In the realm of photography, spontaneous shoots often result in some of the most captivating images. This notion comes to life in the recent series captured by photographer Steve McKee, featuring the first-time model, Rebekah Duncan.
“Rebekah and I first started talking on Instagram after my last series was published on C-Heads. Rebekah hadn’t done any modelling before but she was interested in seeing what it was like, so we discussed doing a shoot sometime at her home in one of Sydney’s inner-city neighbourhoods. A few days later, we both had a fortunate gap in our schedules which meant we could shoot that very day. It was completely impromptu, which suits my style that usually comes from unplanned chaos. Through my photos, I like to capture stories of people in the moment, just being themselves and doing their thing. That’s something you can’t really plan for anyway.
For me, meeting new and interesting people is one of the big thrills of shooting. And shooting with first-time models is always an adventure. You never know what you’re going to get. It turns out that Rebekah is a pretty amazing person and there is nothing she can’t do. She surfs and sails – with her beautiful black cat (who sadly hid under the sofa for most of the shoot). She is a yogini, a healer, a dancer, singer, artist, and boxer. And a deeply spiritual and serene person. For Rebekah, the entire shoot process was new and exciting. But she was a natural and intuitively knew exactly what to do and how to do it – like the most experienced agency model. In showing her the photos we’d just created on the back of my camera, her happiness was real, and infectious – dancing for joy around the room.
Good things can come when you have no expectations and just let events happen. That’s exactly what happened with this shoot.”
Om Mani Padme Hum (The Jewel in the Lotus)
I am healing from things, I am healing from things
I do not fully disclose, or understand
Letting go of the reason
Letting go of the plan
I am healed
I am loved
Om Mani Padme Hum
I am an awakening soul of compassion.
Rebekah
Photographer: Steve McKee @steve.j.mckee
Model: Rebekah Duncan @rebekahsueduncan
