Happy Thursday Folks. Its time for yet another weekend getaway , can't wait to join my friends at Idaho . Before I leave for the weekend, I want to introduce to all of you Mr. “Steve Berlin”, the man instrumental in helping me find my creative circle. This truly marks a very important phase in my photography career.

I woke up one fine Sunday morning, thinking if I should attend a group photography session or not. It was a steampunk shoot that was scheduled 40 minutes from Salt Lake City. Being the lazy person I am, I had 2 minds on this one. But, my intuitive mind knew what’s best for me.I quickly gathered my gear and advanced towards my red coop.Before I knew I had lost my way in the dessert ,I still gathered my nerves and honed my patience to search for the place because this group photo shoot was being attended by the big guns of the Utah photography network. After a few lost roads, I finally managed to reach the destination.

I saw this gorgeous model dressed in white and instantly knew she was my muse. Least did I know this model would become one of my favorites. (Infact I immediately decided to schedule a photo session with her.)While I was photographing her, I heard a humble voice instructing the model on the pose he was looking for. Before I knew I was learning tips & tricks from him. We instantly connected and started talking business, while the beautiful wife joined in. We shared contact details and I left for the day.

A small brief discussion at the photo-shoot is all it took for us to develop a good understanding professional relationship. We immediately decided to schedule a photo session with Rio Van Zant (My muse at the Steampunk shoot).I contacted Preet for Hair & make-up, got the wardrobe from Tawny Horton and Steve booked his studio for the fairy tale bridal session..

We met the day before the photo session to work on some ideas we were planning to implement during the photo session. We made a few flower bouquets & headpieces and gathered some jewelry to go with it.

We decided on a light pink background to enhance the fairytale concept and set up the lighting accordingly to suit the photo inspiration we had on our minds.Rio, our super model stole the show with the poses & her vibrant personality. This was the beginning of many more collaborations to come.

During the photo session, Steve gave nothing but encouragement, allowing me to push my creative boundaries. He offered to help with the camera settings and made sure my focus and my compositions were right on the mark. Having a lighting master (He provides lighting expertise in movie making) by your side can be extremely exciting. Photography is literally writing with light. I’m glad I get to work with the best.

In all seriousness, I am proud to call him my mentor. He has changed the world for me in photographic sense, be it lighting, photo gear, camera usage, model poses, he has helped me grow as a person. There aren’t too many people in this world that are very selfless, but Steve is one of the rarest breed you can ever find. Not afraid to share his knowledge with anyone, very willing & happy to see someone progress. Not to forget, share his own gears. Its also great to know there is someone who has your best interest at heart and will give you a candid , honest feedback while helping you improve.. 

In today’s world finding a person with these qualities is rare. He not only has helped me with photographic career but also helped me hone my own personality.  He has truly been a god father to me. Blessed are those that get to work with the most respected and famous of people in the industry. And, I am blessed :)

Model : Rio Van Zant

Photographer : Swathi Arjun

Hair &  Make Up : Rio Van Zant

FB Photography Page: Swathi Arjun Photography

Instagram : swathi.mn

Keep Reading xoxo

Love,

Swathi