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Heavy gowns and tired arms: #FlyingDress photoshoots take social media by storm, but the struggle is real
Flying dress photoshoots have taken social media by storm, ‘#FlyingDress’ having become a popular hashtag
Flying dress photoshoots have taken social media by storm, ‘#FlyingDress’ having become a popular hashtag. Twitter, TikTok and other social media platforms are overwhelmed with pictures of women in colourful, flowing dresses, on the mountains, at the beaches and in other scenic backgrounds. The 10-foot-long gowns are a sight to behold.
Effortless as the shoots appear, there is a lot of struggle that goes behind the photoshoots. The weather is an important factor to be kept in mind.
“What I have to keep in mind is, don’t go against the wind because it’s going to blow the other way,” Leo Cabrera, 36, who runs a New York City photography company that specialises in these photoshoots, said. While Leo operates as a one-man show most of the time, he does have two assistants occasionally, according to New York Post. Most of the time, he shoots in Brooklyn’s Dumbo neighbourhood, around Central Park. He also shoots in destinations like Dubai and the Dominican Republic.
‘You have to be ready for that moment’
These shoots require a lot of labour, so Leo books just two per day. The rates begin at $400 for a one-hour shoot and a dress rental. He has completed 100 shoots in the last year already.
“You have to be ready for that moment and grab the dress to get it flowing — that’s the hardest part. If I don’t get the shot I want, I have to repeat the movements shaking the fabric. My arms get tired,” Leo said.
Leo initially thought he could capture good shots if his models ran in the dresses, but they would often trip. “If you run, it’s going to make a mess with the fabric and you can fall down – it’s more about just walking fast and me shaking the dress with both hands to get the perfect shot,” he said.
‘The gown is so heavy’
Several photographers are now cashing in on the trend. The hashtag‘#FlyingDress’ has at least 52.6 million views on TikTok.
Georgia-based travel agent and content creator Adriannea Smith booked a Santorini-bound cruise to enjoy a flying dress photo shoot. She later revealed that it was much harder than it looked. “The gown is so heavy the wind is blowing and you’re trying to hold still,” Adriannea said.
“The assistant is holding onto the end of your dress, then the photographer counts down and the assistant will throw the dress a certain way. It depends how the wind is moving as the photographer directs them,” she explained. The shoot, however, was very successful. “I felt like a super model,” Adriannea said.
