Experimenting with the light - friends modelling for me

I have been continuing to experiment on the same topic as in my previous photographic assignment - playing with different types of light and directions. 

To make it a bit more interesting and predictable (as opposed to using toddlers who never stay still) I have been asking friends to be my models. 

My friend Lira accepted to pose for me after we went to see the Manet exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts. The exhibition was fantastic, I really enjoyed it and got into the characters Manet - the father of modern painting - painted who were also friends and family. 

The Royal Academy of Arts entrance.

A painter's sculpture in front of the RAA.  

We had our boys with us as well but after having had something to eat and drink, they were happy and so were we. 

So I asked Lira if she could be my model and she agreed. We went to Green Park trying to make the most of a spare moment. I didn't have any set ideas of what I wanted to do so it was all spontaneous. I wanted to make Lira feel comfortable as I know it is daunting to pose for someone just like that out of the blue. I was concentrating on the light so our focus was there, to try different directions. 

So here the light is coming from the left. It is a soft light as there is no direct exposure, the sun is hidden behind clouds.

Here it is the same direction, light is coming from the side but I am a bit closer and I chose square cropping so that we can have a bit more details on her posture.

Although I didn't have any pre-set idea for these portraits I wanted to be able to create something with a dream-like effect or a photo where the model is immersed in something bigger, woods, grass, flowers etc. But as you can see the results were far from that idea because of the setting obviously, we were in a park and not in a forest and the light, which was diffuse and not strong/contrasting enough to create any effects.

After this first shoot with a model I realised that I need to be more prepared in terms of what I want to do/photos I want to take and have a story ready to distact the model. Also have a few possible scenarios ready to deal with the different types of light.