Fun Behind the Lens

fun behind the lens

the magical hour a.k.a. sunrise
with Len and Leslie
a.k.a. Seeing Southern and Scarlett

One of the most important things you learn as a photographer is that it is ALL about the light. Not what you wear. Not the location. It's the story of the light. Sunrise and dusk - and the two hours that belong to these times of day - the moments you take the ordinary and make them extraordinary. Needless to say, those are not always the most accessible or convenient, but when you have cover modified by looming deadline, you make it happen. Double late for work, Len and our amazing cover girl Leslie Prickett met before dawn on Highway 78 at the home of Barbara Gasaway along with the cover posse: realtor Verne Stalvey with the key, Judy with inspiration, and Ty with reflectors. As the sun rose, so did the expectations.

To complement the cover story on the 75th anniversary of the film GWTW, Georgia Connector needed something TARA-esque.#1, find a house. Not as easy as you would think. We inquired about many and then one day, on a trip from Monroe to Athens, there she sat. The house I had passed a million times, and I knew she was the one. Another rule in photography and in traveling - always keep your eyes open. CHECK! #2, the dress. After getting lots of 'no's', Blue Willow Inn in Social Circle said "certainly y'all." We love them so. CHECK! #3 the girl. A Scarlett look-alike! After lunch with my bestie, Kathy, she recommended (and called) Leslie. Cha-ching! Gold mine. I found my Scarlett.

So at 6:00 a.m. on August 15, we arrived to the meet the realtor and the sunrise. In the dark, our four-car caravan traveled the long driveway toward the red door. We unloaded and scrambled to move modern furniture and check out possible angles. We dressed Scarlett and started shooting. After we realized that our footprints in the heavy dew were not cover material, we modified Leslie and our angle of movement. Since we're merely a two - or - three person team, we had no wind machines to poof the hair or water hoses to replace the dew. Len focused on her red lips and found the light.

So after attempting several angles and with the sun dictating the shots, we nailed our sunrise session with a little help from our new friends Leslie, Verne and Tara, and a spectacular sunrise. But as they say, the proof is always in the pudding.

. . . and for sure, when you see it, you know it's the one that tells the entire story in one frame.
The cover shot for Georgia Connector,
Frankly Scarlett.