summer camp

World-renowned drag photographer Magnus Hastings pitches a tent with Misty Violet and Allusia in his new photo series.

STORY JOHN SOTOMAYOR PHOTOS MAGNUS HASTINGS

after the success of the collaborated photo-essay, “Icons Gone Wild” in Embrace’s Arts issue last summer, I contacted Magnus Hastings to team up again for another comic romp.

The idea of “summer camp” popped into my head for a photo-essay and thought it would be very funny to depict drag queens enacting rugged outdoorsmanship in the woods — with a campy twist. Magnus agreed, thinking it would be silly and fun.

Magnus was given complete creative control on the shoot. He contacted two of his closest drag queen friends from his hometown of West Hollywood, the legendary Misty Violet and Allusia, the latter of whom participated in “Icons Gone Wild.” He pitched them the concept and were instantly game.

with that, Magnus and the girls set o in search of the ideal campy environment. “Being that we shot in LA, I wanted it to look like anywhere but LA,” Magnus said. “I looked at Malibu, but it didn’t feel right. I started looking at campsites and asking around.”

A friend suggested Franklin Canyon, on the north side of Beverly Hills and Bel-Air. “It is bizarre,” Magnus said. “One minute you’re in the middle of Beverly Hills, then you turn down a side road and suddenly you’re in an endless expanse of woods, with a cli side on the right and a huge lake and mountains in the backdrop. It’s insane.” it was an amazing spot. It would have been the perfect spot, if not for one small problem: permit enforcement. “Permits are $250/hour. We scratched that,” he said. “But with this shoot, we had to set up a tent, so it wasn’t like we could snap and run. I’ve been chased away from places by the police before. It’s not fun.”

On day one of shooting, they pitched their tent and kept an eye out. Luckily, the permit enforcing ranger passed through just as they were arriving, meaning they were not spotted—at least, not right away.

“He showed up again at our third setup, the shing shot,” said Magnus. “He stopped us and went on about permits, but was nice enough to allow us an hour and a half to shoot.”

After such a close call on day one, they chose to play it safe day two and did a setup in Misty’s garden. It just had just a tuft of grass, but it was enough for backgrounds.

Needing one last location for variety, they chose to take the risk and ran secretly into another park area Magnus had scouted the day before. They shot the scene where they are dragging their bags, as well as the shots of them doing their washing.

The outcome is hilarious drag camp at its nest.