Model of the Year (Patreon)

Surprise, surprise (not really...) the Model of the Year is ...Aphrodita (aka Marrina)!

Well, I don't expect many members to be surprised by this outcome, of course, but I am surprised by the ease with which Aphrodita won this race, receiving 67% of the votes.

It is also good to know that seven shoots in twelve months with Aphrodita weren't just a whim by yours truly.

Aphrodita was, of course, my most popular model in the 5000+Digital Downloads tier - where members vote with their money, which is, admittedly, the main reason that I couldn’t refuse an opportunity to shoot with her.

Although the vote was very much a one-horse race - it looked like that from the quarterlies - there were three runner ups, all of whom received votes.

The first runner up was Greek model and dancer Katerina Maragkaki.

The second and third runners up were Chiara B and Anastasia - both of whom received an equal number of votes.

Admittedly, I’m a little surprised that Chiara B didn’t get that many votes.

I am, of course, delighted for Katerina - I shot with her three times in 2025 - so it is again good to know that it's not just me who likes her!

I must add that I am surprised that Chiara B hardly got any votes in the finals.

I have an explanation for this: the fans of Chiara buy paid memberships only when I shoot with her and my last shoot with her was back in May 2025, so hardly any of them have voted, as only paid members were entitled to vote.

I suspect that fans of Chiara will reappear if and when I decide to do another shoot with her but that kinda bothers me, as I'd rather have paid members who support me on a regular basis rather than only when I shoot with their favourite model.

My Patreon is a celebration of female beauty, broadly defined.

It would hardly be sustainable if beauty was defined very narrowly.

In fact, I endeavour to shoot with new models all the time, not only to ensure diversity in beauty but also to avoid repetition.

With that in mind, I would love to hear from you guys if I should be shooting again in 2026 with Chiara. I am a little perplexed. Clearly I cannot be investing huge sums of money purely on the hope that Chiara fans will reappear. I would rather listen to my regulars.