High And Mighty

Added 1525948390 by Keira Lavelle.

And the title is extremely in line with the true process of achieving such a shot. ‪Featuring a moment from my recent African adventure in Namibia with Carl Grim. At first glance many (in and out of the industry) would take the sweeping view that this is a dangerous ask of a model/person... What they don’t understand are the actual foundations and means by which a shot like this can be achieved. It was actually I who pleaded with Carl to have faith whilst I assumed the perch; he and his brother Graham (who was assisting just feet below where I sit) were wary as ever for my well-being. But once I’m secured in my chosen point, what you don’t see are all my senses kicking in from muscle fixture to hand-eye coordination as I get up there and constant awareness of all my surroundings... all the minor cuts and bruises I have got from shooting on location have always been on the ground where we assume is “perfectly safe” ...but is it? When I sit there in my high perch, I’m fully focussed on every minor movement/sound around me... on the “safe” levels we subconsciously let our guard down, and this is what happened when I put a large nail into my foot a few weeks back as I was walking through the woods with protective footwear blissfully unaware of the hidden chunk of wood amid the foliage with the culprit sticking vertically! We are all tuned differently which enable us to achieve extraordinary things... whether it’s an athlete powering their body into unnatural positions, or an artist turning the picture within their head into a physical image. I do the poses I do in the places I do with a great level of confidence, and I thank all the people who have shot me in these extreme scenarios for believing and having confidence in me. Know your own capabilities, understand the limits/capabilities of those you work with, apply common sense, work as a team and have faith. ♥