Throwback Thursday: "History of Models" - My 2nd Photoshoot with Beautiful Ladies in Flowery Clothes July 2017

In my last post, I was reminiscing about how I switched from nature photography to human photography, I decided to post (or in some cases, repost) my photoshoots involving models in chronological order.  Shoots like these are such fun!  And challenging. 

To be honest, for an introvert like me with social anxiety, it's not easy to learn how to work with models.  I lucked out at my first shoot at Preston Castle, because there were many other experienced photographers on site that were happy to help me and coach me.  Even though I didn't have any lighting equipment and could only use ambient light, I was so excited by how the photos turned out!  Especially with the historical and architectural aspects along with the models. 

I am dying to go back with some ideas in mind and take my own model and props/clothes with me so I don't have to share like I did the first time.  Maybe 2023 will be the year I can make some of my ideas come to fruition.  I tried once and it is wayyyyy harder than it seems to put on a successful shoot with themes, models, styling, etc.

But I was so thrilled with my first experience with models that I couldn't wait to try another one!  Luckily I had found Meet Up through the organizer of the Preston Castle shoot and joined a few groups.  And my next happy, flowery shoot was well-coordinated and staffed by a Meet-up group (not very active in the last few years unfortunately) that is run by a professional photographers.  She had about 6 models there for this "lifestyle" shoot with floral clothing (the theme) at a prime location at William Land Park gardens.  She even brought a changing tent and was also standing by to help the amateur photographers in the group learn. 

I had SUCH a great experience at this shoot.  In large part due to another professional who was there and who was so helpful at casually teaching us amateurs some clever ways to work with models and ambient light. Isi S-M!  You are awesome and I am forever your fan!

It was such a bright and beautiful Summer day when we did this shoot.  I love these gardens at William Land and I was so happy with the experience and results.  Here are some of my favorite shots.  

This is Sabrina and I just loved the way the light fell on one eye in this shot.  And she has such pretty cat eyes.  I know I do like some weird edits and shots that others may not like, but I have to go with what I like.  :)  I guess it might be different if I was a professional.

This is Melissa.  And here we are demonstrating a technique taught to us by the wonderful Isi.   She called it the "HaHaHa".  

Don't tell your model to smile or laugh.  Just laugh yourself.  In this case, Isi recommended just going "hahaha" when you want your model to smile or laugh.  We practiced it for the rest of the shoot and almost invariably, the models would respond with a very nature laugh or smile.  :)

These young ladies were so talented at posing!

Michelle is the next model I had the pleasure of working with.  She was so great posing around the stone columns.

Hahaha!

This is probably one of my favorite photos ever. 

Isi also took great efforts to teach us willing amateurs how to find the light.  Especially the "hair light".  How to position your model in the shade but with the sun slightly behind and shoot slightly upwards. 

Looking at these old photos again has made me realize that I kind of forgot a lot that I had learned from these early experiences.  I'm really grateful for having these opportunities to stretch myself and learn new things.  I always love learning even though I wasn't so great at school! 

For the next installment of "History of Models", I am re-editing the photos I chose to feature.  I like m edits but boy have I learned a lot since then.  I really overdid it with some things and also have some better software now.  :)  I hope you look forward to the results of my "Creek Creatures" photoshoot!

 xoxo

Spring Fever! How About Some Flowers!

Mood Music While We Look At Pretty Flowers!

Elvis Presley...me mam's favorite singer.  Not bad! Easy on the eyes and the ears.  Hopefully my flower pictures will be as easy to look at.  

All taken at the Sacramento Zoo and William Land Park

We'll start with my favorite color, PURPLE!

 Mom's favorite...Iris.  We had purple iris in our front yard every year. 

Williamland Park is a large park in Sacramento which has a zoo, Fairytale Town - which is an awesome place to take youngsters, Funderland - a small carnival with rides for youngsters, a golf course, baseball diamonds, a duck pond, an outdoor amphitheater, lots of room for volleyball, frisbee, etc.  It is, in a word, Wonderful.  

Beside the parking lot for the zoo & Fairytale Town is a "prettyish kind of a little wilderness".  I love it there.  About 2/3 of these pictures were taken there, with the rest taken at the zoo.

This crazy rooster was lording it up over the pedestrians...He didn't really chase anyone, but he was certainly intimidating at times.

 Love this shot of the amphitheater benches with the wilderness in the background. 

 Cool branches down by the duck pond.

How about some SUNRISE COLORS!  Reds & oranges.

I see that there were lots of white flowers... So delicate and pretty.

 So much bokeh!!  Love it and so happy!

  

Sometimes the foliage is just as beautiful as the flowers but gets overlooked beside their flashier cousins. Case in point the purple leaves above with the creamy white flower.

And these next three beauties...

What goes better with green than gold!?!  #LetsGoOakland #Athletics

 How about green and gold and polkadots and spikes!  This plant is so punk rock. 

And this bee loved it too!!  How very stripey.

Okay, time to calm it down a little...we'll go from baseball punk to PINK!

This is actually a tree against the grey, cloudy sky.

 Sacramento used to be called The Camellia Capital.  We still have a lot of these gorgeous girls around, thank goodness. 

I just loved these grey branches that made such an interesting and delightful frame and background for the sparse pink flowers and leaves. 

And last but not least, outside the entrance to the zoo, I noticed a bush with really tiny pink flowers.  I went over to take another look and discovered how marvelous they are.  

It was funny...a lot of people were standing there, waiting for the light to change so we could cross the street and no one was paying attention to the bush.  There were a few people looking at the flowers that were planted around it and even taking some pictures.

After I started trying to get my perfect shot of these tiny, lovely flowers, several people walked over to see what I was looking at.  After I got my shot and was walking away, I heard one guy say "Wow, those are fantastic!  I'm glad I saw her looking at them!"

So one last piece of advice.  No matter how cliched you think it might be...stop and look at the flowers.  

Just watch out for Carol.

#TWD

xoxo