Light of Ostara was an exercise in embracing complexity.
The series brought five models together for a ritual-inspired celebration of spring, moving through the forest as daylight faded before culminating around an outdoor fire. Kyra and Hannah were familiar faces; Shelene, Sara and Jaycine were joining me for the first time.
It was also my first large ensemble shoot where nobody wore a mask.
That seemingly small distinction changed everything. With five visible faces, composition also meant watching five expressions—open eyes, natural reactions and the inevitable half-blink—while maintaining the larger frame.
Then the light began disappearing.
Over three to four hours, golden-hour conditions gave way to darkness. The final fire sequences required balancing portable LEDs against constantly changing flames while wind pushed smoke wherever it pleased.
The resulting photographs weren’t always what I’d envisioned. Editing exposed some of the same limitations I’d encountered on Three From Hell, and the project required considerably more post-production than anticipated.
But those difficulties changed how I approached ensemble photography, changing light and practical fire afterward.
And the photographs found a life beyond the shoot. After Sara submitted selections from the series, images from Light of Ostara were published in the April 2026 issue of Darkly.
Not every lesson arrives disguised as a mistake. Some arrive carrying fire.
