Nineteen years ago I was looking through some of my images and decided my portrait photography was lacking. That is when I got the bright idea of working with a professional model.
That is when I found Sarah. I contacted her and told her I wanted to schedule her for a photo shoot “some time in the future.” She said “Why not book a shoot now?” I told her I wasn’t ready yet. I needed to practice photographing some “amateur models” first to improve my skills. She said “You will improve faster if you work with me now.” That made a lot of sense so I scheduled two shoots, one for August 10 and a second on August 15. I booked two shoots so if the first shoot didn’t go well I would have a second chance to do things better.
Sarah, The first click of the shutter on our first photo shoot, downtown Columbus.
I was hugely nervous the day of the shoot. I wanted things to go well. As it turned out I created some not so good images on that first shoot (that was not Sarah’s fault), but some good ones too. The photos above were created on that first shoot.
Not only did Sarah and I work together, she sent other quality models my way (and she also clued me in on the models I should avoid). I learned a lot!
I also started reading books and articles on portrait, beauty, and glamour photography.
Tiana, Columbus Ohio
I knew I was making progress when Sarah contacted me one day and told me about Tiana, a first rate model based in Chicago. She said “Tiana is coming to Ohio. You have to work with her when she is here. She is an amazing model. Do whatever you have to do to make this happen.” So I booked a day with Tiana. But just as important, Sarah had decided I had come far enough in my skills to work with a first rate traveling model. Like Sarah, Tiana is one of the best of the best.
Tiana, Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge.
The models Sarah sent my way also recommended other models. I was in California visiting family and Tiana had moved from Chicago to the San Francisco Bay Area and she was not far from where I was. So we met early one morning at a nearby wildlife refuge and we did another photo shoot. We had a great time. At the end of that shoot she said, “Do you know Anoush? She is right there in Columbus and she is one of the best of the best. You should work with her.”
Anoush, Columbus Ohio.
Back home in Columbus I looked Anoush up and booked a photo shoot with her. And then another and another. Like Sarah and Tiana, she is one of the best of the best.
Anoush, Worthington Ohio.
Every year when August 10 rolls around I think about that very first shoot, and what it started. Sarah is not only the first professional model it was my happy privilege to work with, she is certainly one of the best. I am a better portrait photographer today than I was nineteen years ago, and Sarah and the other models she sent my way deserve a lot of the credit.
Thanks, Sarah!
Links
Sarah: Nine Years Ago This Evening