Every now and then I will invite someone over for a guestblog. There are no rules for the guestblog as long as it’s interesting for our readers, so if you have any suggestions please let me know. So without further waste of space here is the guestblog from Marije Weterings. You can find her site at www.marijeweterings.nl
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A Miss in the Mud!
For over a year, I was preparing myself for this photoshoot. Inspired by the videoclip by Nick Cave and Kylie Minogue of the song Where The Wild Roses Grow, I wanted to make a series of images of a pale, white bride, lost in soft and dreamy surrounding.
The elements water, the model, the nature and the colour white were very important for this photoshoot. For some months now, I was talking to colleagues about this shoot, and I told them I wanted to put the model in a pond.
Over and over again I saw waters that seemed to work, but
the water was too deep, too brown, too clear or too dirty. I didn’t know who could model for me, because I needed to find a blond model with tight jaws and a pale skin, altough enhanced by make-up. To give the image more power, I had to put her in a white wedding-gown. But where did I got such a location, the perfect model and a weddingdress that could be ruined??
Last week, I was hiking with my husband and my dog in a place called the Zandbergen, near the village Losser, in the east of the Netherlands. There I found a little sidestream of the river Dinkel, where the water was still, not to deep, but deep enough, slightly brown, but clear enough! The perfect water! And with green leaves on it! I knew: this had to be the location for this shoot. I also found out, this location was perfect, because I could park my car near the water.
Because I had made serie of Petra Smits, the recently crowned Miss Overijssel, I knew she had the looks ánd the personality to fit the preferred model profile for my plans. I called her and explained my vision and asked her if she wanted to pose for me, in the cold, dirty water. She immediately agreed! She was very enthousiastic and insisted on modelling for me!
Meanwhile, I posted some messages on Twitter to search for a make-up artist and a dress. After a couple of tweets, e-mailing and phoning I had no make-up artist, only a couple of hours before the photoshoot. I was getting pretty nervous!
Suddenly, Petra called me and told me she found a weddingdress and my regular make-up artist Esmee could help, because her client got ill. I knew, everything will be perfect, I was sure of it.
Marcel Brands, a photographer and friend, would join us to make a backstage film and some backstage photo’s from the shoot. I wanted to remember the setting, but also I wanted to review my work, so I could learn from it.
The outside temperature was about 22 degrees celsius and the water maybe about 13 degrees. I put on a bathingsuit and a thermoshirt over it with some pants. I put on some sandals, cause I didn’t want te be in the water with my bare feet. I didn’t want to feel any fish or the soft sand between my toes. Yuck!
After some normal fashionshots on the shore, Petra put on her weddingdress and entered the water slowly. After a while, she lay down in the cold, muddy water like a princess. Marcel was filming form the shore and helped adjusting the light. I was shooting with an Elinchrom Ranger Quadra, with a snoot on it. The light would touch her face gently from behind so she would lit up.
The water was smelly and cold. When Petra layed still, the temperature didn’t bother her at all. She was the perfect model, just as I imagined it would be! Esmee kept well track of time, we had to get out of the water within 15 minutes, or we would be supercooled. Esmee helped Petra out of the water and helped her to dry and get changed. Petra was a litlle supercooled though, so we went to the village and gave her some hot tea.
Petra, Esmee and Marcel: thank you very much for your effort, motivation, joy and amazing good work! Without you, I couldn’t fulfil my long nourished wish. I am very proud of you and thank you with all my heart.
Model: Petra Smits Miss Overijssel 2010
