As a photography studio, I’ve had my fair share of working with celebrities—singers, fashion designers, Hollywood directors, TV personas, Bollywood stars, state governors, and even a NATO country president. But nothing, absolutely nothing, could compare to this past weekend’s shoot involving a movie star. This wasn’t just a shoot—it was a full-blown, off-the-rails prank photoshoot, and I was at the center of it, playing a key role I never imagined myself in: the ultimate creepy stalker photographer. Suspense, threats, icy plunges, knife, blood—hold on to your socks.
Table of Contents
The Jackass Spirit
For those unfamiliar with the phenomenon that is Jackass, let’s take a moment to appreciate the sheer cultural impact of this legendary franchise. Created in the early 2000s by Johnny Knoxville, Bam Margera, and their fearless band of stunt-loving maniacs, the Jackass franchise revolutionized prank and stunt culture. From shopping cart races to being shot out of cannons, the show and movies celebrated chaos, reckless abandon, and the kind of friendship that thrives in absolute mayhem. Brandon Novak, one of the figures in the Jackass crew, brought that very spirit into this prank photoshoot, setting the tone for what would be an unpredictable and hilariously unhinged experience.
The Setup: A “Normal” Photoshoot Gone Rogue
Initially, Nick contacted me as a regular client, organizing a photoshoot for their weekend retreat—a simple group session for six friends (three couples) in a Pocono rental house by a frozen lake. But once we hopped on a call, his friend Brandon dropped the bombshell. This wasn’t just a session but a setup, a prank photoshoot. And, seeing my wild photoshoots like this post-apocalyptic love saga, and work in general, they felt I was the perfect fit.
Johnny, one of the friends, was celebrating his birthday, and Nick and Brandon—his closest partners-in-crime—wanted to give him a prank he’d never forget. Their idea? I would pose as a weird, socially inept photographer who just happened to be “in the area”. I would slowly insert myself into their gathering, most uncomfortably and awkwardly.
I loved the idea, as I love acting! I still wanted to take it up a notch. I brainstormed additional ideas:
- Real Estate “Scouting” Gone Wrong – Posing as a real estate photographer and suddenly shifting into paparazzi mode.
- Suspicious Fanatic – Pretending to recognize Johnny as a famous TikToker and demanding proof.
- Mystery Object Find – Plant a weird object nearby and “discover” it mid-shoot.
- Bribe & Shoot – Offering them money for a shoot in an increasingly desperate and bizarre way.
- Frozen Lake Dare – Challenging them to a polar plunge for money, playing it off as a spontaneous challenge.
Becoming the Character
I needed to look the part. I let my beard grow out, messed up my hair, wore ripped jeans, old sneakers, and a hoodie, and dirtied up my hands. I even considered emphasizing my Russian accent, channeling a Borat-meets-underground-weirdo vibe. I wanted to be just off enough to make them uneasy but not enough to blow my prank photoshoot cover immediately.
Showtime: The Prank Photoshoot Unfolds
The plan was for them to “notice” me around noon. As a real estate photographer, I staged myself shooting a nearby house and began taking pictures from a distance. As fate would have it, Johnny himself spotted me first.
He approached cautiously. “Uh… what are you doing?”
I mumbled something about real estate but made it unclear why I’d need pictures of them. Nick rushed in and played along, inviting me over to their fire pit by the lake.
I asked for their names but claimed I was terrible at remembering, calling them by the first letters instead. Johnny’s girlfriend, K, became immediately suspicious. “What’s your motif?” she asked, eyes narrowing.
I responded with cryptic nonsense. Her concern only grew.
See how uneasy that posing went? Then, I hit the next phase: I pulled out a fake screenshot of a TikTok personality resembling Johnny. “It’s you! I knew it!” I demanded proof, pressuring him to check his app. He denied having TikTok. Then he did. I suggested messaging the lookalike to see if his phone pinged. Right before I sent the message, I got “distracted” and switched topics.
The Hidden Object
With Nick and Brandon leading, we went inside. They had a surprise birthday cake for Johhny, so everyone was cooperating on that without reservations. After I took a few group pictures, I started to look around…
Look, would you trust this guy claiming to be a photographer (given you didn’t see my branded car)?
