March Inspo Roundup
March was an incredibly productive month for me, in terms of both quantity and quality. Between indoor and outdoor sessions, as well as three assorted gigs, I shot 19 sets with over 24 different models. I had the pleasure of photographing a mock-press-conference set in the future, put on by a Canadian climate activist organization and several esteemed local politicians. I also photographed what may have been the most challenging gig I have ever accepted - a frat party on Saint Patrick's Day. I was grateful to accept an assistant gig with a talented local photographer, and later in the month I was invited to a large-scale collaboration with dozens of other artists and local clothing brands.
In addition to these fun forays outside of my creative comfort zone, I shot six editorial sets in studio with makeup, hair, and custom styling for each. I met a new team of creatives and worked with them on three different projects; a stunning floral themed look, a flashy metallic look, and an experimental set that put a contemporary twist on 1920s fashion aesthetics.
I experimented further with the colourful strobe-smear effect that I first discovered back in February, and produced some excellent results. My favourite example is a photo from the 1920s inspired set, in which the smear is so strong that it erases with the model's features without compromising the elegance of her pose.
Until mid-March, I hadn't shot outside at all since early November. I had planned to shoot as many cherry blossom photos as possible, but the rain, wind, and freezing weather put a damper on my plans. Nevertheless, I was able to find a few sunny days to get out and shoot. One of these shoots involved two makeup artists, three models, and three photographers. My fellow photographer Nick Scott scoped out a perfect location near Granville Island that had three large flowering trees growing in a triangle around a grassy hill. The scene was breathtaking. We parked our cars beside each other and set up a makeshift makeup area in the boot of each car. We filled Nick's wagon with costumes and gear, and trekked through muddy grass to get to our location. The results were phenomenal. I used the Dream FX filter from Prism Lens FX on almost every photo, and it created a dreamy, sunny blur effect that complemented the styling perfectly. The models all wore whites, pinks, and florals, and we had a grand time switching up poses and outfits while the flower petals swirled around us like snow. The beautiful images I captured during this shoot more than make up for the many rainy days in March and shoots I had to cancel as a result.
Looking back at the photos I took this past month, I am very proud of the work I created. I submitted several sets for publication, and so far 8 of them have been accepted into various print magazines. I will include the tear sheets on the "publications" page of my website once they are available. I also hit a milestone: I've officially been published in print over 30 times. These most recent submissions have brought me up to 32.
Though April will likely be a much less productive month for me in terms of studio sets, I have some big life changes taking place and I'm looking forward to what the month will bring. Vancouver Fashion Week, a solo road trip, and my final day at my regular job are all coming up in the next few weeks, and I couldn't be more excited for the adventures and challenges that will come with them.