Photo Shoot with Muse Kato

Yesterday (Saturday) afternoon, I did the first photoshoot for my project and was lucky enough to work with a great Japanese model whose name really is Muse Kato. (Honest, it is -- I saw her ID.) She's located in Astoria and does a lot of acting and internet modeling here in NYC.

I love working with Japanese models because, of all Asians, it is Japanese women who most noticeably contradict the usual crappy stereotypes.  In place of delicate blossoms (sakura) standing in their kimonos with eyes downcast, Japanese models are totally "kick ass."  They are so fun to work with and so full of energy.  All I have to do is turn on the stereo and then try to shoot fast enough to keep up with the models as they move to the music. 

I began by shooting on my Nikon D200 about 20 exposure of digital which I later reworked in Photoshop.  Before starting this blog, I really had no use for the digital and shot them only as a replacement for the Polaroids I once used in the studio to check lighting and give feedback to the model.  Now, though, I can use those shots as outtakes and place them here in my posts.  In the pic above, I used a Nik "cross-process" filter and then used the Fade command in PS to give it a more natural look while still retaining the drama.

After I shot the digital, I used my F3T to shoot the black & white which was what was really important to me.  I shot one roll of Bergger 200 which I consider the best all round b&w film now available.

All in all, even without yet having seen how the b&w turned out, I considered the  shoot a success because I was able to capture very easily the spontaneity I was after.  Now I have to drop off the film at C Lab later in the week and see what the take is from that.  I'm sure I got some good photos I can make prints from to illustrate my novel, The Dark Mirror.