I'm currently in my last semester of photography school at Durham College, and I can feel the pressure stacking up. I feel like I have so much to do, and such little time to get it done. So naturally, opposed to actually working on things as the deadline approaches, I do anything I can to distract my mind from the fact that it needs to be done. At this particular point in time, that distraction has been Sex and the City.
I will be completely honest when I say I cannot turn away from a television show that is not only easy to watch, but also has an incredible soundtrack.
I was sitting in my bedroom, at an hour where I should not have been awake, binging the show as I typically would on a Sunday night. I would call it my "Reset Time." I've found that the more that I tune in, the more desire I have to uproot my life and move to a big city. As someone from a small town, I have always said that I would want to live in a major city for at least a year to see if I liked it. Maybe not New York, but somewhere closer to home.
This is what inspired this shoot, mostly. I was working on my final project for my Fashion Photography class, where we were given four options to create a final body of work out of. Originally, I had chose the Rolling Stone theme, mostly because I'm a musician myself and totally geek out over anything music related. I began shooting this project, but thought that it was kind of bland. Besides, it didn't really speak to the work that I wanted to be producing. So, I reviewed that assignment and ultimately decided on a different project to shoot. This one called Little Black Dress, mostly Audrey Hepburn inspired.
The second I read over this ideas filled in my head, and I immediately called on my usual victims, (cough cough, models) to inquire if they would like to join in on the shoot. Of course, they said yes. It's not often these lovely ladies turn down a photo opportunity.
Two days and half a plan later, we were ready to head to Downtown Toronto to shoot the project. Just me, my three closest friends, and eight overloaded bags of camera gear and clothing. We decided that if we were going to make the hour and a half trip out to the city, we might as well make a day out of it. We all brought our best outfits, (yes, even me, the photographer) and made sure it felt like we were all living main character moments the entire day. Even if we looked like crazy tourists each carrying a backpack on our backs and fronts.
Quick changes seem to be a running theme on my page, as nearly all of my photoshoots consist of multiple outfits and many location changes. This shoot was no exception. With ten dresses and locations to get through, we wasted no time on the changes. We started off running to the nearest public washrooms, and ended by all being masters of the seamless outdoor quick change.
I couldn't quite decide on a niche for this entire project. All I knew was I wanted a mix of urban meets vintage. When I edit, I do my best to achieve colour grading that matches some of my favourite colour film stocks.
At this point in time, being greatly inspired by fashion and culture of the late 1990s and early 2000s in New York City, I tried to work this in a timeless way that felt like an homage to the time, without feeling out of place in modern day.
There were a bunch of locations that I wanted to hit this day. But to my surprise, we didn't end up going to over half of them. The vast majority of this project was shot within a ten-block radius, starting in the heart of Sankofa Square. We then shot on everyone's favourite transit line, Line One, the outside of Ed Mirvish Theatre, inside shops on Dundas, and up and down Yonge Street.
I lucked out by one of my best friends, and beautiful models from this shoot, happening to be an incredible hair stylist. I wanted all of the models to have that "effortless" look, but of course, sometimes that effortless look is actually hours of loving labor. Kenzie did an amazing job of styling each of my models for this shoot, which contributed greatly to the final images. I always say that photography is a collaboration. These aren't just my images. Sure, I shot and composed them. But my models are also half of the project. This is a group effort that we all worked hard to achieve.
Speaking of group effort, when one model wasn't in the shot, they would become my lighting assistant. It was pretty cool getting to teach my friends how flash and strobe work, and how to shape light to create the images you want. If you've read my blog before, you know I am currently obsessed with that 70s punchy, direct, hard lit flash. That is apparent throughout this series. Without the lighting technique, these images wouldn't have that same retro-feel that they have.
The entire day was such a fun experience. Not only did I get to work on and (nearly) complete my project, but I got to do it with the group of people who I love the most. When I was on my Sex and the City binge, I was moved by one of Charlottes most famous lines, "Maybe we could be each other's soulmates. And then we could let men be just these great, nice guys to have fun with." That made me think a lot about my own life, and how important friendship is. On the outside, when you see images I upload of these ladies, they're just models. But when I look at these images I see women who are so full of love and life, who I am eternally grateful for each and every day.
So this is a special thank you to Kenzie, Lila, and Shyla for not only being the best models, but my best friends.
At the end of this week, Kenzie is moving halfway across the country. I would be lying if I said I wasn't devastated. But that is something that made this shoot all the more worthwhile, something that made it so special. It will always hold a place in my heart, knowing that we got to spend this time together before she moved away and made a life of her own.
It's going to be weird having one less person around to bounce my crazy ideas off of, but I guess that just means I'll have to make a few trips out east this year to do so. And I'm certainly not going to complain about that.
