The Albino Burmese
January 5, 2022 // How to
It`s late afternoon, pre-Covid. We’re seated at an old western bar in Oslo outside the city, taking a short break from the current photoshoot. Our fixer provides cold refreshments to me and my model, Leah Holm. Almost like a sweet dream right? …Well, I'll let you in on a little secret. The behind-the-scenes will always be less glamorous than expected. It will be a sweaty mess, to be more accurate.
The past 4 hours have been a hardcore workout session. Me rushing back and forth adopting the composition, adjusting the camera settings and the placement of the light— to frame the snake's movements correctly. At one point my studio light overheated and caught fire. All this chaos unfolded while Leah had to carry a heavy Albino Burmese around her shoulders and be good-looking simultaneously.
As the three of us are lounging by the saloon in silent exhaustion, we pay attention to the natural light. Harsh sun streaks shine through the translucent curtains and embrace the furniture. With a closer look, I can see my surroundings with a new mindset --years of dust from the reptile scales particles have caked into the wood siding and those layers are too real of a detail to exclude.
The short break is over and we retreat to our earlier composition. I refill the room with mellow haze and turn on the only functional light. Our fixer hands over the snake to Leah, who is already at her mark. I pick up my camera and start shooting. Hilarity ensued.
From the start, the snake circled confused around Leah. Awkwardly. And in a matter that suggests it`s trying to escape. But to quickly get familiar with her scent, slowing down and becoming more photogenic. The graceful stare makes an engaging shot and conveys the snake’s indecision over whether it should remain motionless or entwined further.
I leaned forward photographing this scaly reptile, attempting for some close-up shots. Our fixer gives the snake a soft push in the right direction, making it stationary beside Leah`s eyes. Immediately before the flash went off, the snake gave an abrupt head wobble and turns quickly to the camera. Following up with a spine-chilling look that resembles a human smirk, winning the ultimate photobomb award. This odd gesture took us by surprise; we burst out laughing and were unsuccessful to retain our posture.
I call these kind of shoots “test shoots” because they aren’t commissioned by any clients. They have one main goal – to push my portfolio further towards the style of photography I want to be hired for. It’s important for me to keep creating new work that isn’t the same as the work I’ve been hired to create in the past, because if I’m only shooting the same kind of projects over and over, it’s very unlikely that I will be hired to shoot anything else. Over time, if you aren’t proving that you are capable of shooting other things, you might find yourself stuck in a bit of a rut, never really photographing anything new. I like to keep things fresh and progressing forward. It keeps me sane.
I will end this blog by showing my favorite image from this test shoot. Let`s take a closer look...
And another…
Be rest assured that new lighting equipment is acquired.
Anyway, have a great night!
LB