Having only recently heard of the "Trash the Dress" phenomenon in wedding photography, I found myself inspired a few weeks ago. I had two bridesmaid dresses that had been sitting in my closet for a number of years, with no hope of reuse. "What ideal material for an experiment!" I thought. I simply had to find an eager subject to fill the dresses, and I'd be in business.

As luck would have it, a friend of mine, Meghan, happened to both fit the dresses and be up for some outdoor shenanigans. We arranged a date, and with the help of our mutual friend Stephanie, made our way to Patapsco State Park one hot Sunday afternoon. Then the fun began...

I simply have a weakness for dappled light. So after checking the general area carefully for poison ivy, biting bugs, and other potential hazards of the outdoors, Meghan lay down peacefully in the vibrant green of the forest.

After awhile, Meghan willingly plunged herself into the river, creating quite a show. She was playful and daring, willing to brave the slippery rocks in the service of the photo shoot.

My favorite of the in-the-river portion of mistreating the dresses was when the sun happened to hit the water in just the right way... We had timed it well, arriving about an hour before sunset, just before it gets dark in the park.

The texture of the fabric and water tantalized me, even in a black and white variation:

You can see the full set of portraits in the client gallery.