Monika May in Rooftop Secret 1 ❤️ A Reunion Worth Waiting For
Podcast:
After many years, Monika May and I finally managed to get together again in front of my camera and I have to say, it felt wonderful.
There is something special about photographing a model you already know, especially after such a long break. Monika arrived with all the confidence and experience I remembered, but also with so many little ideas of her own. I love working this way. Instead of simply following direction, she understands the light, the camera and her body, and she constantly gives you small movements and expressions that open up new possibilities.
For our first new MetArt set, Rooftop Secret 1, we climbed onto this warm, earthy rooftop beneath a huge blue sky. The location had beautiful natural colors, but Mother Nature decided to join the production too the wind was absolutely relentless. At first I thought it might become a problem. Hair was flying everywhere, every little adjustment lasted only a few seconds, and there were moments when we simply had to wait for the gusts to calm down. But eventually I stopped fighting it. And that changed the whole shoot. Monika's long braids, the loose strands moving across her face, the sunlight and the wind suddenly became part of the character of the photographs.
The images started feeling alive rather than overly controlled. Sometimes the unexpected things on a location are exactly what give a set its personality. And Monika knew exactly how to use it. Her little red polka-dot bikini looked fantastic against the sandy tones of the rooftop, and as the session continued she became more playful and free with every frame. She can move from a soft smile to a much more provocative expression almost instantly, and her experience means I barely need to interrupt that rhythm once she gets going. That is one of my favorite things about working with experienced models: it becomes a collaboration rather than simply photographer and subject. After waiting so many years to shoot together again, I couldn't have asked for a better beginning. Rooftop Secret 1 is online today on MetArt, and this is only the first part of our reunion.
We also filmed a video during this shoot, so you'll soon be able to see Monika, the rooftop, that crazy wind and everything that happened between the photographs in motion. More with Monika May is coming. ❤️
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