One question that has come in more than once is “Of all the shoots you’ve done, which is your favorite?” or a variation on that theme.
That’s kind of a tough one… I guess there could be two answers… one would be the shoot that was the most fun and satisfying during the actual shooting, and the other answer would be which shoot I thought, in the end, produced the most beautiful and satisfying pictures.
The first shoot that comes to mind is Jake’s “Summer’s River” shoot, which ranks high on both categories (top left picture). This shoot took place back in October of 2003, and we had the perfect day. Weather was perfect, the water was clear and blue, and Jake definitely turned in some of his best modelling ever. During the shoot, the mood was light and fun, and I didn’t fall in the water, like I did this year when I shot Lana at the same location (don’t worry, the camera was saved, but I can’t say the same for the contents of my pockets and wallet). In addition, I think that this shoot produced by far, some of the best photographs we’ve featured in the BeautifulYouth project. 
In terms of best first shoot… I think it would be a tie between Lance’s first shoot in 2001, which produced probably my favorite picture (and the one I’m always 
seemingly trying to equal- see above right) and Abra-Kadabra’s first shoot in 2003 (left) where we got quite a few wonderful shots using their leather jackets. Lance’s first shoot was a simple affair (actually we shot in his backyard), mostly consisting of exercising my then-new Olympus digital camera. Abra-Kadabra’s first shoot was a beautiful August day in 2003 by the sandy beach of the American River. They were totally at ease, and everyone seemed to have a great time as we enjoyed the sun and water (after the shoot, they went swimming in the river with their parents’ permission).
So, this scratches the surface of the “best shoot” question. Feel free to leave a comment with your favorite shoot, or any other questions you have.
**note- it is only coincidence that the shoots featured here are only some of the male models. Our female models have also had some excellent shoots… their omission is purely coincidental!- Aq.