Chelsea Keefer // Salt Lake City, UT

I found myself in Salt Lake City 48 days after my first visit, this time in 29°F (-1.6°C) weather instead of 68°F (20°C), but now with a working (repaired) Hassy. 

The first time in SLC, I was scheduled to shoot with Chelsea, one of 3 ballerinas I had reached out and scheduled a shoot with, but also the first ballerina I had intended to photograph. After extending my layover, I added two more ballerinas before Chelsea. Unfortunately, my camera broke in the middle of the second shoot, and I had to cancel with Chelsea. 

Thankfully Chelsea was able and willing to give me another chance despite the below freezing weather. After $300 in repairs, my Hasselblad was back in working order. Considering I had broken the camera in the exact spot I was standing in, I was extremely nervous. Somehow I had tripped the shutter as I was trying to remove the lens, and the camera body locked up. As much as I love my Hasselblad, it is super sensitive (some might say kinda like me) and prone to locking up. 

Now, during the shoot with Chelsea, I was completely petrified to even switch lenses. I constantly tell myself that I’m not clumsy, but no matter what, I can’t change the fact that I constantly drop things. It’s just a matter of being more careful, even with the famed German precision-crafted Hasselblad lenses. 

December 6, 2020