Photoshoot Diary // Lyons, Colorado
I'd by Lyon if I said today wasn't the most fun I've had in a while! Was that cheesy? Do I need to work on my puns? Ok, ok, noted.
I want to introduce this new series - Photoshoot Diaries - in which I will basically tell you all about the adventures of each photoshoot I have. I'll include the day's story, successes, troubleshooting, outfit details and of course, the photos!
Let's Begin
I talked with Sarah (my roommate) about needing to take photos of her for my film project - more details on that later. But between her and I, taking photos isn't just a quick ordeal. It's a day's commitment to creativity. As much as I thought I'd just snap some photos of her in my room and then carry on with the day, well, that didn't end up happening. Thank god.
We got ready, film camera (Pentax K1000) and digital camera (Canon 80D) in hand, and headed out to Lyons, Colorado toward Estes Park. Today was the sunniest day of the year so far and we were soaking up the sun on the ride over. Big ol' smiles spread from ear to ear as we listened to music and scouted locations. We started heading up the mountain but soon began to wonder if we'd ever come across a road we can turn on and explore. Well, that didn't happen for quite some time until we saw a sign for a ranch. This will be a good spot to explore, I thought to myself. Sarah, on the other hand, was a little uneasy. She warned me of the multiple signs upon entrance and along the mile-long driveway explicitly saying "Private Property", "No Trespassing", "Private Road." The risky, impulsive person that I am decided not to let that get in the way, even though yes, I knew I was trespassing.
We found a little spot situated just below the houses that owned the huge property (okay, yeah, now this is sounding kind of bad. Do as I say, not as I do. Don't trespass on private property!) But we carried on regardless. I began taking photos of Sarah on my film camera to get that out of the way. Then, I started taking photos on my digital camera - I was eager to capture the beautiful colors surrounding us! Plus, this was my first shoot taking photos on my new lens (Canon 50mm 1.4)!
Time for an outfit change - as well as confrontation. Sarah was changing, her pants completely off, when a Jeep stopped right next to my car. Shit. Play it cool. You're the one in the wrong. You're on someone's property illegally. You're a big idiot. Play it cool. I step out of my car and approach the Jeep. I say hello and wait for the guy to say something. He questions if I know I'm on private property. I answer yes, immediately apologize and ask if I am getting kicked out. He responds asking what exactly I am doing to which I tell him I am taking photos for a school project. I tell him what school I go to after he asks and proceed to tell him that I can leave immediately. To my surprise, he told me we could stay. He also said that his wife would be driving up behind him and that I'd have to tell her that he said it was okay for us to stay. I thanked him, told him how much I appreciated it, and remembered that I needed to breath. Phew, that was a close one.
We carried on with our photoshoot and then low and behold, another car drives up the driveway. My heart is beating fast but this time, the car doesn't stop, which was really surprising. Until it came down about a half hour. She wife was looking into my car and Sarah started waving her hand to get her attention on us down the road. She pulled up with even more confusion painted on her face. I approach her and immediately say, "Hello! Did you husband explain who we are and what we are doing?" She said no and her countenance changed to a bit more confusion and attitude. I continued to talk and again acknowledged that we were trespassing and were really appreciative to be allowed to shoot. Finally, she said that it was alright with her and that she was in fact a photographer in the military. We talked a bit more and told us to take care as she drove back down the driveway. Dang. I can't believe we got away with that.
All stress aside, we continued to take photos of each other. It was mid-afternoon, so the sun was REALLY bright. I had a lens hood on my lens to prevent any sun flares, which I feel like made a huge difference. I also made sure to take an equal amount of photos in the shade as well as in the sun, just so I had a lot to choose from and didn't leave the shoot with only super bright sun photos.
Finally, we wrapped up and headed home. We stopped at Lyons Dairy Bar to get a bite to eat. Quick review of the place - not worth it. I asked for a hotdog with ketchup and onions, and they first delivered one to me with mustard and onions. I sent it back and got the correct order, but there were only three pieces of onion on my hotdog, each about an inch long. Sarah got a grilled cheese and the cheese wasn't even melted. We each got chocolate shakes which were completely flavorless, too. On top of that, each of our orders was about $11. (And they were out of burgers by 4:00pm.) Just wanted to mention that in case you decide to travel to Lyons and see this perhaps-hole-in-the-wall place and think it might be worth your time. Unfortunately, I was really disappointed.
Lesson's Learned
1. Don't trespass on private property because it's not right. However, if you do, which I'm NOT endorsing, always be sure to be polite if you get caught :)
2. Have a lens hood on your lens if you're shooting at the brightest times of the day.
3. Bring tweezers because ya girl got three splinters in one finger. How, you might ask? Beats me. Thats what I get for wandering around in wilderness and touching everything.
4. Bring lots of water and snacks to keep you full and satisfied throughout your adventure.
Outfit Details
Floral Jumpsuit:
Forever 21 (buy me!)