While looking back through my image library recently, I stumbled across a photoshoot from early 2020. Unfortunately the pictures never saw the light of day as the global pandemic was about to take hold, and Tees Life, the magazine for which the images were destined to grace the pages of sadly came to an end.
The subject of the assignment was Teesside born actress and performer Jessica Daley who first hit the screen in the BBC's Over The Rainbow. She reached the latter stages of the talent show, which aimed to find a new Dorothy for a stage show of The Wizard of Oz, put together by musical aficionado Andrew Lloyd Webber. She has since appeared in a multitude of stage productions including Les Miserables, Grease, Mamma Mia and White Christmas, in addition to more television shows.
The shoot took place on a wet and windy January day in Redcar with initial shelter taken at Pacittos ice cream parlour. While my writing colleague carried out the interview, I hesitantly assessed how to make the best of the outside conditions. Fortunately, Jessica was more than a willing participant, and happy to brave the wintery weather, made even colder by the use of a lemon top ice cream as a prop in several shots.
Withstanding the gales, rain and sand, and trying to stop my flash stands from blowing over, we managed to complete the shoot, somewhat nithered but also relieved that we had been successful in our battle against the elements. Reaffirmation that achieving a good set of images from an assignment is as much about the person being photographed as it is about the skill of the photographer themselves.
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