Emily got in touch, looking to work with me, on a fashion themed commission. Her communication was excellent, and she had a very clear (though
not inflexible) idea of what she was seeking to achieve.
Well-travelled and articulate,
she’d modelled in the not too distant past but wanted to refresh her portfolio.
She was visiting family, so Colchester seemed the obvious meeting point.
Some of the grittier backdrops
had gone-replaced by student housing. Thankfully I’d discovered a few hidden gems, while
on other, recent business visits. I’d brought my workhorse SLR but
predominantly shot using my Sony A6000 and 35mm Sigma 2.8 lens. A slightly nimbler choice given these contexts.
We’d agreed to shoot for three
hours (allowing for comfort breaks and review) and she’d come fully prepared
with three outfits. I led her to a Greenway, where we shot a few frames against
an electricity substation, before moving towards a railway bridge, with
graffiti, for a slightly grittier feel.
At this point, we decided to
switch to a floral print dress, prompting her to change in a wooded
clearing, while I stood watch, my back to her. We ventured back along the
Greenway to a derelict, fire-damaged building. Fired a few frames there, before
walking along East Hill and to what was once an antiques shop. I recall it
being a café and second-hand bookshop back in the late 90s.
A good model knows her own
body and which angles flatter her. Emily also poses well, with minimal
direction, although is very receptive to this, and we were able to move quickly.
Location work can be great fun, but public places can be very unpredictable. We
chose Castle Park as our next backdrop.
We were conscious of another photographer,
who had by the look of it, been doing some landscape/similar work. He lingered, firing a few frames, before my gaze indicated he wasn’t
welcome. Thankfully, he took the hint and left. I have no problem with people
being curious, for a minute or two and from a respectful distance. Longer and
it becomes intrusive.
We were interrupted by another
person, while using a weathered gate along Eld Lane. Just as I was about to
press the shutter, a man announced, “Do they work?” He was referring to my dual
sided, lens mounted reflector. Mildly irritated, I politely quipped “Yes, the
best £2 I’ve spent in a very long time”.
Emily patiently adjusted her
pose and I fired a few further frames, before moving on. Both of us were
tolerantly amused by his interruption and felt it prompted a natural break.
Time for beverages and a progress review.
After twenty minutes and some
reflection, we decided on another print dress and some subway backdrops. We’d
initially planned to begin shooting there but a flurry of overwhelmed mothers
and police presence ruled this out.
A cluster of
Community Support Officers remained, but they didn’t pose any problems. Left to our own devices, we captured
some nice images here, and by the station. One final review of our work, the
three hours were up. She caught the train and I headed home to post-process.
