My first photo shoot with a model

What a week that was last week.  I just stressed myself out over work the whole week until the weekend.  I wasn't sleeping well, I wasn't eating well....hell I wasn't even shitting well!  I could not concentrate on anything the whole damn week.  I was like floating aimlessly through the days.  The worst day was Saturday night when I literally couldn't shit myself and I didn't sleep until 4 a.m. Sunday.  And then, to top it all off, I had to get up at 6 a.m. Sunday because I had a photo shoot to go to.  It was my first time to shoot a model.

Even at the photo shoot, I still was not focused.  Our model, Putri, turned out to be a tall, tan and slim woman.  I had this notion that she would be a small petite young girl.  But it was a pleasant surprise and she was really very nice.  She was accompanied by her friend, Astrid.  We shot at Sunda Kelapa Port.  Although I wasn't really keen on shooting there, my friend Freddin was insistent on shooting there out of curiousity.  So we all got there at 7 a.m. and started shooting immediately.

I was really nervous at first and I didn't know what to tell Putri to do.  My hands were practically shaking while holding the camera and I was fumbling with the controls.  I wasn't even checking my exposures and focusing.  Lucky for us, Putri had experience modelling in front of the camera and she just posed away.  After a few shots, I got comfortable but I still wasn't focused well due to my stress.  Amateurs that we were at shooting models, Astrid gave us a hand by telling us how to angle and frame our shots.  For the first time in my life I understood why shooting and photo modelling was a job and why people get paid to do it.  It was hard work.  It was hot and Putri was perspiring after just 15 minutes of shooting.  She had to retouch her make-up so her face wouldn't give that shiny look.  She had to hold her poses until we finished out shots...and amateurs that we were, we were not telling her that we were done shooting until we put down our cameras.  After shooting a couple of hundred shots at Sunda Kelapa Port, we all agreed it was getting too hot there for all of us.  So around 8:30 am we moved to the Old City which was close by.

First thing we did upon reaching the Old City was find a shaded spot to shoot in.  There were quite a number of amateur photographers in the area as usual and we were the only ones with a model to shoot.  Putri changed into a green outfit to have a different look.  Fortunately there were lots of spots with nice cool shades we could shoot.  After retouching her make up for the nth time, Putri posed away.  What I like about her is that she enjoys posing for the camera.  Her smile shows it although she looks better when she's not showing her big grin.  After a couple hundred of shots at the Old City, we all agreed to get something to eat.  It was just almost 10:00am.

Brunch would be Chinese food. Everyone was famished and we had quite a heavy meal for brunch.  All in all it was a good learning experience for me.  I need a good flash to compensate for the shadows in the face....if my budget will allow it.

Hopefully, next time I shoot a model I will do better.