For some reason this project seems like an endless series of follies. Last time it was the tripod, this time I had to race across NYC in a pouring rainstorm because I forgot the extra battery, and in the next post I will forget part of our costumes, forcing us to be kind of naked in an Episcopal Chapel (more on that in the next post). I wonder what that brings to the project? Obviously it creates a bit of tension and forces us to have even greater time constraints. Yet why are we always running into these kinds of issues? Its not like we are rookies at this, and yet we never seem to have it completely together.
Somewhere deep inside, I know that this is who we are, Aloyse and I. We are spontaneous, and creative, and always on the edge of not having it completely together. This is not necessarily a negative trait, because it forces us to be resourceful. In turn, I believe this allows us to create beautiful images in often less than optimal conditions, and gives the project a more human feel. We are not setting out to create over perfect advertizing-esque images. There is something so much more authentic about two friends coming together, night after night, to create art. It is not a perfect process, but is an honest process.
On this day, we met at New York’s famous Metropolitan Museum of Art. This museum is such a treasure. Everything about it is just brilliant, from the staging to the actual works of art. With a little help from our wonderful friend Jennette Mullaney, we were able to bring in a tripod and photograph at will around the museum. What a treat! Even with the battery shenanigans, we were able to get a lot of work done.
We brought some white dresses and some draping fabric because our intension was to shoot with the marble sculptures. We quickly found that the museum is very popular on a summer Friday and hard to shoot without getting other people in the images. In fact, one of our biggest problems is drawing crowds. In every public shoot, others have surrounded us, taking photos and asking quesions. This unnerves me a bit, but Aloyse seems right at home. This shoot was no exception. I mean who can resist taking photos of girls doing fake ballet in the Met?
