Hong Kong based photographer James Ho travels to Paris to shoot the charm that is Marie Ange. James writes us a picture of a lovely rendezvous and tells a tale of beauty in his photographs.
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When I found Marie Ange’s profile on a modelling site, I was attracted by her edginess. Her tattoos and her shaved head just gave me this futuristic vibe. In an instant, I formed an idea on what photos I want to take of her, I planned the shots, I planned the angles and I thought I was ready.
So I travelled to Paris with everything planned out. I booked her for two hours but secretly thought that I can finish everything I wanted to do in one.
Well, life always throw you a curve ball, because when I finally met her in person, every idea I had was thrown out of window.
I was struck by how beautiful she is in person. I mean, I already know she is pretty in an edgy sort of way but what I discovered when we met was; while she still has that toughness in her pose and the way she dresses, I saw that underneath this outer layer, she has this feminine side that shone through! The way she smile is as soft and as beautiful as a girl in a Sunday dress.
At that moment, I realised this feminine side or the “softer” side is more interesting as it is a contradiction with her tattooed skin. This is what I want to shoot.
As someone who likes to plan a session well in advance, I was under a lot of pressure. So I scrambled. I had to start from scratch and I had creative blocks. I was sweating and mumbling and I am sure she thinks I am crazy.
Time went by very fast. It was not until the last 30 minutes when I finally started to be “in sync” – What I want to shoot and what I actually shoot. Believe it or not, the best photos I had are done in the last 5 minutes of the session.
So here is it, the story of this shoot. I always grateful to have had meet Marie and if I ever go to Paris again, I will definitely have her as a model again… maybe this time I shall be better prepared… maybe .☺
Photographer: James Ho
www.jamesphotolife.com
Model: Marie Ange
