Part of Your World, Reprival

The Little Mermaid, Part Two

The beautiful weather in Chicago gave the perfect opportunity to revisit The Little Mermaid concept. While I was happy with the way the original photos turned out, the weather had not been pleasant that day, and Lauren Schultz (model for the shoot) also worked on a killer new bikini top for halloween the following year, so it made sense to reshoot.

With the whole day ahead of us, we were able to visit two beaches to get a full variety of shots I had always had my heart set on.

Lauren was an incredible model, clambering over rocks and jumping straight into Lake Michigan to get the perfect shot. In fact, as we were wrapping up, a group of spectators even asked who she models for, evident of her natural ability.

Using the Clark/Division and 12th St beaches, we slowly photographed our way through the afternoon, stopping only at Walgreens to get a bottle of water.

It was evident this photoshoot was meant to be redone for further perfection, as on 12th St, we were even joined by a group of photogenic seagulls, giving Ariel and Scuttle a reunion they deserve.

While most of my fairytale shoots have a concept for each photo within a larger group, the more the day went on, it was evident this fairytale was destined to tell a larger story.

With Ariel emerging from the sea with her human legs, she washes up onto the beach, alone and unsure, waiting for Prince Eric.

Of course, Eric by now has found a great job in the city and has discovered the delights of online casual dating, so his visits to the beach are less frequent.

Ariel, quickly realising the world she has longed for is not what it seems, manages to drag herself from the sea, and take on the human world by herself – #independentwoman!