The "I just had a photo shoot!"/sharing photoshoots thread!

[Elodea the Mermaid]

[Mermaid Freyja]

Elodea, you look gorgeous!!
The trick when 'posing' for the camera if it's something you're not used to, is to relax and think about what story you'd like to convey.
It's like that cliche saying for actors "what's your motivation?"
And hey if a big smile is your thing, let it be your thing! While in group photos, it's good to be aware of the general energy of the shot the photographer is setting up, but you don't always need to have a specific 'model face on'. Take that gorgeous smile and work it into various expressions. Practicing in the mirror might sound silly, but it really helps to give you more perspective on a range of expressions. Models, artists and animators use this method all the time.
And have fun with it, that's the most important thing!
XOXO

[PearlieMae]

I had my first photoshoot with the Sacramento Mer-Pod on Friday at Bridal Veil Falls in Pollock Pines. It was a lot of fun, but I have so much to learn. The other mermaids are all either models currently or have modeled, and I just die when someone points a camera at me. Please, any mers that have experience being photographed, I'd welcome any information you have. I actually had to be cropped out of some because my two expressions are "Derp!" and "Cheeeeeese!"

I had/have that same issue! I'm a photographer and I hate being in front of the camera. I did manage to overcome the awkwardness in front of the camera by participating in a photography exercise where you take a creative self portrait every day for a year! You have to do something more involved than a selfie, and by the end you won't have any problems working in front of a camera again! I'm not sure if the group is still active on Flickr, but it was called 365 Days...here's the link: https://www.flickr.com/groups/79112418@N00/

You look great, by the way! So joyful!

[Elodea the Mermaid]

Elodea, you look gorgeous!!
The trick when 'posing' for the camera if it's something you're not used to, is to relax and think about what story you'd like to convey.
It's like that cliche saying for actors "what's your motivation?"
And hey if a big smile is your thing, let it be your thing! While in group photos, it's good to be aware of the general energy of the shot the photographer is setting up, but you don't always need to have a specific 'model face on'. Take that gorgeous smile and work it into various expressions. Practicing in the mirror might sound silly, but it really helps to give you more perspective on a range of expressions. Models, artists and animators use this method all the time.
And have fun with it, that's the most important thing!
XOXO

Thank you so much for the advise, Freyja. It is really hard for me to "act", especially with my face. I was a ballet dancer for many, many years and found myself more or less able to express characters that way, but having the focus on my face is so hard. I think I'll have to try the mirror thing, because I really have no idea what my face looks like most of the time. It seems like most people have their real smile and a picture smile. I just have the one, and usually it's all gums and eyes squeezed shut with mirth. Even the idea of practicing in a mirror by myself makes me want to shrivel up with embarrassment, hahaha.

I had/have that same issue! I'm a photographer and I hate being in front of the camera. I did manage to overcome the awkwardness in front of the camera by participating in a photography exercise where you take a creative self portrait every day for a year! You have to do something more involved than a selfie, and by the end you won't have any problems working in front of a camera again! I'm not sure if the group is still active on Flickr, but it was called 365 Days...here's the link: https://www.flickr.com/groups/79112418@N00/

You look great, by the way! So joyful!

PearlieMae, I'm so surprised to hear that you had some of the same struggles! You are so confident and your pictures are so beautiful. I checked out the Flickr group, and it seems pretty inactive, but the rules are still posted. I think I'll embark on the challenge regardless and see if I can make some progress. Thank you very much for the idea and the words of encouragement.

[Samantha Siren]

Hey Guys, here is the first video I have ever attempted to edit. It is also the last swim in my magic tail before my silicone tail from Mermaid Jessica arrives


Here are a couple of screen shots from the shoot.

[Elodea the Mermaid]

So pretty! That last screen shot is just gorgeous.

[Madison MerFaerie]

Elodea, I love your photos!!! You look great!

Samantha, that was a killer video. I loved it!

