Samantha, Student, Model, Model Mayhem, Cuyahoga Falls, October 7, 2011

This past Friday is spent in the darkroom printing negatives from our October 7th session, including the image above. For our session we decide to meet near Samantha's home in a shopping plaza, and find our way to the end of a row of storefronts in search of a clean, white wall.

This is the first time that she has met me yet she comes on her own, without company. Her trust is palpable. She arrives with a selection of clothing that suits my style, dark and timeless. We talk for a few minutes, look through my portfolio and get a better idea of the desired vision. I then hand to her a print from my work overseas as a gift before our photography begins, in order for her to see the family that she is about to join.

She is deeply touched and expresses such to me.

We decide on our first outfit and then proceed to expose film. While she has had little experience with me, her expressions are natural and warm. She moves from one emotion to another with ease and is most professional in her responses to my direction, difficult tasks made that much more so when the sun is directly striking her eyes as is my style.

She allows her hair to flow with the wind, without hesitation or worry. A most remarkable fact is that our location is in the middle of a parking lot and next to a shopping plaza. Samantha is able to ignore such and produce images of exquisite value, all the while sharing her thoughts regarding our collaboration. Her ability to speak another language and her experiences with travel have given her insight many others lack. In this way she is able to relate to the people in my portfolio and communicate to them through the lens.

I respect and admire this young woman, and hope to improve on our collaboration with the weather improves next Spring. 

halim.ina@gmail.com
Halim Ina Photography