Should be easy enough, right?
I’ve known Kimberly for more than a decade. We shared the same math class college and after a few chance meetings here and there, she became a client. Kim was the one who told me about this benefit, sponsored by Posh Bridal and Ijamsville Living. It just so happens Kim works for Brandi, owner of Posh, who I’ve known for several years… and as I like to say… it was kismet!
They needed a photographer to shoot a “red carpet” type setting. I’m not going to say the “red-carpet-posing-in-front-of-a-banner” isn’t in my wheelhouse, but it’s definitely not my jam as a boudoir photographer. But, hey – how hard can it be? (And it gave me an excellent excuse to buy new equipment! I mean … it IS for charity!)
Angie and I went in with a “we got this” attitude. Well… it turns out not so much. Props to photographers who do this all the time.
Light set up is always challenging on location, but we were going to make it work. I practiced all week with my new Paul C. Bluff Digibee Light, stands and softbox. However, you can never be 100% prepared, so we arrived early to set up and do test runs.
Finally, after Angie was partially blind from the flashes, we got it right. Now, I just had to deal with my nerves.
This was a black-tie event supporting a local family in need. The masquerade ball was benefitting 16-year-old Sera Whitt, an Ijamsville resident diagnosed with Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorder (P.A.N.D.A.S.) and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (P.O.T.S.).
(Side note, this really hit home for me because my sister and I both also have P.O.T.S.)
I wanted everything to be perfect for this family and my friends at Posh. With my stomach in my throat, we started shooting the first guests. A hot second later, we were in a groove and laughing it up with the party-goers. Everyone was donned in their finest, and the atmosphere was so positive and joyful! (OH, and as the night continued, it got reeeaaally joyful!)
All in all… We Freakin’ Nailed It! (whew!) And so did Brandi and Stephanie who put on a fantastic event!!
The night was so much fun, and I couldn’t have asked for a better turn out. With more than 100 guests, I took well over 250 photos. Several gorgeous ladies were very interested in NFP Boudoir, so it was also a successful night for networking and promoting. Thanks again to my gals at Posh for inviting me to be a part of this occasion!