FEATURED ARTISTS
Photographer: Stephanie Valencia
www.valenciaphotography.com.au
https://www.facebook.com/stephanievalenciaphotographer
Instagram @valenciaphotography
http://www.pinterest.com/SValenciaPhoto/
Makeup/Hair: Angela Pham
Instagram @apmakeupartistry
Model: Holly Watson
http://www.pridemodels.com.au/melb/index.php/models/view/holly#.U0LTb_ldW0c
Instagram @hollynettesharon
Agency: Pride Models (Australia)
http://www.pridemodels.com.au/
Instagram @pridemodels
FEATURED FASHION
https://www.facebook.com/lucy.rosenberg2
https://www.facebook.com/jack.leeson.5492
http://www.gormanshop.com.au/
https://www.wittner.com.au/
http://cameothelabel.com.au/
http://www.riseofdawn.com.au/
https://www.bettinaliano.com/
FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER INTERVIEW
1. How does this collection speak to you? Its LOUD, EXPRESSIVE & POP!
How did it come about? I have always wanted to do a shoot in this style, at night and with light leaks. And I had seen the Melbourne Fashion Festivals “National Graduate Show” which showcases recently graduated student designers. Their ideas are so fresh and exciting that I wanted to organise a shoot around in particular, designers; Lucy Rosenberg & Jack Leeson.
What did you want this to say to your audience? It’s in your face. I wanted to showcase these “out of this world” designs.
2. What do you find to be the most difficult when bringing a team of artists together to create a
cohesive look? The most difficult part in bringing a team together was the fact that our model was interstate and co-ordinating everyone’s random schedules together. Another factor was daylight savings, so we only got started shooting at 10pm and finished early morning!
How do you pick the right team? We were lucky enough to have the talented Holly Watson as our model, who portrayed the part to a “t”. She’s so beautiful but can bang out those super strong poses also. Makeup Artist and close friend, Angela Pham, is amazing at what she does and is on point when I explain the direction of makeup I am after.
3. As an editorial artist, what do you feel is one of the biggest mistakes beginners tend to make? You have to be prepared and organised and most importantly having the right team. Because at the end of the day everyone plays a part in making the editorial and if someone/something is lacking it brings the whole project down. It’s a whole production, so make sure everyone plays their part.
4. How would you describe your artistic style? Eclectic. With every shoot I do my style tends to change. I enjoy and appreciate different styles, so I like to tackle them at some point within my portfolio, there’s such a broad spectrum to play with.
5. Do you prefer to be behind the camera or in front of it? Definitely BEHIND! It’s not as easy as what people assume and I am well aware of that. Nor do I have the desire to be, I love being behind the camera and bringing together everyone’s talents and ideas.
6. What is your greatest weakness; your greatest strength? Perfectionist; this is my weakness and strength at the same time. I over analyse which is time consuming and can drive me crazy with self-doubt but at the same time I care about what I am creating and won’t settle. Yet a could do with being a little less of a perfectionist just to make my life easier.
7. What misconceptions do you think outsiders have about fashion and beauty editorials? That it’s just point and shoot and “whala” you’ve got your editorial. They generally have no idea how much time and effort goes into the shoot beforehand, during and after.
8. What is your secret to keeping a happy balanced life while following your passion? Photography is my passion! So it’s hard to tear myself away from that because I am always looking, reading and thinking about images. Many artist are their own boss, and have only themselves to rely on, which can sometime consume your time and energy because you love what you do. But you just HAVE TO make the effort for a balanced life with friends and family, there’s no “buts” about it. I am very big on scheduling, so if you’re not the type of person that can consciously divide your time up evenly, I find this to be very successful because it’s all laid out in front of you.
9. Music feeds the soul and often motivates. What music are you playing while you are shooting? Just like my shooting style, it is very eclectic. I could be playing Major Lazer to Led Zeppelin, just depends on people’s mood or the theme of the shoot.
10. Words to live by? “Life is like a camera. Just focus on what’s important and capture the good times, develop from the negatives and if things don’t work out, just take another shot.” Unknown