As the winter gradually mellows into spring here in the Midwest, and vaccinations just as gradually make their way into the world, friends dream of summer days and gatherings and the kinds of traditions we used to enjoy together.
One of those traditions for Distant Era was the weekend photoshoot with friends, packing up camera gear and costumes, and either driving to a remote location or setting up a shooting schedule in studio.
Photography covers a vast range of subjects: some of our friends shoot breathtaking sunrises; one captures distant planets and galaxies with his camera; a couple work all day in studio photographing commercial products; some shoot incredible images of live burlesque performance. In a world of infinite subject matter for photography, why fantasy? Why dress up in costumes and go to the woods on the weekend to take pictures? Can anyone do this? (Yes, you can.) How do you organize such a thing to make it happen?
We reached out to three friends—photoshoot directors Tabitha Burch and Mary-Kate Arnold, and photographer Allen Castillo—to get their take on why they do this and how it enriches their lives.
Tabitha Burch is a longtime performer at the Bristol Renaissance Faire. In the off season, she organizes photoshoots throughout the year with a variety of themes, some of our favorite of which have featured magical characters a la Harry Potter, Disney characters in elegant fashion, and Star Wars scoundrels, Jedi, and Sith. Lately, she has started doing costumed TikToks (@operaghostpto1) and home Instagram (operaghostpto1) shoots as a way of adapting to use her creativity during the pandemic.
Creating with Friends
by Tabitha Burch
Sometimes the world has a way to wear us all down. Shoots give me an excuse to get together with friends to laugh and have fun in an inclusive and supported way and rejuvenate ourselves.
A photoshoot is a wonderful chance to come up with an idea that uses my creativity in three-dimensions, as well as to figure out how to translate that idea in a way that will come through clearly in pictures. I love doing this with friends, to see their creativity and how they interpret the idea. I want to give them a chance to do something that makes them feel powerful, beautiful, strong, included, validated, etc.
I also try to make sure all my photographer friends feel supported and not stressed. I always try make sure they are excited by the idea and that they have a chance to use their skills on something unique. I’m always surprised when they agree to be part of the shoots. I also try to, ahead of time, talk to them about what they need to make the experience as smooth as possible. I hope it gives them a chance to experiment with different techniques, lighting, surroundings… I want them to feel the same as those modeling: strong, validated, included.
Sometimes these shoots are the only times I see all those involved in a non Bristol environment, so it’s a great opportunity to get together in a forum that feels less like work.
Mary-Kate Arnold created the Fantasy Is Reality project out of a desire to make memories with female friends. Fantasy Is Reality covered a wide array of themes, from modern Rococo to Disney noir to milk bath goddesses.
Fantasy Is Reality
by Mary-Kate Arnold
Fantasy is Reality started on the Red Line. It was a crisp early October morning, and I thought, Wouldn’t it be cool to do a witchy vibes photoshoot with my girlfriends?
A lot of us were performers, already into cosplay and getting into the world of LARP (live action role-playing) at the time. This meant we often found ourselves with expensive costumes and pieces that we only were able to wear once, or a handful of times (unless our day jobs were super cool), and that was a bit of a shame because not only did they cost a pretty penny, but we all looked damn good in them! I couldn’t deprive my lady friends of not looking hot as hell as often as possible!
I messaged my friends and invited them to the shoot. My fiancé and I had just purchased our first camera too, so it was a great opportunity to learn a bit “on the job.” Beside our novice camera, we planned to just simply use our iPhones (thank god for portrait mode!). So on a Saturday we donned our witchy garb, met in the woods, had a photoshoot, and a fabulous time.
From there, I just kept planning these shoots—completely focused on female friendship, personal and collective creativity and empowerment. I also learned a lot of new skills in the process—(very) amateur photo editing, how to do work with actual, good photographers (shout out to Steve Townshend and Allen Castillo!) and how to convince my friends to get into my lukewarm bathtub filled with milk. But the most important part of it all, for me, was the community of friendship we built together.
Hands down, the best part of the shoot was not the prep, the event, or getting the photos back fully edited (no offense Michael, Steve and Allen—you’re all incredibly talented!). No, it was the pre-shoot coffee chaos in my condo, post-shoot brunches at Clarke’s, where we filled the restaurant with silly looks and laughter, and the gushing and support everyone had for everyone else’s creativity and womanhood.
