Mucha – The Flowers Series Inspired this Shoot
Throughout my time as a photographer I have been in love with doing Series work. Taking a concept and pushing it this way and that, collaborating with different people who add their own ideas and energy, really develops amazing imagery. I love flowers. They hit every sense with their shape, texture, color, and smell. They have also had an effect on cultures around the world.
One of the things I like about Alphonse Mucha is that he also did series work and he seems to have liked flowers. His series “The Flowers” was stunning. If you don’t know anything about the artist, here is a very brief introduction. Mucha was one of the pioneers of the Art Nouveau style and remains an icon today. His work was also the inspiration for a Led Zeppelin poster. His work has inspired countless others.
When I was looking at art featuring flowers his work popped up a lot. His images, along with others, motivated me during my own flower series. I am still adding more shoots to my own flower series and I am not sure when I will say it’s over. As long as I am inspired I will likely continue it indefinitely.
I was first introduced to Jazmyne when she replied to my Instagram story looking for a collaborator for this project. I went through her Instagram and knew she would really fit this concept well. I didn’t see anything like my work on her Instagram, so I double checked she wanted to do it and she confirmed that she did. With that taken care of, it was off to the races pulling together all of the flowers and creating a backdrop with thousands of little flowers. I went with white baby’s breath flowers and a lime green background. The baby’s breath look really nice when they are out of focus in the foreground and background and the green is a nod to nature.
I am a huge fan of naturally curly hair, but Jazmyne’s choice to go with a straightened look ended up being wonderful. The makeup was both soft and bold. I mention eyes a lot when talking about my work because I think they are really essential to creating a connection with the viewer. Jazmyne’s eyes are absolutely KILLER. Just LOOK at everything her eyes can convey. They can be vulnerable, intense, bold, confident, and dreamy. I cannot express how wonderful it is to shoot someone with that amount of range.
