My first Photoshoot, what it was like.

[ozma]

I just finished writing about how my first photoshoot went for my blog (parasitegirl.livejournal.com) and figured it migth be worth posting here as well. It's a lot of minutia about me, but it may gbe of help to folks who are thinking about the first shoot, or amuse others.

Much came before this post. I polled my blog readers extensively as to which costumes to shoot (so that I could get feedback from dancers and the general public with which to think on) I searched teh threads here for advice, I asked local friends/dancers who had worked with Nam (the photographer) for advice, hired a stylist, meet about "my look" and had contemplated my look, the sort of images I wanted, why I was doing this and so on. What follows is long and took me a few slow hours at work to write. You can also find it here

http://parasitegirl.livejournal.com/481888.html#cutid1

Its long, so I'll need to post it in parts.

Photoshoot:

Friday night I prepped my costumes and started to pack the wheeled suitcase and overnight bag I'd be hauling to the shoot.

I keep my bedlah in labeled collapsible Ikea boxes. The cloth covers of the boxes allow them to breathe. The greatest thing about these boxes is they are exactly the same height as the inside of my suitcase. I unzipped both boxes and did a final try-on to check if any clasps needed to be tightened, padding added or removed. Then I did a spot check, looking for loose beads/clasps/whatever. All good, back in the box. The same ritual went on for my accessories and jewelry.

Then came the ironing.

I hate ironing. I like to believe that the darkness of most of my venues covers a multitude of sins. I am lazy.

I ironed and ironed and ironed my silk veils and hung them up for the night. I'd been warned that Nam, the photographer, is very picky about wrinkled veils. One of my veils seems to re-wrinkle the moment I turn away. I started thinking about covering multitudes of sins. Love thy self, love the sinner. Luckily the veil I most wanted to use is an Akai Silk veil of a few different tie-dyed colors (blues and reds) and I could allow myself to believe that motion and the lines of tie-dye would be veil veil enough for my sloth. I knew it would be wrinkled slightly because I don't have the luxury of hanging everything in a garment bag and laying it on my backseat. Everything had to fit in my luggage and travel on trains for 1 1/2 hours prior to the shoot.

I love that veil. I need more. I've been very good about not ordering more but I think it's about time for me to sell the silk veils I don't use and invest in some new ones.

I also ironed and hung a chiffon skirt. My second skirt was a stretch velvet one I'd made the week before, no ironing needed. Yay.

I packed the make-up that Momo, my stylist, had asked me to bring (my own false eyelashes and my usual foundation and body glitters.)

[ozma]

Then I relaxed for the evening, as much as one can relax the night before a photo shoot when one's chin has broken out in a twice-a-year eczema rash. As foolish as it may sound, much of relaxation involved laying down with potato peels stuck to the rash to calm the redness. I wasn't in the mood to head out to a drug store and figure out the Japanese word for "Hydrocortizone cream", so...potatoes! Glamorous, my life is, and I share it with you. Stinging and absorbing the nutrients of a potato I thought "This, this is why I have hired Momo to do all my make-up and stuff, she'll take care of it"

Saturday:

I woke up at 6:30, as usual, ate my yogurt and cereal in front of my light box, and then went back to sleep (wearing yet more potatoes) until 10:30. The photo shoot was slated to start at 10PM and I'd need all my beauty sleep.

When I woke up again I started to compile two soundtracks for the shoot. Farasha, my good friend/loyal costume customer/local dancer had given me this advice for what to throw together:

"Recommendation of order:
First comes relaxation music (It is natural that one would be nervous in their 1st shoot)
Second some goddess pose music (makes you pose naturally)
Third comes dance music (so that you can naturally dance.)
Forth comes sexy kind of music ( you are warmed up so you can show your deeper side. think of expressions)"

I tailored two cds. One for each costume with that as a basic structure but also emphasizing what sort of mood I was going for over-all for each costume and what sort of music I'd need to wake my lazy butt up once I started to fade due to the late hour.

Farasha also gave me the good advice of:

"Write down what you will do in each costume! I recommend this to avoid doing the same thing over and over. and when the photographer asks you "what do you want to do?" be able to tell him what kind of pose or shots you have in mind."

