J, BEACH, 1998

 This shot was taken about a month before my wife and I moved to the Florida Panhandle beach in 1998. We were both getting ready to quit our day jobs and strike out on our own. I wanted to see if I could make a living in photography. She would get a job with medical benefits. Eventually we both got jobs at a local weekly newspaper (I started as a freelancer then contractor then staff) that lasted until the 2008 recession took hold.

This photo has always excited me. I find her natural movement here very appealing even though a good portrait (IMO) should have eye contact. We were on the local beach and all she had on was the white button-up dress. We did a variety of poses, some with full frontal nudity, but this one has to be one of my favorites. With just the hint of her breasts and the unbuttoned dress both top and bottom add a touch of excitement to the image for me.

The gear was an Olympus OM-4T with a Tokina 2,6-2,8/28-70mm lens and the film was Tri-X at ISO400.