A great shoot usually involves working with people who are equally passionate. Carl Issacs and I have worked together on numerous occasions – he has a larger than life personality and talent to match. He has the finger on the pulse of the latest trends in make-up and hair. I discovered another thing about Carl; before he became a make-up artist he used to train models how to walk, pose and stand, knowing all the tricks that models should know he isn’t afraid to teach them a thing or two. He is a real gem on set getting involved in all aspects (He also runs his own hair and make-up school). Of course, our very own Alexis, brought out the latest in colour blocking trends and Carl complemented the entire wardrobe with ultra bright aqua-turquoise eye shadow and a nude lip.The brief was to shoot the model in a relatively neutral background so that the colours would simply pop off the page. Alexis and I chose the Pod Boutique Hotel in Camps Bay, because it had great natural textures that would work beautifully with the clothes. Megan (a high school student) came on board for the day to assist and take some behind-the-scenes pictures – she certainly is a talent to watch. Our model was a true professional and utterly gorgeous. The shoot took place in winter which meant that Fome froze in the light weight Spring clothes. The day was partly cloudy which meant that to get the shadow streaks on the wall for one of the shots, we had to wait until the clouds would pass by – patience leads to perfection. As the sun moved so the streaks shortened, when they were at the right length we went for it. I chose to shoot with one light with a narrow snoot – I wanted the background to recede with the colours and model highlighted. The shoot was less about the location and more about dramatising the moment and accentuating certain shadows without taking away from the Spring feel. I exploited Fome’s exquisite stature. The one image was shot in front of a water feature; the rocks glistened, the tree bark flakes added texture and created an interesting background for the punchy colours and funky styling (if you missed the magazine you can see some of the images onfacebook.com/Angie.Lazaro.Photography or angielazaro.com). The second last shot was set inside with me precariously standing on two tree stumps. We moved the furniture somewhat – there is always one or other thing that gets shifted around on shoots. I chose to shoot this one from above. It is rather tricky to get an image that works, the angle has to be right or the head and limbs can look rather strange – the foreshortening has to make sense. The last image, Alexis and Carl had recreated a headband and dress detail with two tops. I wasn’t quite sure that we were there to make fashion – I guess its all about inspiration. This is fast becoming one of my favourite fashion shoots.
On set: Angie Lázaro – Photographer (@angielazaro); Megan Nelson – Photographic assistant/ behind-the-scenes photographer;Alexis Chaffe – Fashion Editor (@alexischaffe); Kate Russell – Fashion assistant); Carl Issacs for Yardley – Hair and make-up; Model – Fome from Pure Model Management ; Location – Pod Hotel, Camps Bay