[Model Shoot] Sara Mac - The Yellow Series (8.10.09)

model shoot month continues!

didn’t know it was model shoot month? don’t worry, i didn’t either!  but, looking back at the last two posts and knowing that, even after this post, i have two more model shoots to put up (and have another photoshoot in store) that, hell, may as well make it an event

so, this week brings us my friend Sara Mac.

like Jessica, i’ve photographed Sara Mac before, but still wanted to do it again.

not because i thought i could do better than before, but because i think Sara is fun to shoot and, just like before, she was back in america for a couple of weeks from south korea so, the time was right

so, having fallen in love with that “magic hour” early morning light i, once again, made a friend/model wake up at the crack of dawn and set off to take some photos.

the initial plan was to meet up at Cups in Fondren, and then set off for my friend Charlie’s farm up in Canton.

of course i, in my infinite wisdom, forgot to factor in the fact that, just maybe, i may wanna call ahead and make sure that the gate is open because, even though Charlie said i could come by anytime and shoot up there, Charlie isn’t there anymore.  He’s up north, working on a degree.  and the guy he got to run the farm doesn’t really know me LoL

so, long story short, the gate is closed when we get there so, trying to pretend this is all according to plan, i turn around and start trying to figure out where else i can shoot her.

and then i remember passing by this corn field on the way there

perfect.

(plus, i’ve always wanted to shoot in a corn field.)

i still have no idea whose corn field this is

just a random corn field, out of many, up on Hwy. 16

little known fact (at least to a city boy like me) but mosqitoes and spiders love corn fields.  no really!

so, of course, i had Sara go barefoot for the entire shoot LoL

a night or two before the shoot, i saw that hat laying on the floor of her van (aka: VANana White. get it?!) and, on the spur of the moment, told her to bring it

(having her move deeper into that row of corn)

i also asked if she had any sundresses and she said “a few” and i really dug that yellow one.

it really suited her and played well with the light too.

i’m still trying to shoot more full body shots

really dig that hat

after a few more shots we made our way deeper into this corn field until we came up on this open area that just had great light.

i would have gone even deeper into the field but remember, i still had no idea whose freakin’ field this was

y’know, it finally occured to me, as i watched the sun play across her hair, “hey pat, get a few without the hat!”

while i really dig that hat, i think she would have been just fine without it too.

yep, just fine.

behind the scenes note!

anytime you don’t see Sara wearing her hat, i’m wearing it.  on top of my hat.  yeah, how she kept a straight face while having me shoot her while doing that is beyond me LoL

one of my (and Sara’s friends) Maggie said, when i showed this to her, that it “looked like an album cover”

hear that Rolling Stone?!

after that last shot, we started making our way back out of the open field area and, while walking, i saw a thick patch of corn stalks.

so, of course, i made her stand in it and said “look scared but still adorable” or something to that effect

success.

found another little patch of open field deeper in

the sun was good to us that day.  such great light.

right as we’re packing up that car to leave and go to the second spot i’ve figured out i want to shoot her at i happen to look back and see just how great it looks.

so what happens?  that’s right.  i make her get right back out the car so i can grab a few more shots.

this is right in front of my car. that kinda trail you see is what we walked down to get all the other shots.  it really is a beautiful.

and that wraps up the corn field location.  next up, shooting down by The Rivel Pearl!

after parking my car at my friend Amy’s house (thanks Amy!) we walked the few blocks down to the trail that would, sooner or later, lead us to the river.

but!  it seems that, since the last time i’ve gone, the ole trail has seen a growth spurt!  so much so that, i almost turned back a couple of times, because i didn’t want Sara to walk through all that crap with the flimsy shoes she had on.  but she wasn’t having it.  she was gung-ho!  so, on we went!

(and that back pack contined, among other things, extra dresses that i ended up making her try on, in the middle of nowhere, until finally figuring out that the yellow one she’d been wearing was the best and made her change back into it.  see how well i plan out all my shoots?!)

every now and then, as we made our way to the river, there would be little open areas on the trail with great light and we’d grab some shots in them

(i think this one was Maggie’s favorite)

(and i’m really fond of this one)

by this point we’ve made it to the river.

yeah, i know it’s called “The Yellow Series”, but i started off as a black and white photographer so, just had to see at least one in b/w

but back to color we go!

another (and last) one without her hat.

yes, that means it’s back on top of my hat.  on my head.  i’m a pro, you see.

it may be hard to tell, but by this point, the day was really starting to heat up. fast.

which means it’s time to start wrapping things up, out there on The River Pearl

i think Sara Mac agrees

when you’re making your way down to the river, you have to go across a tiny stream to get to the other side of the trail.  made a mental note to shoot Sara in that stream on the way back to the car.

and so i did.

and with this shot, we wrap the The Yellow Series.

this was a really fun shoot and i thank Sara Mac for being such a good model and trooper.  (hope you have a safe trip back to South Korea this coming wednesday!)

and now, a guick plug.

i’m in an art show Sept. 1st!

i’ll have 4 pieces hanging.  12×12, black/white, medium-format.

not anything you’ve seen me hang before!  4 all new pieces!

i hope ya’ll come out and check it out.  

that’s it for this week!

have a good one everybody!

see ya next post!