Jackie – Misty Mornings

Jackie – Misty Mornings: "

OK…so actually it was rain soaked…but here’s the story.

I had set up a shoot with a new model, Jackie Stevens, to come out my way to shoot in some old cement factory buildings near me in PA. But the skies were dark and raining. She lives near the Jersey shore and said the skies were blue and sunny. So we changed plans and I drove to the coast – Sandy Hook, NJ. The closer I got to the coast the sky started to become just overcast, brightening..yeah…and then…pouring rain as I pulled into the parking lot at the beach where we were meeting. We wanted to do some glam art and fine art nudes so we spend an hour in her car sorting out what clothes she would wear and thinking about locations and waiting for the rain to slow down while listening to big band music and munching on chips. I told her this reminded me of my trip to New Zealand waiting at beaches and praying for the rain to stop.

So finally it was just misting and we had both noticed an abandoned building just outside the parking lot. So we went over there to check it out. PERFECT it had old iron doors, the remains of iron riveted window frames, vines, cement walls, three rooms and a partial roof for some protection from the rain…and great lighting and all this debris. It’s like a ready made studio…WOW. So we shot for a while with some glam art and nudes. The constant misty conditions soaked both of us (and constantly drying camera gear), but added a rich color saturation to all the walls and debris while providing beautiful even lighting. Being near the road…we were constantly ducking down as passerbys’ walked by.

Then we headed over to the beach….or what was left of it. A strong Northeaster (remains of Hurricane Ida) had been pounding the coast for a few days. The boardwalk leading to the beach over the dunes had been swept away and a massive tidal pool had been created before you could get to the beach..beyond the pool…the ocean beckoned with 6 ft waves crashing on the shore. So we started shooting using the remains of the boardwalk and the tidal pool with this lonely, misty feel to some fashion and fine art shots. Again..we both got soaked and as much as I tried to keep my lens clean..the constant mist still added a blurry look to some of the pictures, which in the long run fits the mood of the pictures. Adapt

Jackie was great throughout the “ordeal” dealing with rain, cold wind and water in the pool….and looked fabulous doing it! We shot until the last bit of light left the beach. It’s always a pleasure to collaborate with someone new, having a little adventure, not knowing what the results will be and then having them turn out so well. So…Bravo Jackie! Look forward to future misty mornings (a little sun wouldn’t hurt though).

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