosity strongly aroused.
Her feet are immaculate. My dream came true once more when she revealed her feet to me. If I had the opportunity to describe what an ideal set of feet would look like on a woman, the image I want you to conjure in your mind would look precisely like hers. The soles are shaped exactly like how I want them to be shaped, and her toes are what toes should look like. There is not a thing I would change about her feet. Not a thing.
INFO BABE -- Click Here SHOE SIZE: 9 (US), 40 (EU), 6.5 (UK), 25.5cm, 10in
This clip is her from her early days in her reporting career, shot in 2020: **Click Here**
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We are continuing our countdown for what I feel are the best ten shoots I ever did, and now we have reached the Top Five. These women are so special.
NUMBER 5 - KENNEDY GIRL
If there's one lady on this list who I would take home to Mom, it would be Kennedy Girl. She's beautiful inside and out. I find her attractive both physically and in terms of her personality and character. I appreciate not just her outward appearance, but also the qualities of her inner self—her kindness, intelligence, values, and the way she carries herself. Kennedy Girl is the whole inspiration that gives the concept of what is beautiful its definition... a well-rounded lady who is exceptionally appealing on multiple levels.
There was no way I was going to leave this shoot off the list. It was a summer day when I spent the time with her, but it never felt hot despite the sun pointing at us. I love the views from underneath when you look straight up at her soles, then her legs, then her face, then the blue sky. I love how her down-to-earth qualities were able to show from her face, shine through to the camera, and make the entire experience something that can only be described as joyful.
I love how it was not too hot that day. After the shoot was over, it had never crossed my mind that she would appear on a list. I always felt she would be among one of my favorite shoots, but not high enough to find a place in the Top Ten. I wanted to keep an open mind just in case I overlooked someone else who could take that spot. When it came time to put this list together, there was no way I could deny myself how I truly feel about how special this shoot was.
This was during the final stage of my photography run, where, as I stated before, I started to focus more on getting shots of the bottoms of their feet from down below, looking at the sky as they sat on something that would place their feet between myself on the ground and the sky from above. The photos were either unlike anything I've done, or if I have done them, then they turned out to be better than anything else with anyone else. The true artistic nature of female feet made its impression on me by the beauty of its form and the innocence that it wants to be seen and observed by the blue skies and sun, to flourish and blossom as being the only one of its kind.
Kennedy Girl exhibits a combination of responsible, adult-like behavior with a playful, innocent, and sometimes even curious quality that is often associated with children, essentially maintaining a sense of wonder and enthusiasm while still making sound decisions and taking on adult responsibilities.
She loves dad jokes, and nobody tells dad jokes better than she does. ∙ "My neighbor gave me a new roof for free. He said it was on the house." ∙ "Did you hear about the nurse who didn't want to become a doctor? She didn't have the patients." ∙ "What kind of shoes does a lazy person wear? Loafers."
NUMBER 4 - SELENA Of all the women on this list, the length of her shoot was the shortest one, just under a half hour. It felt as if it went ten minutes shorter than that, but it packed a lot of punch in that amount of time, and it got the job done. She was "Natural Evolution Era" personified. If there was ever a shoot that was short, sweet, and to the point, it was the one I had with Selena. I knew that shoot was going to be a tough act to follow, and so I left the park for the day when that was done.
At first, she had to get over the nerves a bit, but then it became more exhilarating as time moved along. If there's any shoot that's not known for its showing of feet, even though her feet were captured on camera, it was this one because this one took on a life of its own.
At no time were we worried about being spotted, except for that time towards the end when I told her to stand up and get flirty with lifting her dress. She was so calm in my presence. She placed her trust in me that I wouldn't harm her during the shoot, and I could tell she was in another world where harm was not possible because I was there to protect her. She loved every moment of it and didn't mind my touching her face and hair to get the shots I wanted. She felt like she was being taken care of whenever I was delicate with her hair, with her face, with her feet, with her as a whole.
She is in the category of rarified air because you're not going to find another shoot of a randomly approached woman to pose her feet for free and then have it turn into what mine turned into with Selena.
MARRY FAITH
There was a time when this may have been the best shoot I've ever put together.
This took place on an early Sunday morning, and that wound up being the only shoot I had that day because there was no reason for me to look for anyone else afterwards because the shoot with Marry was that good. I don't think I took the camera with me to the park the following day, either, because I was still full from the shoot with Marry Faith.
Looking at these photos takes my breath away because of how much time has passed since then. Those photos were taken at a time when people had either an iPhone 5 or 6. That gives you an idea of how long ago this was. Marry had a Samsung Galaxy S4 with her on the day of the shoot. The world was a much different place back then.
