The importance of play

Last week, Rohanna came by to help with a project. I had a specific idea and it didn’t take us long to get that part done. I was inspired by my last session with Lexi so we started to improvise.

Most importantly we let go and played. We played with light, posing, expression and we just let it flow. The experience was fun and liberating.

You could safely say that this is really “Simplify and let go” — part two, but with a lot more gear in place.

Expression: Yell at me

We left the lights in place and tried some crazy ideas. We expressed emotion and movement. The big project was done so now I wanted to let go and play. I told Rohanna to yell at me.

“What?”

“Yeah, yell at me!”

“What should I yell?”

“Shout PEASANTS! Do it as loud as you can!”

Expression: Relax

We went for the opposite of yelling at me. I asked her to relax her forehead, close her eyes, take a deep breath and exhale. She did this a couple of times and became an expression of calm. One minute she was yelling at me, the next she was the embodiment of peace.

Movement

We played with one of my favorite Lindsay Adler tips — moving a hand along body curves. The look was stunning.

Should I get my guitar?

Rohanna and I were talking about crazy ideas and the growth opportunities that come with them. She had a lot to say about learning to play the bass guitar. This was a new adventure for her, it’s been opening new experiences, and, oh hey I brought it with me. “Should I got get it?” “Oh yes. Yes I think you should. It’s a moral imperative.”

It started raining and Rohanna thought it was funny yet kind of impressive that I kept going. She grabbed my phone and snapped one of me making Soggy Photographer Face. This was all a part of let it go and just play.

Magic happened

I asked Rohanna to lean back with her guitar. Not just any lean either. I asked her to exaggerate it. If it bends, bend it. The results were magic.

We explored details. I loved the curves in the guitar and the curves of her own body. If it caught my attention then it was worth exploring further. I loved the results.

My point, and I had one

Photography can be a lot of work if you let it. The result can have you feeling boxed in and less creative. That’s what was happening to me anyway. I spent more time purposely experimenting with ideas that I’d normally avoid. Lens flares, big exaggerations, uncomfortable expressions. The result was new growth by letting it go and playing.