A different take on White Pocket. Unedited right out of the camera. Those lights were worth lugging!
What do you get when you combine a 5D II, Alien Bees, Radio Poppers, Lastolite Softboxes, full gear bags, 3 fun people, and an amazing location like White Pocket?
A ton of fun and some really cool images!
Today we set out to do something I’ve never done before. Portrait work in a favorite landscape location. My good friend Joni was kind enough to come all the way to Lee’s Ferry and meet up for a different kind of photo shoot. I warned her ahead of time there would be hiking, a long ride into the Northern AZ desert, and the elements. She was still game. Jodi was totally onboard to deal with the lighting and gear. And with the three of us together we did make some amazing images!
Early afternoon we set out to White Pocket with the intention of making some really cool images. Where the Airstream is parked is still almost 2 hours from the location, but leaving after noon left us able to work with the sunlight as it was fading, not at its highest.
After a lot of driving on washboard roads and through dunes we finally arrived in White Pocket. Unlike my last trip there it wasn’t overrun with people. One lone truck was parked out of the way. As we unloaded the gentleman in the truck appeared to say hi. He was napping when we pulled in. This morning he went to “The Wave”, and then decided to visit White Pocket as it was one of his favorite spots. Nice place to nap indeed!
After greeting the only other person at White Pocket we loaded up and headed out. And when I say “loaded up” I mean it. The 5D II, 7D, Alien Bees, Vagabond Mini, soft boxes, light stands, handheld light stand, memory cards, the 580 EXII (and power pack), water, snacks, outfit changes, and more. We carried very heavy, but for what we wanted to do it couldn’t be helped!
The entire afternoon was spent searching out locations, setting up, fighting the wind, and moving on once we felt happy with the results. We worked right up until sunset and then headed out. Driving out of White Pocket after dark is quite the experience!
Jodi and Joni did fantastic for the day. Jodi fought the winds and kept the soft box and lights on track. I’m surprised she didn’t collapse from exhaustion on the ride back. And Joni was such a sport and tolerated weird conditions, extreme winds, and a lack of a changing room as she cycled through outfits.
What came out of the day? Some really cool images from White Pocket. More will follow on the blog next week after I return!
Better than your standard studio background, no? Unedited straight out of the camera.