It was a foggy morning, and there was hardly anyone in the park at the time. Had the park been crowded, I would not have been able to spot her as quickly as I did, and I may have asked someone else if I could take photographs of her feet. But because the park was practically empty, she stood out, even from a distance. Her feet were already out of her shoes when I saw her, and there were two occasions that I could remember in which my heart went up to my throat and almost through my chest when I saw how beautiful her soles looked when they were out of her shoes before I got there. She was one of them. Imagine having a front-row seat, sitting just inches from her bare feet, and having a normal conversation as if having photos of her feet taken were just part of the normal, everyday process?
The fog eventually dissipated. When the sun started to come through in bits and pieces, the park started to fill up with people. Neither one of us paid any attention to the many passerby because we were in our own little world to ourselves, and what we did was perfectly normal.
In the middle of all of this, her neighbor just happened to walk by with his child that he was pushing around in the stroller. I had no idea which part of the city she lived in, but I got the impression that they didn't live close to the park and that the chances of her neighbor coming across the scene of the shoot were slim to none. I found that part to be funny because of the look on his face. He was unwilling or unable to believe what he was seeing. The sweetness of her voice and the delicacy of her tone left her neighbor with a peace of mind that she was in good hands.
This shoot was almost two hours long (one hour and fifty-eight minutes, to be exact). Every minute of it was worth living through it. She had all the time in the world for me to try new angles, different poses, and a new sense of refreshness that only a shoot that comfortable and accommodating could offer. That was a day of all days, and it encapsulated everything that my journey through the years was all about.
NUMBER 2 - DALHOUS
To this day, and all the way up until the day I die, Dalhous (pronounced doll house) remains the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. I was absolutely convinced that I had just captured photos of the epitome of beauty that day. I hold her in such high regard that I once made a proclamation that that was going to be the one and only time that I would not shoot photos of anyone, not just in the same spot where that shoot took place, but I would also not shoot any images within the surrounding area of that spot. I was going to preserve that as hallowed ground. I have kept that promise all the way through.
The plan to have her become the inaugural inductee into the newly created National Hall of Fame Museum of Women was done by design. That class will remain the only one in which only one woman will go in.
Despite Dalhous being the personification of what beauty is, both inside and out, there was never any sexual desire I had for her, even though I love, love, love her to death.
She has a combination of confidence, poise, joy, patience, truthfulness, kindness, persistence, and loyalty. That kind of beauty reaches far beyond physical beauty and makes her shine from the inside as well as aesthetically. Dalhous has the qualities that give great pleasure or satisfaction to see, hear, or think about. She keeps you alive; she makes you feel the air around you, breathe in the freshness from rain, the smell of good food; she helps you meditate too, taking a walk in greenery, and one can't help but notice how lasting the fresh air feels to the lungs and the body.
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Throughout the week I have been counting down the list of my Top Ten shoots that I have done, and we have finally reached the Number 1 spot.
But first, I have a list of honorable mentions who did not make the Top Ten who are absolutely worth speaking briefly of. They will receive special praise from me. I've played around with some of the names I thought about placing in the Top Ten, trying to fit them in like pieces to a puzzle. The women I'm about to talk about made my decision on who to place on that list quite difficult, and for that I commend them for making great cases for themselves.
Let me also point out: this is *not* to be confused with women who would fill out the top fifteen if I had compiled a list of my top fifteen. These were names that were floating around, and for all I know, any one of them could be in the top 40 or top 50. Who knows? My list of potentials had about twenty names, and any one of them not mentioned in this post could've very well placed ahead of some of the ones who are mentioned here.
In any event, these here are in alphabetical order only, and so I'm not ranking these. Even though these are also among some of the best shoots I've done, I just could not find space for them in the Top Ten, but we've got five of them here.
CITY GIRL
There was a time when I felt that if this shoot didn't make the list, then it would've been in the conversation. To use a sports analogy, if she wasn't a division champion (on the list), then she would've been a wild card (an honorable mention).
Her feet were smelly, practically right out of her shoes. They smelled just the way they looked, and I loved every moment of it. She was one of the more calm ladies to have such an air of indifference or easy unconcern about having photos of her feet taken than a lot of other women would. She spent a lot of the prior twenty four hours walking barefoot, which explained how they wound up the way they did. She didn't care that they may have been smelly, and she had that look of someone who just got up, put on the clothes she wore the night before and just left the house, all in about half hour. For some reason I liked that about her. I would've had no qualms about making love to her just as she was with her feet being the way they were.
That may have been the second shoot in which I asked someone to place her feet on the table, which was one of my favorite poses. It didn't happen often, but when it did, it was something special.
I needed to be somewhere at the time, but I was willing to get into a little trouble for being late just to get as much as I could out of that shoot. If you're into alternative rock or "mind-altering" rock, or women who are influenced by psychedelic culture and hallucinogenic drugs, then she's for you. If you're not into those things, then there's still no reason not to like her.
