First Setup - Individual Shots
Stefan started with individual shots of each of them to "warm up" before the paired photography.
Marco went first. Stefan positioned him near the large windows, natural light streaming in.
"Alright, Marco. Hands in pockets, relaxed posture. Look slightly to your left. Good. Now give me confidence without arrogance. You're young, talented, going places, but you're not cocky about it. Yes, exactly like that."
Click. Click. Click.
The camera rapid-fired. Stefan moved around him like a dancer, changing angles, adjusting position.
"Chin up slightly. Eyes to me. Good. Now softer—think about something that makes you happy. There it is. Beautiful."
After fifteen minutes, Stefan called, "Great. Scarlett, you're up."
They switched positions. Marco moved to the side, watching as Scarlett took her place by the windows.
She transformed.
The slightly awkward, laughing girl from ten minutes ago disappeared. In her place was someone completely comfortable in front of the camera. She moved instinctively—tilting her head, shifting her weight, creating angles that Marco didn't even understand but somehow looked perfect.
"Gorgeous, Scarlett. Give me playful. Yes. Now mysterious. Perfect. You're a natural."
Marco found himself staring. There was something mesmerizing about watching her work—the way she seemed to know exactly what the camera wanted, how to give it effortlessly.
She caught him looking and smiled—not the model smile, but the real one. For a second, she was just Scarlett again, not the girl in front of the camera.
Marco quickly looked away, beating himself.
'Get it together,' he told himself. 'You're both here for work. Stop being ridiculous.'
But when he glanced back, she was still smiling.
Second Setup - Paired Shots
Stefan brought them together for the first paired setup.
"Alright, let's start simple. You two, side by side. Marco on the left, Scarlett on the right. Just standing together, looking at the camera."
They positioned themselves. Marco was acutely aware of how close she was—inches between them.
Click. Click. Click.
"Good. Now turn toward each other slightly. Not facing—just angled. Like you're aware of each other. Yes. Perfect."
Click. Click. Click.
"Scarlett, hand on his shoulder. Casual, like you're friends. Marco, hands in pockets."
Her hand touched his shoulder, light and warm even through the jacket. Marco tried to look natural, which of course made him completely unnatural.
"Marco, relax," Stefan called. "You look like you're about to take a penalty. This is supposed to be fun."
Scarlett laughed—the real laugh, not a model pose. "Am I that scary?"
"No," Marco said quickly. "I just... I've never done this before."
"Neither have I. Well, I've done shoots, but never with another person. Usually it's just me and the camera." She kept her hand on his shoulder, but her voice dropped slightly so only he could hear.
"Want to know a secret? I'm nervous too."
Marco looked at her, surprised. "You are?"
"Terrified. You're a famous footballer. I'm just some girl from Essen. What if I screw this up and Puma regrets pairing me with you?"
"You're not going to screw it up. You're great at this."
"So are you. You just don't know it yet."
Their eyes met, and something unspoken passed between them. Recognition, maybe. Or understanding. Two eighteen-year-olds thrown into adult situations, trying to figure it out together.
Stefan's voice broke the moment: "Whatever you two are doing right now? Keep doing it. That's the shot."
Click. Click. Click. Click. Click.
Third Setup - Athletic Poses
After the first round, they broke for wardrobe changes. Marco switched to athletic gear—track pants, fitted Puma training top. Scarlett emerged in athletic-inspired casual wear—leggings, cropped hoodie, sneakers.
This setup was more dynamic. Stefan had them moving—walking toward the camera, laughing, interacting naturally.
"Pretend you're talking about something funny. I don't care what. Just make it real."
Scarlett turned to Marco as they walked. "So, do you always look this serious when you play football?"
"What do you mean?"
"I watched some clips online. You have this intense face. Like you're solving advanced mathematics while running."
Marco laughed. "That's called concentration."
"It's called looking constipated."
"I do not look constipated!"
"You totally do. Here—" She mimicked his serious game face, eyebrows furrowed dramatically.
Marco cracked up. "That's not what I look like."
"That's exactly what you look like."
Click. Click.
Stefan was grinning behind the camera. "Perfect. Keep going."
They walked, talking, laughing. The conversation flowed naturally:
Scarlett: "Do you get nervous before matches?"
Marco: "Every time. The day I stop getting nervous is the day I should retire."
Scarlett: "I get nervous before shoots. Not this one, though."
Marco: "No?"
Scarlett: "You're easy to talk to. I thought you'd be cocky—famous prodigy, the contract, all that. But you're just... normal."
Marco: "Normal? Is that a compliment?"
Scarlett: "Definitely."
Click. Click. Click.
Fourth Setup - Casual Sitting
They moved to a setup with industrial-style seating—metal chairs, exposed brick background. Stefan had them sit close together, angled toward each other.
"This is the intimate setup," Stefan explained. "You're friends, comfortable together. Scarlett, lean in slightly. Marco, mirror her. Like you're sharing secrets."
They positioned themselves. Knees almost touching. Close enough that Marco could smell her perfume—something light, floral, not overwhelming.
"So," Scarlett said quietly, "what does a famous footballer do when he's not playing football?"
"I'm not famous."
"You're on TV. You're in magazines. That's famous."
"I've played zero Bundesliga matches. I'm not famous."
"Fine. What does an almost-famous footballer do?"
Marco thought about it. "Train. Sleep. Study tactics. Hang out with teammates. Not very exciting."
"Sounds boring."
"It is. What about you? What does a model do when she's not modeling?"
"School. Friends. Fight with my little sister. Worry about whether I'll get booked for the next job." Scarlett paused. "Also not exciting."
"We're both liars, then."
She smiled. "Why liars?"
"Because this—" Marco gestured around the studio, "—isn't normal for us. We're both pretending we do this all the time. But really, we're just teenagers who got lucky and are trying not to screw it up."
Scarlett's expression softened. "Yeah. Exactly that."
Click. Click. Click. Click.
Stefan lowered his camera. "Perfect chemistry! Keep going!"