….. and then there’s Teri.

I met Teri for the very first time at a Miss West Lothian photo opportunity being staged at the, then, relatively new Debenhams store in Livingston. She couldn’t have been more than 15 years old at that time but, with strong features, fathomless eyes and a natural, olive–oil skin which she inherited from her Italian forebears, she was already a strikingly good looking girl. Add to that heady mix a slightly shy but respectful temperament, and an obvious attentiveness to the job in hand (modelling & catwalking a series of new ranges from Debenhams affiliated designer) and the promise was clearly present.

Fast forward a year, and that slight girl has blossomed; her face has matured from ‘cute’ to ‘handsome’ and her figure has realised the classic lines of a healthy, well proportioned young woman.

We seemed to happen upon each other at yet another Miss West Lothian event: the competition final held in December last year, though on this occasion Teri wasn’t competing, but was there to support the aspirations of a friend. She told me that she’d only just heard that Nicola and I had launched our First Step Models project, and she wanted to join us.

So, skipping forward a month, Teri and her chaperone came along to the studio where Nicola did her usual – transformational – make-up, before we did the shoot.
A few examples from the shoot are appended to this post, but they do little to illustrate just how comfortable Teri now was in front of the lens. On our first meeting, last year, I was presented with a giggly, unsure and somewhat uncoordinated girl who obviously wanted to model, but wasn’t really au fait with what the camera was looking for. On this occasion I was presented with a young woman who – though she struggled a little at first – soon found her confidence and was willing to push the envelope a little.

For me, a mark of how well (or not) a shoot turns out, can be measured by the parents remarks and, on this occasion, Teri’s Mum PM’d me to thank me for having given her daughter a good experience of modelling and, as a bonus, a few good snaps to publish on her Facebook page.

I just hope that First Step Models will provide Teri and the other young girls we have in our group with a little lift into the world of modelling. If you’re a photographer and you’d like to shoot with Teri, or if you think this pretty young lady she has the ‘look’ you think could best showcase your products, the please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Teri:

Prom Night

I'm not sure I like all this '51st State' shananigans we're importing from over the pond: MacDonalds is bad enough, but now our traditional qualifying dances (well that's what they were when I was a boy) have been usurped by 'Prom Nights'; complete with dress and floral wrist corsage.

Well, OK, I admit, I do love it really (though i'd like my reluctance noted for posterity); the gowns are simply spectacular and, in full dressage, the girls who wear these gorgeous creations assume all the singular aspect of walking works of art.

So, it should come as no surprise that I jumped at the chance to shoot a little prom Dress series for a local Dress Shop.

The lighting was pretty simple: two softboxes at 45 degrees camera left (f/8) and right (f/5) and a hair light, camera right (f/8), behind the girls.

The backdrop was purchased for an earlier shoot at a charity event. It doesn't look like much when it's hanging, but with light on it, it magically changes. I added a couple of curtains and tie-backs and the little stand with flowers for what, I hope, is a nice effect - considering the constraints of the studio.

The models - Caitlin, Metja, Sam, Charlie and Nicola were all courtesy of www.firststepmodels.co.uk Make-up by Nicola. Hair by Allyson.