It was a cloudy day, not too chilly, but not too warm. I got off the bus at Freeway Park, and headed up to the fountain area. Or at least, the former fountain area. The narrative for our shoot was to focus on how a mermaid might live in the city, with access only to local ponds and fountains, unable to find reach the ocean. As we walked around the park, that narrative took a more environmental turn, emphasizing the decay and desolation of what were once beautiful, if brutalist, park fountains.
Repose in concrete.
One thing to know about mermaid tails is that they come in a couple varieties: silicone and fabric. The former is very realistic looking, wonderful for swimming in, but not very easy for moving on land. The latter is super flexible, and is a lot easier to scoot around in. The silicone also takes quite a bit to shimmy into, whereas the flexible tails just slide on! So this really affects where one can shoot, a silicone tail restricts you to only a few shooting locations in close proximity, but a flexible tail can be slipped on for one location, shot, then slipped off and carried to the next location with ease.
Sun and shade.
Once we made it to the location, Essie (the mermaid) got ready, already set up with makeup by Aiko, one of my favorite collaborators. Essie had brought so many accessories, many of them handmade, all of them nautical themed. We wanted to do two looks, our first look incorporating a gorgeous wig, an intricate shell top, and the aforementioned accessories. The first location we picked was the most brutalist, rough, empty and dystopian empty fountain, with these multi-level ledges, surrounded by grass, ivy, and staircases galore.
Stumped.
After a quick costume change, we started shooting our second location, one of Freeway Park's active fountains. Essie jumped right in, prompting me to follow suit. Of course, I only dipped my feet in, but I was really impressed with the commitment to the shoot, that Essie got all in the fountain. This side of the park was in direct sunlight, which was a little difficult to work with. I've been experimenting more and more using flash with slightly indirect sunlight, trying to get a specific, if almost artificial, lighting look. Flash is interesting to work with, since it really throws the facets of exposure out of balance, but once you mater it, you can really harness it to your advantage.
Depth of field, depth of fountain.
One of the things that really stands out about doing photoshoots in public, is the public's reaction. I've seen models get weird looks, smiles, had guys look a little too longingly, but at this shoot, something different happened. As we were shooting, we were of course in a public park, but we were also right next to the path going through the park, so plenty of people passed by. Most people smiled, although one woman stopped with a few questions for Essie. She passerby left, but came back with two little kids, a boy and a girl, and just had to introduce them to Essie the mermaid. It was too cute, and it must have made the kid's day!
You can find more info about Essie the Mermaid and see more of the lovely photos at her Facebook!