For quite some time, I had been dreaming of a professional photoshoot – in my garden studio, surrounded by my latest works.
Of course, I already had some portraits of myself, either for previous employers or taken by my mother and a friend, both of whom are talented photographers. But I felt it was time to take things to the next level and invest in a professional photographer. I knew a few photographers within my circle of acquaintances in Prague, so I compared their websites. While I initially wanted to work with a female photographer, in the end, I found Petr Kopal’s portfolio the most convincing.
I wrote him an email outlining what I had in mind: three to four portraits in front of my artwork, another three to four “in-action” shots where my hands could be seen painting or using the scalpel, and one or two images with a travel-related theme. We quickly agreed on a price and a date, and then it was just a matter of waiting two more weeks.
Initially, I had planned to visit the hairdresser, but time got the better of me. The question of what to wear also lingered in my mind. On one hand, I wanted the images to feel authentic, but on the other, I wasn’t about to pose in my usual painting outfit – an old T-shirt and jogging pants. (Admittedly, that’s my real “uniform” in the studio.) A bit of makeup felt appropriate, too. In the end, I chose a neutral black pair of trousers and two or three tops.
Petr arrived almost on time at 11 a.m. – making him, by the way, only the third visitor from Prague to come to our village in the past two years.
After showing him around my studio and ensuring our dog didn’t bite him, we got started. At first, I was quite nervous and found it difficult to relax. It didn’t help that the studio was very warm because I had heated it beforehand. But once our dog Bobik joined us, I started to feel more at ease.
I had a pretty clear vision of what I wanted and even knew which side of my face I preferred to emphasize. Together, we experimented with different poses, tested the lighting, switched chairs, and added a few props. At one point, Petr even knelt outside on the cold ground to get enough distance for the perfect shot.
It was fascinating to see how different the photos turned out and how much attention we both paid to the tiniest details.
The “in-action” shots of me painting and demonstrating my paper cutting technique were completed relatively quickly. Toward the end, things got again a bit more creative. I wanted a photo with an old suitcase I had received years ago from colleagues at the children’s art studio. It tied perfectly into the travel theme I wanted to convey. We also used the easel, even though it was a bit of a stretch, as I don’t often paint en plein air. But a little romanticized view of the artist’s life doesn’t hurt, right?
We wrapped up the session with some photos in front of the beautiful vine leaves growing near the studio, and then I walked up and down the path behind our house for additional shots. That part was the most fun! By then, I finally felt relaxed, like a proper model, and could have easily continued for another hour.
A few days later, I received a selection of around 50 images, from which I chose my favorites. These were then retouched, and I couldn’t be happier with the result. I’m even considering booking another session in the spring – just for the sake of comparison.
What do you think of the photos?
Once again, a huge thank you to Petr Kopal for his fantastic work!
