Photo of the Week: Only the strong survive is a perfect title to this piece. Being late fall, temperatures averaging around 5 degrees and water temperatures hovering around freezing, Ashley, my amazing model showcased what it meant to be a professional.
I understand that I promised our readers that PofW would return full-time in 2020, but with life comes unexpected changes. Much like the pandemic we are living, we must change our routines and lifestyles to remain healthy and secure.
The day began as any fall day would; cool, windy and for sure required a sweater. It was bearable as the early fall sun still provided the heat to remain comfortable. I guess we could call this a perfect day to shoot… except this shoot wasn’t being done through the day.
We began prepping our shoot and headed out to our location as the sun began to set. By this time, temperatures began to fall. We were very excited to shoot and lighting conditions were prefect. This was a creative shoot so there was no objective or exact location or look to the photos. Ashley and I captured some beautiful imagery, playing in the tall grasses, using the autumn leaves and beautiful natural landscapes surrounded us.
I thought I had caught everything I wanted to that evening and was about to call the shoot a wrap when a mischievous idea popped into mind as I looked at the corner of my eye…
I looked at Ashely with a sly smile and I asked her if she minded getting wet? We both looked at the pond and I guided her towards the edge. We never really expected how muddy or cold it was, but I promised Ashley that we would be quick.
Ashley was a trooper. She worked it, hitting every pose, not even noticing the wind and the freezing temperatures of the water. I wanted to pull her out after every click of the shutter, but to many ideas where streaming through my fingers. Ashely worked in the water for a good 10 – 15 mins before I called it a day.
I’m so happy that I had a big blanket to wrap her in… especially that she got her sandal stuck in the mud and she we now sandaless on one foot. Sorry Ashely. This was a wonderful shoot that I will always remember. Not only were the shots exactly what I was looking for, Ashely showed her true professionalism during the entire shoot. I continue to work with Ashley and we create magic every time we shoot. If you want to see more of Ashley’s work, check out her album on our Facebook page.
Stay tuned as we will continue to post the PofW with a new exciting story to tell. Every shoot is different and so do the circumstances – a story and a memory must join. And remember, if you want to see more of my work, check it out on Facebook or Instagram.