Turning Back The Clock

Turning Back

Today, an atypical “Throwback Thursday”. We’ll be turning back the clock a bit, all the way to last Saturday morning. I hope that isn’t too drastic for you, fearless reader!

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of working with someone new, Brooke Love. One of the looks selected for our sunrise shoot strongly hinted at the vintage look I enjoy. The location was familiar territory, but slightly removed from my normal starting point in hopes of finding new inspiration.

Early To Rise

As I often mention, if I’m shooting on location, sunrise is high on the list of preferred start times. Finding a model willing to get up and ready for sunup during the summer can be a challenge. This year, I seem to be doing okay as photo sessions begin to pick up again. The odd thing is that the last two managed to be on site before I was! This is always a good sign and very much appreciated.

Necessary Elements

But I want to talk about what happens even before everyone shows up to create magic. There are really three basic elements I need to put together a decent session with a model: Time, Place, and Genre.

  • Time: When are we going to meet and how long are we shooting? This can vary based on the other two elements. If we’re shooting on location, I need to know the general mood of the shoot. I can’t shoot everything at sunrise!
  • Place: Where are we shooting? My humble home studio is almost always ready to go, but locations can get a bit messy. Even if we’re shooting something in your back yard, we’ll want to check the timing of water sprinklers and such.
  • Genre: This defines mood, outfit, and more. Professional portraits are different than boudoir. Swimwear suggests certain locations. Hollywood glamour can be challenging in a sunflower field at midday.
Turning Back for a Vintage Look with Brooke Love

Turning Back To Basics

If we’re looking to create something together, it really helps to have an idea of at least one of the necessary elements above to point me in the right direction. As I’ve said in the past, telling me “whatever” is not a non-starter, but it certainly makes things a bit awkward up front. Tell me about a place you’d love to shoot, even if you know it isn’t available. Tell me when you’re available to shoot as that can help narrow down the best options. Genre is a real big one: Know what you want to shoot. More importantly, know what you have no desire to shoot!

Fortunately, Brooke Love had a couple of ideas and we quickly found ourselves with a plan. It made our time roaming the city street together significantly easier. I knew what Brooke was hoping to see in the final images. I understood the time of day and location well enough to make it all come together. All the elements were in place before we ever met face to face.

Once we got started with the collaborative ideas, there was no turning back!


Interested in working together? Reach out and say hello! Give me an idea of what elements you have in mind for your session and we’ll be off to a great start.

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