Jennifer in Malibu
I was killing time before my next photoshoot one gorgeous sunny afternoon in Malibu when I decided to pop in to a local restaurant for lunch. I was famished and started ordering Bloody Marys, chicken tortilla soup, sandwiches, dessert. By the end of the meal I was stuffed. When the server handed me my check, I reached into my back pocket only to find…nothing. My heart instantly dropped. Where the &%#* was my wallet? Did it fall out of my pocket at the beach? Was I pickpocketed? Did I simply forget to pick it off the dining room table back in my AirBnB, 30 miles away in Beverly Hills (yep).
My server eyed me suspiciously but I assured her I’d find a way to pay. Apple Pay wasn’t an option and I didn’t have any cash on me. Thankfully Jennifer Reyes, my model for the shoot happening right after lunch, is a total sweetheart and had the foresight to bring her boyfriend’s credit card with her. She paid, we laughed about the awkwardness of the situation, and I sent a Venmo payment to square up. Crisis averted.
Afterwards, we spent a couple of hours walking along the pristine, gorgeous beaches of Malibu as the sun started to dip below the horizon. LA has this golden, hazy light I’ve never experienced anywhere else. A lot of jaded Angelenos tell me, “Yeah buddy—that’s the smog. Pollution particles scattering the light.” I’m going to choose to believe that it’s just some magical quality inherent to the west coast that lends itself to its dreamy haze.
We were able to shoot a few different looks on the beach ranging from cute and cozy to downright saucy, and Jennifer was a total babe and a complete boss through it all. (January in Malibu is like 70 degrees, so not quite beach weather unfortunately.)
After we hugged our goodbyes, I called up a Lyft to take me back into the city. The sun had just set, dusk was settling in, turning the sky a deep luscious purple. My ride pulled up, and somehow flying in the face of Lyft’s vehicle requirements I’m pretty sure it was an early 90s Oldsmobile. Pristine interiors, super plush seats, a chubby dude at the wheel donning a ponytail and a wifebeater, and a totally boss sound system with a subwoofer thumping in the trunk. We sat quietly, nodding along to his playlist of 80s pop music, windows rolled down and warm brackish air from the ocean blowing in while we made our way down the Pacific Coast Highway. Doesn’t get any better than this. When Tears for Fears’ “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” came on, it felt something like a religious experience.
(Side note: I made a Spotify playlist of the songs we listened to on the ride back).
That was the last time I’ve been on a beach. 2 months ago. Feels like a lifetime ago. Before the coronavirus pandemic, before self quarantines and panic buying and fear of the unknown future. Feels so surreal to look at these images now. Here’s to hoping I’ll be able to get on that beach with Jennifer again sometime this year.
