“Sometimes I do get to places just when God’s ready to have somebody click the shutter.” – Ansel Adams

This shoot was pure luck. It was November 2011, and while i don't remember what our original idea was, or why it didn't work out, like my murder shoot, we improved and decided to do a "damsel in distress" theme by the train tracks. I honestly had no idea of what i wanted or what i was going to get from this shoot, but the results were beyond incredible. Not realizing the night before we had lost an hour, sunset started around 3ish, which is when we left to hit up the town of Oneonta to take these pictures. The sun and lighting was absolutely breathtaking. Salina helped with makeup and hair for my model Damaris Medina, and took me to the area they had been thinking about.
We started on the rocks that were surrounding the river, and then later moved to the tracks, where the sun's bright and vivid golden hues light up and reflected the metal rails. It was one of the most beautiful things i have ever seen, and i felt so lucky i was able to capture it. The light was so vivid but yet so soft that it created a dream like quality that made the images look like part of the surrealist movement. What was even more awesome, was that i barely had to touch them in photoshop, not only was the quality of the images so much better then my usual work, but the colors and lighting were already so vivid, doing too much to the photos would have taken away from them.
These photos also played not only the idea of a damsel, but also of strong women and their power within themselves. Such as the picture to the right, showing the strong, fierce woman punching her fist to the air at the open road ahead of her showing the courage to face head on whatever may be coming, and not need any ones assistance. I thoroughly loved this work, was really proud of it, and considering it was one of the first shoots i had just winged and let whatever happen happen, i couldn't have been happier with the results. I was able to play with lighting, capturing it in different areas and ways in many of the images throughout the shoot (the tracks, Dee's blouse, the river, the rocks, her face, ect). I hope you guys enjoy looking through these and like them as much as i did! :)

Labels: courage, dramatic lighting, dream, fashion photography, fingerprints photography, golden hour, nature, powerful women, river, rocks, strength, sunset, surrealism, train tracks