Another day and another shoot for the SmugMug film! You can now watch the full film here :) -
On this day I had the pleasure of working with Emma Cargill. I came across Emma on Instagram and really liked her vibe. I reached out to her and this was our first shoot together. It’s always important to me that I connect with my model as it’s this connection that leads to something precious being born from our shared collaboration. From the moment I opened the door to Emma and we shared our first smile I knew immediately that we would be friends, and just like that photography connected me to another lovely person in the world. Thank you Emma for being so great to work with and for trusting me as I threw you in various bushes that day!
Photo by Alastair Jolly
For the first shoot I had a rough idea of what I wanted to capture. I didn’t know clearly at that this stage what it would look like and if it would even come together, but, I knew that I wanted to create a warrior/ strong female character in nature. I wanted Emma to embody this energy for me. I decided to pair her with a beautiful bronze dress from Polish designer Agnieszka Osipa as I felt this would work perfectly for the vision.
A few days ago I’d made some golden “flowers” from pistachio shells. I attached them to a gold ring and placed that in her her hair as a halo inspired headpiece.
As usual, I kept the team super small again. Just Emma and I, and as you can see we were joined by Alastair and Anton for the filming. I did her makeup and left her hair free as I loved the texture of it.
For the location I knew I wanted something that would feed this energy that I wanted to capture. I brought us to a small alley where there was a huge wall of overgrown ivy. It was August when we shot this and the colours were already beginning to shift. The recent rain that morning had given the leaves a beautiful sheen and from the moment I saw it I felt the magic.
I loved the idea of pairing this wild nature against her structured dress and form. It’s important for me that every element in a picture adds to the story of the piece. It’s like a puzzle. Keeping my eyes and options open and allowing space for an idea or concept to bloom, and then it’s just a case of connecting the dots and anticipating the picture that emerges.
For this shoot although I brought a light along, in the end I really loved the way the natural diffused light from this grey day played across the scene and ended up just shooting with that.
“Hidden worlds…”
There’s a force in each and every one of us. It’s wild and free and if left untended, just like ivy, it can spread rampant overwhelming everything it’s path. However as we grow we learn to control it, to harness its power and not be overwhelmed by it. We’re our own warriors and our inner wild is also our greatest strength.
C R E D I T S
Team
Photography: Bella Kotak
Model: Emma Cargill
Gold dress: Agnieszka Osipa
Assistance: Alastair Jolly
Videography: Anton Lorimer
Retouching: Bella & Pratik Naik
For the next location I decided to switch it up! I brought us to Oxford University Parks. One of my favourite places to create as every year there’s something interesting in their flower beds.
For the styling I came across this blue dress from Zara earlier in the year. I loved the flow of it and the grecian influence. Playing off that I decided to add a red fabric for interest, and cinched her waist with a beaded trim from a fabric store. I added a gold leaf covered twig in her hair and gold leaf on her hands.
Hands are something that I love to spend a little bit of time on as they add so much story to character and the overall image. They hold the love, strength, power and hard work we use to shift our lives and create beautiful and sometimes, terrible things. Often under appreciated and over looked, I guess it’s my way of reminding myself to be grateful for all that’s born and nurtured from the human touch.
“The Greatest Rhapsody…”
Shooting as often in nature as I do, I’ve come to look forward to spring and summer and the bursts of bloom that appear each year. I never take it for granted as just like us, nature shifts and what appears one year might not come back again the next. And if it does, it will not appear the same way. That means that each year there’s something new to look forward to and what a joy that is! Nothing stays the same, good and bad, it will pass and all we’ll have to look back on is our memories and stories.
This picture was inspired by this feeling, of wanting to capture an appreciation of the great rhapsody of life with all its trials and joys.
G E A R
Camera: Phase One IQ3 100MP Trichromatic
Lighting: 1 x Profoto A1
Programs used: Capture One & Photoshop CC
A Closer Look…
Click on each picture to make it larger!
