Last weekend, I had the pleasure of working with an aspiring model in a collaboration photoshoot. Reneé (they/them) and I met in January at a local coffee shop, Mildfire, where they work. We have since gotten together to talk about collaborating on projects, and this was our first. It was going to be a kind of experiment, to see if we worked well together, and to get a general feel for their style/energy and my photographic and editing style.

And I have to say, for having only a vague idea of tone (elvish and/or witchy), an outfit, and a few props, these photos came out incredible! Reneé is a natural model. They brought a lot of fun, lighthearted, enthusiastic energy to the shoot. They were also really great at following direction when I had to adjust little things, like the tilt of their head or where to put their hands. (Though honestly, for the most part they had a natural instinct about posing!) We worked together pretty seamlessly, and got along really well, too. You know how sometimes you get together with someone and you run into painfully awkward lulls in conversation? There was none of that here. Reneé is the same age as my kids, plus this was only our third time meeting up, so it could have been awkward for many reasons, and it wasn’t at all. We both ended the shoot excited to do more work together in the future.

On another note, every time I do this, I learn so much more about doing this. Probably this is just because I’m still in those early stages, but it’s been fun to see how I’m growing. I’m getting better at giving direction, and at knowing what direction to give. I’m more aware of potential future editing problems by way of stray branches or background litter or weird patches of light/shadow. I’m less self-conscious than I used to be, taking time to properly set up the photos rather than shooting as quickly as possible so the subjects don’t get annoyed. (This was one great thing about working with Reneé: both their mother and their boss are photographers, so they’ve had a lot of experience with real cameras and not the quick point-and-shoot people are used to with phone cameras!)

Overall, this was a wonderful experience. The photos included here are some of my favorites from the finished shots. Reneé and I have quite a number of future projects thought out to add to both of our portfolios. I’m also excited to say that with these photos, I’m going to officially start taking on clients. I still don’t have a name for my business – more on that in my upcoming Sunday post – but I finally feel prepared to say yes, I’m good at this, let’s do this!

Find Reneé on Instagram!