Well I promised I would get a post going into more detail about this epic shoot. It only took me a month to get around to it. Better late than never. Fortunately, the reason why this hadn’t been done sooner is I’ve been having a pretty busy first quarter. Although I’ve had some pretty awesome shoots in 2020 so far, none so far have been as much anticipated as this one.
It all started when I was trying to think of a group shoot them to bring some of my favorite muses together. Now keep in mind, the theme itself wasn’t even the hard part. The most difficult thing was trying to get everyone’s schedule to mesh. It’s the reason why I usually don’t even attempt to do themed group shoots. The logistics never seem to work out in my favor. Well this time wasn’t any different. In my effort to get a diverse mix together, I once again failed to find a date to work for everyone. And then one of my muses came up with a brilliant idea.
Jazmine suggested half-kiddingly that I should do a shoot showcasing sistas with natural hair. At least I think she was trying to be funny. But it was actually a great idea. Mainly because I had been on a kick lately shooting a lot of sistas with that look. Plus it also helps that it seems to be the in thing with hairstyles now. More sistas are going to that look. I knew it would be easy assembling a group together. Now how many of them could actually make the shoot date and time was a different story altogether.
I had a group of at least a solid twelve I knew for sure I wanted to participate. Of course I knew they wouldn’t all be able to make the same date and time. Of course I knew that a couple or so would say they could but then end up not doing it for one reason or another. I figured the true number I would end up shooting after all that was said and done would be about half a dozen. I hit the nail right on the head. And it worked out just fine because it was a solid six at that.
I’ve seen similar themes done where they always want to go with the white tops and jeans look. I still don’t know why. Sure it looks real chill and casual, but I definitely wanted to do something different. I went with all white. It didn’t matter the material. It just had to be all white. On a simple all white background. Then to add to the vibe of it being natural, I had everyone barefoot. I’ve seen a lot of themed group shoots done, but none with all the vibes that I was capturing in one session.
What made everything work out even better is the chemistry that these ladies had. A couple of them had met before but only briefly. It was definitely the first time they had all been together to gather for one shoot. They instantly all gelled as if they had known each for years. No jealousy, animosity, none of that. Genuine sisterly love all throughout. It poured over into the final product and made the shoot go so much more smoother than I could have ever imagined.
I try every now and them to come up with themed shoots just to keep my creativity fresh. Of course also to switch up the monotony of solo sessions when I’m not doing paid gigs. That whole logistical issue thing usually gets in the way of me trying to follow through. Plus, this Fro Patrol shoot may have spoiled me to have the same high expectations on any future group projects. Even if those shoots-to-be don’t work out, this one made up for any future shortcomings.