Floetry was the name of a R&B and Hip Hop duo of the late 90’s early 00’s. Two young female musicians from London, they effortlessly mixed the two genres and created a Neo soul sound that was very different from anything else of the time period. While I was never big into their music personally, their name has always stuck with me. It’s a fresh and new play on words that rolls off of the tongue. It’s a word that seems to speak to the artistic nature of a person. Well floetry is the only word I can use to describe this latest shoot of mine with Katherine from Katherine Levano Photography. It flowed so well.
As photographers, I’m sure we all can remember those shoots that just didn’t go that well. Maybe you were off your game, the equipment didn’t work, a memory card failed, the model just wasn’t into it, babies crying, toddlers picking their nose and on and on the list goes. And I’m sure we’ve all had session that were on the other end of the spectrum: Deposits paid, lighting was on point, everyone showed up on time, they tagged you on social media, and even purchased extra photos.
But it’s not those moments I want to talk about. I want to talk about those rare, once in a while moments. I’m talking about those shoots that elevate you not only as a photographer but as an artist. Those rare sessions where with every click of the shutter, you’re producing great art that surpasses all your previous work. That session where everything flows smooth…where you’re creating visual poetry…Floetry.
Katherine is a great photographer from New York. We met a few months back on instagram as she tried to get to know the area. We traded photography tips and encouragement as we both continued to learn the craft. We finally got a chance to meet in person when she came to a few of the meetups I hosted. It was great to see her in action. She’s very precise and calculated as a photographer. But recently I saw one of her stories and thought it would be great to get her in front of the camera…I was completely unprepared for what we were about to create.
We spent about an hour and 15 minutes shooting. That included 5 wardrobe changes!!! Yes, 5 wardrobe changes in an hour. From the very start, everything just flowed. We quickly got in a fitness style shoot with a quick change over into a crotched style dress. We efficiently worked this abandoned farm. The slowest part of the entire evolution was my constant switching between my 85mm and my 24-70mm. We were fortunate to have really good rim light as the sun peaked in and out from the clouds. You mix that with a great off camera flash and just about every photo was a keeper.
Working with a fellow photographer turned model is what really made this shoot a success. She was able to bring in her creative ideas as well as her own knowledge of posing. There was little to no directing. She effortlessly transitioned from pose to pose with her only cue being the click of the shutter. Needless to say, this collaboration was more than a success. Check out some of the work we were able to create below. Also check out Katherines photography work on instagram at @katherine.levano_photography.
But I want to hear from you photographers and models. Tell me about that one session that flowed to a level beyond just a good session. What made it such an amazing session?
