I wish I remembered how this conversation came up, but I hit up Bec to do a spooky couples Halloween photo shoot around the end of August/early September, using her pumpkin masks. I wanted to do spooky goth pumpkin couple but elegant. I wanted to try and make it look like we too have "fall vibes" as well and not just a whole lot of green and brown. It's been weird since because now we keep seeing photos of couples wearing actual pumpkins on their heads and it looks really cool but that has to be gross having slimy crap on your head. Kudos to them for effort! 

The closer we got to Halloween the more I realised how cool it would be if we had pumpkin patches here, so I decided I'd DIY one. I asked my friend Kelly if she was cool to help out on the shoot and on the day went and bought some pumpkins. They weren't particularly easy to find in my neck of the woods. Joondalup had one shop selling them and they were so big I couldn't even pick them up which only led me to wonder why I have these stupid ideas because here's me who struggles with a camera and I want a photoshoot with large pumpkins. The shops closer to me, one only had 3 pumpkins and the other had a box full but I at least got some variety in sizes. I bought 5 and decided i'll just clone some extras in if I really feel like I need too. I think I only did that for two photos in the end. 

We got to the spot before the models so it gave me some time to set up and work out my light. Last time I was at this location was for my Pet Sematary shoot and I just used natural lighting but it wasn't this bright either. I wrote a huge thing about this on Facebook during the week, but while I loved studying photography they failed me when it came to learning about fill flash. The course covered everything from printing, processing, science, business, using different types of cameras and film and I got to try all sorts of photography styles I never would have considered trying on my own (fashion, photojournalism, scientific..). The domestic photography unit it the only unit I ever dropped out of and it shows from the lack of family portraiture you've seen me do. That class and some macro class were the electives in 3rd year and I started out doing both but dropped domestic when my mum got cancer. There was an assignment somewhere on Fill Flash but I don't remember it ever being covered in class so I obviously failed the assignment and the lecturer wouldn't explain it to me. I finally managed to work it out a couple of years ago. I wouldn't say I've mastered it, but I have a better idea at least. So while setting up I thought this is a good time to show the difference! First shot is natural lighting and the 2nd photo is using the fill flash with a large octobox attached. 

Halloween-5 fill light The day itself was really hot considering it was only 27 degrees. Pretty sure all weather apps were broken that day because I was dying! My face was turning the same colour as my shirt (bright red) really fast, Kelly was asking me if I'm ok and when Bec showed up she let me sit in her car and blast the air con, then I watched Kelly laugh at me because my face was quite literally right in front of the vent. With how both models were dressed though I didn't want to make them wait too long on me otherwise we'd all die of heat stroke. In my mind I'm like "yeah quick shoot so nobody dies in the heat from all these clothes" and we ended up there for an hour and a half. While shooting a wedding party turned up and we watched while they stood there staring at us - we assumed maybe they wanted to use our tree for their photos but tough shit we were there first. Then we watch two guys with large bin bags rock up figuring ok they're here to collect rubbish except they filled them with dead leaves and left. After that we felt we weren't the weirdest people there anymore. I did have one shot I wanted to do involving the leaves and forgot until I was half way through packing up. Decided I couldn't be bothered anymore. Bec did request one wedding gimmick while shooting - the "dress reveal". This is why I love working with Bec. Even if I'm in my zone of not thinking/talking she's got her own ideas on things to do. It's more of a collaborative effort then!

Halloween-69 Halloween-73 Halloween-84 Bec recommended taking some photos at the blue boat shed which was just down the road, it's the most over photographed landmark in Perth (is it REALLY a landmark? Is Perth that dull this is a landmark?) and I think every wedding in Perth has had photos taken there. I've managed to never photograph that place so I joked I'll be a real professional photographer now. So we go to the blue boat shed and at first we think there's a photoshoot happening so figure that's fine I can wait my turn. We get closer and realise it's just two girls with an iPhone. 5000 selfies later they left. It was so windy at this spot the light was hard to manage - not that I had to because I asked Kelly to hold it - but it wasn't working out anyway. Every photo my pumpkin couple were really dark. At first I thought it wasn't firing but even when it did it wasn't helping. Not sure why. This is why I'm not a master of Fill Flash. I got some better photos without it. I don't like sunlight. It's evil. That said I want to try a beach shoot with it just as soon as I'm ready to burst into flames. 

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"Amor Cucurbita"

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