You know what's "like riding a bike"? Yeah - riding a bike. Nothing else is like riding a bike. Yes, I know that saying really means: if you knew how to do it before, you still know how to do it. I put that into practice this morning.
My friend Pete's son is graduating a year early. He's a nice young man. Pete asked if I would do some senior portraits for him. For the record, the last time I shot a senior portrait session was in 2006.
"Sure." Pete and I visited about what his son wanted, and we planned for some photos on the beach. As is often the case, things changed. Well, more like: expanded. The new plan: photos with this young man, with his piano... at the beach. Pete knows I can't help with that kind of heavy lifting, so he had 4 strong guys bring a piano to the beach. Granted a small upright piano, but still... a piano.
Off to the beach. Not the South Padre Island beach you see in photos, but the natural beach that is north of South Padre Island (still, the same island). Young Peter wanted sand dunes in the background - we drove until finding an appropriate setting and went to work. The four guys unloaded the piano and planted it in the sand. I walked around to look for the best angles. Mother Nature did her part by giving us absolutely gorgeous light: overcast, yet directional. I could not have asked for a better lighting situation.
Peter and I went to work. Photos with him at the piano; beside the piano, with his ukulele and the piano; photos of Peter on the beach... with the Gulf of Mexico in the background, and sand dunes in the background. Photos with his cap and gown. Change of clothes, for a more casual look. More great light. I shot. Alot.
When we finished at the beach, we went back to their house for some head shots with the cap & gown. Finished it up with some photos with his car; a fine looking Camaro.
No, I am not going to post a bunch of the photos here. That isn't what I do these days. With camera in hand, assessing light, and my subject ready to go... it all came back. I won't be going back into "the biz"... that is a lifetime ago. I gave it my all, but I don't have that burning desire that stayed with me through my photography career. When we retired, we knew we were done.
A glimpse at my last senior portrait session...
Now, I may go ride my bike. ;-) Well, after I move some images around...
2 comments:
At least the Piano wasn't that Heavy-- Well done Cap'n..
Would love to see some Videos of Dolphin's..
Well, it took four strong guys to move it... so, heavier than I want to lift.
Photos of dolphins is what we do. I'm not into the editing work involved with getting dolphin videos (although I have done a few in the past). "But what about those 'stayin' at home' videos, Jim? Thanks for asking. I shoot 'em, add a title page, and send it on to YouTube. Fast and easy. When I press "record," I am ready to go... I have not been able to get the dolphins to perform (or even show up) on command. Or, as we in the blog biz say: huh-uh. ;-)
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