Unfortunately, my first model was running late, and with no way to contact me due to her phone not working, I made the decision to be a model myself, so as not to waste studio time or the time of my coworkers. This meant my photographer had a chance to practice and test our camera lenses and get used to the range of shots she would be taking. Soon, my model arrived, and so I greeted her and explained what we would be doing that morning. She was a professional life model, so it was important I behaved formally and as I would in industry. I provided a space for her to undress, and to begin with, she sat in her underwear, and my photographer, under my direction, began at her neck and shoulders and made her way down the arms and body, photographing with very close detail, and with my model removing her bra as needed to capture some more intimate shots. My photographer used a lease which allowed for some much closer-range shots, to strengthen the ambiguity of the images. It was a valuable opportunity for both myself and my photographer to work with a professional who was very confident and happy to be photographed in minimal or no clothing, as it taught us and gave us a chance to practice how to interact with a model and also provided us with some images we might not be able to gain from a less body-confident amateur.
Once photography was finished, my second model had arrived. I asked my first model to make her way to the filming end of the studio and explained to her what Joe, my videographer, would be doing with her. After working with him twice before, I was confident that he knew what he was doing. I discretely checked that he was comfortable working with the model being topless, for his own comfort and assurance, and then let him get to work. I went back and introduced my second model to my photographer, explained the project, and began directing the photo-shoot. I moved back and forth between photo and video, checking on both my models and coworkers and directing them to capture certain shots I desired. Soon, my second model moved to film as well, and my first model was finished for the day. We had already discussed payment, and she wrote a quick invoice for me. I paid her at a rate of £15 per hour, which I thought was very reasonable for a professional model. She asked that I send her some images and footage, and the date of the final exhibition for if she might like to visit, to which I agreed. I would love to see my models' reactions when the piece has all been put together. After she left, I returned to overseeing the filming of my second model. My videographer worked much quicker than in the first shoot, as he had learnt exactly how to position the lights to cast the perfect glow and shadows across the body. I was really pleased with the footage again.
Once the day was finished, we packed up and I saved all the files to my hard drive, ready for post-production. I reviewed the imagery and spoke with my collaboratives about the possibility of another shoot, if I felt I still needed another model. Overall, I think the day was a success, despite losing a model. I think I remained calm and overcame the issue well, as well as the problem when my first model was late, even doing some modelling myself to make the most of the time we had and gain some extra imagery. I enjoyed this shoot more than the first one; having a photographer meant I could step back and simply direct the project, allowing someone else to use her talent and skill, which is much better than mine. Also, my videographer seemed more confident today, which was reassuring. I think we all worked well as a team, which I find highly motivating in a creative project, and I would love to work with them again in the future.
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