I did not do this because of my general dislike of posing for pictures was awakened by having to think about it and because it's only after my first shoot do I really have an idea what sort of poses are possible/ a good idea/ suit me...It is great advice and I will think about it for the next time. I had thought about what mood I wanted, a general idea of what sort of movements this would encompass, and what sort images I like personally and which images would suit which costume better.

I burned the set for my second costume on both cds by mistake, carefully mis-labeling the cds "costume 1" and "costume 2" a fact that I would learn at the shoot. These are the sorts of errors I am prone to m ake when I don't double check my cds before packing them. Luckily, I also had packed a few other favorite cds.

Per Eshe's advice on Bhuz I was sticking to foods that don't bloat me or give me gas (no sugar granola, whole wheat stuff, yogurt, whole fruits) and had packed fruit juices, veggie juices, and water for the shoot itself when I'd really need a sugar pick-me-up.

And again, I napped.

[ozma]

Around 6ish I double checked everything, rolled my veils and packed them with my skirt and what items I'd need to spend the night at Momo's and go to a Sharron Kihara workshop the next morning.

6:30PM: I dragged my luggage to the station, happy that they've finally installed an elevator so that I don't have to lift suitcases up and down the stairs. I purchased a latte at Tully's (risking gas and bloating for that sweet sweet drug caffeine) and headed to Momo's house.

7:30PM: I arrived in Momo's hood. I called her to meet me at the station and she walked me to her tiny place. At our last meeting Momo fully realized the extent of my Japanese skills and has not spoken English to me since, so it was a Japanese night.

It's Japan and an area of Tokyo, of course her apartment is tiny. Three small rooms and a toilet and bath. The price of space in Japan was also why the shoot was so late. Nam has to rent studio space in Tokyo for his shoots. Space is expensive. You take what you can afford to get. I think the space he rented is a belly dance studio by day. Night time shoots mean that he doesn't have to worry about getting everything done before a class starts up.

This is part of why I live near my workplace, 30-55 minutes outside of Tokyo, so that I have space for my crafts, art, and dance.

Momo's tiny place was filled with color. Ethnic fabrics of all sort covered the boxes and boxes of stuff she has. On a dress form was a leather skirt, with lace and a lace-up top. Momo is a singer and performer as well as being a stylist.

But what interested me the most in her front room (where she'd put out the make-up, boombox, tea, lights and mirrors) was the 3-4 foot tall mosquito hanging from the ceiling, which I immediately asked about. I used to draw insects in college, big bugs, so I felt right at home. Turns out that her sister sculpts...bugs. She doesn't usually meet females who are enthusiastic about her sister's insects, so Momo proceeded to proudly show me her bedroom, lined with her sister's giant red ants, ladybugs, and a series of ticks.

Her little black snauser (Aruru?) was wearing a tye-dyed hoodie. Aruru look a liking to me and spent most of my make-up time sitting in my lap or bringing me his favorite well-abused stuffed animal.

Momo gave me green tea, put on my Balkan Beat Box cd, and sat me down on two zebra patterned cushions in front of her large mirror. She checked her wig supply and found some hair to match mine and set to work. We'd decided that my hair should be 60's -70's big and sexy. She brought out the "rat" for my hair, and proceeded to pin, attach, curl and tease my hair until I had hair that parted in the middle, framed my face, and rose to a dramatic height before cascading down my back, past my bra.

[ozma]

During this she also started on my make-up. I watched as my face simultaneously appeared and disappeared. She covered the fading eczema with green foundation and then covered everything with foundation. I don't wear foundation outside of dance and it always shocks me to see everything vanish under it.

Half-way through the basic foundation, eyebrows, false eyelashes but before the colors and lips, I saw my mother, circa 1965...but with big hair. Then she vanished.

An hour into everything and we had dramatic eyes (blacks and golds) gold lips that were both smoother and larger than my usual ones. I could see my concept of wanting to look like a modern version of my favorite Belly dance album covers coming to life. Those classic pictures and looks are a large part of my costuming sense, and had been the inspiration for assembling the coin bra and belt I'd be wearing.

