Lara Costa // Santiago, Chile

I like big shadows, and I cannot lie.

That’s how the ancient proverb goes, right? Hard shadows are the most amazing thing for me. This image was made one cold, Saturday in June, just moments before I would rush off to the airport to catch a flight to Argentina. Lara and her ballerino boyfriend Nicolas were gracious enough to meet me in the Lastarria barrio of Santiago, one of the coolest, most hipster neighborhoods around.

It seems a reoccurring theme in all my shoots is rushed time, either chasing light (aka shadows), or chasing time, looking to catch a flight. Such was the latter in this case, scheduling a shoot at 8am, with a flight scheduled to depart at 10:50am; with a proper Chilean breakfast scheduled in between.

Usually I will acquiesce to the ballerina’s location, and pick a shoot that is convenient for her, even going so far as booking my hotel/AirBnB within close proximity of the shoot. This time, however, I asked Lara to meet me near my AirBnB, as I had left all my gear there, to rush back and grab it before running off to breakfast and the airport. One day I will not be so rushed for shoots. I will have all the time in the world, and not need to finish a shoot (all 12 frames) in 41 minutes. However rushed my shoots may be, I’m always grateful for good light and even better shadows.

June 22, 2019