Francesca Mazzara's heart was beating fast with excitement as she stood blindfolded in a paddock in the Glass House Mountains, about to gaze into a stranger's eyes for an intimate photo shoot.
The single mother from Buderim on the Sunshine Coast had done a few professional photo shoots before, but nothing quite like this one.
"I just thought it was the most amazing idea," Ms Mazzara said.
A Stranger Session captured
Ms Mazzarra was about to lay eyes on single father Dale Billsborough for the first time, a match-up created by Sunshine Coast photographer Nicola Brander who wanted to capture the moment for a creative concept she called the Stranger Session.
"I thought it was really interesting to see how two people kind of connected as strangers, and to see if there's any chemistry there," Ms Brander said, having previously put the call out for interested models.
"When I organised it, I got a little bit of info about each of them and then I passed it on to the other person.
"So they sort of knew a bit about their lifestyle, whether they had kids, what they were interested in, that sort of thing.
She said once the blindfolds came off there were a few nerves but the pair quickly opened their eyes to a new adventure and embraced the concept.
"I think there was like quite a bit of nerves, but honestly, it went like a normal couple shoot," Ms Brander said.
"You wouldn't even know that they were strangers.
"I thought having two strangers in a couple's photo shoot, there's going to be a lot of awkwardness, but it was actually the opposite."
A very 'natural, organic' photoshoot
Ms Mazzara said the moment the shoot began, the couple had an instant connection.
"We talked and we laughed so much and yeah, I think it was just very natural and organic," she said.
"He [Dale] was really nice, genuine, the conversation was flying, he was really funny.
"And obviously Nicola, she made it so funny."
Ms Mazzara said it was great to connect with someone in person, rather than on a dating app.
"The dating world nowadays is more like everything is online, so an idea like that I feel like it's absolutely fantastic.
"Meeting Dale, getting to know him, even if turns into a friendship, was an amazing experience."
Ms Brander said the shoot was purely about creativity, but if a match was made from it, she would not be disappointed.
"But I mean, if I ended up matchmaking, that's pretty cool."
Is there love beyond the lens?
Ms Brander received so much positive feedback when she shared the photos online that she has decided to do another Stranger Session.
"I've actually had heaps of guys interested in the next one and I've probably got about 30 females interested to do another one."
She said the next shoot will involve a waterfall location in July.
"So something a little bit more sexier, so that'll be interesting," Ms Brander said.
She said her followers still had one question they wanted answered: was there love beyond the lens with Ms Mazzara and Mr Billsborough?
"The public is like, 'Please keep us updated on their next date, or whether they end up getting married'," Ms Brander said.
"I think if it happens, it happens. If it doesn't, it doesn't.
"I think people enjoy it because it gets them out of their comfort zone, doing something different."
