Round about the cauldron go;
In the poison'd entrails throw.
So..... now that the coven has calmed and Benjamin is comfortable and all settled in, you know I have questions. At FH, I'm all about process, and I was curious about how the shoot came together, the witch was created, and of course, where the hell did Tom Nakielski (Lights On Studio) find that incredibly beautiful clock! Thankfully, Tom was up for sharing all the juicy details!
What were your thoughts on my witch wishes?
The suggestion of a witch did not strike me as unusual. Witches are the top most costumes for Halloween. Although witches are generally female....it is Halloween you know. Anything goes.
How hard was your witch hunt?
By biggest issues lately is finding decent models. Plus models who will respond in a timely fashion. I use Model Mayhem to find my models. Lately, I noticed that models have gone months without even accessing their MM account. So many of my requests are not even seen until it is too late. I have several models that are always willing to have a session but I really would like some fresh meat :)
What was the shoot's biggest challenge?
The hardest part was finding high heel boots. I thought you were wanting something like stilettos. I didn't realize you were thinking of men's boots. I went to countless thrift stores looking for high heel boots Found some that were very fashionable but too small. I was in the frame of mind to create something a bit more off beat or campy. So the high heels would be in the campy category. What I found was not very fashionable. They were more clunky but were something more like a witch would wear. A witch that never read a fashion magazine..
How did Benjamin react to the concept?
Benjamin was very open to the concept of being a witch. I was concerned that he would be hesitant to get campy and would not be comfortable with mascara and eyeliner or the feathery witches hat. But he was all in with it. I found out later that he dressed as Janet Jackson with a wardrobe malfunction so a witch would be second hand for him.
How did the props and costumes all come together?
I get a lot of costumes from local costume shops. They are aware of my projects and are eager to help me put a particular look together. The use of the cauldron came later. But EVERY store in town was sold out. And I went to lot of stores looking. But I was determined to have a cauldron. ( You may have noticed that I am into props in my photos) Luckily I remembered I had a stockpot that would do the job. I painted it black and dripped some candle wax on the side to look like it was boiling over. The witches broom was from the Spirit Halloween store. Dry ice, rat skeleton, spiders etc were found in different stores. The grandfather clock was just purchased by Karah (my studio mate) Perfect timing for the shoot.
Tell me about the shoot itself?
The shoot was fun. Once I realized that Benjamin was all Gung Ho about the session I could relax and not worry about him feeling uncomfortable during the session. He had no problem with nudity which is always a plus. Models who only do implied nudes are a challenge. Trying to find ways to hide their privates is a pain to me. It stifles my creativity. Plus who doesn't like having a nude model hanging out in the studio?
Benjamin was aware of my physical limitations and did most of the moving of props and lights. The grandfather clock is very heavy. Even he struggled with it a bit. But once again, he was into the whole process. Truly a joy to work with. As you know, I tripped and fell. Luckily he is a hunk and a half and lifted me up with ease. I felt like a damsel in distress and my knight in shining armor came to my rescue. Hmmm, a ploy I might try again.
Did everything go as planned?
I pretty much accomplished what I wanted. There is only so much you can do in a 3 hour session which is about the longest I care to do now. The days of 5 hour session are history. Each concept takes time to set up. Even changes of poses takes time. To go from standing to sitting means that I have to readjust the lights. Or front view to side view usually means I need to adjust lights or props.
What was your favorite part of the shoot?
Just seeing when the light it just right and the models looks great. Sometimes it takes awhile until I finally find the perfect light for a particular pose. I am always adjusting or adding lights. I sometimes have a light just to highlight a butt or the models dick. (Can I say dick?) The second favorite is being swooped up in the arms of my hunky savior:) When the session was over I thanked him for going along with the kinky session....I meant to say campy. He said he has no problem with kinky. Note to self....
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