A few months ago I drove through this little town on my way to another photo session. It was a beautiful drive through the country, but the last thing I expected was to see these giant metal birds superimposed over the otherwise very typical rural Kansas landscape. I was immediately intrigued and knew that I wanted to go back sometime to take pictures. There's a certain kind of wonder one experiences, almost childlike, upon seeing such a juxtaposition. These planes aren't brightly painted and they don't display the names of large airline carriers like the aircrafts we see today. They are a patchwork of aluminum from a bygone era, and you can feel nostalgia for a time you never knew in the quiet openness of the Kansas field where they sit.
Julia and her boyfriend Hank modeled for me, and they were wonderful. I had seen Julia (@julesssverne) on a few other photographers' pages, and I knew she was the right person to be in these photos. She has an easy, sweet demeanor about her, and her whimsical style was perfect for this setting. She and Hank made easy work for me - I stood back and got to focus on just creating the images while they did their thing. Sessions like this are like therapy for me. There is so much that goes into orchestrating a regular client shoot, in particular the social aspects that are a wonderful challenge for me (read: introvert; social anxiety) but usually leave me a bit drained, that shoots like these bolster me in a way that client work cannot. It allows me to focus on a single task - creating imagery - while Julia and Hank basically pose themselves. Their comfort in front of the camera gave me confidence behind the camera. I love that.