Aquisha LA Gross is a veteran model and blogger based in Fayetteville, North Carolina. This was the first year attending Shutterfest, but has modeled across the United States in various capacities for over 10 years. Aquisha also mentors and coaches new models, providing valuable guidance on runway and creative guidance, marketing within the modeling industry, and more.
This ravishing beauty caught my eye when she modeled for a class I was assigned to: Miguel Quiles presenting "Lighting for Cinematic Portraiture." Aquisha exuded confidence behind the lens, and I just had to pull her aside and ask about her experience as a model at Shutterfest:
"...I was absolutely floored when I got the email that I was selected to model! Shutterfest is the most beneficial from the model's perspective. More so than then photographers, in a way, because you are exposed to so much as a model at once. I loved the experience overall I know I will be waiting for the notification of the application process for Shutterfest 2018!"
I was curious, too, how many images she'd gotten back from the photographers she'd worked with. Since the conference is oriented to photographers, I was curious if models were somehow lost in the shuffle. She shared,
"I have only received images from 2 photographers out of all the ones I shot with. I shot with over 10 photographers. And I thought that wasn't enough!"
Granted, the conference was barely a week ago. I know I still have editing to do, and I can bet some others who attended do as well. I'm hoping- and I'm sure Aquisha is too- that more and more images will start popping into the inboxes of the gracious models who volunteered their time to be a part of Shutterfest 2017.
