I’m a bit late on this update – seeing as how the holidays are nearly over…
But, for those of you that managed to have missed it, here’s the 2012 John Remus Photography Christmas Card!

This year there was a brief period where I was worried that the card wasn’t going to happen. I’m currently living in San Diego, not Los Angeles where I have lived the last four years. So, I was a bit further from all my model friends. But, more importantly, my main model Danielle was now living in Las Vegas.
Last year Danielle called dibs on being my model for the 2012 card. And I had planned a couple ideas around her being the center of this year’s project. However, Danielle moved to Vegas in the summer and is now a dancer in Jubilee! Which is awesome, let’s be serious. However, it meant she was quite far away from me and being able to do the card easily.

But after my initial frustration of maybe not being able to coordinate a shoot being in different cities, I talked to Danielle and we decided we needed to make it happen.
That same week I was contacted by Liz (center girl in the image above) who was on my card last year. She was having lunch that day with Amber (far left in the photo) who I had met and photographed at the Budweiser shoot I did in February. They were joking that “if I needed two more girls for my card they were available!”.
Well, I was already planning on shooting a Christmas Carol themed card, so, two more girls to round out the “three ghosts” sounded like it could be a cool idea.

Plans were made and all the girls were lined up to shoot. Danielle would still be the center focus of the card as the Ghost of Christmas Past, Liz would be the Ghost of Christmas Present, and Amber was rounding out the trio as the Ghost of Christmas Future!
And for those of you curious about how to get a butt like Danielle (cuz several have asked), she’s a dancer and climbs nearly 750 steps a day combined through all her shows… So, go find a tall building, and climb it once a day.

The hardest part of the entire card was actually figuring out how I was going to set myself up as Ebineezer Scrooge. Ultimately I decided that my costume wasn’t going to be THAT important and simply wore a robe and held a candle. Finding an old fashioned white nightgown that we all know from the old movies for that character was too much trouble and I was more interested in finishing the card than worrying about what I would be wearing in it.

All in all I’m very pleased with how this year’s card turned out. And I actually sent out nearly all 175 cards that I ordered – a 25 card increase over last year, and 50 person increase of new people after several didn’t explicitly sign up for a new card this year.

Click below the break for a few behind the scenes photos from my last big production of the year. And as January gets started I’ll be doing more work on my Ninja Turtles project with the four new models I have lined up for that! My annual end-of-the-year write up will be done in the next few days, too…

Me and Liz goofing off while Amber finishes her makeup that morning

Quick! Amber! Pose so I can upload a teaser to Facebook!

I wanted to do one posed shot before we finished. Amber had already changed and ended up changing BACK into her outfit from the shoot for the photo. She’s the best.

Before leaving Amber also gave me one of her Bud Light prints that she uses at promo events. The image is one that I shot earlier this year with her. On the right is a signed print that I had in my books of work. Amber signed it for me to add to my signed photos that I hang on my wall of my own work.

After shooting we all went to Rubio’s for lunch. What’s funny is I walked in with two models and the few people that were in there eating lunch all turned to look.

Shooting with Danielle next for her part in card. As the Ghost of Christmas Past, she got the chains ;)

Had to get a posed shot together, too.

The last part of the card was shooting myself and the background of the card. I went to my cousin’s place and shot there. My aunt and uncle are really supportive of my work and seemed to enjoy watching the setup of everything. Here’s me with two of my cousins goofing off while I make sure the remotes and strobes are working.

Less than a week later the cards were printed and ready to send out. This was the first set of 100 that I was dropping in the mail for everyone who signed up. would send and hand out another 65 over the following week.