The Inspiration
This shoot style was inspired in a very odd way. I spoke with Jennifer, the model, and asked her some of the music she listened to, and she mentioned she was a fan of the Lumineers. I started digging through their song catalog, and I stumbled across the song Cleopatra. Once I looked at the lyrics, I then started going through Pinterest, and searched for "Cleopatra," which resulted in images of Elizabeth Taylor's performance of Cleopatra from the 1963 film. After seeing the imagery, I was inspired to do a shoot reminiscent of the Golden age of Hollywood, alluding to some of the greats: Hedy Lamar, Audrey Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor and several others.
The Location
Once I had an idea, I needed a setting. I started reaching out to a few people that owned artist studios in downtown Lubbock, as well as a few bars and clubs, and one finally responded: Glassey Alley Gallery in the Depot District. Glassey Alley is one of the anchor locations for the First Friday Art Trail, the monthly event held in downtown that showcase artists of all kinds and notoriety, small businesses of all kinds, as well as a ton of food trucks and startup restaurants. Pauline, the owner, was more than happy to let me use her studio for my photo session. In exchange, she asked me to take photos of her studio for her use, which I was more than happy to do.
Phase I - The Hepburn
The outfits were selected because they closely resembled outfits worn by Audrey Hepburn and Elizabeth Taylor, and accessories were chosen that would have been worn during the 1940s, 50s and 60s. Jennifer was very excited to do the shoot, because she knew the exact outfits she had that would give the feel of the era for this shoot. We then start talking props, mainly jewelry, but there was something that I knew would immediately give the shoot the vibe: the classic cigarette holder that Audrey Hepburn used in Breakfast at Tiffany's. I think this pays a great homage to the history of Hollywood, and gives nostalgic feelings of a bygone era. Jennifer was able to find a holder that matched it perfectly, and she absolutely rocked it. Her natural confident look just made the shoot. We started with a black dress, similar to the Jackie Kennedy or Audrey Hepburn look, minus the gloves, because it was WAY too hot that day to do gloves.
Phase II - The Lamar
The next stage was a red dress, harkening to Hedy Lamar and Marilyn Munroe. We worked on the same backdrop, but felt it getting stale, so I suggested we explore some the studio and find some different backdrop locations. I saw a couch situated near the entrance, and suggested we go there. That setting made the feel of vintage Hollywood just lock in. The photos genuinely give off the vibe of the 1920-40s with the rich textures, patterns and colors of the setting. I am super proud of these photos, because it clearly demonstrated the theme I was aiming for.
The Taylor
Finally, the original inspiration for the shot. I had Jennifer wear a more simplistic outfit, with all of the jewelry we could find, to do an interpretive spin on Elizabeth Taylor. The whole reason I did the shoot with Jennifer, because at the time, she was the closest resemblance to Elizabeth Taylor in not just appearance, but also in attitude in front of the camera. She exudes a confidence that matches her so much, that it would have been silly not to use her as the model for the shoot. I loved this shoot, and the results really do show.
The Feelings of Pride
This photoshoot was my first ever creative shoot. I developed this theme from the very beginning, and it worked out better than I could have hoped. Jennifer was an absolute rockstar on this shoot, she was perfect for what I was trying to achieve. This shoot meant a lot to me because it demonstrated that I could do shoots like the bigger named photographers I followed. I definitely was starting from the ground floor, but this shoot confirmed that I had the ability to do shoots like this, and create amazing results. Because of this, I started creating more stylized shoots, which I will get to writing those eventually.
In Conclusion
I love photography, it has been one of my passions for a long time. It will never be my regular job, because I love it too much, but it will be that thing that I strive to do when I can. When you're trying to balance being a full-time employee, a husband, a father, and a homeowner, somethings tend to get put to the side. Unfortunately for my photography side projects, they drew the short straw. Nothing is forever here on earth, so I will return to creating new projects, I just have to be patient.
