Melissa contacted me requesting a shoot for her and her family, including the family dog, Kylie. Kylie is getting on in years and her dad has had her since a pup, so Melissa really wanted a shoot that would give her father some really memorable pictures of Kylie as well as the family. OK, so sounds straightforward enough……um, yes and no. We decided to do the shoot at the local beach, Sardinia Bay. Originally we scheduled the shoot for 3pm but as the weeks past i realized the sun was still way too bright and high in the sky for 3pm to be successful…so, we moved it to 4pm. Day of the shoot arrives and i get to the beach parking lot and greet this awesome family beautifully dressed and ready to go….but, um, it still feels like MIDDAY! Bright sun high in the sky and a white sandy beach……..uh, cut to raccoon shadows on the face and blown out highlights! So we climbed the dune to see if things may be looking ‘less bright’ (in my case a good thing) from up there…but not a spot of shade to be found. So, i found myself in my first predicament ever where my chosen location was not going to work……….not a good feeling as a photographer to be standing with a family and you have to turn to plan B which, you, uh, DON’T HAVE!
To cut a long story short, the beach borders on a nature conservancy and i knew there was a spot up the road which may have worked. So, we drove there and “voila” …one beautiful shoot later! This is what Melissa wrote to me later that day:
Yesterday was our first real shoot as a family and it was a great experience. We all left there commenting on your professionalism, your very accommodating attitude, and how brilliantly suited you are to your craft. The general comment was ‘what a lovely lady!’. You have such a good personality and you made us feel right at home and very comfortable, you gave good directions, you were so complimentary, we felt at ease from the first moment. Thank you, we are all so impressed with your service, skill and effort.
To the Pringle family, thank you so much for your patience and great attitude towards the shoot. You guys are fantastic and i just love your photos. Melissa, all i can say is WOW, i wish i had been born a red head:)
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