What started as a destination photoshoot on demand, ended up being a super fruitful weekend for my Maternity World Tour project. Let me tell you all about it…
Laura is one of my most loyal clients. She booked me for her pregnancy shoot, and she arranged for 2 separate newborn sessions (one for her and the baby and another one for the whole family). I have also taken her personal branding pictures for her business and, this time, she wanted me to be the family photographer for an important event..
Her youngest daughter was going to be baptised. They chose Formentera as a destination for this event, since it’s also where she got married.
The Baptism was on a Saturday and she asked me to be with them for the whole day to make sure I captured every special and unique moment of that special occasion. She wanted me to capture the magic as it happened. Not just “classic portraits” but spontaneous snaps of what was really happening.
A typical destination photoshoot on demand
The night before the big event I had dinner with the whole family as a guest. The camera equipment was well stored in my room since that night wasn’t for snapping pictures. That night was another important part of my work as a destination photographer. It’s the “getting to know you” part.
Chatting with the people I’ll be photographing the next day, carefully watching how they interact, how they present themselves, their personalities…It’s a key part of my job, if I want to deliver magical shots that portray who they really are.
It is also important for them to get to know me a little bit so that they don’t feel awkward when I start taking shots the day of the event. This is part of my process for almost every destination photoshoot on demand, whether it’s a wedding gig, a Baptism or a pregnancy session.
It’s all part of process
Pampering myself has become part of my creative process too! Every morning before shooting day I do something that makes me feel good. That day I went on a 5Km run on the beach to be in good shape for the day that was ahead of me. Later that day, when the photoshoot was over, I had some time to relax by the pool…
The day of the Baptism I went to the house where they were staying and took some pictures there. I took pictures of them as they arrived to the Church. It was a very pituresque Church, typical from the Balearics.
After the ceremony we all went to Ses Illetes for lunch. I felt very privileged to be eating at that delicious restaurant with such breathtaking sights. When desserts arrived I saw how the kids were running of the restaurant to play so I followed them to take some spontaneous shots of the children playing happy and free.
I also proposed to take some pictures of the baby’s mum and dad. Being a mother myself I know how the relationship with your partner may “suffer” when you have a baby who requires most of your attention…So I thought the pictures of the couple would be a nice reminder of who they are now and of the bond they share.
As a gift to the family I decided to offer them some family pictures at one of the island’s most iconic locations, the Barbaria Lighthouse. I asked them to meet me there the day after the Baptism. Little did I know that there would be a half marathon happening on that day…Moving around the island was so, so challenging. I’ll be honest…Those were some stressful times since the sun was about to set and the family hand’t arrived yet! Finally, they managed to arrive just 10 minutes before sunset! We took soooo many shots in 10 minutes…I am proud of myself and also very blessed to be able to take part in such a beautiful day being the chosen photographer for this destination photoshoot.
Taking the Maternity World Tour to Formentera
The day after the Baptism, it was “location day” for my creative project Maternity World Tour. Maternity World Tour. Every time I do a destination photoshoot I arrive at least one day in advance to find the best spots for my session. Formentera was no exception. I had some locations in mind before arriving to my destination but I had to go there to see the reality of each “photo set”.
When you shoot outdoor, the more prepared you are, the better. Since there are some elements that you can’t control (like the weather, for example). It’s good to have everything else taken care of so that you can have a plan B, in case things go wrong.
In fact the weather in Formentera those days was very changeable. It would rain for a bit, then we’d have cloudy skies…Then the sun would come out…I had some ideas in my head regarding the shots I wanted to achieve for my project: blue skies, turquoise water…That is usually the type of weather you picture in your head when you think of Formentera. Well…The weather didn’t look very promising the day before my pregnancy photoshoots…
Weathering the elements
The day of the shoot I had planned to meet with my pregnant model Lorena and with the hair & make up artist, Belén at Las Salinas. The original ideas was to take some shots there and then go to another location close to Ses Illetes, then go to a beautiful dock nearby and end up with the model inside the water.
But as soon as the three of us met I saw a huge cloud coming our way so we had to change our itinerary. We did it the other way round. We started in Ses Illetes but I couldn’t get her inside the water then…It was the beginning of the shoot so I couldn’t get her hair wet on the first set. So I improvised.
First I took some classic shots with Cristina Granero’s designer bikinis. These pics really show off her creations. I put to good use my editorial style, using my fine art and fashion experience.
I couldn’t take THE shot in the water with the peaceful turquoise water that I had imagined because of the cloudy weather and the strong swell. But I had something else to play with…The beautiful storm cloud that was catching up with us and was asking to be photographed.
I asked Lorena to wear an outfit that I had bought in my latest trip to New York for another destination photoshoot. I had bought it with the intention of using it for this particular photoshoot so I styled the model with it and with the beautiful sun hat that I had brought with me as part of this shoot’s wardrobe. Needless to say that I always travel with 2 suitcases…One for me and one for the shoot.
We finished the destination photoshoot in Es Pujols where I finally managed to get the model in the water for some more dynamic shots. I admit that my final work may not be as breathtaking as in other locations but I am happy and satisfied with what I managed to capture, despite the weather conditions.
On a funny note I’d like to add that I had another pregnant woman coming from Ibiza to generously model for me but, because of the strong swell we didn’t know until if she was going to make it or not. She was coming by boat and she didn’t want to be sick from the trip.
Finally my second model, Paloma, did make it to Formentera in the afternoon. We went to the Barbaria lighthouse where I had been taking family pictures of my dearest client the day before.
Paloma was so laid back and relaxed despite carrying 2 babies inside her. She is such an interesting woman! She brought her own clothes and I loved her style so much that I didn’t change anything. I simply removed a couple of things and started shooting her at this stunning location.
Bicycles were passing by, a thousand seagulls were flying over her…It was such a magical session! I hope you enjoy the pictures from this destination photoshoot in Formentera. Feel free to write in the comment section below.
