If there's one thing we dread during an outdoor cover shoot, it is the unpredictability of the weather. You can check the weather forecasts a gazillion times but it can still turn out differently on the scheduled day. Sometimes, it is too sunshiny so we wait, scanning the sky for clouds. Sometimes, it is too cloudy so we wait for the pall to lift.
We had already postponed the initial date for weather, hair, and location reasons. The rescheduled date was bright and in the summer heat, sticky. The models were late as usual. While we waited, we talked to the young footballers who had come from the districts to play in the selection match for the U-12 team at ANFA grounds. Finally, our first model Noyo Singh showed up. She chose the England jersey and sauntered off to change. A long while later, Kranti Ale, known for his unpunctual track record arrived.
Things looked good: the sunlight was not too strong, the grass was just right and the models ready. Kranti, not wanting to muddy his Adidas borrowed sneakers walked in to the specific location in slippers then put on his shoes, posing carefully so as not to spoil his hair. We explained the kind of pictures we wanted and soon our photographer Anup Prakash began shooting. The camera had clicked only a couple of times when it started drizzling. The sky, which had been clear only minutes ago, was dark with monsoon clouds.
Huge rain drops pelted us as we ran for cover. By the time we reached the bleachers, we were drenched to the bone. The models volunteered to go ahead and continue shooting even in the rain. Kranti's hairstyle was flat and his borrowed boots mud-splattered, Noyo's makeup washed and her hair bedraggled. It was true football spirit. Even the U-12 hopefuls sat, laughed and cheered with us as the models posed, kicked the ball, slipped, and posed some more. "I've never played football," Kranti and Noyo told us, laughing, but charged by the cheering children, they soon posed like pro players (check out the photos page 4). Noyo slipped and fell, Kranti's boots were beyond repair, we were dripping wet and nothing in the shoot had gone as planned.
Funny thing is we had all had a great time!
