A Gift From One Sister to Another
I’ve worked with my friend Hana on portrait sessions on a number of occasions, photographing her for several different magazines. Every time I see her she tells me, “You HAVE to meet my sister, Eunice! She wants to be a model. I’d love to see you photograph her!”
However, with me living in Maine and them in Maryland, the chances were slim that we’d be able to setup a session. But Hana is a never-say-die type of person (which I love) and figured out that the two sisters would be visiting Massachusetts for the holidays and maybe we could get some time scheduled as a gift for Eunice. I made sure that it would happen and immediately got the shoot on the calendar.
Eunice and Hana arrived at the studio after driving several hours on a cold, windy December day. While Kelly the makeup artist set up her station, I sat with both of the sisters and reviewed an overall game plan for how the shoot would run. We got a bit of last-minute inspiration from a few looks I had gathered on a Pinterest board, and off we went.
I always try to start my sessions with a few “before” shots with no hair or makeup styling – just however you look naturally. Then Kelly and Eunice settled in to get the makeup started. By providing complimentary hair and makeup to my clients, it reduces any worry or concern about achieving the look we want.
For the next 2 hours we shot images in natural light, under strobes, or a combination of the two. Eunice coordinated 4 outfit choices for a variety of looks. While she had never worked with a professional photographer before, Eunice picked up the fundamentals of posing very quickly and her confidence immediately started to shine through the nervous exterior she exhibited earlier.
By the end of the session, everyone was laughing and I was able to get Hana to pose with Eunice for a few sisterly shots. We even goofed around a bit and got a classic “Stepbrothers” pose, because why not?
Once the day concluded and Eunice and Hana headed home, I immediately dove into the culling and editing process. I wanted to make sure I got the images in their hands as soon as possible.
I wound up with 45 amazingly beautiful edited images that really captured Eunice’s strength and self-confidence. It was truly a pleasure to work with both women, and I’m hoping I get the chance to do it all again sometime soon!
