Recently, I had the pleasure of doing another portrait session with Fatou, this time at Jonas Green Park in Annapolis. Not only is the park a beautiful location, but it also holds a lot of historical significance. Jonas Green Park is named after Jonas Green, a prominent newspaper publisher in the 18th century who was instrumental in the early development of Annapolis.
One thing to keep in mind when shooting at Jonas Green Park is that you’ll need to get a permit ahead of time. It’s a simple process, all you have to do is send an email and ask. But if you don’t have a permit and the park rangers happen to see you, they’ll politely ask you to leave. The park at times can also be quite busy, and occasionally when the parking lot is full, they will actually turn people away. So unless you plan to shoot on slower days or times, it’s especially important that you get a permit ahead of time.
I arrived at the park early in the morning, around 8am, to take advantage of the beautiful light. I even did some light yoga in the grass under the bridge to get in the zone for the shoot. This was my second session with Fatou and I have to say, she is a natural in front of the camera. Not only is she stunningly photogenic, but she is also a lot of fun to work with. The session went by quickly as we chatted and laughed, and before I knew it, like three hours had passed.
We shot in a variety of locations throughout the park. One of my favorites was a little nook in the concrete where the light landed beautifully and made her look amazing. She wore a beautiful flowing ankle-length dress, which looked amazing on her. One of the most interesting shots of the day came when the wind caught her dress under the bridge and she had this beautiful expression of laughter on her face.
Fatou is also a student of Jiu Jitsu, and she always likes to take some photos of her wearing her gi during our sessions. So, toward the end of the shoot, she changed into a purple-accented gi and we took another round of images. All said and done, it was a great day of shooting with Fatou, and I can’t wait to go back and capture more stunning images with her in the future.
