Model Portfolio Shoot in Sawtell

Our Surf lifestyle inspired Model Portfolio shoot in Sawtell, NSW

Bella is an aspiring model from Grafton who came to us for a Model Portfolio shoot. Although we here at Wildflower Portraits normally shoot in Crescent Head, I decided to meet Bella and the crew half way in beautiful Sawtell, just outside Coffs Harbour on the NSW Mid North Coast.

The look they were going for was surf lifestyle, which as an ocean lover and surfer, I always love to shoot. Bella had previously done a couple of studio shoots for her portfolio and wanted to get some images on location. To show diversity of posing she was bringing along a family friend, Jack to include in some of the shots, as posing with an additional person requires different skills to posing on your own and she wanted to illustrate those skills in her portfolio.

It was summer so a strong north-easterly breeze is typical. In the lead up to the shoot, I researched the best locations in Sawtell for wind protection, as well as hitting the goals for beautiful backdrop, isolation (from the summer crowds) and appropriate time of day for natural lighting. It was a very rainy week but we scored amazing sunshine followed by soft afternoon light.

However, the wind was wild and moving in unpredictable ways and we kept having to move for protection. Instead of fighting the wind we decided to work with it to create movement and a dynamic vibe. It took a lot of patience, extra shots (while the wind blew her hair in every direction) and hence, extra editing out of photos, but I love the results.

The shoot was super fun and I loved seeing the dynamics between Bella and Jack develop as the shoot progressed. I’m not going to say that I can guarantee this for every shoot, but I was delighted to hear afterwards, these two had fallen for each other during our session and started dating. Fun and good vibes all around 🙂