I get asked a lot of questions as a photographer; about equipment, my favorite locations; the most interesting event, but the one I hear most is, “What’s your favorite photo shoot?”
For the longest time, I simply didn’t have an answer. I enjoy just about everything and everywhere I shoot. What was my favorite? Royalty, some celebrity, a certain NFL game, the White House, a destination wedding in the Bahamas, or a corporate event in Hawaii…
A few days ago, I finally found my answer.
Last week, a friend of mine called and asked if I could do a photo shoot for someone, free of charge. I’ve known him for more than a decade. We’ve worked together, traveled together, and he’s been there for some of the biggest moments in my life. When he asked if I’d photograph someone free of charge, I didn’t hesitate.
I soon learned his friend was a teacher at a “special needs” school. One of her students, a 33-year-old woman, had been in a devastating car accident when she was 13. The accident claimed both of her parents and left her with a traumatic brain injury, freezing her in time. Although she was 33 now, she had the mental capacity of a 13-year-old. It seems at the age of 13, this young woman wanted to be a model… So that is exactly what we did. We brought in a makeup artist, some assistants, a hairstylist and wardrobe artist, and set up the studio for her first-ever modeling shoot…
If you could have seen the thrill when she looked in the mirror after the make-up artist & hair stylist finished with her. Or her confidence, when the wardrobe artist got her into a beautiful gown. Or her dignity, when she finally got the hang of posing.
Afterwards, she and her teacher thanked all of us profusely and set off to celebrate, eating out somewhere. The crew and I put everything away and everyone left feeling not just happy, but elated, our hearts were light and our spirits soared. I edited the photos immediately and sent them to the model’s teacher the next day. She thanked me again, and told me that the girl was so happy after the photo session, she cried all the way to dinner…
Behind the Lens with Brody Hall
I can have fun at ANY photo shoot, lots of them are memorable, exciting, and adventurous. They all make me feel like I have worth and I am good at my job. But that one evening, that one shoot – that was my best shoot ever. Not because of how it made me feel…
…but because, for a few hours, we helped someone else feel seen.
