Sometimes you have an idea in your head which you know is going to push you. It's perhaps not technically difficult, but one which has you scratching your head wondering how to get the layers and volume right. In this case, the answer again and again was "more wind machines please".
The thought process behind this shoot was interesting as it constantly evolved as pen hit paper. It initially started out with a love for a series of images by one of my favourite photographers, Solve Sundsbo.
I didn't want to recreate the images, but instead work out the process behind them. It was approaching the Spring at the time when this idea was first conceived, so I decided to base the theme around flowers with the volumne of the dresses recreating opening petals, and the arms of the model shaping stems, stamen etc. The more I focused on Sunsbro's work, I suddenly realised that the reason I had gone in this direction was because that was his initial starting point too. That is why the petal shapes were so reminiscent to me, despite the patterned fabrics.
I still decided that shape was an interesting notion to play with, so decided to work with a dancer as well as a model to get two different styles. One who knew how to pose with her body, and the other who knew how to shape it in the air with a background in ballet.
Although I was never fully happy with how the images turned out, it was still something which I'm glad I worked on. I layered two dresses on top of each other, and reversed them on the models so that there was a continuity between them, and we had three wind machines catching the dresses at different angles with the models jumping in the air.
I would do so many things differetly if reshot - firstly, the white background just isn't right. It needed to be a dark background. Also, the lighting is too clean. It needed more shadow falling across. There is something too sterile about them, which is why they never ended up anywhere. The second part of the shoot is hioefully due to come out as part of an editorial in November, which was off the cuff, and as such, much less laboured over on my part.
This was probably the first "big" shoot which I had done off my own back with a team, so think that I massivly overthought everything. I certainly overcomplicated it. However, it was a good learning curve, and got to me to meet my favourite MUA and amazing friend, Sarah Frasca. So everything happens for a reason.
Model: Ortance Allar and Nyuszi Boros.
Make-Up and Hair: Sarah Frasca.
Hair: Gergana Madzharova.
Flowers: Pearls & Swine
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