My Favorite Sets of 2023
Another year has come to a close. It's time to take a look back and determine which sets I loved the most from the year that was 2023. These lists are never easy and I constantly tinker with them right up to the moment I click publish. It's an annual occurrence and this year was no different.
Where things did differ this list are with how many models are featured. Allie, Leah, and Kelsey, the 2023 Star Models, are the only three models you will see. Those three were featured heavily throughout 2023 from start to finish, so the numbers were in their favor. That's not to say that Roxy, Reese, Abby, and Carmella, all who had sets published in 2023 didn't have great sets. Nope! It simply came down to Allie, Leah, and Kelsey doing so much that they just flooded the rankings.
With all that being said, I'm eager to know what sets all of you enjoyed the most. Feel free to hit me up in the comments, on social media, or by email to tell me your favorites from 2023. Now, onto mine!
Honorable Mentions (3): Kelsey - Go Bananas!, Kelsey - Park Swings, & Kelsey - Grape Jelly Slices
Yes, a clean sweep of the honorable mentions go to Kelsey. Placing first place in back-to-back years on the Star Models listings for 2022 and 2023 meant I had a lot of content of my gal pal to publish. I knew she'd be making a statement on this year's favorite sets listing and we haven't even gotten to the Top 10 yet. Spoiler, there's a lot more of her to come.
As for these three, however, the two food sets with Kelsey smashing bananas and then the grape jelly slices were just so fun to shoot. Her feet got nice and gooey and/or sticky. Lots of great poses and the food and feet fans loved them. As for her playground swings set, I loved it due to the inclusion of her well-worn cat print sneakers. The fact that she wore them without socks was a plus. I know many of you said how much you wished you could sniff them. Maybe one day there will an ability to make scratch -n- sniff photos for the internet.
10. 80's Gear
Published Date: August 23, 2023
Allie has been one of my go-to models over the last several years. She has also been featured throughout the last few Favorite Sets listings. Here she is again getting things started in 2023 with a set theme that everyone, especially Allie, knows that I love - sneakers without socks.
The day we shot this Allie brought along numerous outfits and shoes. She knew I'd love the pink, teal, and white LA Gear throwbacks you see above. She also knew I'd want her wearing them without socks. She knows me oh so well!
Knowing my passion for including bright colors in my sets she kept her purple shirt for this one to go along with the teal and pink found on those shoes. The Cool Blue Gatorade bottle I gave her to pour on her feet at the end added one last final funky color. It also was cute watching her cool off her sweaty size 5's with it too. Not sure what our squirrel friend thought about it though. He was around for most of the set and can be seen in the shot above.
9. Schoolgirl Ballbuster
Published Date: November 1, 2023
Leah spent a bunch of time in front of my camera in 2023, shooting more sets during the course the year than she had in all of the previous years combined. Some of those sets, including this one, featured her naughty side. Leah loves to tease and put boys in their place. She can be such a brat, but I love it! From all the comments and messages I got in 2023, it looks like many of you do too.
This set kicked off No Nut November on Soles of Silk - one of Leah's favorite times of the year. No, I'm not kidding! It wasn't the only time we saw her that month either and won't be the last set of hers from November on this list.
It had been a long while since I had done a schoolgirl themed set. Leah loved the idea of doing one, especially letting her bratty/bitchy side shine through in the process. My only request was for her to wear those socks. I've had them for years and was looking for the perfect set to use them. Well, we sure found it.
8. Red Socks/Blue Shirt
Published Date: October 4, 2023
How many times have I said that some of my favorite sets are the ones done on a whim? That's the case here yet again. Kelsey and I were running short on time, but wanted to squeeze in one last set. My camera battery was around 10 percent after all the other sets we had done. The only thing we knew was she'd be sitting on this silver bench.
