When we got an email from Nicky and Martin explaining they were from Birmingham, UK and that in a year they wanted to come to Arizona and have us shoot some crazy trash the dress session with a horse, a Harley and various vintage guns, we were intrigued to say the least. As the day of the shoot drew nearer, a lot of planning and hard work was required to bring it all together. From mail-order prop guns and bullets, to securing a particular type of horse and Harley Davidson, travel arrangements, weather and the like, it all came together on one very windy day in the middle of a dry lake bed outside of Kingman, Arizona.
The idea that Nicky wanted for this shoot was kind of a modern twist on the film The Quick And The Dead from the 90s. She envisioned dust-blown hair, open plains, sexy clothes, a beautiful horse, a bad-ass Harley; and she felt that one Jo and I could pull something like this off. We were able to quickly source a beautiful horse that fit the particular style Nicky wanted, and get the Harley that would best suit Martin. In the weeks leading up to the shoot I started to get boxes from UPS with all of these cool props, guns, gun belts, and the like. We even found a real vintage 1800s double-barreled shotgun courtesy of a local friend, Brandon.
Fast forward to the day of the shoot, and in typical spring (and winter, and summer, and fall) fashion, it was as windy as humanly possible this side of a hurricane. Considering the shoot could not be rescheduled, we charged forward with the plan and in the end, with the help of everyone on set, the shoot turned out amazing (even if every piece of gear, and every inch of our bodies still have sand in them a few weeks later). We even think the hair looks better in the images because of the wind, so thanks mother nature.
Nicky and Martin, thanks for entrusting us with your vision, and allowing us to help create it with you. You are friends for life!
Special thanks to the following people for their expertise and assistance in making this shoot happen:
Photographer’s Assistant/Behind the Scenes Photographer: Sie Williams
Hair and Makeup: Lyndee Piffl – Bit of Heaven Salon, Kingman
Horse handlers: Don and Jan Yarush (and their amazing friends that now own the beautiful horse and were so kind and helpful during it all – sorry that your names escape me.)
Harley Davidson: Rodney Honberger
