Hayley's Turning 30!
"Hey Em - I'm about to turn 30 so can we do a shoot with me, Maygan and Joel while we are all in our twenties?"
Lets see, celebrating turning 30, amazing siblings and let's throw some balloons in a shoot - why, yes please!
I had such a great time hanging out with these beautiful siblings.
Isn't it just so true that siblings are like your own in-house friends as your grow up ? I really felt like one of the crew as we took these shots and was privileged to see the bond these three have . And a little jealous of their Thai dinner they went out to afterwards! Scouting a new location
As this was a new location, i did a little scouting beforehand.
I was really honoured that Maygan said to me how much she loved the way the light was used in our shoot and how i researched the place beforehand.
As a natural light photographer, it's really important to me that I know the area i am shooting in so i can get an idea of lighting, layout and any other factors that might affect our shoot. Most of the time, clients are happy for me to make a recommendation and they will have one of my tried and test locations as their shoot location . However, if there is a special place, such as this one, its really important to me to do a little prior research of the location.
Where possible, i like to visit the location as close to the time of day we plan to shoot as possible.
I'll check out the location and ask myself the following questions:
What is the light like / when is the best time to shoot?
Where will the light be hitting when we arrive and finish?
If it's overcast, where can we shoot?
What is the layout like?
Are there places to shoot, close up and pull back shots ?
Are there crowds or events that might impact shoot?
Any risk factors to consider - eg mobility, risks or other hazards that might impact the shoot ?
It's important that a location not only looks good but is suitable too! It's also important to make sure it hasn't been flooded (yup, thats happened ) or that council haven't excavated it (yup, that has happened too) or that a special event isn't going to take place.
By doing, this, i can guide you to just the right time and specific place to make your pictures just right for you.
I did a little reel of the scouting vs final images of this shoot - you can check that out here .
Quick Quiz! Want to play a little quiz? Can you guess how much time we spent in this particular location, to get this, and a few other shots?
Ok, here goes ..
A) 2 minutes
B) 5 minutes
C) 10 minutes
(Answer at the bottom of the page)
A walk down memory lane ...
After this particular location scout, i treated myself to a walk down memory lane - Como Bridge to be exact!
Ok, total disclosure i was doing another location scout for the gorgeous Dinuka McKenzie (more on that later).
Reflecting on Hayley turning 30, it occurred to me that i often walked over the Como bridge a lot in my 20s .
Walking across this bridge was like being flung back into that time when i was newly married and living for marriage, career and all that stuff you know BC (before children).
Feeling like i was walking along my 20 year old myself in a parallel universe, i wondered what i would say to 30 year old me?
There were 4 things that i wished i could say:
1. Invest In Your Health.
You wont know the value of your health until you lose it . What you invest now will double its worth in future.
2. In what you can control - do your best
Those goals and dreams you have - give them the time and all the energy you have got .
3. In what you can't control - let it rest.
Things will happen that you can't foresee or control - let that rest too. Take it in your stride and allow it to enrich you.
4. Relationships are your best investment
Always have time for the important people in your life. Those special relationships will be just as special in future, if not more so. Overall I would love to tell her - just keep going with what you know is right.
So Hayley, from your honourable future 40 year old self, here is a message from me to you.
Happy 30th Birthday !
Ems x
Answer: A - 2 minutes - yup !! 2 minutes! Shot from 6:49:17PM to 6:50:34PM