If you have been following my blog you'll know by now that the mutual professional girl crush going on between myself and Grace Kemp, of Grace Amelia Photography, has led to some pretty epic work. Can we all just take a moment to reminisce over that Greenhouse look? Gorg.
If you haven't been following my blog, WELCOME! Let me catch you up. Grace Kemp, is QUEEN of all things retro, colourful and patterned. We have worked together on several occasions, and I've loved every minute of each shoot. Not only because of Grace's ability to think outside of the box, but because she usually has two furry assistants, Olive and George, who bring a well needed dose of adorable to set.
Speaking of furry friends, don't worry, I haven't forgotten why you're here. You want the dirt on the latest collaboration. And as ever, I am here to spill all. When Grace and I were discussing a Leopard themed shoot, her main focus was to play around with the iconic print in a way that was both "fierce but cute".
With the juxtaposing inspiration in mind we shared a couple photos for reference and I began putting together a mood board. And trust me, this mood board is a whole mood. I'm talking fierce 90's hair, OTT prints, sultry vibes and a few Icons of Hollywood. If you want to have a browse I have linked the full Pinterest board below.
Mood board glowing with inspo, Grace sourced the clothing and accessories for the shoot from Foil, a brand stocked at Gemini Woman. "Foil is a modern fashion brand from New Zealand. The Foil brand encompasses classic design with a relaxed fashion edge", and Gemini Woman is a nationally recognized and award winning independent retailer based in Stratford-upon-Avon.
However, the coat, the coat is all mine.
The night before the shoot, I sat at my mum's feet as she put 20 tiny braids in my hair to achieve the crimped look that everyone from Jodie Foster to Xtina rocked back in 95. And if there is anything I would advise against, it's being a 25 year old woman with 20 little pig tails going on when you arrive at the garage to have the clutch checked. But what I can wholeheartedly recommend is practicing your cat eye flick, because it will always be in style.
Clutch given the thumbs up and hair given the "Is this what the kids are doing nowadays?", I got on my way. Grace had the studio all set when I arrived; a bright pink backdrop and lots of natural light. As I got changed, the voice of Alaska Thunderfuck flooded the room: a guaranteed way to set the mood for the shoot. Powerful, fun, a little risqué.
The shoot was split in two halves; first we focused on the powerful aesthetic we had talked so much about, and then we turned our attention to getting some fun product imagery. Hopefully you'll be able to see which images were captured with each intention in mind...
A few hours later when I got a couple test shots sent through, I knew the success of our first in real life shoot wasn't a fluke. Grace creates a fun and relaxed environment to work in and apparently I know how to pose just as well with shoes on my hands as I do with shoes on my feet. Who'd have thunk it?
These images are part of a wider set that will be live next week. So make sure you subscribe so you don't miss any new work or blog releases!
Grace shot with natural lighting and a Nikon Df camera with a 35 mm lens during this shoot. To see more work from Grace Amelia Photography you can find her portfolio online via the links below:
Instagram @GraceAmeliaPhoto
Facebook @GraceAmeliaPhoto
Website // Gemini Woman UK
Website // Foil