Quirky Tropics – Editorial Photography

Lately, I am trying my hand more at creative editorial photography and photo collages with vintage illustrations for a fresh take on marrying fashion, art and photography in colourful and quirky ways. So I wanted to show these creations

The project idea

The central idea actually stemmed from the background.

Various bright-coloured shawls were hung onto the wall to serve as a maximalist background in vivid tones.

Matching that, the makeup was chosen to be bold and eccentric, with a doll like effect that was picked up in the accessories.

The hair was kept simple to still have a nod to the typical sleek look of high fashion, and with so much going on anyway, was more like a simple canvas.

Photoshop magic

The photos turned out alright but I wasn’t quite happy with them. Maybe the lighting could’ve been more dramatic, maybe the colours more matched (and maybe I shouldn’t be so overly critical of myself), but then I got creative in Photoshop and managed to blend it all together much more nicely.

The shawls and scarves I had collected on my trips around the world and so I thought it would be fitting to pair them up with fruits from around the world too. Instead of piling up more flowers, which were already part of the outfit, it tied the visuals together in a different way.

Plus, they also referenced the colours of the shawls in the photos, adding more colour but not overwhelming it too much.

The creative process

It isn’t obivous at first glance and maybe that’s just the perfectionism again, but the way I edited the colours also ties in with the overall colours of the shawls.

I did go for a more contrasted look that is commonly found in fashion photography with a soft blur and some slight overexposure of the skin to make it more glowy.

But the shadows and highlights have a slight retro hue to them, which I found fitting with the vintage illustrations I used. The colours there also have a slightly off and faded touch to them.

So yes, there is a lot of thought even with a more “random” creative process that isn’t clearly outlined from the start but arises in the moment as the project progresses. That’s very much emblematic of my work and approach. I do like a little flexbility and surprise as to the final outcome.

If you are interested in commissioning me for photography and branding work, get in touch!