Ask and you shall receive...
A couple of weeks ago, I put out a model call for a couple's session. I had a very specific vision for this shoot, and I knew that it would take someone who wanted more than just "free pictures" to make it happen. A lot of people might be really confused by the concept of a model call...isn't that just working for free? Some people may look at it that way, but I see it as an opportunity to have complete creative control over a session, test out new locations, and honestly, just practice. I don't ever want to get complacent; I hope to always have the opportunity to gain more practice and more experience.
So the hard part...to find the right couple. While I had a ton of interest, I was having a hard time finding a couple that I felt completely confident would be 100% in for what I was going for. I knew the location wouldn't be the "prettiest" to some people. I knew that there would be bugs and possibly snakes and who knows what else. But I also knew that I had to stand firm in what I wanted or everything I hoped to gain from it would never be achieved.
Enter BFF, Kelly, to the rescue. She tagged her new neighbors, Coley and Christien, in the post and described her and her husband as "the prettiest people on the planet." Uhhh...yeah, they are. But even better, Coley was not only ok, but actually excited about all of the ideas I had. She drug her hubby along on a shopping trip to find the perfect outfits, and Christien was such a good sport throughout the whole session. I mean, when you have a smoking hot wife like Coley, I think you do whatever it takes to make her happy, even if it's in the blazing Houston heat :-)
And the perfect "right before the kiss" moment....swooooooooooooooooon!
I love how black and white instantly makes an image into a classic piece of art. My typical process to convert them usually entails very sharp, clean, deep blacks and bright whites. For these shots, I decided they needed a more romantic, film-like edit. It's so not my usual style, but I feel that captures the sweetness of this couple really well.
Coley and Christien met in college at Oklahoma State, have been married just over a year, and recently made the move to the Houston area. They still very much have that newlywed glow...really lucky for me and my camera.
My favorite thing about this location was the fact that there was such a wide variety of lighting in a very close proximity...it was completely worth the risk of meeting a snake head on, which, thankfully, we did not.
For most people, the fact that their best friend helped them find the perfect couple to make this shoot happen would be more than enough work. For me...I say, why not see what else you can squeeze out of this little lady who just loves doing favors for me. Why not ask her to come along on the shoot, entertain us, carry my gear, and hold a reflector? Kelly, I still owe you more wine for all of your help.
We waited for the sun to get a little lower for this next series of shots, and luckily Coley didn't even bat an eye, when I suggested we actually wade through this creek. I literally squealed with excitement while I was shooting these.
Coley and Christien, thank you for making my dream session happen. Nothing about this evening was work, and I'm indebted to you for your willingness to trust my vision and for your agreement to go completely above and beyond to make it actually happen.
