This is from a recent shoot I did for Deira City Center (City Life Magazine). It was a commercial shoot shot at the Al Mamzar Beach in Sharjah. Production was provided by the Jolianne Ray from G.O.O.D STILLS, Hair & … Continue reading →
I was very excited to shoot for Garnier Hair Color for Al Aniqa (Zahrat Al Khaleej). Shooting for theses brands the brand identity is very distinctive and it was important that it was kept in line with the international brand look & feel but suited to the Middle East market.
Garnier Look & Feel
Keeping this in mind when incorporating it in my shoot I went out to look at our site. We decided to shoot on site at The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai International Financial Centre. The hotel has a very corporate feel to it with lots a geometrical angles to it. Valeria Mertsalova, Public Relations Coordinator at The Ritz-Carlton was my contact people. A lovely woman who showed me around and indicated which places I could have access to. As this was a busy hotel we have to keep in mind that guests privacy comes first and we would need to work around this aspect. For this reason we decided that we would be shooting outdoors for continuity but if there is an opportunity we would shoot indoors.
Hotel Details
Our team was made up the lovely Dina Yassin, with whom I have worked with before and sweet Katie Cousins, a freelance hair & makeup artist. Our lovely model was Carol Webb from Mansion Models. We had a great time shooting together and was able to get 8 different looks for the client. They were very happy with the result.
Dina suppling us with the clothing credit numbers!
My trusted assistant Evelyn posing for the test shots!
Katie adding some finishing touches to Carol’s hair
I want to thank Valeria for been such a gracious host and looking after us! Also to the great team who helped put this shoot together and big thanks toSouha Abbas, Manager, Special Editions (Publishing) – Abu Dhabi Media for allowing me to be part of Al Aniqa editorials!
Photography Belinda Muller
Hair & Makeup Katie Cousins
Styling Dina Yassin
Assistant Evelyn Garcia
Model Carol Webb (Mansion Models)
Location The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai International Financial Centre
Here are some extra photos from the shoot! See you all next time!
I had once again had the privilege of working with the lovely Stefanie Ost on a sports shoot for OK! Magazine. I have worked with Stef on a couple of shoots and am always impressed by her professionalism and grace in the way she carries herself! A true professional and a lovely one at that!
We were fortunate to have a great place, The Dubai Ladies Club to do our shoot in. Literally! Not everyday that an empty swimming pool comes to you disposal! After looking at the other facilities available to us we opted for the pool as the colors matched perfectly with the neon colors of the sportswear. The weather was great and the sheer net across the pool gave enough shade and diffusion to the high sun.
I used my trusted silver sunbounce for a high fashion look and pumped 3 speedlights in as fill on occasion to balance the light in Stephanie’s face. Toni did a great job with hair and makeup especially with the paint brush. I’m really enjoy working with her as she is always dedicated and willing to try new things and has a thing for “props” as yours truly. I always smile when I hear us talk about our adventures getting our props together for shoots!
Jen Haward from OK! Magazine was our stylist for the shoot and she brought with her an array of lovely items to work with. As always a joy to work with. Thanks to OK! Magazine ho published 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!
As much as I love going out and doing more art and conceptual photography it is alway great to go back to the ‘classic photography’ but with a twist of course! Such was the case in this shoot that we did at HOTCOLD Studios in Dubai. There is something about the classic black & white photography that will last the test of time. The various shades of black, simulated through film (Agfa/Kodak/Ilford etc) with a bit of sepia thrown in the mix as well! My challenge with B&W is to try to keep the tones and texture as close as I can to film. I love this book The Master Printer’s BLACK & WHITE Workbook by Steve Macleod. He really gives you an insight into what it takes to get an exceptional Black & White print!
An example of a sepia that I experimented with!
When I think of B & W in fashion, Richard Avedon’s instinctively comes to mind. A genius and a master photographer who had the uncanny ability to bring out sometimes the most disturbing visuals in his subjects. He was acutely aware of the changes in fashion during the decades and had the uncannily ability to transcend that into his work! Remarkable since he began his fashion career after the World War 2 with Harpers Bazaar moving over to Vogue and other iconic fashion magazines. A truly rare gift! Even in his later years (1990’s) his ability for storytelling in fashion still ran very strong! I’ve watched videos and read books about the man and his work and really respect his work ethic!
One of his photography books, “Avedon – Fashion 1944 -2000 The definitive Collection” gives one a wonderful insight into how this genius used to work. A true inspiration for fashion photographers out there.
I had the privilege collaborating with Dubai based freelance makeup & hair artist Tonee Roberioon this shoot! Besides been a true professional and a craftsman at work he is a grounded and lovely person and a joy to work with! Below is some example of his work.
The lovely model was Eva from Bareface who was very enthusiastic and professional throughout the shoot. A special thank you to Stefanie Forbes from Bareface for organizing the lovely models for the shoots. The styling was done by Mo Al Falasi and my trusted righthand Evelyn was there to help. HotCold Studios in Dubai was the scene for our shoot. I have rent equipment from them for a while now but it is my first using their studio. They are a great bunch of professionals who is always there to aid with any queries. I recommend using them, fully equipped and very accommodating especially with my Acute 600 batteries! Below are the final images from the shoot.
