So I talked another couple into a photo shoot in a slightly less traditional setting, namely a shopping centre garage. And the photo shoot had a completely different feel than the traditional photo shoots in parks, gardens or forests. Although the woods now in the fall, it’s going to be a colorful romp and I’m looking forward to getting out there. In any case, it was a great pleasure to work in this unconventional location and capture the love of two young people.
And how did I come up with this place? I admit that I would probably take Milos and Nicol somewhere in the woods again if they hadn’t written that they like street fashion, skateboarding and drifting with a bmw. At that moment, the garage came to mind as the obvious choice. Nowhere else would the personalities of those two stand out so perfectly. A mall garage is not a typical place for romantic photos, but I wanted to create something different, something authentic and unique. When I suggested this location to Milos and Nicol, they were thrilled and agreed. So I was halfway there.
When we arrived at the garage in the afternoon, it was quite hard to find a free place to park, let alone for the shoot. However, the atmosphere of the place completely engulfed me and I automatically switched to “shoot-not-shoot” mode. The light from outside didn’t penetrate here and the only light sources were fluorescent lamps and car lights, which created strange shadow effects and contrasts. All around were parked cars, metal structures, roadblocks and poles which created the industrial background I was looking for.
Milos and Nicol were fantastic models. Their love and affection for each other was almost palpable. They were a little nervous at first, but soon relaxed and began to enjoy what an amazing location we had for the shoot. Instead of being intimidated by the unusual surroundings, they embraced it and started hugging and laughing with each other. Just what I needed! A couple this relaxed is just essential. I take pride in making sure the shoot lasts no longer than 30 minutes. Here I wanted to cut it down to about 20 minutes so we wouldn’t be holding up traffic unnecessarily. And we did.
During the shoot, I tried to capture different moments that came sort of on their own, without prompting – from sweet caresses to mutual glances full of love. The combination of light and shadows gave the photos a special atmosphere and mystery, which I tried to bring into the photos.
Milos and Nicol were immersed in their own world and I just lightly corrected them and sometimes gave them hints on which direction to go, where to look, etc.
At the end of the shoot I was thrilled with the result of our work. I knew very well that my card was full of “bomb” photos. The photos in the mall parking garage were unique and exactly as I had envisioned. It was a pleasure to shoot in such an unusual location and I thank Milos and Nicol for their openness and courage. This shoot has reaffirmed to me time and time again that beauty and love can be found in unexpected places, and that as a photographer I can help capture that beauty and share it with others.