Paige Hassen: JRN

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Setup:

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My experience:

This was one of my favorite shoots so far. I really got to try out different techniques and learn a lot about my camera and my own photography style.

I reached out to Ella because I know she models for VERGE, the fashion magazine on campus. That’s actually how I’ve got in contact with most of my fashion subjects.

A struggle I encountered was trying to find a cool location. I’m always looking for interesting places to take photos, especially for these assignments. The obvious option to start off with is asking around. I asked some of my friends about their favorite places on campus, or different places they thought are visually appealing. One of my friends said that the student art lounge in Whitman Hall is one of her favorite places to go on campus.

After Ella agreed to do the shoot, I ran the idea by her and she loved it. After a brief conversation, the outfit style we decided to go with ended up looking amazing in the lounge.

I got there a little early so that I could find the place and properly prepare. I ended up setting up equipment and getting some ideas in my head before she arrived. The room was a lot smaller than I thought it would be, but we made it work.

One thing I unfortunately didn’t plan on was students being in there. That was not the brightest thought, or lack thereof, that I’ve had before. Luckily, we were able to work around a few students who came and left, and we ended up getting some amazing shots.

I even got to experience with gel flash covers as well. I’ve always wanted to experiment with lights and colors and shadows, etc., so when I found out that the department had gel covers, I knew I needed to try them. They’re old and outdated, so they don’t actually fit the equipment that the department has, but I found out through experimentation that if you tilt the flash a certain way, the gel doesn’t fall off. It unfortunately limits the range I could use them for, but I’m way happier than I thought I’d be with the outcomes. To put it easy, the photos exceeded my expectations.