Well now it’s time for an autumn update. My last update was just before the beginning of summer and I did manage to do some of the projects I had planned. One of them, in the end, took two mornings to complete. Whenever I get together with this amazing woman we always have more ideas than time, and things get left unfinished. This time the problem was the heat. The day we began working together was one of the hottest of the summer, and even though we started very early, we both ended up suffering from the heat. When I eventually got home I felt quite ill and realised I was dehydrated.
Four days later we completed the project (we still have some things to do that we had planned before, and quite a lot of new things to do) and we both noticed that it was far easier to work as the temperature did not rise so much during the morning. I also had the opportunity to use my new 160x35cm softbox.
We mainly did shibari with flowers and we also did some shower photos to capture running water. We have some outdoor photos which, if we don’t get done soon, we will leave for next year, and we have some food photos that have been on the cards for some time.
The day after the second shoot, I had another shibari shoot, this time with Sacriel. I have wanted to tie her up for a long time, but as she once had a bad experience with rope, she has never been too keen on the idea. So when we did the session, I kept the ropes nice and loose (maybe too loose in some places) and the shoot was good for her. Now we have more things planned with ropes and flowers.
I did one more shoot with Sacriel and Rachel in a local coffee shop, taking advantage of a Stars and Stripes and the general decor to do some pinup photos.
Before we did the coffee shop shoot, I had the highlight of my summer projects. That is not to say that I haven’t enjoyed all the others, and I am very proud of the photos that were taken. However, I have a project which is loosely called the Body Project. Really, this is my main reason for photography. I want to show people how beautiful they really are, and that what they see in the mirror is not reality. I have already been doing this since I started this second phase of my photographic life, but now there is more focus and intention. The last Saturday in August I was able to take a friend, and someone I love very, very much, on a day long photo shoot. She is not a model but you wouldn’t know that from looking at the pictures.
The main thing when working with people is that they feel at ease and they feel in control. Basically, all you have to do is bring out the gorgeous human being inside your subject. I have wanted to photograph her for the body project for a long time, but I understand that it can take time to come to terms with your image and want to be photographed. If you don’t want to be photographed, the images will not be good. I picked my friend up mid morning and we drove to the first location. About 10 minutes before we got there we stopped and had a coffee in the main square of a small village (I think this helped my nerves as much as hers). Then we started the shoot, did a couple of locations, and then had a late lunch. After lunch I took her to a necropolis. I did mention this before we walked up to it because it wasn’t a Halloween shoot, and I don’t want to frighten anybody. This was when I could see that she was fully at ease and we were getting fantastic images.
We ended the shoot as the sun was going down and the light became magical.
I also took a day off and with a friend went to a deserted village about 45 minutes from the city. Once again, it was quite hot, but we had cool drinks (thanks, Toni!) and we spent the whole day wandering around the houses looking for interesting angles and signs of the passing of time among the derelict buildings.
I have a few projects which are important and should be done this year or early next year, and I also have a lot of ideas for new projects. My main camera, a Canon EOS 6D, is now over 100% of its life, so that will probably be replaced early next year as I have another wedding in the summer of 2022. The next update should be around Christmas, unless I can get myself organised and get one out before then.
