First Aerial Photoshoot Outdoors
Two weeks ago on a Saturday, we set out for the Cotswolds just before lunch. The drive was without music, but the chatter was relentless, full of energy and excitement.
My aerialist friends and I were heading to our first aerial photoshoot outdoors, organised by @lightstories_uk, and with an unusually sunny day ahead and a busy schedule of apparatus changes and poses to strike, the car drive felt almost too long, like we could not get there soon enough.
What goes into planning for an aerial photoshoot outdoors, I hear you say?
Well, apart from the obvious, such as the rig set up outside, the photographer (duh!), and a degree of good weather, there’s a bit of preparation to do even before the day of the shoot.
For one thing, we were on a tight schedule: everyone wanted to have a chance to use their preferred apparatus, such as rope or hoop, but these needed to be changed in between takes sometimes. In addition, getting into the actual pose you’re trying to strike might take a few minutes, then there’s the holding of it, the actual posing, and then undoing the set up of your pose and coming off the apparatus.
So! One person in our team made a schedule with names, times, and apparatus, so that the change over could be more efficient. And of course, we tried out the poses in advance during our training sessions, and looked for advice from each other:
What angle looks best? Can you give me a spin to check the different views? Can you please take a picture so I can show the photographer at the shoot?
As you can see, teamwork is of the essence for a successful aerial shoot.
On the actual day, you also need people to tell you cues to enhance the pose. The most loved and dreaded cue has to be -point your toes! And this is because it doesn’t matter how pointed you thought they were, your pals are there to remind you you can always point them more!
And of course, let’s not forget about the costume. Whether you are going full-out with a fancy costume, or keeping it low key, you must try it out beforehand. Does it feel comfortable, is it easy to put on and take off? Does it show off the pose or rather, eclipse it? Is it too transparent?!
Believe me, these and more questions can arise when trying out your outfit. Just make sure you feel comfortable in it, that it shows off the pose you’re choosing, and fulfils the minimum practical requirements (such as that it doesn’t easily fall out of place).
Most of all, we enjoyed spending time together outdoors, and doing what we love surrounded by nature. Aerial training most commonly happens indoors in dedicated spaces safe for rigging, so having an outdoor rig just for ourselves felt like a luxury.
But enough preamble, I am sure you want to see the pictures by now. Below is just a small sample of some of the professional pictures the photographer took, and some from backstage.
