When I first started my journey creating my aerial arts business one of my top three tasks on to do list was a photoshoot. In the past I’ve done a few photoshoots which have been preorganised by the other studios that I’d been attending aerial classes, however the task of organising one for myself was rather alien territory.
Photographer, outfits, equipment, location, make up, hair, weather, additional pair of hands….and you are on a verge on the mental breakdown and voluntarily getting yourself into straight jacket…
So once my panic half stopped (could not hope for total panicless mode) and I’ve stopped killing anyone asking how organising photoshoots going, I’ve took the bull by the horns and get to the task.
First task, photographer… finding a photographer who actually knows what they doing and does not make you look like a half dead zombie, just because they haven’t got any idea about lighting, or in the photo you have a pylon sticking out of your head cos they are unable to see whole picture, or they are totally not in sync with your ideas and personality, therefore they not able to show your personality through the photos, turns out this wasn’t the easiest of tasks, am I really so demanding?
Thank God for Ela, She was actually one of the first photogropers who I sent enquiry to about my branding photoshoot, and after a few messages and phone calls I knew it was meant to be! Ela’s speciality is portrait and wedding photography, so she wasn’t fully aware what she getting herself into!
Then time came for choosing locations. First one was easy, THE barn!!! It’s actually cattle barn which currently going under a slight change of the purpose of use to my own AERIAL ARTS STUDIO!!! (you cannot see how excited I am, can you?). At the moment it’s still an open structure with the hay and some cow poo mixed in the floor but I’m telling you, it’s bloody perfect 😀 But I didn’t fancy to just stick with one location, I wanted to add something local and something edgy. To help with this along came my husband, he is a guy with the vision and the ideas (there is a reason why I’m married to him 😉) and he suggested under the road bridge in Irthlingborough, with the river Nene in the background and the old railway in Finedon. Guys, you will see the results below and dam it, he was soo bloody right about those locations….
Outfits, hair, make up….that’s where my confidence shine. The leotard has been a special design by Fenellamarie…. In my favourite colours (violets, of course!) and it’s just perfect. The corset for burlesque I’ve already had bought a year ago (certain ideas had been brewing in my head for a while) and had been waiting patiently for this special occasion, and those pleasers…. oh they are dam statement piece.
The day before the photoshoot was rather a stressful one, the weather was awful and photos were going to be all outside which already felt like disaster coming. I felt not prepared with moves which I want to do, make up just didn’t want work at any point, I wasn’t sure if the locations going to work, I was on a verge of tearing my hairs out… but I needed them for the hair style which I had planned… It wasn’t good feeling.
The day of the photoshoot could not be a total opposite, we woke up to dry, sun and warmth so I didn’t have to worry about freezing my butt off in my outfits, Yay! Ela came before hand to my home and she made herself feel at home in seconds and we felt like we had known each other for years! That put me at ease very quickly. Even my makeup started coming together nicely.
Photoshoot took us around 4 hours. I don’t think any of us had expected how hard work but also how enjoyable the experience would be. Three of us were working like well a synchronised team, setting up equipment (have you even realised that a portable aerial rig alone weighs around 30kg?!?!), posing and getting those photos done. I even end up posing in the river! That’s what we call devotion!!! (and amazing ideas 😉)
At the beginning when Ela and I had been setting expectations around photos and she suggested roughly 30 photos would be end results and my husband had said that if I will get 3-4 photos which I will be happy with that would still be a success. In the end Ela sent me whopping 400 photos to review which I’ve been very strict to reduce to just above 100…. how wrong we all were lol.
Below are some behind the scenes photos which are so important to me because they show how something so awesome has been created.
So now over to you… I would love to know your opinions about the final results of the shoot😊.
Special thanks to:
To my husband:
Thank you for being my mental support, my muscles, my cheerleader, my silks wafters, my smoke bomb pointer… you’ve been fully employed now and forever to aerial madness 😀.
To Ela:
Thank you for showing me in the perspective which I still am only learning to see myself. I cannot believe you actually got me to stand in the freezing water ;D but then you called me a superwoman so I forgive you xxx
