I’m excited to share with you a window into my creative process as I navigate personal projects and creative shoots. I wanna kick off this new space on my website with my most recent Rococo Inspired photoshoot I developed for the winner(s) of my Instagram Giveaway . Here are my two lovely winners:
They obviously killed this shoot - but how did we get to this exact moment?
Let’s start with the giveaway…
The summer of 2020 was a super weird time, amiright?
My creativity was already suffering from being in a post-graduation slum. After four years of art school, it was up to me how, why, when, and where to use my creativity and I felt stuck. I tend to throw my entire self into my work, and I suddenly was left without the motivation to create. Without self expression, I fell into a depressive state before the pandemic even hit. And after, my anxiety forced me into survival mode - doing only what I needed to survive. I wanted to break this cycle and decided to take my birthday as an opportunity to reach out via an Instagram giveaway. My goal was to collaborate with other artistic individuals in my community to reignite my creative passion, and also, honestly, to just have some fun - to be experimental, to break out of my comfort zone.
I’ve never done anything like this via social media before, and posting the giveaway alone pushed me waaay outside of my comfort zone. The winner would receive a stylized photoshoot with me as well as a sweet lil Leo themed prize package (just to sweeten the pot.) I was so truly thankful for everyone who supported my post and entered. Tori ended up being the lucky winner. I have always admired her style and artistry so, I was excited to have the opportunity to work with her! She had the fabulous suggestion to split the prize with another person who entered the contest, Andi. I loved this idea since Andi is one of my closest friends and fellow photographer. And so, the collaboration began….
But first, the concept
playful Rococo opulence
Two of the most important lessons I learned while at RIT were how to develop a concept and a team. The concept is especially important for my creative process as it tends to drive a narrative. Any time I set out to do a stylized photoshoot, I use this narrative to keep my choices authentic and allow my subjects to embody a ‘role’ like an actor might. But we always start with a broad concept - in this case, I set my sights on Rococo as inspiration.
There are few reasons I gravitated to this art movement:
the dreamy, feminine color palette
the asymmetrical movement and curvature of the compositions
embodiment of playful feminine energy with a rebellious spirit
the DRAMA of it all, hunty
Rococo Mood Board 1
Once I settle on a concept, I immerse myself in research - starting historically then moving to work inspired by the topic. I consume any and all media and knowledge on the subject. In this case, I had to keep pushing back the date of the shoot due to the ever-changing nature of reality during the pandemic and personal circumstances. I tried to embrace this as an opportunity to marinate on the concept. I had several months to stew before formulating my official plan of action.
After my initial research flurry, I like to literally meditate or sleep on the subject. I’ll take cat naps holding the images in my mind or while watching Marie Antoinette. I try to let my subconscious mind take over and put all the pieces in place to create a realistic vision all my own.
There were two main creative influences that stood out to me during this process.
Of course, Marie Antoinette is the controversial fashion icon of the Rococo era. Her historical depictions often show her indulging in the opulence of the time with her towering powdered wigs and feather adorned gowns. But I must admit, I knew very little about her with the exception of her famous line, ‘Let them eat cake.’ Which, I mean, is a pretty badass catch phrase.
Rococo Mood Board 2
However, in Sofia Coppola’s interpretation of her played by Kirsten Dunst, I found a fresh, relatable take on the former Queen of France. (Also, the aesthetics are an absolute dream.) These women worked to highlight that Marie was simply a girl - a girl put in an impossible position at a young age. A girl with access to any decadence she desired and empty hours to fill. The importance of female companionship also stood out to me. Men and women spent most of their days apart. The Queen was dressed, fed, groomed all by her female companions.
This theme also comes through in Autumn de Wilde’s interpretation of ‘Emma.’ While this story takes place later historically, the strength of friendship and navigating the world as a young girl shine through its story telling. I found myself inspired by the composition, specifically pairings, and lighting choices made by de Wilde in the film as well. I could see her background as a photographer come through. In that way, this version of the Jane Austen classic felt fresh and modern.
Rococo Mood Board 3
I appreciate both these films are directed by women, and both directors seem to have a ‘muse’ relationship with their leading ladies and subjects. Their artistic visions helped to guide mine as I considered my muses for my Rococo inspired photoshoot.
Rococo Mood Board 4
Armed with my inspirations, I began sketching a few compositions, making mood boards, and listing any and every thing I may need to pull this thing off - props, wardrobe, equipment. This culminates in a treatment or deck detailing my concept and execution. This is typically used to show clients/potential employers your unique vision for their brand or product. They are also extremely helpful for communicating with your models and team.
