Gags, Bloopers and Other Assorted Tales of Tomfoolery
Click on image for larger version
I’ve a long-held secret ambition to emulate some of US Vogue’s jumping photoshoots. They are instilled with so much life, belying the amount of work that goes into their production. I have made several attempts, but it’s no easy trick, I can tell you. Nor does being a one-woman band aid me.
Here are just a couple of my unsuccessful attempts – plus a few more gags and bloopers that have occurred along the way.
#1–2 This was my very first shoot, back in the day when I was using my snappy camera on a 10-second timer. I had to press the shutter and rush back into position – I still thought it was worthwhile doing some jumping shots here. Considering the timing issues, these are pretty good, unlike #3 from my puffball shoot. Here I did have a remote shutter control in my hand, but the low light and slow shutter speed ensures I am only a blur.
I wasn’t jumping in my Skipping Girl shoot (#5–6), but still I managed to tip over several times. Another balancing act on heels: one leg in the air with a skipping rope dangling over my shoulders and a cheery grin plastered on my face – after I ran from the camera back into the set.
What are you gonna do when you find the backdrop, er, dropping…
#4 – A singularly useless shot. I was trying for a blur of blue, which would contrast prettily with the sharp geometrics of my dress. Only on this frame the flash went off, capturing a single (and uninteresting) one-fortieth of a second in time.
Here I am in #7, just tulle-ing around. What are you gonna do when you find the backdrop, er, dropping to the floor a moment before the shutter releases? Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
There comes a point in every photoshoot when the model (#8) fools around, and shows the photographer (in this case herself) just what she thinks of her stupid and unrelenting demands.
#9 – Although the brief this time actually required fooling around, there is just a little too much chicken-wings are bug-eye here. I’m quite sure my great-grandmother would not at all approve of all this tomfoolery.
Right, back to work. My next trick will be climbing a step-ladder on a coffee table in heels. Actually, I think I have already done that…