The Art of Improvisation

To me as a photographer, sometimes the most fun and invigorating shoots are the ones where I have little idea of what to expect.  It’s a controlled form of chaos that can challenge you to be your best creatively… on the spot.  It takes a certain comfort level to do this, and I certainly didn’t start out this way.  But I love walking into a situation with a model, and saying “this is what we have to work with… what can we create with this?”  Of course it helps to have a model like Kayla Holts.  It also helps to have a talented makeup artist like Isidro Valencia. Kayla is a true professional that is engaged in what she does and always brings something new and unique to a set.  She studies her poses, and isn’t afraid to try something that is not standard.  She’s willing to lay in the floor when I say, “Hey you see those shadows over there?  What would it look like if you laid in the middle of them?”  The pictures here are not so much a result of planning, but from communication and interaction during the shoot.  We have full faith in each other’s abilities.  And we’re not afraid to fail, because it’s all part of the process.  These sets were all shot within my building using different light sources (skylights, reflectors, windows, floors and walls.)  I love using natural light in unique ways.  I’ve always said that my building was made for photography.  And when it comes to improvisational shooting, it couldn’t be better.  It’s fun to have people like Kayla and Isidro help me put it to the test.