It was Kelsey's idea to wear the bright red knee high socks with her blue shirt. I was leaning toward a pair of blue socks, thinking they'd be a better match. That being said, I let Kelsey go with the red ones and boy am I ever glad I did. Those socks stood out like no other. I got so many amazing shots of her slowly tugging them off her thick soles and plump toes too and I think that red color just made them pop.
7. Gamer Gal - PlayStation 1
Published Date: September 27, 2023
I said above that Leah showed off her naughty side a bunch in 2023. In this one, however, she showed off her nerdy side. And guess what? She's so fucking cute in this one too. Maybe it's because I'm a gamer, but Leah's adorableness is just oozing out in this one featuring her playing my PlayStation 1. I know I'm not the only one who thinks this either based off some of the responses I got.
The idea for this set came from ones I've done in the past, namely Mindee's set with my Nintendo Entertainment System, games, and controllers. That one earned the Number 2 spot on My Favorite Sets of 2021. Maybe I'm onto something? Perhaps it's time to pull out my original XBox, Turbo Grafx 16, Sega Genesis, or any of the other old school consoles I have and have models shoot with them? Well, maybe not my Phillips CD-i. No one loves that system.
6. Training Camp
Published Date: September 6, 2023
After doing an Orioles themed set earlier this year and the Orioles having massive success, I asked Kelsey to do a Ravens themed set too. Sitting here writing this with a 13-3 record, after beating the 49'ers and Dolphins in back-to-back weeks, and securing the Number 1 seed in the AFC, I think it's safe to say that Kelsey is a good luck charm.
This particular set was intended to be a simple one in the bleachers, just like her Orioles set. Due to too many people being around the bleachers, we were forced to change things up. That turned out for the best though. We saw several large tires and a tackling sled out on the field. No one was down there, so that's where we went. I got some great angles of Kelsey's feet in and out of her purple shoes, and surrounded by all the Ravens props we brought along.
Next year fully expect Kelsey to be doing another Orioles and Ravens themed set. I don't want to mess with the success.
5. (tie) Pink Fence Nets & Pudding: Parts 1, 2, & 3
Published Dates: February 22, 2023 & March 1, 2023
For months on end Allie was after me to do a set with her where she stepped in pudding. She was ALL about doing it too. Although I have done several pudding sets in the past, I wanted her to do it. I knew her passion would be on full display with how bad she wanted this to happen. I was 100 percent correct too. Just look at the shots above. You can tell she was having a blast.
Now if you're calling foul for me having a tie on this year's listing, I don't apologize. You see, this set and the idea for it took on a life of its own. Allie wanted pudding and I wanted her to do it. Wanting to make it different from the ones done in the past, that's when I pitched the idea for the blue and pink Unicorn Pudding. Allie loved it and that was that for a few days.
Fast forward a couple of weeks and I had an idea pop into my head, "Why not include stockings in this set too?" I wanted to make it different and that certainly would. I sent a photo of the pink fence nets to Allie and asked her if she'd wear them in the pudding set. Her answer was an immediate, "Yes!"
In the final days leading to our shoot I pondered how we'd tackle this set. Would Allie start off in the stockings and then get her feet messy? It would be fun and cute, but it wouldn't have her feet bare at any point. That's when the idea came to split the set into a Part 1 and Part 2. Part 1 would have Allie barefoot and pulling on the stockings. Part 2 would feature her making the mess. Little did I know, however, that I'd also shoot a third part of her peeling the stockings back off after shooting her clip. Her feet were so messy and it had a totally different look than the first two parts. I just had to!
So while these sets were broken into three parts, I feel like each one tells a fun story and all deserve to be featured among my favorite sets of the year. Mentioning just one was next to impossible so all three are show here.
4. New Year's 2024
Published Date: December 27, 2023
Squeezing in one final shoot with Kelsey at the end of December resulted in the set you see above. I wanted a set for the New Year's update, so I bought a bunch of colorful props to throw all over the bed for Kelsey to play with between her toes. I think the last minute addition of the fishnet ankle socks, however, is what really set this one off for me.
