Month: February 2013

Waiting

Image | | Pav Matt

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Last week I shared a picture of one of my favourite props – a pair of sparkly bunny ears. This week you get to see them in action. As I said last week, props can easily change the whole feeling of a picture. A wedding includes lots of props – the pretty dress, the bouquet, the veil, the shoes, the rings – lots of little (or not so little) details that don’t necessarily form part of a person’s every day life but which give us an insight into who they are and what’s going on. They’re the little cues that let us build a story from a picture. A portrait benefits from props in exactly the same way. They add detail, and can provide a touch of theatre and drama, giving the story a twist that makes it that little bit more intriguing.

~ Pav

A pair of sparkly bunny ears

Image | | Pav Matt

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I love shoots that involve fun props, be they giant red balloons or sparkly bunny ears. Props add a touch of theatre and can change the whole feeling of a picture. As far as I’m concerned, the more fun the prop the better. If nothing else, it lightens the mood and makes the whole process a little more fun for everyone involved. It’s pretty hard not to smile when you’re wearing sparkly bunny ears.

~ Pav

The art of make-up

Image | | Pav Matt

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I’m not a girl who wears a lot of make-up. In fact, I’m the kind of girl who puts on lipstick in the morning, promptly forgets about it, and has it all wear off by mid-morning. Maybe it’s because I have no skill whatsoever with applying it properly. I can’t be trusted with marker pens, let alone colour that I’m putting on my face. So I’m utterly in awe of people who can, and do apply it properly. A good make-up artist is a true artist, as talented as any painter or illustrator. I love watching the transformation that can happen in the prep for a shoot. It’s like a kind of wonderful magic.

~ Pav

Balance

| Pav Matt

It can be funny how sometimes you don’t fully take into account the little details when planning a shot. Like the fact that maintaining your balance on the shifting sands of an incoming tide can be tricky, even for a highly talented Body Balance Instructor like the gorgeous Lou from Relaxed Soul, Happy Mind. I like to think that it gave me the chance to challenge her in the same way she usually challenges her students.

~ Pav