I had the wonderful opportunity to work with a great team for the Zahrat Al Khaleej’s (Arouss) bridal edition with their amazing sponsor PIAGET. This consisted of the cover and a 5 page spread. I pitched my idea to “The Final Fitting’ to the gracious Souha Abbas and she was very enthusiastic and happy with the concept. The concept I wanted to convey was a bride having her last fitting in an old “vintage styled studio somewhere in Italy or Paris hence the vintage feel for the shoot. The classic design of the Piaget brand would tie in very well with the look! Souha sent it to Piaget and they were very happy with the concept.
A meeting was set up with the amazing Olivier Dolz, a French event and wedding planner who graciously let his team build us 5 amazing sets in HotCold Studios. We brainstormed how we the set should look like and as Olivier has so much experience in this field it was great to get his opinion. We decided that we would build the shell set the day before then we could change from look to look when needed. Diana, Olivier’s assistant was such a great help helping to put together the set and design, getting all the props together etc! They did an amazing job! We basically did 5 mockups the day before the shoot for the various looks we wanted to do, took snaps so that it would streamline the shoot on the day!
The jewelry pieces were truly beautiful. So true is the saying, Diamonds are girl’s best friend! We have had between DHS 20 – 30 million worth of them in the studio! I even got to try on a DHS 6 million bracelet.
Our wonderful stylist for the shoot was the talented Natalie Trevis. I have worked with Natalie on a number of shoots and she is the consummate professional. She brought the most beautiful bridal gowns, so many that we were spoilt for choice. It gave us the freedom to experiment with different looks.
I also had a meeting with the makeup artist Rolla Farahat and good friend Toni Malt (hair) to discuss the look and feel of the shoot and what we wanted to do. It was my first time working with Rolla and she was a real pleasure and professional! Both the hair and makeup turned out beautiful and complimented the look perfectly!
Our gorgeous model for the Piaget shoot was Rene from Bareface. I have worked with Rene before on the “BOHO CHIC” shoot and she is a joy to work with. She brings an amazing energy to the shoot and has an ability to emote with the camera making my job so much easier!
Overall we were able to get in 9 different looks which was an enormous feat. I want to thank Souha for allowing me to prepare this concept for her and the Piaget team. Also to the team who worked so hard on the shoot! It was a great experience and a great time together!
"AL ANIQA - 70's Flashback" Zahrat Al Khaleej Magazine
“AL ANIQA – 70’s Flashback” Zahrat Al Khaleej Magazine
"AL ANIQA - 70's Flashback" Zahrat Al Khaleej Magazine
“AL ANIQA – 70’s Flashback” Zahrat Al Khaleej Magazine
“AL ANIQA – 70’s Flashback” Zahrat Al Khaleej Magazine
“AL ANIQA – 70’s Flashback” Zahrat Al Khaleej Magazine
“AL ANIQA – 70’s Flashback” Zahrat Al Khaleej Magazine
"AL ANIQA - 70's Flashback" Zahrat Al Khaleej Magazine
"AL ANIQA - 70's Flashback" Zahrat Al Khaleej Magazine
” AL ANIQA” Zahrat Al Khaleej Magazine
“AL ANIQA – 70’s Flashback” Zharat Al Khaleej Magazine
70’s Flashback! Extra Shots
70's Flashback! Extra Shots
70's Flashback! Extra Shots
I had the wonderful privilege of working again with Souha Abbas, Manager, Special Editions (Publishing) – Abu Dhabi Media. She is a wonderful client who has allowed me to experiment on my shoots and supported me in my photography. The summer look for 2011 definitely has a strong 70’s playfulness feel to it. So I decided to take this element further and incorporated the look and feel further into the hair & makeup as well as styling.
Moodboard – Look & Feel
We had originally wanted to shoot outdoor and in the end decided to shoot in a studio. Hot Cold Rental was a natural choice as these guys have a great support network and always open with advice. I also had my first experience working with HMI lighting and I must say I’m hooked. After discussing with the guys my lighting setup they advised me on the HMI lights. They truly give a beautiful daylight which you can add fill as you see fit.
