Well, it was time to write a new post. I have posted several on my new favourite activity (Running) so I wanted to write about something different.
I had thought about an update on my crypto holdings but a quick check on the leofinance community showed at least 37 different posts talking about Bitcoin and the new ATH, so I think I'll avoid that as well!
Oh well, back into the archives I go....
...way back to 2017 in fact. At this point I had done a couple of studio-organised portrait shoots, where the studio organises everything and I just turn up and try to take pictures. I felt reasonably confident to try to arrange something myself, so I asked in a couple of local facebook photography groups if anyone was interested in shooting TFP (Trade For Print), and I received just the one reply.
This is Agnieszka. She was Latvian (or maybe Lithuanian) and while she was very smiley and friendly, her English was not brilliant.
I'm not judging, just stating the facts. Her English was still a million miles better than I knew of her own language
The biggest issue is the fact that when a photographer and a model are working together, there is often small talk between taking pictures. This helps to make the session relaxed, which will then result in better images. Communication is also important when sharing ideas, such as when I asked her to move into a different position or she suggested standing in a different place.
We didn't have any of that on this day. I managed to explain that I was reasonably competent with a camera, but not used to taking pictures of people, and she explained that she had done a bit of modelling in the past, and was looking to get back into it again.
Small talk completed, we got to work...
Fortunately as I was still new to this, I had brought a folder of sample portrait images that I liked, to help give my ideas. We looked through it together, and then took it in turns picking out poses and copying them (and adjusting them depending on the surroundings)
The location was the Aboretum in Lincoln. Its a lovely little place featuring lots of different backgrounds: trees, plants, a small bridge, and in the centre there is a very pretty bandstand too.
I think this one pictured above is my favourite of the set.
Agnieszka lived close by, so after an hour or so, she nipped home to change outfits. Just a few minutes later she came back in this striking outfit
While the outfit was beautiful, by this point we were both starting to run out of ideas and the images for the second set generally were not a interesting as the first outfit.
No matter.
Considering we were both very inexperienced, and our communication was very limited, we both got images we were happy with... and on that basis this photo shoot was successful.
Thank you for reading, I hope you found it interesting.
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All Photos taken by unless otherwise stated.
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