Searching
for the perfect “eye-contact” look and style in a modeling photo session can be
difficult, frustruating or fun and intriguing. We set up with Maria for what it would become a
perfect photographic ending for an exciting summer.
Being overwhelmed with our previous sessions, I had a fear that I could
not meet any great expectations having two previous very good sessions with
Maria. Little did I know and less had I
planned ahead, since she made my creative insecurity go away and that day one of the few
memorable days of that summer.
It was
supposed to be her last day in Kalamata (luckily she likes the city so much
that she plans to return), so the atmosphere was a little weird and
photographing was not our primary goal, but trying to fit everything in this last
day was! We had planned though, to start the day with a photo session with her
hair as main subject, but I ended up making her beautiful face and look
the main subject of the first session once more (how could I resist after all).
I had scouted some spots the previous days and the weather was expected hot and humid as it was late August. Luckily the first spot was in wide shadow the time we arrived and one of my few concerns was how to correctly combine the colorful graffiti background with Maria’s attitude and pose. There was not enough light for what I wanted and I tried to balance it with some on board fill flash, but I ended up boosting my ISO instead and using the available light for a more natural look. One of the many good things with Maria is that she needs very little time to get to pace, I slowly followed and some time later we synchronized our paces bringing some very unique and breathtaking shots. The colorful graffiti wall was a very nice background bringing vivid tones and eye catching details.
Being in a shady place and having a higher ISO value helped controlling the light and eliminate harsh shadows from the sun, but tight framing was on the edge as more light was needed and I was not willing to introduce harsh light into the scene. Everything went smooth and I only wished there were more graffiti designs and a higher wall to use, when a couple of locals interrupted our rhythm and peace!
Being interrupted, we took a small break for some breakfast and quiet time and we headed to her school for a last visit to the premises. After some strolling around the halls, we reached a small “dead space” near a couple of windows or doors that was suitable for another small photo session with some more great poses from Maria. She made the photos work with very little help from me and although the White Balance went crazy and orange I finally managed to control it later in post processing by clicking the eyedropper to a neutral spot (ok, so it was not so easy to find a neutral spot and I had to try many times to correct the colors). Her expression, her stand and her attitude made every session a promise that the good posing moments would never end! Shot after a shot and pose after pose she dominated the scene every time creating some great moments.
There are so much more to capture from Maria and she is so talented and easy going person, a real pleasure to work (or be) with. Finally the day came slowly to an end, being one of the most memorable days of the summer. We had a great time; there was a lot of fun, great moments, great photos. What else could we ask for?
