Moxie - Creative and Collaborative with JT

During the years I have published Cloud Nine Higher, I have interacted with about twenty different models - all but two of them female. Some have signed off on my contract, posed for a shoot, received their enhanced photos, expressed some appreciation, and moved on with their respective lives. Some have later expressed, either directly or indirectly, that they wish to cut ties with me and move on from posing for me. Even one has requested that her photos stop publishing. Other photos have been retired from publication by me.

But regardless of the stance my models take toward me once their work is done, I want their experience with me to be positive in every way. Even when they wish to distance from me at a later time. Every female applicant who interviews in person or who discusses modeling with me over the phone is more than just a pretty face with a cute body. The males who cross my path are more than just handsome men. They are all human beings, and I strive to treat them with the professional respect and courtesy they deserve.

Some models want to return to the front of my cameras, and some even bring others along with them. These "reprise models" include Shiann, Kandy, Moxie, Whitney Be, and Mia Rochelle. Mia's return came nearly two years after her first pictorial. It is always great to see models come back. It is even better when they bring a new model along for the fun.

Recently I have been asked about male models. I hire males to pose alongside females. Justin posed along with his wife Kandy on Halloween 2020. They both did excellent work for me. The provocative portion of their pictorial did not resonate with fans as a reflection of the Bible book Song of Songs as I hoped it would. But this is despite the awesome work of models Kandy and Justin and my photography. This failure of connection with my audience is simply due to this concept being perhaps just a bit ahead of its time.

Moxie came into my view in June of 2021 and began a series of three amazing pictorials produced during that summer. During this first "summer solstice" shoot, she posed with a crop top and angel wings and then headed for Bicentennial Mall State Park for full dress Volunteer State theme poses. She even brought a Predators jersey and a Titans jersey for some bonus photos that are sure to return during fall and winter months each year.

Moxie came back this past winter with her own proposal - to head for the Alice in Wonderland popup bar at the Fairlane Hotel in downtown Nashville. We picked a Wednesday night in February for this shoot, and she once again stood out in the crowd in a strong way and created a stunning pictorial.

Moxie reached out once again with a proposal that I did not fully comprehend at first. She wanted to bring her business partner JT along for an "Adam & Eve" theme shoot. We arranged a meeting and contract signing for Tin Roof Lower Broadway. JT of Hendersonville presented with a cool masculine vibe and upbeat personality. He is a father and former student athlete in baseball and football, including as quarterback for the Smyrna High School Bulldogs. A carpenter and barber by trade, he is not romantically involved with Moxie but did very well with playing the part of Adam full force😉.

Moxie continues in several business ventures but has been focusing on her music career and is looking forward to being in Nashville in this capacity.

When we met at Tin Roof, Moxie described the concept she wanted to pursue and cited some examples from the media that mirror the concept. I let her have the reins and was proud to see her direct this project. As the holiday weekend and the scheduled shoot date of Saturday, July 2 approached, I asked Moxie to add a swimsuit and beach ball pose for the rooftop of The 500 Fifth. Not surprisingly, she and JT made the clutch adjustment and presented in splendid fashion.

This shoot was rudely interrupted by a certain lady who was enjoying the rooftop pool (at least enjoying it in theory LOL). I have lived at The 500 Fifth for nearly 16 years but prior to July 2, 2022 never met this individual who can be characterized as nothing more than a "hater". It is sad that jealousy seems to creep into my view now and again, especially when this project is meant to combat the sin of jealousy. But it is the reality we live in. We worked around the boisterous, threatening, disruptive behavior and accomplished the pictorial we wanted. 

The magical blessings that accompany my photo shoots did not stop. We needed apples, and I had them in my refrigerator. The rooftop gazebo at The 500 Fifth provided a perfect venue despite the aforementioned disruption. Moxie brought the perfect props and wore the perfect costume. JT was right there with her. The weather cooperated.

And this publisher is thankful. Look for both Moxie and JT moving forward at another photo shoot near you.

James A. Rose

Publisher