I was all wrong…
When I used to open a magazine and glance through the pictures of all the beautiful people I would think, wow, they are so beautiful. If I just bought that skin care product, or lotion, or lipstick, etc. then I can maybe look like them. Then there were times when I would look at a picture and wonder at how a human could have such flawless skin? Amazing!
Once my brother became a photographer and asked me to help him with his shoots, my thinking changed. I started to realize that there was a lot of smoke and magic going on. 500 shots are taken to get the one perfect shot. So, I started thinking to myself, how hard could this be. This is easy! HA…. Once again my thinking was all wrong. I went from thinking it was this crazy impossible thing to something anyone can do.
It was about this time that my brother cornered me into have a shoot of my own, "for fun". I have had a few shoots since then, and this is what I have learned.
Getting ready for a photo shoot is VERY hard work. I am a very athletic person. I have competed in numerous sports. I have played in the several championship games. The mental and physical preparedness is no where near as hard as getting ready for a photo shoot.
Perhaps it is just me. Being physically strong and fit is much easier than looking lean. I suppose a photo shoot is up their with all the cutting sports like wrestling and boxing and bodybuilding. The more you have to cut and bring your body under submission the more difficult it becomes. One must have great constitution to torture your body. It goes beyond being fit into the realms of the unnatural.
I was so sick Saturday night after my photo shoot that I was throwing up all night. Trying to rehydrate myself slowly feeding my body proved to be more difficult than I had anticipated.
I am glad that I have experienced this. It helps me to be a better assistant to my brother with his models. Also, I have an overflowing amount of respect for those who bring their bodies under such great lengths of control as to compete in bodybuilding an fitness competitions.
Never again will I see a picture in a magazine the same.