Studio setup - HMI Lighting
Our team consisted of the wonderful Toni Malt (Hair/Makeup), Cindy Coleman, (assistant (Hair)), Natalie Trevis, models Alex Pianka and Paul Frangie from Bareface. It was first time working with the lovely Alex P and she was a real star and professional. A real French Beauty. I have had the privilege of working with Paul on my Kurv Editorial and was delighted that we could worked together again. We had amazing clothing and accessories and was able to really pull out the stops in terms of colors and textures.
Accessories for the shoot
We managed to get 17 shots from the shoot which was a lot considering 4 background changes and was extremely happy with the final result and the team. I want to thank everyone who made it all possible. Great work guys!
Photographer: Billie Muller Makeup & Hair: Toni Malt @ Bareface Hair Assistant: Cindy Coleman Styling: Natalie Trevis Models: Alexandra P and Paul Frangie @ Bareface
Here are some behind the scenes shots from the shoot
I have wanted to do a boho/hippie shoot for a while now as fur is big news as well as a throwback to the seventies. Inspiration came from Stevie Nicks (Fleetwood Mac), Mamas & Papas with a contemporary take. Decided to build a bohemian cove in my studio which meant sourcing various props such as drapes, cushions, throws, etc to depict the mood. DragonMart in Dubai is a treasure trove when it comes to props. You are able to source anything there at a reasonable price. I was able to have curtains made to fit the mood. Some props came from my trusted prop cupboard as I am always on the look out for items that I can use on future shoots! Hamish Scott from Home Design once again graciously allowed me use some their Moroccan pouffes and throws as well.
INSPIRATIONAL MOODBOARDS FOR SHOOT
The set took an afternoon to assemble. I decided to use a more directional light to create a more subtle mood to the light. So lighting existed of the broad light to fill in shadows and a Profoto strip box placed pre-dominantly on the models right side. I did move the light from time to time to stress the mood I was looking for!
Once again I had the privilege to work with some great creatives in Dubai fashion industry, namely. Toni Malt (Bareface) and Natalie Trevis (Stylephiles). Toni had and fantastic array of wigs, flowers to create our bohemian fell. We had an extensive choice of close to choose from with is always a great sign of things to come. Our model for the day was the lovely and professional Renee Borisova (Bareface). She has the most beautiful hair never been colored and is so healthy. She really captured the looks perfectly with her sensuous eyes.
I was very satisfied with the result. We definitely got the look we were after. This editorial was picked up by OK! Magazine Middle East and we would like to thank Jen Haward and OK! Magazine for their support.
A big THANK YOU to a wonderful team who put this great shoot together! You girls ROCK!
Well I’m really late in the game with all the blogging but what the heck never too late to start. Been a really busy time for me lately but also so rewarding as I get to work with wonderful creative people.
I was priviledged to be part of a great shoot done in the studio. Time scheduling was a bit hectic but was able to organize everything in a couple of days! I co-ordinate with Mo Al Farasi from Brisbane initially and then here in Dubai on the look and feel of the shoot. As we wanted something elegant but edgy! I must be honest I wasn’t sure if we would be able to get all the clothes but oh my did Mo come through for us BIG time!! A whole $70 000 worth of merchandise! From D&G to Ezra and let’s not get started on the shoes! Louboutin etc. I was needless to say over the moon.
I “built” the set and did a bit of painting which I rarely do these days. After recovering from all the paints vapors I proceeded to decorate the set accordingly. I would like to thank Hamish from Home Design at the Mall of the Emirates who graciously allowed us to use their furniture pieces for the set! They have some awesome stuff! Guys who know me knows I am always on the lookout for props or anything interesting to use on my shoots. These guys have it! Thanks Candice for introducing me to the store!
Hot and Cold Rental have great gear and wonderful staff in terms of lighting. Jessica Tabla did a amazing job with hair & makeup and our lovely model, Stefanie is such a professional she made my work even more enjoyable!
I experimented with different lights, speedlights, my trusted friends, gels to make one look flow into another. Oh, I forgot the fogger definitely gave some drama in some shots especially when you’re holding the camera, directing the model and pressing the fogger switch with your Big Toe! Multitasking is what we girls do best!
I may say I am really happy with the final result and we were a great team! Thanks guys for all the hard work and energy put into the shoot! The results show for itself!
Our gorgeous model for the Piaget shoot was Rene from Bareface. I have worked with Rene before on the “BOHO CHIC” shoot and she is a joy to work with. She brings an amazing energy to the shoot and has an ability to emote with the camera making my job so much easier!
