I enjoy talking about the really fun photoshoots, but this time will be different. I won’t mention any names but here it goes. A long time friend and model (I’ll refer to her as person1), who lives in another city, is in town and is traveling with a friend. I told her I was interested in shooting her (person2). She had never modeled before, but decided to try. So the plan was to do a new shoot with person1 as well.
So we get to my place. Person2 wants a drink to ease the nervousness. That’s usually not a problem… To help her relax, Person1 and I let her watch us shoot a set. Then I start a set with person2. We got through most of the set but she couldn’t get hard yet – still nervous. So we gave her a break while I shot another set of person1. Then we finished the first set of person2. So far, so good.
Then everything went to shit. Person2 is now completely drunk. I didn’t realize she was drinking shots while the other two of us were shooting. So person1 informs her that she needs to get ready for her second set. She says she already did two sets. Person1 and I try to explain to her that she did not.
The next thing I know, the two of them are in a shouting match, firing barbs at each other with both barrels. I’ve heard a lot of catfights over the years. This was some of the nastiest verbiage I’ve ever heard. At one point I had to physically separate them, before they started real fighting and tearing up my house. I ordered my friend to the guest room so person2 could hopefully calm down.
I sat with person2. She was crying. I tried to console her. She seemed to be cooling off. Then after a few minutes the shit started again. I told them the shoot was over and to pack up their stuff. So the shoot of the new model simply didn’t happen. It’s all trashed. Person1 and I shot a couple of nice sets, but we didn’t finish what we intended to do either.
Then in the car, I had difficulty getting them to shut up. Then person2 started in on me, while person1 told her she had no right to do that. I once before had a shoot in which two friends who came together got into a heated argument. But they actually managed to complete the work. I’d have to say that in 11 years of doing this job, this was the worst – the PHOTOSHOOT FROM HELL!!!
But philosophically speaking, this was OK. Because one of the things I’ve realized in life that if you never have a bad day, you won’t know what the good days are and vis versa. So my shoot today makes the great ones even greater.