Speaking of my team, with my vision coming together, I know the logistical elements needed to meet my creative goal. Time to add folks to the team!
First up, wardrobe:
image via @theopshoproc
This one was a no-brainer. The Op Shop is awesome in so many ways:
female run local business
supports local artists
rents clothing for photoshoots
always find what I’m looking for
right by Ugly Duck coffee ; )
Andi and I went together to select pieces with a Rococo vibe that could work for her or Tori. We found several 90s tops and blazers with soft, floral patterns reminiscent of ones you might see at Versailles.
case in point this gorgeous floral top <3
for sale at The Op Shop
Next, I wanted to create the ambiance of an over-the-top Rococo tea party. A crucial element here is fancy cakes and desserts. The bold color and visual interest of a French macaron pretty much encompasses my vision. I knew just who to call to makes this a reality…
Enter, Cesar
baker extraordinaire
This dude right here is EVERYTHING, including magical baker at Village Bakery. I count myself lucky to be considered among his friends. He is sooo talented in sooo many ways. Like seriously, I could talk for an hour about him (and I have). BUT to my point, he can make any and every dessert you can think of AND I had recently tried his macarons and they were LITERALLY THE BEST I’ve ever had. Can you tell I’m hype about Cesar?! lol
He went above and beyond my expectations and supplied us with TONS of treats. I even had enough to send everyone home with goodie bags.
With wardrobe and props secure, next I sort out my lighting and equipment needs. I wanted to use mostly soft, natural light which felt most in-line with the theme. Early afternoon window light would be perfect for my tea party scene, but I also wanted a little more control for some posed portraits. I didn’t want to use strobe/flash but needed a continuous daylight balanced light. A Kino Flo light, often used for video, would work perfectly but they are bulky and expensive. So, I turned to photography ninja, lighting god, and my former professor, David Turner.
Shown here as the King of Pentacles…
for my Tarot series.
He actually made his own version of the Kino Flo’s, affectionately called DT50s, which are much more lightweight and easy to work with. He was generous enough to let me borrow them, and thus became an important asset to the team.
Here are a couple examples where I used the DT50s:
The final piece of the team was my very best friend, Ngozi who stepped in as assistant, moral support, Trader Joe’s goddess, breakfast maker, and hype-man. Her presence truly made it feel like a party the day of the shoot.
Speaking of the day of…let’s talk about it!
Okay, so remember way up there when I said I wanted to have fun?! Well, YA’LL - I had so much fun. The whole experience seriously felt like a party - a much needed post COVID, post vaccinations party. An opulent tea party full of sunshine, companionship, music, and laughter. I know it sounds cheesy but it truly, purely was this.
However, the entire week leading up to it, I was a nervous, chaotic mess. Honestly, I was a nervous chaotic mess during the shoot, too. I struggle with anxiety. There have been times in my life when anxiety ruled it. But it is the anxiety I depend on to fuel me. As I’ve tried to manage my anxiety, I had to learn to accept it as part of my creative process. It’s fucking torture. I feel pulled in a million directions with fear of failure at the forefront of my mind. But it keeps me motivated; it sparks new ideas. It’s reaching the top of the roller coaster right before pointing down, unsure if you’ll derail or arrive safely at the end. This is ultimately why I love what I do. I hate it when I’m in it but the pay off is worth the risk.
This case was unique in that it took place in my home and involved so many of my close friends as part of my team. I was able to relax and fellowship - we shared breakfast and coffee. I loved bringing together everyone’s talents and personalities. Andi and Tori were true collaborators.
Tori killed it with her makeup as well as her offering of wardrobe and accessories. Her soft, feminine energy and positivity was perfectly suited for the theme.
Andi helped style the overhead table shots with her amazing attention to detail. And also brought some bad bitch energy to the set - embodying both a queen and a prince.
They both played super well off one another, and made my job easy. I provided the space and the props, and they brought everything else. Truly my only struggle was keeping us on time because we were having too much fun together in spite of the late May heat. So much creative energy bouncing off the walls and landing somewhere among the cracks of sunshine, dresses, and props strewn about my home.
I chose to shoot without tethering - attached to my computer - to keep me in the moment. I remarked several times that even if, by some ill twist of fate, I lost all the images before I reviewed them, the experience alone was worth the effort. And that’s really where you want to be. Of course, the art is an added bonus.
Here are few more of my favorites from the day:
Next up, a sweet lil zine where I mix vintage illustrations with these images. Here’s a sneak peek of what I’ve been playing around with:
Thanks for following along and lemme know your thoughts in the comments!
~ CANDICE