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03.14.18
It was only a few weeks before writing this that I had a pleasant surprise of hearing from Bernie, an old friend from high school. In the last year or so, I was able to reconnect with her, and soon after she had reached out to me to do this photoshoot. During the day that we began making plans, she also asked if we could include Ashley, which, of course, I didn't mind. Upon establishing a group chat between the three of us, it was easy to see how well their friendship dynamic worked.
They both were easy to talk to, and all three of us threw out ideas, which, to our surprise was the same creative choices that we wanted for the aesthetic for the photos. We had decided to lock in two places that we wanted to go to: Thompson's Saloon in Cordelia, CA, and Scandia Family Fun Center which was located not too far down the road.
Much love and respect to the staff and management at both locations. I had reached out to them a few days prior in order to give them the heads up, as I know that there has to be a level of mutual respect for the businesses or private property you, the photographer, plan on working in. Thanks, with all due respect, for allowing all three of us to use their space during this day.
On the day of the shoot, I wanted to talk with the both of them to get a clear idea of what they envisioned the photos to look like and as we began shooting, it was an easy and natural rapport amongst all of us. One could say how uncanny it was with how in tune we were with one another in terms of understanding what composition we wanted to go for, or what lighting would work best. It also helped that Ashley had worked with other photographers, and so it definitely made it much more easy for Bernie, who also was just naturally talented in the way she'd compose herself.
Within their relationship, I really wanted to emphasize their friendship and individual charisma in a lot of their photos. They both have great confidence in who they are as young women and they both wanted photos that exemplified this. As such, I also wanted to add a layer of nuance and drama through the shadows casted on some of the lighting. Especially during the second half of the shoot in the arcade, I wanted to give a retro-80s vibe with all the neon lights, and vibrancy along with that.
Sometimes, the best way to reconnect, or even meet new people, is to just share this experience of creating something with one another. Projects like this are always enjoyable because I enjoy that everyone has an opportunity to toss out ideas that they want to try and to find the creative line in all of that. I hope to find more time to meet with them for future shoots!