On the 9th of April, which was Easter Sunday, I went with a very good friend of mine for our third photo session, which has turned into an annual event. I would love to do it more often, but as you can see from this update, I haven’t had a lot of time this year. I have had some other photo sessions (all with the same person) and they will be explained here soon.
Some days before, I booked lunch an excellent restaurant run by some friends of mine. The essence of my Body Project is to uplift and empower people, so it is important that they have a positive experience. I always take my time during the sessions to create a relaxed atmosphere. When the subject is calm, comfortable, and enjoying themselves, it really does enhance the quality of the photos.
Before lunch, we visited an intriguing art installation quite close to the restaurant. Although I hadn’t had the chance to scout it beforehand, we decided to take a chance. Fortunately, it turned out to be a fantastic location. I used the rock as a backdrop and incorporated some of the art installations into the poses.
Since my friend is tall and exudes glamour, I opted for a rockstar/supermodel aesthetic for the shoot. This also helps the subject feel more at ease as they have a persona to embody, making them less self-conscious in front of the lens. Due to the rising temperature, we cut the pre-lunch session short by 20 minutes and headed for our delightful meal.
After lunch, we returned to the art installation and spent about an hour capturing images with the sun casting a beautiful, lower light. Despite my friend wear boots with 4-inch heels, she managed to scale a steep, rocky path (a feat I struggled with in flat-soled shoes). We were blessed with the most beautiful sky and I knew that some shots would look spectacular in black-and-white.
Fortunately, even though I primarily use a mirrorless camera that displays scenes in black-and-white, I haven’t lost the skill of envisioning it with my DSLR camera. This ensures that I still capture the essence and beauty of black-and-white photography.
Around 17:30, we made our way to a lake that had been drained during the 20th century but was restored to its natural state relatively recently. Before reaching the lakeside, we found some interesting trees to interact with. The water doesn’t feature that much in the images as the sun and the trees are far more captivating. As the sun descended toward the horizon, it bathed everything around us in a beautiful golden light, creating striking shadows.
Overall, both my friend and I had a lovely day, and as always, by the end of the session, the subject of my photos felt much more confident than when we started. This is the essence of the Body Project – to reveal to people their true beauty, which can only shine through when they feel safe and secure. It’s a job I love and take great pride in!
One of these images is available on a t-shirt in my Etsy store, take a look!
