Eric G Brown Photography II #2

It's time for the second part of this feature on my duo photo shoot with Eric G Brown Photography.  With two models, it's two times the fun!

In the first of these two posts, I discussed my previous experience participating in a photo shoot with another model years ago and how I didn't find the process all that rewarding.  However, with Steven, the model Eric paired me with for this shoot at a water pumping station in Phillipsburg, New Jersey, I was much happier with how the shoot itself and the finished photos.

As a nude model, you might think my personality would be the "open book" type, but in reality, I'm a very reserved person in my day-to-day life.  Believe it or not, I enjoy my privacy and make an effort to ensure that I don't reveal all aspects of my life when sharing very revealing content with my audience.  I have to imagine that this would be true of other models as well, and for that reason, I didn't get to know many personal details about Steven during the shoot, despite the fact that we spent most of the time together in close proximity.  I can say, however, that he was a true professional and a pleasure to work with, which I expected to be the case because he had collaborated with Eric several times before.

On the other hand, I had plenty of time to get to know Eric when we spent several hours together in December 2022 during our first shoot.  The weather was freezing that day and although I made it through in one piece, I jokingly told him that if we ever were to work together again, I would have to insist it be during warmer weather!

When we reunited for this second shoot during the first weekend in May 2023, it was warm enough outdoors to wear short sleeves and I was excited that I wouldn't have to spend the entire day shivering.  Although I opted to wear jeans and boots again because I knew the surroundings would be dirty and hazardous, I was thrilled to not have to bundle up.

Even though the outdoor temperature ended up being decently warm, what I didn't take into account was the fact that the water pumping station and its subterranean platforms wouldn't be getting any direct sun and would therefore still be pretty cold in early spring.  Obviously, I don't know the mechanics of water pumping, but I assume it was advantageous for the facility to extend deep into the ground.  In fact, after we descended to the lowest level, there were markings on the walls that indicated the water line had at one point been well above our heads.

Although not operational, Eric mentioned that the current owners of the facility had attempted to restore it to working order as a pumping station, so there was moderate electric lighting throughout the interior.  This, along with the fact that the building was much more sound than the abandoned factory from last year, definitely made the shooting process more comfortable.  Still, being deep underground and surrounded by concrete and metal machinery, it ended up being pretty cold again and by the end of the shoot, Steven and I were both shivering!

All in all, and even with the unexpected cold, it ended up being a great shoot and I was absolutely thrilled to have gotten the chance work with Eric again.  When collaborating with photographers, I'm always concerned about whether or not I met their expectations as a model, so to be invited back to work again with someone definitely put those doubts to rest.  I hope I get many more chances to reunite with past photographers I've collaborated with, but if I get a third invite from Eric, I'm going to make sure it's during a heat wave!

See below for a ZIP file of all 15 photos if you'd like to download them.

To learn more about Eric, please visit www.ericgbrown.com.

I hope you had a great weekend!

- Michael