I had admired Tamika’s work from afar – she has an artistic sense and an understated flair that is also attention grabbing. I had a couple of hours while I was in transit through Canberra, so organised for a quick hotel room shoot with her. Hotel rooms are cliched and boring, so I was never going to leave that to chance – research ensured I picked a hotel that had style and would catch the sunrise through its balcony windows – all I had to do was ask for (and hope I’d get) a room on the eastern side. And I did!
This shoot goes back to my roots – no strobe, just natural light with a bit of reflection. I did bring a tiny flash head, but long cycle times and some malfunctions saw me quickly bin that idea and work with the abundance of natural light beaming into the room.
Tamika and I had settled on a “practically nude” theme with an evening dress that often isn’t quite there and perfectly matches the room – well done Tamika on the wardrobe! I feel this photo set has a particularly sexy feel. Tamika was great at emoting exactly what the shoot needed and smoulders her way through each shot. She was very easy to work with, very down to earth and no-fuss. A great collaborator.
