Back in 2009 I started my career and did a whole bunch of test shoots with photographers, models and non-models. Some of these results are either uploaded to my site, while others were left discarded in my computer or hard copy portfolio.
In 2009 I wanted to get some bridal images as I didn’t have any. I collaborated with a photographer called Kirsty and we produced a few images.
I had borrowed some bridal dresses that didn’t quite fit and were held in and up with Bulldog clips. Beth was only 15, not legally able to marry and her Mum, Shona, was sobbing as she looked at her wee girl in her wedding finery. We had a good day and thought no more about it.
Fast forward 10 years later and I’m now doing Beth’s real life bridal makeup for her and her Mum for Shona’s wedding day. They told me that they discovered that the images from these test shoots were sold by the photographer to a Brazilian author, Carina Rissi. She used two of the images on the cover of her novel ‘Perdida’. How exciting that these images weren’t left undiscovered but could be appreciated by many others!
It has to be said that the images are only shown from the eyes down, likely because no model release forms were there to sign when we initially created them. Both myself and the photographer were just starting out and learning as we went.
The interesting part of all this is that the main image was a last minute decision.
We were almost ready to wrap and I asked Beth to put on her Converse and pull the bottom of the bridal dress up to her knees. I wanted a rebellious look to contrast with Beth’s innocent appearance. This is the main image on the book cover, except the Converse have been changed to red instead of blue, which works so well.
All I know about the book is that it is has been described as a contemporary Jane Austen, time travelling story. It’s in Portuguese, so sadly I don’t think I’ll be reading any time soon!
Beth now lives in Australia but perhaps if she does get married in Scotland I might get her to stick on her Converse again and recreate her famous pose.
Carina has written a number of novels and is on Instagram if you want to know more about her.