I had been randomly hired to shoot promotional content for an escort. I got paid, it was my FIRST paid gig. And two years later, I finally felt like I was getting there as a photographer. I found a model who was crazy experienced and willing to pass on her wisdom to me.
I didn't recognize I was where I was as a photographer. Honestly, I had that "I have SOOO much to learn!" Philosophy. I still do. But looking back at this first shoot is eye opening to me. My retouching... left a LOT to be desired. Which is interesting. It really makes me respect where my retouching has gone over the years. This shoot was September 2015.
THIS. Is the first shot from that session... MOSTLY un-retouched. And yes. It IS out of focus 😬
Looking at this, I SCREAM at myself, "TURN THE FUCKING CAMERA BACK HORIZONTALLY!!!" 🤬
Tasha was an incredible muse who helped me learn so many things about my photography. She taught me about posing, she taught me about respecting my model. She told me so many horror stories about horrific shoots. She told me of the great photo sessions. And yes, while she LOOKED fantastic, she was at the end of her run as a model... despite trying to keep her going for years!
Unfortunately, there was one thing Tasha was unable to help me with. My interest and focus on Erotic Art. She was SUPER supportive. BUT... it was something she wasn't interested in. She helped me think about how I could create my own vision and my own art. She wasn't against the erotic side, it just wasn't her thing.
She was an incredible start. This session was frightening to me, but I came out of it absolutely 100% certain of what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I remember meeting her in the parking lot... I was literally shaking. She smiled, laughed knowingly. She gave me a big hug and told me everything was going to be so much fun. I remember saying goodbye to her after that session, going back to the room... cleaning up my equipment... thinking of all the things I learned. Looking back, I see a bit of what she saw... why she so happily posed for me time and time again. I think this was the first of 10-20 sessions.
There it is. The beginning of my journey as a photographer. Ready for the next session?