We made small talk about our families, life in Japan, stuff, art...the time went quickly. We've known each other for a while: taken the same dance classes, gone to each other's events, I've assisted at events she's in, I've danced solo to her singing, she's been Farasha's stylists at events I've worked...but this was our first time as subject and stylist and to really talk one on one.

We also talked about Nam, and how much we both like his work. It was the fact that he's a photographer with a lot of experience shooting shows and doing studio work with dancers that made me want to work with him. He likes the dance. He understands what sort of images dancers are looking for. He understands the general motions of the dance. He's shot me live twice at Afet Collective shows so he's familiar with me. Everyone I know who has posed for him raves about him. He's sweet. I trust him.

Around 10PM, running late, we headed to the area of Tokyo in which Nam had rented space. Momo called Nam to update him. Nam had said the shoot would start at 10PM and probably last 2 hours. I figured it would go later and I'd miss my train home, so I arranged to spend the night at Momo's.

It was hard to be nervous about the shoot because Momo was so excited about it. She would look at me and squeal in delight, yelling "Oh! You're so pretty! This is easy because you're so pretty! I'm so excited about this!" With my rock-star hair and face and Momo's general "eccentric psychic" look we must have made quite a couple. She massaged my hands on the train as folks looks in confusion, trying to figure out what sort of couple we were.

[ozma]

We arrived in the basement studio around 10:30. Nam was cleaning-up, bemoaning the messiness of the dancers before him, and setting up his backdrops, lights, defusers, strobe, syncs and so on. First we'd be shooting on his huge unrolled white backdrop to focus all the emphasis on my gold and coins. This would be slower movements and portraiture. We'd be doing veils, spins, and more lively shots for the second costume.

He asked to see the costumes and I unpacked them, explaining my general desires about what I wanted for each one. I explained how I wanted slow and sensual/ portrait styled stuff for my coin set and wanted more movement, performance and action shots with my lighter tribaret set with full skirts and veil. We talked about backdrops and he carefully clipped up my veil to help hang out the wrinkles.

We talked for a while more (mostly about the fact that I read and write Japanese, which helped when setting up this shoot, and how that came to be) and then I got into my coins.

Momo put together the finishing touches on my make-up and costume. This included false fingernails of dragon-lady proportions. My nails are usually kept fairly short. I no longer chew my nails, but the art, knitting, crafts, sewing, cooking and general handiwork I engage in requires them to be kept manageable. These new nails rendered me helpless. Additional pinning, tucking, manipulating or gratuitous use of my opposeable thumbs required assistance.

About this time I realized that the Costume 1 cd had never been burned and that I had two cds of "Costume 2". I tried a few other cds before setling on George Abdo. When you're going for retro...who else?

I spent time in front of the mirror thinking "These are not my beautiful hands. These are not my beautiful lips. How did I get here?" as Momo and Nam conferred and set up. They've worked together before with Henna, Farasha, Eshe, Mishaal and probably a few other dancers I know.

Our main setback was that the power supply for Nam's strobe/flash/sync was unusually slow that night, so the time between possible shots was longer than normal. I had to be somewhat aware of this downtime so that I didn't leave a pose or movement he was enjoying before he could shoot it. Being aware of this threw me off for a while, as having to be aware kicks in my "I'm being photographed" brain. Nam also gave me direction, but due to the fact that the music was loud and my focus wasn't on Japanese, it was hard for me to understand what he was saying. We ended up finding a mix of English and Japanese to work best.

And then his strobe/flash/sync blew an internal fuse.

[ozma]

I wondered if this meant we were screwed for the night. 11:30 PM in downtown Tokyo isn't a place you'll find extra fuses. Would I have to do this all over again? Could I do it? Was it worth it? Did I have the energy to do anymore bellydance fingers and vogue hands in front of my face for another close-up? Was I full of latte-gas and the realization that a bathroom break would require hands and finger use that I no longer had?

