Model for the Day - A Living Coral Pantone Color Styled Bridal Shoot
at the beginning of 2019, i was asked by a good friend of mine to be the model of a styled shoot. linda Lyons of @Lyonsevents wanted to put together a pantone color of the year inspired wedding styled shoot. it’s funny because i was so flattered by her request. i never thought that the tables would turn and someone would want me as a model. it was a great half day shoot where i met many vendors who gave their talents so willingly (find their info at the bottom of this post).
this was a good self study for me on different levels. firstly - being a model was a struggle for me. i wanted to give it my best so i actual went on a “model diet”. I spent a month on the keto trend to prepare for the shoot. this was incredibly hard for me. i like to eat and i have the biggest addiction to sweet foods. to be so much more conscientious of my eating habits really proved a mental challenge more than anything. luckily, my efforts paid off because i was able to fit into the sample size of the elizabeth leese white jumper. secondly - my confidence about my looks is a zero on the 100 point scale. i know i post photos of myself online but i find that i usually keep a side profile or crop myself strategically or even show myself in a more “artistic” way. i like to think these images don’t really show how i really look like…for good reason. i have always had a complex about my looks and never felt “pretty” in the way that social media deems. so when the time came for the shoot, i really was nervous about how i would be on set. i wanted to perform like a top model but i didn’t feel like one despite the great talents of the women who did my hair and makeup. I think sometimes that reflected in the final proofs. i look a tad timid and afraid mostly awkward. However, the photographers who were part of this shoot really took my inexperience well and like a good photographer ought to do - they posed me and directed my moves. and lastly, i really wanted to share this post to show the difference in vision among different photographers. As a photographer myself, i found it so amusing to see not only my face in these shots but also how each woman went through their editing process. Because what you see in camera is not what will come out in the final product. the biggest things to analyze about the photos is that color tone, contrast, and composition really tell us a person’s style and voice. each one really represented themselves well. i think that one woman had the colors truest to life - meaning she didn’t do any high editing so you really see what is as it should be in real life. another woman gave me more bluer and greener tones which came off romantic while the third woman gave more heavy contrast which punctuated details. in no particular order, i posted one of my favorites from each photographer. i’ve linked their work to each photo so you can see more and maybe this might help you as you choose a photographer for your future event or portrait session. comment below and let me know which one you like!
vendors who participated in the full shoot:
Beauty // @britebarbeauty
Cake // @cultivatedcakestudio
Cape & Jumpsuit // @elizabethleesebridal
Florals // @katiebugflorals
Planner // @lyonsevents
Paper // @lyonspaperie
Silk Ribbons // @ohbejoyfulcreative
Venue// @thelumenroom
Over the years, I’ve really come to respect top professional models as I worked beside them in photoshoots. The good ones look good but the best ones move well. I remember working with a woman who literally gave me such variety in her face alone and I was so shocked by how she could do that by the movement of her eyes and the pace she moved as she smiled. It was unbelievable. That woman was who I tried to channel in my shoot. To be in a model’s shoes for a change really gave me more understanding of the type of openness one must be to connect with a photographer and get shots that really tell their story. I had to let go of my own personal ideas how the pose should be and let the photographer take control. Would I say I was amazing on the shoot? Definitely not. But I’ve definitely got skills for the next one if it ever happens again!
I really do have to thank linda lyons for such a great way to start my 2019. i was truly challenged both mind and body and i’ve walked away feeling more confident about who i am inside & out.