Last Wednesday evening, the Creative Photo Workshops crew was joined by a dozen crazy customers at Ricketts Point along Melbourne's Beach Road. We were joined by model, Sophie Van Den Akker (our emerging nymph) and Fire Spinner, Chris Carlos. Our old friend, Richard Connon also came along, his mission being to stand in the ocean wearing a suit and reading the newspaper. Yes. Craziness abounded...but so did the images.
Sophie was a perfect choice for our Emerging Nymph. Her face is exquisite, and each feature of her face is perfect. Her blonde hair and swimsuit figure rounded out the look. My sister, Christina Hatchley was our makeup artist and she did a great job of using Sophie's beautiful face as her creative canvas. Christina is my sister, true, but I have worked with her a few times now and I would say that she is the best make up artist I have ever worked with. She doesn't assume a 'batch process' approach to her makeup, even when she is busy doing brides and bridesmaids. To her, each face is its own unique canvas. I love her work.
Sophie was just fabulous to photograph. She was a real trooper, getting in to the rock pools and staying there while she was photographed over and over again by our excited workshopees. Combinations of perspective, composition, exposure balances and poses were all explored by our excited enthusiast photographers. For me, it was a little frustrating because I wanted the shoot all to myself! Its hard when you only have time to take a few establishing images and then get out of the way to instruct others. The photographer in me wants to just keep perfecting the shot!
Richard was also a real trooper, standing in one of my old suits up to his knees in water, motionless and poised for each photograph. Richard is not a model as such, but since his fluke introduction to these workshops in that role he has wanted to come to each one and be a part of the proceedings. I wonder why, considering our mistreatment of him!
Chris Carlos, our Fire Spinner, worked tirelessly to provide plenty of opportunities for our photographers. He stood on the edge of that rocky reef and performed for some time as the sun set behind him. The time exposures of his performances that were taken by our customers that night were fantastic. Silly me left his tripod in the car!
We worked on past sunset, being careful of the rising tides and our equipment getting caught up in it. Trudging back along the beach towards our cars in the dark left us wondering what it was that we may have left on the beach behind in our excitement to capture these images. However, I think we and all our equipment is present and accounted for.
I have to admit that I have thoroughly enjoyed the opportunities for creative expression that this Summer Series has granted me. I can only imagine how it must feel for our customers who would not have had the same creative opportunities that being a professional photographer has granted me for many years. I suppose that is what our Summer Series of workshops has been about - providing creative opportunities for our customers and then helping them to go home with images from the shoot that they would never have thought possible for them to take. And I gotta tell ya - it feels real good to be able to help them in that endeavour.
Damn, I love my work!
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