Janice has loads of personality – she’s crazy, spunky, vivacious, energetic, and has a mouth that would make a sailor blush (which she’s not afraid to use in her several hundred Yelp reviews – I fear for my future review!). She wanted to get some off-beat, yet professional portraits done–simply for the hell of it, and to surprise her photographer friends (or make them jealous?). Janice lives in Aptos near Nisene Marks State Park – a beautiful, expansive redwood forest interwoven with miles of meandering trails friendly to cyclists and runners alike. I picked her up at her place in my Mustang and we drove about a mile into the forest to the location Janice wanted to explore.
I immediately realized that I should have booked the session earlier than 5:30pm – it was already d-a-r-k in the forest. But I just dialed up the ISO on my Nikons and worked with the dramatic chiaroscuro the early-evening woods provided – oh, and of course I had my trusty lightbox on hand for a little natural emphasis 🙂
After getting out of the car and donning my gear, Janice (sporting her Vibram Five Fingers) skipped off into the forest. Wearing her loose-fitting white dress, contrasted with her Philipino bronzed skin, she looked like a fleeting wood nymph, zipping around the forest. I may be taking artistic license here, but work with me…
We found the graffiti-laden wood bench that she wanted to use for the first set of shots. She expressed her personality for me in true Janice fashion, cussing out her Words With Friends opponent on her iPad and pretending to be a nose-picking vagrant catching some zees.
We then hiked down to the river for a few shots on the bridge, tossing melon-sized rocks in the water and balancing on fallen trees. We had a good time, and the hour session (and the light) was passing quickly. Janice wanted to get a few shots with her elderly friend at the nearby Aegis Assisted Living center, where she used to work. It was touching, and I was happy to capture some tender moments between Janice and her old friend on the couch.
Here’s some of my favorites from the session, you can see all 65 edited photos at www.goodeyephotography.com.
