Photography is a well-known form of documentation that sometimes is not considered an art form. This leaves a bound of mystery and questions that eventually lead to conclusions based on ignorance. The process for a photographer seems to be “click a button and upload.” Surprisingly, that’s not the case. There are multiple stages in conceptualizing, planning, setting/ building, photographing, directing, and post-production that require care and careful attention to detail. Through a recent project, I was able to create, I’ll explain the concept and work to create just five photos.
Now, Mugler is one of the world’s leading fashion houses with multiple campaign directions for inspiration. For this photo concept, I decided to take direction from their 2021 Resort fashion show. The show was composed of a blown-out futuristic lighting direction with sharp silhouettes and fierce poses. Their collection featured multiple locations, but for this project, I decided to focus on one set with the lights guiding the subjects and their wardrobe. This of course was accompanied by a variety of directions I could have utilized in post-production, but I think along with the final product, it’s also extremely beneficial to show the in-process stage. Here are the raw files below.
Models:
John Warner, Madelaina Polk
The lighting set up for this shoot took about three hours to complete, but consisted of three Profoto Acute strobe lights, with one 10 degree grid focused on the subjects at times and then used as a hair light for some of the images. The main focus for Mugler was to not just highlight the face of the models, but the overall feel for the clothing. This is the exact execution I sought after with this re-model.
Not only was setting up the equipment a part of the process, but the wardrobe was a key component in delivering the entire concept. The pieces were carefully planned out for a week and matched similarly, so the focus and the aesthetic of the re-imagined project were not skewed or off-brand.
Setting up the equipment, taking the photos, and directing in front and behind the camera was an extreme challenge. There is nothing that I have found to be more tedious than hitting the timer, ensuring you are in focus and directing yourself and a model to pose in position and to hold it for nearly five minutes at a time. This factor was made further difficult because the composition is just as important as being in focus. Unfortunately, the camera that I was using was not able to adjust based on two subjects and make the both of us sharp every time, so I conducted what would appear to be a small workout regime every ten seconds when the shutter went off.
In retrospect, as I stated earlier, the in-process work is just as important as the final design. Even though this concept was inspired by Mugler, the concept in post-production was based on Balenciaga as a table book concept. The illustrations were inspired by Jack Carden with wardrobe pieces fitting the Rick Owens collections.
Here are the final images:
Photographer: John Warner
Illustrator: John Warner
Set: John Warner
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