I signed up for PurplePort to find more models to work with, and Samantha was one of the first models I found, back in January 2019. She’s based in Exeter, which is quite close. She’d posted a casting call, I applied, and we set up a shoot quite quickly. We’d arrange to meet up in Guildhall, and found each other quite easily. As an alternative model, Sammie isn’t difficult to spot, and with my coat and hat, I’m pretty recognisable too.

My wife, Sam, had come along too. We started with a few photos on the seating outside Guildhall. Seating? Steps? They’re like big stairs, around a lower section where they often have street food stalls. Some good foot, places to sit, and the only downside is you get a really cold bum sitting there in January.

We found an open door leading to a rooftop between Guildhall and Harlequin shopping centres, and got a few shots there.

Harlequin itself gave us a few locations, including some handy reflective windows to use. I can’t resist a reflection shot. A shiny window with a dark room behind is like catnip to me. If I was a cat. But I don’t tend to start fighting my own reflection. Humans have got some good stuff out of evolution – no fighting our reflections, and we don’t have to clean ourselves with our tongues. Good stuff. Anyway, where were we? Oh, yes, reflections.

Just outside Harlequin was a wonderful little gift shop, Hyde and Seek. We mainly wandered inside to get out of the rain that had started, but a little box was spraying colourful laser light around, and the staff kindly said we could take photos in there, so we got a few with Sammy looking like she had a very colourful rash.

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By that point the rain was really getting serious. It didn’t seem to be showing any signs of giving up, so we decided maybe we should give up, and we ended the shoot there.

The punchline was that by time Sam and I had got back to the car, the rain had stopped, and we drove home in bright sunshine, but that’s Devon for you.

We’d had a fun time, though, and Samantha is lovely – we continued shooting the following weekend, and we’ve worked together several more times since. And hopefully will plenty more times in future!