The best part of something like this is that it’s accessible to anyone with an interest, a friend or two (or more), and a camera phone. Today anyone can be a model, and that’s a beautiful thing.
I’m not sure what the future holds for Fantasy is Reality. The world has changed, and so have I, but I do hope that the friendships formed are lasting gold in everyone’s hearts and that they are always able to look at beautiful photos of themselves embodying their creations—where they can be mermaids or elves or Halloween queens or goddesses—and feel proud, strong, and beautiful.
THANK YOU to everyone who participated and supported this project. You made it so fun.
Allen Castillo is among an elite group of photographers that captures the Bristol Renaissance Festival, and one of the principal photographers working with Tabitha and Mary-Kate on their projects. Check out his exceptional work on Instagram.
Pixels of Fantasy
A Photographer’s Ongoing Journey
by Allen Castillo. Images by Allen Castillo.
“Fantasy is hardly an escape from reality.
It’s a way of understanding it.”
~Lloyd Alexander
When I picked up my first DSLR almost a decade ago, I did not imagine capturing the types of images I have recently produced.
After learning the basics during trips to Disney and a couple of national parks, it was a casual visit to Bristol Renaissance Faire—to learn “how to shoot people”—that took me down this path. I was fortunate enough to become friends with several cast members and was later invited by Aly Mierzejewski to do a “Disneybounding” photoshoot.
It All Starts With A Theme
It soon became clear that my Bristol friends harbored a bottomless well of creativity, talent, and imagination. From Disney to Harry Potter, from science fiction to ancient mythology, I was witness to a dazzling array of costumes, makeup, and props that would make any photographer green with envy.
It all begins when one of a core group of friends comes up with a theme. Planning the photoshoot proceeds quickly through social media groups. Ideas for costumes and makeup get thrown around and critiqued. Suggestions for locations and props are put forward.
As a photographer, I have found it important to pay close attention to the discussion so I’m able to answer the following questions: How do I want to photograph the models? What lenses and other gear do I bring? Do I use natural light, or should I bring my flashes and light modifiers? What editing style do I use?
Fantasy, Fun, and Games
The dozen or so photoshoots that I’ve been part of have all been memorable experiences from which I’ve learned so much. The friends I’ve worked with have all been so considerate, accepting, and professional. You can see how natural they are in front of the camera. Words can’t express how much I appreciate the opportunity to capture their fantasies coming to life.
From a Four Elements themed shoot with Mary-Kate Arnold playing the Air Element. This was shot with a Nikon D750, a Nikon 70–200 f/2.8 lens, and a Godox AD200 flash unit in a softbox.
Steve Deasy playing Erasmus Locke, Professor of Transfiguration, Slytherin. This was captured at the Boutique Photo Loft in Antioch, a wonderful location for any shoot. The lighting consisted of a Godox TT600 speedlight with a green gel inside the cauldron, and a Godox AD200 flash unit behind the subject. My fellow photographer John Karpinsky blew vape into the cauldron.
Tabitha Burch plays the Morrigan, the Irish goddess of warfare and battle. I captured this with natural light from an overcast sky and edited the image looking to produce a desaturated, cinematic feel.
Rebekah Neant gives us her modern take on the plague doctor theme. This was shot with natural light and was given a softer treatment on post-processing.
Alleigh Leon plays the Flower Nymph in this Forest Guardians themed shoot. I used a flash technique called high-speed sync to turn broad daylight into a semi-dark forest scene.
That’s a Wrap!
by Distant Era
These weekend sessions were meaningful to people for different reasons. For Distant Era, these projects became a way to experiment and test theories and ideas and editing styles without the pressure of a client or a deadline—and yes, spending quality time creating with friends.
Though the images and the memories that bloom from them are the artifacts of these sessions, the images were perhaps not the driving purpose of them: Friendship. Community. Experiment. The act of creation. These seem to have been the strongest motivators for many of us.
In the coming weeks, we will explore some of the individual sessions from these gatherings of friends. And perhaps sometime in the not too distant future we will all come together again to make new memories.
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