I have been wanting to do a Clothes Horse inspired photo shoot for awhile now, and today, I don't know what possessed me, I decided to do it. Maybe it was the green floral-print tights I just got that were begging to be photographed in the woods, among foliage and nature. Maybe I just got really sick of taking outfit shots in my bathroom. At any rate, I took off my heels, put them in my purse with my camera, threw on some boots I could walk in, grabbed a coat, hopped in my car, and took off.
I headed to a lake I used to walk around all the time a couple of years ago. For whatever reason, I haven't been there much lately. Back in the days I used to walk/hike a lot of local trails, I had deep, important angst related to certain boys and whether they liked me, and why they didn't like me, and if they did like me why didn't they do something about it. It was the kind of angst which required thoughtful walks through dense green forests and beside sparkling, lapping bodies of water. Then I met Joe, and my need for angsty contemplative walks disappeared. But at any rate, the trails are still pretty, and gosh darn it I should take advantage of the beautiful place I live and get back out there.
Once I got to the lake, I got about thirty seconds in before I started talking some test shots with my jacket and boots still on. Thirty seconds more, and I took more pictures. A couple minutes, more pictures. But here's where it started to get interesting. I had to find a good place to put my camera (let me tell you, I will FOR SURE try to get a tripod before I do this again, trying to frame a shot was like...I don't know, it was hard OK), take of my jacket, change from my boots to my heels, set the self-timer, and figure out where to pose, all while hoping no people came along, because really, how would I explain myself?
I got a couple of so-so shots in at my third photo spot, though Joe called me in the middle of it so I'm on the phone in a couple of pictures:
This was supposed to be a reference shot anyway, but in about a minute or two after I took this, a random golden retriever came bounding down the trail, no collar or tags, no owner in sight. I instinctively made for my purse, thinking he might get into it and make off with something. Instead, he grabbed my whole purse in his mouth and started to to flee. I was close enough to grab it away while shouting "No" three times, and he dropped my purse, took off the way he came, and that was the end of a very brief, strange encounter. I decided to wrap it up in that spot and move on.
I continued with the whole "walk a minute or two, stop, change shoes, frame shots, take pictures" thing for awhile, with varying degrees of success:
At one point I had stopped to take a couple of pictures of some floating pine needles and such, and before I moved on I needed to retie a knot at the back of one of my boots. I started to set my camera on a log to free my hand up, and I almost put it on top of this little guy:
I apologized, of course, and took his portrait. He was very willing and patient. As I started to walk away, I wanted to name him, but I couldn't think of anything suitable. Here he is doing an "editorial-style" shot:
I think I've been upstaged.
As much trouble as I had getting a good shot, and as weary as I got of changing shoes and carrying my jacket about (turns out I didn't need it, the weather was nice despite strong winds), I had great fun. I hope to do a lot more shoots outside, especially since there are tons of places I can go to get great scenery. I'll be posting some of the better pictures in my next post, get ready for some flagrant Clothes Horse imitation!
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