Or Francis and Benedict as they are known are two wonderful people from Togo in West Africa. A local gal here traveled to Togo, noticed the beautiful fabrics there, befriended the beautiful people there, and set up a Stateside business for them selling skirts made of their colorful fabrics. There's more to this story and you can read about it on their website.
The Stateside aspects of this company are run on a volunteer basis. Togo has been called the poorest country in Africa and all money acquired from selling these skirts is sent directly back to the seamstresses in Togo. The American girl that started the whole thing pockets nothing and has gathered a great group of girls that volunteer their crafts for free to add to Francis and Benedict; stylists, bloggers, assistants and even a photographer are regular staff members for the cause.
I was enlisted by Franny and Ben's photographer Caroline, to serve as an assistant for shooting their most recent collection and it was a pretty neat experience. Caroline was one of the five photographers from my Second Shooter Workshop and admittedly, also my favorite. She scared me a little but in such a kind way. I could tell she was very take charge and bold but she was also quick to laugh and enjoy nuances and small details. She was fearless, moved fast, and found a way to relate to everyone so well that you would forget that you weren't really good friends with her. During the workshop I found myself thinking that I wish I had her confidence and that she would enjoy my company if she was the kind of fast-paced, bold person that didn't mind waiting for the rewards that come after bashful people gradually work their way into things. I felt like I could learn a lot from her and that I would be a quiet novelty of a friend, a strange little shy person that she found funny.
Anyways, I met Caroline downtown at noon on a Wednesday and she hugged me as though she remembered me specifically from the group of twenty-seven other workshop girls. I'm sure she didn't but she just has a way. I spent the day lugging around cameras and equipment, primping models, tucking tags, and taming flyaway hairs. I did not take any of these pictures. I was simply an assistant so give all photo credit to Caroline.
We shot in a couple places downtown and then finished the day out at Folly Beach. The models rode around in a giant van during which time they changed outfits while in a seated position and stylists would jump out and fuss over which necklaces to pair with things and who was wearing which shoes. The models were very different from each other, one very self-assured and the other kind of a recluse. When I first arrived I didn't realize the reclusive girl was one of the models so I rambled on foolishly about how you really have to have a certain disposition to be a model and I could never and blah blah. Then she stepped past me into the limelight and I couldn't look her in the eyes for the rest of the day.
What's fun for me now when I look at the photos is remembering the moment each picture was taken. There is so much hubbub at the edge of each frame, just out of sight. Seconds before this picture was taken, I was pulling long blond hairs out of the back of her shirt.
This picture only happened because they both messed up their instructions at the same time.
This water was freezing and no one wanted to get in it.
In between each pose the models and stylists were taking selfies and Snapchats and texting friends. The models have their phones tucked away somewhere on them in almost every shot. It was probably the only frustrating thing about the day. Caroline and I would be all set for a shot and then they would ask us to take a photo for their Instagram and they would get out of their pose and prance around for a few seconds and then diddle on their phone and then get back into their pose. I confiscated one phone at one point because I was cold and ready to go home and was not going to wait for another Snapchat story to be concocted.
Since this day I have assisted Caroline for a wedding shoot at Boone Hall and am prepping for another with her in two weekends. I was able to fool her you see. I had the home court advantage at Boone Hall and was able to wow her with unexpected tidbits. Now I've got to live up to it.
For more fun facts and photos from the the shoot take a gander at
Francis and Benedict.
To see more of Caroline's work click on this,
Caroline Ro.
