Photographer Blake Little 'Preserves' Models in Honey [NSFW]

For the "Preservation" project, widely acclaimed Los Angeles-based photographer Blake Little covered a variety of models in 4,500 pounds of honey. You read that right. The idea for this shoot was originally inspired by a previous session where he depicted a man as a bear eating honey. He was startled by the way that the honey gave the appearance that the man was "preserved in amber" and by how it can "distort and amplify forms."

In casting for this project, Little chose to use a wide variety of races, ages, body types, sexes, and even a dog. The models used span from a 1-year-old infant to an 85-year-old woman, from a body builder to an obese woman. This was all to accentuate both the differences and the similarities in body types. The medium of honey provides a shocking and interesting view on each model's form, as attested by Kenneth Lapatin:

He combines the old and the new in a bold new way. His vivid images startle the viewer.

Blake saw – and was intrigued by – the juxtaposition of the timeless, pure substance and human flesh, so prone to decay. He was amazed by honey’s transformations when dripped, dribbled, and poured over the human body, and how it can distort and amplify forms, highlight physical perfection, engender repulsion, and suggest both immortality and death. 

 — Kenneth Lapatin, Associate Curator of Antiquities - J Paul Getty Museum

Many of the models performed nude. What was it like being nude and completely covered in honey? 

The assistant told me it would be heavy, but I didn't feel that it was actually heavy. I just thought... it is a very weird feeling. It was very cold, but then once it's on you, you feel warmth coming up. You know, like you're protected, in a way, if I talk metaphorically.

— Sarah, model for the "Preservation" project

Little is an accomplished photographer, having a portfolio that has preferred clients such as Tom Cruise, Steve Carrel, and Samuel L Jackson. The "Preservation" project was quickly picked up by Kenneth Lapatin J Paul Getty Museum where it was on display from March 7 through April 18. It is now available in book form on the project's website. For more information on Little, or for a view of the individual photos, be sure to check out his website.

Have you done something crazier than covering your models with honey? Share your story below!