[Azurin Luna]

Some photo's from my trip to Mallorca. We had alot of waves which made it difficult for my husband to take proper photo's, and the glare from the sun in the display of the camera didn't help either. But I like them none the less

Merstache

Bubbles

Swimming off

Floating around

Sorry for the big photo's...

[OceanWhisper]

cool! it looks like your eyes were a bit sore in that last photo, though. I get that from chlorine >.<

[Azurin Luna]

Yeah, I was swimming in the sea without goggles after I found out it didn't hurt as much as my last experience in Curacao, so it now looks like I cried my eyes out :P I was surprised at how much I could see underwater without my goggles, which made it more relaxed for me to swim without them, else I get nervous hitting something by accident. I never swim without goggles in chlorinated water, the burn in my eyes is to much then

[Ottery]

My first impromptu photo shoot! My friend and I wanted to drive by the ocean before we left, and since we had our tails in the car we decided to tail up and take some photos!

[Mermaid Alea]

Elodea you make a great orange mermaid! I love the scales (or glitter) on your face!
Samantha Siren great swim video and I love the way your hair looks underwater in that second photo.
Azurin Luna that water is so beautiful and I like how your hip fins have stripes of color.
Ottery that is a cute photoshoot! I think my favorite photo is the second to last one of you on the driftwood.

[IllynReaver]

@Elodea, love the pictures. I will say it helps if you can find a photographer you're comfortable with. That helps a ton when taking pictures. Could always talk to them a bit before the pic and go over ideas of what you want before hand.

@Samantha, gorgeous video!
@Azurin Luna, it looks like you had a lot of fun!

@Ottery, congrats on the photoshoot! I can't pic a favorite because I think they're all nice. Also envious you can just drive by the ocean and get pics lol.

[Mermaid Kelda]

My first impromptu photo shoot! My friend and I wanted to drive by the ocean before we left, and since we had our tails in the car we decided to tail up and take some photos!

Ottery you look fantastic! I love the lily, it's so cute! Can I ask how you made the top?

Also, do you reckon you could post a few pics of your top and head piece in this thread here?: http://mernetwork.com/index/showthre...-water-mermaid
I've got a little collection of fresh-water themed accessories going and yours would be a great addition.

[Ottery]

Ottery you look fantastic! I love the lily, it's so cute! Can I ask how you made the top?

Also, do you reckon you could post a few pics of your top and head piece in this thread here?: http://mernetwork.com/index/showthre...-water-mermaid
I've got a little collection of fresh-water themed accessories going and yours would be a great addition.

Thanks for the compliment! ♡ I made the top by taking some large fake leaves from Craft Warehouse, removing the tough plastic veins, and then using E6000 to glue them onto a strapless nude bra. ^_^ I'll take some better photos of the top and lily pad hat for you.

[Ashe]

Ottery you make the cutest green mermaid! The lily on your head is one of the sweetest accessories I've seen for freshwater mers

[Azurin Luna]

Mermaid Alea and IllynReaver. Thank you! I did have a lot of fun, after 6 months of not swimming it was a great relief to be in the sea again.

[Starfrit]

IT FINALLY HAPPENED. I finally got to take my tail out for her first proper swim, outdoors, on a gorgeous day at my favorite river, and get pictures and video! ;w; I had a BLAST and I was so exhausted afterwards and it was SO WORTH IT.







And I got video of it, too! Two short, clumsy clips, and the quality isn't great because my phone's video function is pretty crappy, but it's really cool to finally get to see how my own tail looks and moves in the water. <3

https://youtu.be/IA9SmZQ_Y5g

https://youtu.be/OrjQLyLyFqY

[Mermaid Jaffa]

Nice one Tieri! How are you able to keep your head out of the water? I tried doing that once n it gave me a sore neck!

[Starfrit]

Years of practice, I think! XD It was only until about a year ago that I stopped being terrified of letting my head go under the water (nearly drowned as a kid when I fell off a wharf) so I guess I'm just used to holding my head up like that now. I did find it a bit more comfortable today to swim with at my mouth under the surface a bit, buuuut I kept getting a little overexcited and accidentally snorting water up my nose. XD