Sometimes a photo shoot starts with an elaborate concept.
And sometimes it starts with a roll of silver bubble insulation. 😂
Earlier this summer, I was using reflective insulation to help keep the apartment cooler on hot sunny days. Looking at all that silver one day, I started wondering what would happen if I stopped using it to reflect sunlight and put it in front of my camera instead.
That was the beginning of the Silver Editorial Shoot.
The idea was pretty simple. Build a shiny, reflective little studio set, invite a handful of models to bring anything black, silver, metallic, dramatic or just slightly weird, and see what I could create.
And everybody absolutely understood the assignment.
I photographed Imogen, Jaycine, Mik, Madison and Elaine, with each model getting around 30 minutes in front of the camera. Rather than prescribing one specific look, I encouraged everyone to interpret the silver theme however they wanted.
That turned out to be one of the best parts of the evening.
There were sleek black dresses and heels, leather looks, silver boots, chains and jewellery, dramatic sunglasses, long silver gloves and even a wonderfully ridiculous alien-inspired look. 👽
Against the highly reflective background, every outfit created something different.
Some images became quite clean and fashion-oriented, while others went much further into futuristic, alternative and playful territory. The reflective floor also gave me another surface to work with, especially for lower poses and full-length photographs.
I especially loved how much personality everyone brought to the shoot. Creative sessions like this work best when nobody takes the concept too seriously. I start with an idea, throw some lights at it, try poses that may or may not work, change outfits quickly and keep experimenting.
Sometimes the slightly strange ideas turn into the photographs I remember most.
And yes, the glamorous silver studio set really is essentially bubble wrap insulation. Photography is occasionally much less sophisticated behind the scenes than the finished photos would have you believe. 😂
A huge thank you to Imogen, Jaycine, Mik, Madison and Elaine for showing up with fantastic outfits, great attitudes and a willingness to play around with the concept.
This was exactly what I wanted the shoot to be, a relaxed evening of experimenting, creating some unusual images and having fun making photographs.
I suspect the silver set will be making another appearance. 📸✨
Photography: Timothy West Photography
Victoria, BC
