Jenna Jameson Suspension

Model:  Jenna Jameson

Camera Info:  Canon EOS 5

Film:  35mm Kodachrome

Shoot Date:  Sept. 28, 1995

Location:  Designer’s Home In Pasadena, CA

Jenna Jameson is one of the most famous adult stars ever.

This photograph was taken for a book project that I was producing for a Japanese publisher. It took about three weeks to cast and shoot on location. The resulting book was entitled:  “Ken Marcus: California Club.

It was mostly distributed in Japan and throughout Europe. At that time, books on bondage, (or any subject considered ‘kinky’) were almost impossible to find on the shelves in America.

Jenna Jameson has just turned 21, and I believe this was only her second or third photo session ever.  She was literally brand new to modeling and the adult entertainment world.

On the day of the shoot, Jenna had a bad cold and was feeling terrible. We had a full day planned for several bondage setups with her. In between shots, Jenna took naps on a couch while the crew moved equipment and tested the lighting. She was very motivated to do a good job, but really sick at the same time.

After a long day of shooting, it was late into the evening when we were setting up our final shot. This required Jenna to be suspended from a very high ceiling. We had saved the hardest for last.

Once everything was rigged and set up, my assistants began to hoist Jenna  up by the arms, with a pulley. As luck would have it, in less than a minute a severe pain in Jenna’s arms began to set in, and we had to call it a day. It’s not a good idea to kill the model during a shoot.

I had only enough time to shoot 6 exposures before my assistants rushed in to take her down. I only had seconds to shoot, but we actually got the final image that I had envisioned.

Looking at this photograph, one could hardly imagine the ordeal Jenna went through to achieve this. It became one of her favorite images and for many years, she would use it for publicity and autograph signings.