Project - Photo 6- Trish

I asked my friend Trish if I could photograph her as her has she has a style all of her own and is very comfortable in her own skin.  She is 60+ years old, wears Doc Martin boots (pink or black), bomber jacket and chunky necklaces and most importantly of all she enjoys her life.   I went to see her at her home on     October.   I took my Canon 450d camera with 18-200mm lens, and external flash.  I also took several "props" which were a large antique photo frame (just the frame no glass), a small black heart with the word love on it and a single vintage curtain.   The weather was intermitently bright and sunny.   I arrived at around 12 noon and immediately went around the living room and dining room of her house looking to see where the best light was.   The sunlight was beaming through both windows in each room.   Trish asked me if I wanted her to change clothes and I said no.   It became clear later though that she was more at ease when she was "dressed up".   Her house is crammed full of furniture, pictures and ornaments and has a cluttered, cottage feel about it with tiled floors and pine doors.   For my first set of photographs I positioned Trish directly opposite a window and to the side and slightly in front of a piano, sitting her on a chair.  I moved some sheets of music on the piano so they would be included in the photographs.  I stood up to take these pictures.  I had to remind myself to keep talking to Trish throughout the shoot as it's important to build a rapport and put the model at ease.  The first few pictures show she is not at ease as she is slumped in the chair.    I moved her to stand in front of the window and asked her to hold the picture frame so that her head was framed within in.   She had her nails painted pink and I wanted these on show.   Behind her was another piano although it's not clear and on the piano were vases, photos framed both of which I included within my frame of Trish.   After using the frame, I gave Trish the black heart and asked her to hold it near to her own heart.  These pictures didn't work as they looked very posed.  We had a break for lunch and when we resumed Trish changed into a grey dress, fishnet tights and put on her Doc Martin boots and silver chunky necklace.   I positioned her again in front of the window, this time sitting down at the side of the piano against a pine door.  I put the curtain I had brought with me and put it over the door.   Trish turned slighty to the side facing to the piano.   She placed her hands on the piano and moved her head around to try different positions.  I also sat down opposite Trish on a chair to take these pictures.   The final set of pictures I took whilst sitting next to her on a settee in front of the window and in the doorway of the same room.  I took very close up shots of her head and necklace.  I have chosen this picture as one of my 6 as it captures Trish's disposition.  It is colourful, cheerful, and fills the frame - Trish's head fills 2/3 of the photograph, with the other 1/3 filled with the elephants which are out of focus;  the colour of the elephants give added interest; the doors in the background are out of focus, her eyes have some light in them and the lines on her face give an idea that she is a lady of a certain age.    The settings on the camera for this shot are: shutter speed xxxx; aperture    ; ISO   xxxx; focal length    .