After another fun scouting adventure by Mary and I, we discovered the location Mission Inn Hotel in Riverside, which begged to be used as a majestic backdrop for an epic shoot.
It resembled a Spaniard castle, enticing you to believe you were vacationing in Europe, not just chilling in riverside CA.
So instead of the goth aesthetic I usually enjoy shooting, this location needed the posh look. My goth models therefore brought out their "normal" style elegance and finery.
(Fun fact, it was also my birthday photoshoot, so we rented a hotel room, had tasty drinks beforehand, afterwards.. dinner celebrations + hot tub action at night)
There was a presence of formality among the staff of course, which Mary and I had expected since doing the scout. We expected to be stopped and interrogated if they caught us shooting around the hotel, and we were.
Therefore, when I arrived at the hotel, I called the main desk and asked who was getting married that day at the Mission Inn. (they also have a chapel!) Using those names, we were able to slide by any interrogation, saying we were shooting for the wedding ~ and the models were "wedding guests".
Except for one of my models getting extremely drunk, we had an efficient and fun shoot.
However, we did get thrown out of the pool area by a woman who was really not having any of it.
I did still get a couple snaps before she strided over to me in large steps, to body-block and tell me to get out.
Everyone looked so pretty in their gowns, perfectly mirroring the location, really enjoyed all the colors that day, considering I typically gravitate toward the dark side.
Photoshoots with Violet are always an adventure and this was no exception! From the scouting trip, to the shoot, to a sumptuous dinner and drinks, to the company, everything was so much fun, as if we were in another world!
*hiccup* good times :)