While I've shot models wearing fishnets and fence nets plenty of times, they've always been either thigh highs or pantyhose. I found these ankle socks cheap on Amazon, with six pairs in the pack, featuring three different netting types. I let Kelsey pick out the ones that she wanted to use and I must say, the choice was perfect! I love how you can still see her pretty feet right through those socks.
With this listing being published on New Year's Day, I hope all of you have gotten a chance to enjoy this set. I couldn't think of a better person to bring in 2024 than the one who went above and beyond for me in 2023. Thanks Kelsey!
3. Sweaty Feet Along the Trail
Published Date: October 25, 2023
This set was the one shot immediately prior to the red knee high socks set found at the Number 8 spot. Unlike that set we knew we wanted to shoot a set featuring Kelsey's black, gray, and teal Vans. Where, however, was the question? We struck out on a few locations, but lucked upon our destination while searching Google Maps.
There it was, a large metal arch, with a bunch of large rocks, on a trail. There was a parking lot right next to it so we decided to go check it out. We got there, realized just how close the trail and arch was to the road, but said screw it. No one was around and the arch and rocks would give Kelsey plenty to interact with when kicking off her sneakers. If a few motorists... okay, a LOT of motorists saw Kelsey doing some foot modeling, so be it. Oh, and that state trooper on the ATV too. I'm sure he saw.
I intended for this set to be another sneaker and no socks set, but Kelsey said we should do sneakers with socks for a change. Like her call to use the red socks, I listened to her and am so glad I did. Seeing her removing both the sneakers and socks resulted in so many great photos.
2. Blacked Out!
Published Date: August 30, 2023
A long time ago when making these lists I'd go and rank every set in a single sitting at the end of the year. That shit was hard! After a few years of doing things the hard way I came up with the idea of doing an ongoing list of favorites that I'd update each week. I'd add the newest updates to the list, ranking it against what I've already placed. It certainly made life easier.
With the August 30, 2023 update I placed Leah's Blacked Out! set in the Number 1 spot. I was 99.9 percent sure it would be there at the end of the year. I liked it that much! Can you blame me? She looks sultry.
My original idea was for her to wear two different color stockings when it came to the fence nets and the thigh highs underneath. A last minute idea popped in my head as Leah was getting dressed, "Why not do both layers in black?"
Leah said why not and we went with it. Looking back through the photos immediately after, while rubbing her feet of course, we were so glad we went all black.
1. Ball Busting Legend
Published Date: November 15, 2023
Now for the Number 1 set - the one that I ultimately decided I like even more than Leah's Blacked Out! set. It's Leah's Ball Busting Legend set. This is another one of her No Nut November features and one that features the same pair of big squishy blue balls Kelsey and Roxy used in their sets.
Leah has worn quite a few shirts with naughty imagery or slogans on them over the years. This one, however, might be the most accurate. Leah is every bit the legend that shirt proclaims. She's always been a massive tease and loves denial play. Well, for guys. Not her. She's getting hers, but that doesn't mean you're getting yours. And in 2023 Leah also discovered how much she also likes beating up those balls she likes to leave swollen and blue.
Looking through the photos in this set, Leah's dominance is on full display. It's second to none. Even with a smirk or a smile, you feel the devilish intent lurking behind. It's 100 percent Leah. One minute she's all cute and innocent and the next, those balls are flat and she's laughing hysterically.
Leah's attitude in this one is one of the biggest reasons I think this one edges out the Number 2 set. Yes, pun totally intended on the "edges" there. Leah would have it no other way. She is the boss of me after all. Right Leah?
And with that, you have now know My Favorite Sets of 2023 and my decisions for why each made the list. The way things are looking, I'm betting Leah and Kelsey are going to be back in full force again in 2024. Both have a bunch of unpublished sets that I simply adore. They've both mentioned wanting to shoot again soon and even with each other. I can't wait for that. Hopefully I'm also able to get a few more models into the mix and get each and every one of them some more camera time. This time next year we will find out.
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