The name City Girl was meant to be ironic because I don't remember having the impression that she was a New Yorker born and raised.
INDUSTRIA
Just like with National Fashionista, Industria (pronounced: in-deuce-tria) was another woman I met in the train, and it was clear that she had the hots for me. If I did what she did, I would get in a lot of trouble, but because it was a woman who did this thing, and because I'm a forgiving guy, and I knew the reason why she did it, I didn't cause a huge scene, though she thought I was going to when she got caught. I turned it into something positive and we made magic together since.
This was another shoot that I felt terrible for not including in the Top Ten, but when you compile a list like this, tough decisions have to be made. If this thread had ended ten pages ago, she would've been on the list. I cannot believe it's been about ten years since I took those photos.
LAUREL
I bet a lot of people are going to be surprised that this shoot didn't make the list and would be upset by this. Look, that's what happens when you put a Top Ten together and it's all greatly subjective. Of course, it may be on your list, but on my list I didn't think it rose to the level of the other shoots that made the Top Ten for whatever reason.
In the case of Aimee Young, that cemented a movement into an entirely different direction with my photography, and so the significance of that took priority over this one. The shoot with Lindseynova was one of my best pieces of artistic imagery. I don't think there was anything I could've done better than what I did with her, and I enjoyed that shoot for reasons that were quite different than I would've enjoyed some of the other shoots in the countdown, but I felt the Lindseynova shoot was worthy of a spot, and I'll tell you this right now: it came down to that shoot or this one. I was waffling, trying to make a decision on what was going to make the Top Ten, and I went with Lindsey. You would not be wrong if you went with this one.
She is one of the more respectable, lovely, and beautiful human beings who I had the pleasure of meeting. There's not a person, whether dead or alive, who has had terrible things said about her.
It was one of the more calming and relaxing shoots I've ever had, and I thought her feet were simply spectacular. As masterful as that shoot was (and remember, this list is based on the overall presentation of the shoot, in which how attractive I think her feet look is not the top priority) I had to leave her off the list against my will.
So much of what it beautiful lies within her. Her light surrounds and enlightens the love that resides as potential within anyone around her. It calls forth the best within them—the best intentions, strengths, talents, desires, and impulses. The highest nature of that person. When in the presence of Laurel, others recognize within themselves the seeds of potential beauty and goodness. They feel warmed by the sunshine from her and deeply watered, and they flourish.
NATIONAL FASHIONISTA
With an oversized smile and an enthusiasm for art, this tiny human with the creative ability to identify and present art that promotes culture. She is of the belief that living boldly with authenticity is the way to live. She really likes the motto: "If it's important enough to you, you'll find a way. If it's not, you'll find an excuse." When she's not feeling optimistic about much of anything, she enjoys sleeping. Or watching cute little dog videos. And little humans.
The story of how that shoot came about was one of the best. The long and short of it is that I met her in the subway. We were going to completely different places that were... I wouldn't say they were far away from each other, but they were definitely not close to each other: A twenty-minute Uber ride or twenty minutes by subway. In any case, the next thing she knew, instead of going to where she wanted to go, she wound up tagging along with me, going around town with me for about a half hour before we went into the park and found our spot for the shoot.
She was one of the first shoots I had in Central Park and that's when I was sold that making the switch to Central Park for good was the way to go. It was that shoot that made Central Park the home I was going to spend the rest of my time in.
VINTAGE SYMPHONY
Singer/Songwriter Julia Toaspern has a heart that sings. She possesses a kind, compassionate, and tender-hearted nature. She is sensitive to the feelings of others, exhibits a calm demeanor, and approaches life with empathy and understanding. What's more, she avoids harshness or aggression, preferring to nurture and support those around her. People enjoy her music because of its raw, emotional storytelling qualities, the simple and accessible melodies, the connection to cultural history, and its ability to foster a sense of community through songs that reflect personal experiences, struggles, and moments of triumph; many also appreciate the unpretentious and acoustic instrumentation.
Her shoot was on my list of potentials that could make my Top Ten. The shoot was great enough that it got her into the Hall of Fame last year and certainly good enough to be honorably mentioned here. The combination of how the shoot went and how well I liked her feet has left an indelible etch on my mind, and it truly reinforced why beautiful feet are a natural gift of beauty. Thank you to Julia for having the heart to have your feet photographed for just a little while.
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Those are the honorable mentions. I would remove a year out of my life just to relive all of those moments because they were that wonderful. It was a pleasure to have meet all of them. Taking photos of their feet felt fulfilling. There is nothing like doing this kind of live photography.
Tonight, I reveal who is Number 1 on my all-time list. This shoot will close out the thread, and this is going to be a sad moment for me. This day had to come sooner or later, but all good things must come to an end.
Hope you enjoy the rest of your day.
[ January 04, 2025, 03:00 PM: Message edited by: National ]
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