Planning out this shoot, I knew one of my biggest concerns would be the very tight space I would be working inside. The RMHC Care Mobile is a large Super C class RV with a few sliders, containing a complete dental care office. With all of the equipment and three dental chairs, maneuvering to place lights and take photos was indeed challenging.
Another concern was the lighting itself, as I could tell from other photos, the color of the light inside was very warm. (Doing a scouting day to measure the light, to be able to color correct my strobes, would have been ideal; however, because the care mobile travels, it was not in my area and was unavailable until the day of the shoot.)
Outside, the lighting would be very harsh, as this shoot was scheduled for 12:30pm, with a typical Arizona day of bright sun and no clouds.
When the family arrived, we went over the details of the scenes and how I would be directing them, and everyone was excited and intrigued. It's not very often that going to a dental cleaning involves a photographer/director and lights!
Because of the careful planning, everything during the shoot went very smoothly. I captured the entire story in an authentic way, as the feelings expressed were genuine. The kids were nervous, the mom was comforting and encouraging, and the nurses and doctors very patient and caring.
RMHC will be using these photos in their marketing materials to show the story of the Care Mobile as part of their larger mission to create, find, and support programs that directly improve the health and well-being of children and their families around the world.
