Back in 2010, I produced an image titled Slumber Party. I don't remember what the genesis of the idea for that image was, but the goal was to capture the iconic atmosphere of a girls' slumber party. As a self-portrait photographer, this - of course - could only be accomplished via a clone shot, with me posing as each of the girls. In choosing the outfits and hairstyles for the four girls, I ended up creating distinct personae for each of them: the beauty queen, the athlete, the sex pot (a.k.a. lolita), and the air head. The result was one of my most elaborate shots to date, and proved to be very popular.
[description: clone shot featuring four girls with distinct personalities at a slumber party]
One of the elements that most intrigued me about Slumber Party was the different outfits the girls wore. I liked their variety, and how they reflected the girls' personalities, indicating the different styles of pajamas a girl might wear to bed (or a sleepover). There were still more outfits I wanted to depict, so after a time I began to consider shooting a sequel to the first image. I was inspired by the slasher film Slumber Party Massacre, and decided to make my sequel an homage to the horror genre that I am so fond of. But due to my experience and interests, I chose to focus on the sexual subtext of the concept, without ignoring the violence completely.
During the planning phase, Slumber Party Massacre grew from a single image into a 7-part series, featuring each of the four girls twice - once together, during the titular party, and each of them individually, offering insight into their personal, daytime lives. As a result, we learned that the air head was a cheerleader, the athlete belonged to a swim club, the beauty queen had a substantial wardrobe, and the sex pot liked to engage in illicit activities in the boys' restroom. Additionally, a fifth character was introduced - the perverted killer - showing up in each shot (usually hiding in the background) - and an aftermath shot was included to round out the week and provide closure.
[description: four girls watch a horror movie on TV while an ominous figure peers from the shadows]
Months of effort went into producing the series, aided by my creative assistant and close friend Willow, who also helped out with the original Slumber Party image. The sequel, released in 2011, was even more elaborate than the original (to a substantial degree), and though I don't think any of the individual images stand out quite like the first Slumber Party, they work well together to tell an entertaining story.
Understandably, I needed a break after Slumber Party Massacre, so it was a while before I even considered the thought of completing the trilogy; and when I finally did, I was determined to scale back and produce another single image like the original Slumber Party. But the thing was, I didn't want to repeat myself. So I needed an original idea. And then it hit me. What's similar to a slumber party, but different enough to avoid repetition? Sleepaway camp! It was a fantastic idea, so I got started on planning the third image in the series: Slumber Party Campout.
Which I have just finished this weekend. Here it is, for the first time ever:
[description: clone shot featuring four girls with distinct personalities at a campsite in the woods]
The name of the camp is Camp Climax, an homage to a sight gag in Stanley Kubrick's adaptation of Lolita (a book that appeared in the original Slumber Party). This time, the athlete is decked out in (rather skimpy) hiking gear; the beauty queen is traipsing barefoot through the grass in a sundress and flower crown; the sex pot has donned a string bikini, no doubt headed for the nearest swimming hole; and the air head's got her Girl Scout uniform on, enjoying a toasted marshmallow. By far, the most difficult outfit was that Girl Scout uniform, which Willow and I created from scratch - including that sash complete with made-up badges! Here's a closer look:
[description: green sash with twenty-one perverted merit badges arranged in rows]
This was my opportunity to apply my own perverted touch to the Girl Scouts, so naturally I didn't hold back. As a result, I proudly introduce to you the Girl Sluts of America! In this organization, girls are awarded badges both for demonstrating experience in sexual skills and for reaching a variety of milestones on their journey to adulthood. Allow me to describe the various badges featured on the sash above, in the order that they appear (left to right, top to bottom), along with the requirements for earning them :
* Cookie Seller (req: participate in the Girl Sluts Cookies program, where girls learn to work the streets and ply their wares)
* Training Bra (req: purchase/wear first bra or training bra)
* Bikini (req: wear two-piece bikini-style swimsuit in public)
* Thong (req: purchase/wear thong underwear or bikini)
* Naturism (req: participate in a naturist camping trip)
* Shaving (req: first time shaving legs or other body parts)
* Puberty (req: first period)
* Self-Exploration (req: show basic understanding of your own anatomy and demonstrate arousal to orgasm)
* Lesbian Experimentation (req: share an erotic experience, including kissing and/or touching, with another female)
* High Heels (req: wear high heel shoes in public)
* Makeup (req: demonstrate basic competency as a makeup artist)
* Dancer (req: perform a choreographed dance routine in front of an audience)
* Virginity Loss (req: engage in penetrative sexual intercourse with a male)
* Oral Technique (req: demonstrate basic competency giving blowjobs)
* Sexting (req: send sexually explicit image/text digitally to another person)
* Toys (req: demonstrate usage of various sex toys on oneself)
* Discipline (req: submit to an erotic spanking)
* Bondage (req: demonstrate basic competency with knots)
* Free Love (req: show willingness to give sexual pleasure to others unselfishly)
* SlutWalk (req: participate in a SlutWalk event)
* Cock Slut (req: awarded to girls upon completion of the Girl Sluts program)
And there you have it. I hope you're as excited about the completion of the Slumber Party trilogy as I am. I put in lots of work, and had lots of fun producing these images. It is very satisfying to be able to look at the completed images and see the fruits of my labor. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. I have no plans for there to be any further continuation of the Slumber Party series, but I will not rule out the future possibility, provided a good, solid idea comes to mind. Nevertheless, I will no doubt continue to produce clone shots, many involving me dressed in various feminine fashions, that are not officially part of, but certainly in the vein of the Slumber Party series (such as this one [broken link] I put together in 2012, depicting a sex ed class).
