When I first started doing model photography it was a way to do shoots that weren't based on whatever was happening in front of my camera at that moment as was the case with shooting concerts or LARP events. It gave me something new to experiment with, directing the image into the range I wanted it. And as time progressed I started thinking of concepts and telling stories. And I've been liking to do that more and more of which I think Goddesses as a project is a good example.
And a few months ago I read about Hanneke Meier and her concept Freakshow on the website of Photoguide. (photoguide.nl) which was started by Anouk Timmerman, a fellow concertphotographer (amongst others) whom I've known for some time now and keep in touch with through twitter etc. And the both of them offer a Masterclass Portrait with a concept by Hanneke. ( http://photoguide.nl/workshops/workshop-portret-met-concept/ ) and I've been thinking about that for some time and during the holiday break (thereabout ish) I decided to go ahead and do it.. despite already working on my goddesses project.
The main reason for me to take this masterclass is to take my concept-based shoots to a next level so that I can further develop my own concepts to make them even more awesome. And since I want Goddesses to be awesome I decided to mix this in to see what I could learn from it and apply it to my running concept as well.
So, last sunday, the first weekend in the new year I went to Hanneke for the first session of the masterclass to brainstorm on an idea and make the first steps. I tried to go in as blank as I could but I did have some restrictions I set beforehand as I wanted it to be different from my running concept in a lot of ways. So I had set that I wanted multiple models of which at least one or more were male shot on a location as opposed to a single female model in a studio and replacing the background with photoshop.
As we started off Hanneke typed everything into a document as a form of a brainstorm at first.. and she let my mind run free, occasionally giving nudges or encouraging me not to limit myself and that nothing should be impossible and in that it was pretty cool way to work although not an entirely unfamiliar one due to my experience as a designer. But somehow I had never actually used that knowledge within my photography before.
After an hour or so we had a pretty clear picture of what the concept was going to be and the keyboard was handed over to me to flesh it out.. typing and thinking along filling in details about the images that had to be shot.. styling for the main character and extra's, possible names for styling and make up artists etc. And another hour later we had a concept written out.
Which was actually ahead of schedule, which was probably also kind of due to me being used to creative processes already, but I am sure Hanneke is quite able to help someone with that as well. For me personally I really liked the way she thought along and sometimes gave nudges.. even if she was saying things that I was about to type at times (what's that again about great minds think alike?)
So now I'm busy arranging a team and figuring out how I can find a good location somewhere that's big enough yet easily to reach by public transport because of the number of extra's needed and picking them all up from a trainstation would be complicated.. but I'll get there eventually. And then it's all about setting a date and part two.. shooting the thing (and Hanneke has already kindly offered to take some behind the scenes photos.. )
Good things are rolling!