I was crashing. Momo opened my pomegranate juice for me and Nam fixed his equipment. The juice upped my sugars and the break helped me get my head straight.

The images he'd shown me so far looked great. I'd set getting pro-photos as a goal on a "Things to do before the end of the year" list I'd made myself. I want to perform more, that's part of why I need photos. When I do events folks do ask me for head shots and photos to use for flyers, so there is already a need. Part of why I have those gigs and why I want to do more is because I am a performer. Being a performer means being able to rise above certain situations, hang-ups, audiences, preconceptions and really give a a great show. I know I can do this. Why get hung-up on the photography aspect? Time to drink my juice, pull that energy and performance out from my inner reaches where I knew them to live, and do it.

The strobe was back and so was I. Game on! I learned. Even for the more portrait styled shots I learned to always move a little bit to constantly vary, my neck, body, my expression and trust that my photographer would be able to find the moment and capture it. When you freeze for a shot the rigor mortis of stopping sets in and everything tenses and dies a little.

He shot and directed. I moved and adjusted. Momo darted in every once in a while to adjust my hair and face. Momo also helped with the music, replaying favorite songs, and my mood, clapping and smiling and cheering. I performed, even when my knees hurt from kneeling on the hard floor for the last few portrait shots and I felt like crying.

[ozma]

I don't know when we finished photographing the first costume, but the two hour mark was behind us by then and we didn't talk about it. My internal voice was whispering "You don't really need to do two costumes...you have a workshop tomorrow...you're bloody knackered." But Nam and Momo (who are not beholden to the elementary school teach hours I am forced to wake up for every week and thus are the night owls I once was) were enthusiastic and ready to go. Instead of complaining and giving up I asked Momo to free my thumbs and forefingers from my nails so that I could change my own costumes and use the bathroom.

By popular demand, my hair stayed big, thus keeping me from too many hair tosses. They felt the dead-sexyiness outweighed my desire to have hair-tossing action and that veil tossing and skirt-flourishes and spins would give me the motion I craved.

While Momo updated my face for my new costume Nam set up his second backdrop. Instead of the endlessly unrolling white paper we now had a huge cloth backdrop (and floor) with color modulation due to dye and crinkles that could be colored this hue and that depending on the gels he employed. It was new to him.

We did various lighting test shots, adjustments and started shooting. Nam told me that I didn't need to adjust the floor portion of backdrop so often at which point I explained that a cloth floor and multiple spins weren't mixing. I inevitably wound the cloth around my toes and had no smooth space on which to pivot.

We took another break. Nam and Momo secured the cloth to the floor with tape.

I drank my fruit-veg juice and put on up beat music for the second set. Balkan fusion, Turkish Rom, and brass galore. Wake-up time.

First we shot dance and spins. This was fun. This was me getting into the music that I love the most and being as much as I can be me in the situation.

Whenever it was time to adjust the lighting, a shot, whatever, and my performance was not needed I would stay in place and perform a silly shimmy dance of sorts to keep my mood up. Shake it out. Make all those grotesque faces that I'd been dying to make. Giggle.

[ozma]

Then came the veil. I'm not big on performing with a veil more than I have to. My lack of apartment space in which to practice veil doesn't help my feelings about me and the veil. But, damn, the veil is pretty, that can't be denied. Majority of the action shots of belly dance that I love involve the veil. I ironed that baby! I knew it would photograph well.

Photographing the veil gets exhausting. You have to stay in motion, often repeating things over and over, while still mixing it up enough to keep it fresh for yourself and your expression.

I jokingly performed a move many of us call "The Farasha" in which you fling the veil up while dropping to the floor looking upward with an expression of glee/ absolute peace and love/ surrender and the veil descends.

The Farasha photographs wonderfully. Nam recognized the Farasha (his photo of Farasha performing The Farasha is on her business card) and asked for it once more.

It's worth it.

Even if it means dropping to the floor 10 or more times in a row.

And it did.

"Once more"

After capturing a few more classic veil shots, it was over. 3:30AM.

First thing to come off were the nails. Free at last, free at last, I can manipulate objects again, free at last! NO more asking Momo to reach into my belt, pull up my skirt a little bit more, and pin it higher! Dignity!

