Angela & I started our early June, 2002 sitting at about 1:00pm.  Note to outdoor photographers -- 1:00pm is just about the worst light of the day:  it pounds straight down & creates unsightly shadows.  It's often a bad time to do indoor photography using natural light, too, but the back stairs are an exception.  It's a tall space, open to the finished attic and the floor below, and there are two skylights above.  There is a pair of windows facing north, and light reflecting off the side of the next door window filters in softly through these windows.  There is another window above, and this light with the skylights bounce off the white walls providing an even & soft lighting set up on the first landing.  So far, I've started each sitting with models in my home right here, because the light looks good.

I like having a model hold something, and in this case a chenille throw blanket was a good choice.  It has a soft & sensuous feel and it gives the model something to do with their hands.  I also like photographs that don't reveal absolutely everything -- it's always better to leave something to the viewer's imagination.