Kacie Trash The Dress
Trash The Dress | Paria Waterfall
Whenever I tell people I’m “trashing a dress” the reaction is polarized. It’s either: “are you crazy?” or “when can I do mine?” Folks either get it or they don’t. Here’s a rationale, although everyone’s motive is different:
First, are you really gonna wear that thing ONCE?!
Second, did you really get the high-fashion wedding portraits you dreamed of or was it a mad rush on the day?
Third, weddings are so… fussy. Imagine getting salt, sand and seaweed on that dress on the morning of the wedding… disaster right? You spent the whole day stressing out about perfection. Now you get to wear it like it was meant to be.
Some brides embrace the experience as a statement of individualism, others want their new partner in the shot. And why not? Nice wedding portrait! Sometimes it’s done in collaboration with the dress designer for their portfolio of visuals. Recently I’ve been thinking a trash would make for an incredible workshop experience too – so that new brides can get the photos they really want and their partner can get their hands on my camera and say: actually, I took that photograph.
I want to thank Kacie for staying committed to this shoot. As a photographer she has shot a few hundred assignments with AOS, including many weddings and a few of these “trashes” too. And after each one, long before she had the dress or a wedding planned, she’d say: “I want to trash my dress in Paria waterfall someday.”
Twist my arm!
We idled in the bay for Kacie to wriggle into her wedding dress, beached the boat and made our first images with it. Then we headed west down the beach to find the trail up river.
I personally think Paria is the most majestic waterfall in Trinidad and Tobago. It may not be the biggest but it’s surely the most aesthetic and playful… and dangerous. Especially in a wedding dress that gets heavy in water so my awareness was heightened as Kacie waded into the freezing lagoon.
Ok, it’s freezing for the tropics!
An underwater housing is a sure-fire way to over-shoot anything and the Canon 1DX shutter worked its way through 2600 exposures. The movement of the water, the light, even the blue emperor butterflies… made it easy for Kacie. But she also enjoys a spot in the top ten most beautiful women in the world so…
If you’re interested in this hybrid portrait/workshop experience reach out to us. My team will help you design the perfect high-fashion / trash the dress / workshop experience that’s intimate, educational and unforgettable.