I took things in a weirder direction. It “occurred” to me that I shot that house for the rental listing several months ago. In a freaky way, I revealed that I like secretly leaving “traces” or things behind… I surely “recalled” that I had left something in a nearby closet and asked Johnny to check it.
He looked up at the far shelf.
What he found—planted there by Nick before my arrival—sent the room into chaos. (This object, too explicit to mention or shown here, will be detailed in the Exclusive Content section of this blog.) The guys erupted into uncontrollable laughter, all messing around. The girls? Sheer horror and disbelief in “yuck” and “what the…” moments.
Tension built. K had had enough. Brandon’s girlfriend nervously asked me to leave, her voice trembling, explaining K’s discomfort. Nick’s wife whispered that if he didn’t tell her it was a prank photoshoot, she’d call the cops. Johnny had already taken photos of my car and me. He sent them to his friend and gave him a heads-up in case something happened to them. He wrote half-jokingly, “if we die he killed us“.
Inside, he checked the kitchen for a knife.
It was time to ease up. Nick and Brandon subtly reassured the girls while keeping Johnny in the dark. We had played our roles well, but it was time to let the prank photoshoot taper off naturally. That helped a lot, even too much, as their behavior suddenly relaxed. I suppose that Johnny could notice, too, and suspect a plot. Thankfully, we had already played it out and enjoyed the reactions enough.
The Frozen Lake Challenge
After regrouping outside, I “accidentally” found a photo on my phone from the Orthodox Epiphany (baptism) a few weeks ago, when many people in Russia do a cold plunge in frozen lakes. This wasn’t difficult for me as I did a fair share of winter swimming and NYC Polar Bear plunges in the past. I dared them to do it for the camera, too.
This was my way of introducing the idea of a polar plunge—something that was actually planned in advance. I even pretended to call someone, making it seem like I had outside funding for this. “I can Zelle $1,000 on the spot for whoever jumps in,” I announced.
Johnny went first (twice, for better photos, and got a bleeding cut on his head from the ice sheet), followed by the rest. Even two of the three girls joined in. The ice hole was made with a rock and an iron stick—one of which snapped from the sheer force. Brandon, a regular at cold plunges, felt at home.
The Grand Finale
The final reveal happened in the hot tub, where Johnny finally learned he had been set up for this prank photoshoot. The deck exploded with laughter, and we re-lived every moment, from my sketchy disguise to the peak of everyone’s suspicion. I explained why I looked so shabby, like a vagabond, unshaven for over a week, uncombed, unwashed, possibly smelly, wearing worn, dirty clothes. I assured them that this was not my usual photoshoot attire.
Nick, a prankster in his nature, brought back the mysterious object again and fooled around to the fullest. Images are too bad to show except in the password-protected area below.
The Aftermath
The last shots of the day were in the hot tub, everyone laughing, fully immersed in the ridiculousness of the day.
My final capture? A simple, genuine moment of friendship—no pranks, no antics, just six people who had just been through one of their most bizarre and unforgettable experiences. Happy Valentine’s Day, peeps! ❤️
And for me? Easily one of the most creative, thrilling, and hilarious shoots I’ve ever done.
Here we are, the prank photoshoot perpetrators… Jackasses.
(For those curious about certain details too wild for public view, head to the Members-Only section further down. But be warned—you can’t unsee those pictures…)
Brandon Novak: From Chaos to Redemption
Brandon Novak wasn’t just another prankster in the mix—his journey is something extraordinary. Once a professional skateboarder under Tony Hawk’s wing, his rise was cut short by addiction. His struggles were raw, well-documented in Jackass and Viva La Bam, but his comeback story is even more inspiring. After years of battling heroin addiction, he turned his life around, becoming a best-selling author and motivational speaker advocating for recovery. Today, he helps others escape the same darkness that almost consumed him.
💎 Exclusive Content
Below are some of the things and thoughts I wouldn’t readily share publicly. Click the “Join Now” button to become a Zorz Studios website’s Premium member for exclusive access to curious parts of this and other posts. In today’s feature, find out about:
- What is that mysterious object, and what did the guys do to it?
- How they found me, and why I’m the king on that list.
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