All the fun stuff that I like to do has been neglected lately.  My brother asked me what it is I’ve been doing.  Oh, I don’t know. . .child rearing, laundry, making meals, running a household, laundry, running carpool, doing hair, laundry.  You  know, the usual. 

Somehow, over the week-end, I was able to get everybody occupied and sneak outside to play with my camera for a bit. Talk about neglected!  The pictures on the memory card were from Vivian’s birth! I kid, of course, but still, it definitely feels that way.  I have several shoots coming up and lots of ideas that I want to test out. I may not be able to get all the images done in one shoot, but I definitely want to have a few slick ones up my sleeve.  

If you had driven by the house yesterday, you would have seen me in the driveway, finagling with the tripod and jumping in and out of the car.  It was all in the name of photography! When you don’t have models on hand, you’ve got to be your own model.  

Here’s the original shot that I was going for.

Couple canoodling in a car mirror, pretty cute! I think this was the image in a Good Housekeeping magazine on how to bring the zing! back into your relationship.  Or maybe it was an article about Greatest Hollywood Kisses or Top Ten Things to Do In a Parked Car. I don’t remember. 

I’m hoping that the couple I’m shooting this week-end is game for some out-of-the-box posing.  I wouldn’t pose anyone in a way I wouldn’t pose myself, so I got to work figuring out the angles and contortions that would make this work.  My biggest concern was the way you’d have to fit yourself in the seat in order for your face to fill the mirror so that I can capture it in the camera.

It wasn’t as tricky as I thought.  I parked the car on the flattest part of the driveway and set up the tripod so that it was parallel to the side of the car, with the lens aimed right at the mirror. 

I spent a few minutes positioning the side mirror so that I could see the middle of the driver’s side headrest in the glass, figuring my head would be in that spot.  

Back to the camera to get the right focal length and focal point, and then to the contortions. Truth to be told, the hardest part was climbing over the center console from the passenger side to the driver’s side.  I didn’t want to get in the car on the driver’s side because 1) I have automatic running boards that would have knocked my gear to the ground (perish the thought) the minute I released the handle and 2) Everything was set up, ready to go on that side. I didn’t want to mess with it. 

Buns firmly in the seat, remote shutter control in hand, I was ready to go.  I wasn’t sure where to look, so I looked everywhere! Up, down, in the mirror, away from the mirror, eyes closed for that pensive visage.  It was a hilarious, hot mess.  

BUT! I did get the look that I was going for. The top of my head is cut off, but all things considered, not bad for a first attempt. 

I’ll be thumbing through other mags and such for more ideas for upcoming shoots.  Now, I just need to find some more models. . .