From One Circus to Another
The week before last, I worked a couple of days for the good folks at TeraVision for their latest production. They hired me to shoot the stills– a job I love above all the other positions I’m hired to regularly to perform. We shot at Zenova’s loft-studio in downtown L.A. The producers hired some great talent: Faith Leone, Charlotte Stokely, and newcomer, Selina Draagen, to name a few. And then there was Katarina Kat.
As usual, production was moving slower than hoped-for. On Day Two of production, I spotted this lithe blonde arrive whom I didn’t recognize. I suppose someone told her that things were a bit behind schedule because she promptly plopped herself on a couch and went to sleep. I think she slept for an hour or two or maybe three. Some girls bitch and moan, some hang-out and remain fun and friendly, some just go to sleep to wait out the production delay.
Finally, I noticed the blonde rise from her porn-set slumber and climb into the makeup chair. I still didn’t recognize her but figured, once I got her in front of my camera, we’d porn-bond and get the job done like we’d worked together many times. That’s the way it often goes on porn sets.
When she was ready for her pretty girl shots, I began engaging her in my usual manner: warm, friendly, complimentary, humourous, and, well… friendly. A photographer’s set-side manner can go a long way towards relaxing the model, helping to get those shots the producers expect.
I asked Katarina about herself and was surprised and fascinated to learn she had been a circus performer in Russia. Not just a circus performer but a trapeze artist! Wow! You don’t often meet circus trapeze artists on porn sets. According to Katarina, her circus career was cut short when she took a terrible fall from the trapeze. She showed me the scars on both her arms where steel rods had been implanted to facilitate her recovery. She also told me she recently had a child just 5 months ago. Day-um! She sure didn’t look like she’d gone through a major fall from a trapeze and recently had a baby. Her body was tight… I mean tight! And what a great attitude as well as personality! It was a delight to work with her.
Katarina was a natural in front of the camera. She was completely comfortable and uninhibited in the lights. And she could bend and contort her body in incredible and impressive ways. After getting all the requisite glamour shots, I asked her to get a little crazy and directed her into some decidedly non-porn-like poses. You know, just for fun. The image at the top of this post, with the Mick Jagger-ish tongue and the crazy and unusual pose, is my favorite from the “fun” shots. Now that I know about Katarina’s circus-performing past, I really hope I get to shoot her again and take even better advantage of her ability to control her body in front of a camera.
Posted by jimmyD under It's all the same crap. |