I was fortunate to travel to the Big Island of Hawaii with the Day Gig. I had a good bit of free time after our shoot so decided to enlist a local model to create some beauty with. While scrolling through ModelMayhem, I came across Bella Donna (https://www.instagram.com/bellatrixortreat2/) She kind of specializes in taking out of towners around to beautiful shoot spots on the island. She’s had extensive experience as a traveling model, all around the US and recently settled in Hawaii. As soon as she mentioned a black sand beach, I knew that was the spot. With visions of the Wicked Game video by Chris Issak. Directed by Herb Ritts, scantily clad Helena Christensen, black sand, black lingerie, chipped nail polish. 80’s boy’s teenaged dream. This shoot spot was on the other side of the island, requiring a two hour drive over Saddle Road. Arriving a couple hours before sunset, on the west side. Soft subdued light, some dramatic clouds towards the horizon. It was pretty perfect. This beach was known as a clothing optional spot so no one would hassle us for shooting nudes. The only real challenge was cropping out the old naked dude making a fire in our background. We spent an hour and a half shooting then grabbed some dinner. Bella nearly insisted that since we were on that side of the island, that we make an after dark stop at Volcanos National Park on our way home. “You’ll never forget it.” she said. She was right. After a short hike, we arrived at a spot with a view of a glowing, undulating caldera. Steam and smoke escaping into the sky, below the Milky Way. There was something magical about the juxtaposition of the vast night sky and the earth beneath our feet, liquid and churning just a few hundred yards from us. Everything is moving, all the time. Everything.