When TJ @cirquespiderteej and I first shot 3 years ago, admittedly, I was overly focused on the lengths his body could go, and did not consider the context it was in. The physical abilities of a contortionist are incredible. Long hours each week are spent stretching, lengthening, strengthening, every muscle in the body for the eventual routine, but that’s only scratches the surface of their craft. We shot inside a dance studio with wood floors and mirrors everywhere. Looking back, the shoot didn’t go poorly, but I knew we were limited to our surroundings and my myopic fascination with his handstands and back bends.
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When TJ and I made plans to shoot again I knew that context and environment would be at the forefront of all we did. So where else would we go but a forest? It struck me that his body resembles, in capability and in structure, that of an early human that spent its day climbing trunks, observing nature, and using their body to its full potential. So that’s where we shot. Deep in a forest. Surrounded by the buzz of the morning bugs and spears of sunlight that pierced through layered leaves onto our skin. With his body in a space that finally allowed him to move as he wished and the shutter of my camera to capture it all, both of us found ourselves deep in our nature. Thank you for trusting the direction TJ