Sometimes you need to do a test shoot to prove to a client that you're up to their task. This is exactly what I did recently for a kite company and although I haven't heard back form them yet, I still thought I'd share the pics with you. They wanted me to show the fun family side of recreational powerkiting, so I hooked up with a kite-flying family and headed off to the beach.
When people are at the handles controlling a kite it's basically impossible to show their faces and the kite in the same shot. So I needed to try and find compositions that would show the fun and emotion involved in kiting, whilst still suggesting or showing the kites themselves. I found that I could either leave the kite out and put the lines and handles in frame - this way I could show the happy faces of the awesome Way family. Alternatively I could get my happy family to show me their excitement by doing quite large gestures - this meant I could shoot from behind them and include the kite whilst still demonstrating the emotions involved.
I like a challenge and this shoot certainly got me thinking, but I'm pleased with the results, particularly considering the gusty wind that made flying the kites a whole lot harder than it should of been. You can see more from the shoot on flickr.
A massive thanks to the Way family who were totally at ease with me asking them to do all sorts of crazy things whilst still keeping the kites flying.
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Labels: bantham, devon, family, kites, lifestyle, people, test shoot
