Swing Set
“ I would like to shoot
something similar to this if any
photographers & models are
interested in collaborating :-) ”
That was the request, posted by Marissa Lopez, along
with this image that started this whole fun project.
The photo she used as an example is by the renown
photographer, Kristian Schuller (kristianschuller.com),
clearly depicting a group of elegantly attired models
frolicking on a makeshift swing set in the middle of
the desert. The sun is very low in the shot, so it was
obviously taken very early in the morning, or just before
sunset.
Response to Marissa’s post was quick, and extremely
positive...it seemed like every model who saw the post
wanted to be part of doing something similar. Within a
day, no less than 135 models had added their names to
the list of potential participants.
135 models, but NO photographers!
Photo: KRISTIAN SCHULLER
When I saw the image I thought that from the right vantage point, those mountains in the background “could
be” the Sandias (sort of), and Lord knows, we certainly have the sand and flat desert look that is depicted in
it. So I volunteered my photographic services to the project.
The only problem I foresaw was the swing set. The one in Schuller’s photo was obviously erected on site
specifically for that shoot, and I don’t have the materials, or finances to recreate a similar set just for this
project. After some searching, we finally settled on a children’s playground on the Westside of ABQ that
provided the somewhat unobstructed view of the mountains that we needed.
And now, THE RUB! In order to get shadows similar to the ones in the photo, and have the mountains in the
background, the picture has to be shot facing East at sunrise (around 6:30 A.M.) When I posted the time for
the shoot, the number of anxious and willing models suddenly dropped from 135 to THREE!! It seems a lot
of models don’t like getting up early enough on a Saturday morning to be on-set for a shoot by 6:30 A.M.!!
Eventually, in order to have enough models to create the shot at all, the time had to be changed to sunset. We
enlisted the photographic services of David Moreno, the owner of Enchantment Studios Fine Art Photography
to help capture the images and with the new time slot, got seven gorgeous models to participate.
Because of the time change some serious manipulation was required in post processing to get a somewhat
similar “look” to the one in the Schuller photo. Since it was necessary to change from sunrise to sunset, I
thought it not too inappropriate to also change the locale to White Sands at the same time.
We love the way these came out, and hope you like them too.
--Dave Stabley
NM CliQ Magazine | April 2016
7