It's great to have friends who are willing to do silly things with you. This is especially true if you're a photographer. Recently my friend Melanie came along with me to a big field to pose for me, with my friend Sig as lighting and equipment assistant. We had a blast in the afternoon light (such a wonderful luxury we have now that it's springtime!).

I had gathered up some interesting fabrics, confetti, a few sparklers, and an umbrella to provide some good props and offer us a bit of fun. Melanie took to them all very well.

I think we had the most fun with the confetti, though.

Sig manned the off-camera flash, diffusers, sheets, as well as a video camera, recording our antics. Here's a little mini-video from the afternoon, showing a little of what the light looked like and introducing my friends:

Hearing my voice on video is a little disconcerting (do I really sound like that?), I must say! Not to mention that I'm such a weird-looking shape at four months pregnant.

What I learned about myself through this session is that I work best when I'm loose and a bit playful. If I think about my work as play, things spring to my mind that otherwise wouldn't. It's great to get out with friends and do this kind of thing, because it really opens up my creativity and leads me in new directions.