I ducked into the changing space to get free of my costume.

I packed quickly, not having to worry about wrinkles this time.

Nam had offered us a ride home (to Momo's) and after learning that I had to be at a workshop at 10AM he insisted on driving us first and then taking down all his equipment.

[ozma]

I started fading fast and they laughed.

In the back of Nam's car I worked many bobby pins out of the back of my head and hair. Oooooooh, my own scalp. I could rub my abused scalp! The wig weight had not kept me from milder, but still dramatic, hair flips, and my head hurt from it.

I started planning how quickly I would sleep once in Momo's. Set out everything for the workshop, wash my face, sleep.

I was under the strange delusion that I could pull my hair back in a pony tail, quickly wash my body and face, and pass out. I kept to this ask Momo guided me home, holding my elbow the way you would a fragile old lady. This delusion was ruined when I saw and touched my hair, now without the rat and wig and pins, back at Momo's. I was a mess.

I wanted sleep, but I was heavily made up, my skin slightly tarnished from my coin drape, and my hair was matted and crunchy with hairspray.

Momo showed me her bathroom and explained what shampoos and conditioners to use/ She has an old fashioned Japanese bathroom and tub. There is no place on the wall to attach the shower head. Instead you're expected to fill a wash basin with water, soap up while sitting on a small plastic stool over a drain, using the shower head (which you hold in your hand )once it is time to rinse off. The tub is where you go after all of this has been done and it is a small square you sink into. The night was now chilly and her water pressure is next to non-existent. My sad, blind, scrub, shiver, and shampoo dance was a stark reminder of how glam this life really is. One moment you're covered in potatoes, then next you're beautiful, the next you're cursing in a shower trying to pry mascara off your lashes before you collapse in cold convulsions.

I changed into tye-dyed pants and a top Momo left for me and started combing out my hair. My goal was to dry enough of it that Momo wouldn't worry about me catching a cold and would thus allow me to sleep.

"Are you hungry?"

I mumbled something about sleep. My voice was dead enough that she realized talking time was over, hurried me into the bugland of bedding, and tucked me in. She returned a couple times to put more blankets on me.

And I slept.

[ozma]

(quick postscript for bhuz)

I am so glad that it is over, but I am aslo glad that I did it. I look forward to doing more, knowing now what I do from it all. I am hyped as all heck to see the photos and teh wait is killing me. I will post some when I get them.

[auraevans]

That sounds great Ozma. I cant wait to see your photos. It is awesome that you had a make-up artist.

[gwyncara]

WOW!! What a night! I'm sure the photos are gonna be beautiful and can't wait to see them.

[AngelaDiCaprio]

What an adventure! I'm exhausted just reading about it....

Can't wait to have one done in one of these life times.

I'm sure yours will be just beautiful!!! Can't wait to see the pics....

[eshe]

Nammy!!!!!!!!! Love him. I KNOW your photos will be awesome. I just realized we did a shoot at the same time!!! Maybe that's why I felt magic.

Sugar, I could've given you some tracks I know he likes. Oh well, next time. Can't wait to see the shots.

[eshe]

and MOMO!!!!!!! I miss Tokyo!!!!!!

[ozma]

Originally Posted by eshe

Nammy!!!!!!!!! Love him. I KNOW your photos will be awesome. I just realized we did a shoot at the same time!!! Maybe that's why I felt magic.

Sugar, I could've given you some tracks I know he likes. Oh well, next time. Can't wait to see the shots.

I probably would have recorded those tracks on the wrong cd!

[ozma]

Originally Posted by eshe

Nammy!!!!!!!!! Love him. I KNOW your photos will be awesome. I just realized we did a shoot at the same time!!! Maybe that's why I felt magic.

Sugar, I could've given you some tracks I know he likes. Oh well, next time. Can't wait to see the shots.

P.S. for future use...what tracks?

[sumayasaahir]

Beautiful. I almost think one should schedule another photo sessions soon after since all the things you did right/wrong, and all the things you want to try after the first time are are fresh in your head, you know?