IS S U E 01 A/W 2012
PH OTO GRA P H IC C O NTENTS
R E N E E: T H E W O M A N P 4-7
R EBO R N
Location Ikley Pool Date July 2012 LO V I N G YO U T H N I N ETI ES A /W C O L L EC T I O N P 8-1 1 Location Hyde Park, Leeds Date October 2012 O LY M P I C P12-15
D RE AM S
Location Olympic Park, Stratford Date July 2012 O LY M P I C P 16-1 9
H O PEFUL S
Location Tollington Park Studios Date November/December 2012 C R AV I N G P 20-2 3
F O R
I T
Date February 2012 S C O T T N A S H : FI R ST Y E A R C O L L EC TI O N P 24-2 7 Date June 2012 B E C K Y C O N N O L LY: F I N A L MA J O R C O L L EC TI O N P 28-2 9 Date July 2012
RE NEE: T H E W O MA N
R E - BOR N
The name Renee roughly translates as to mean ‘born again, re-born’. The swimming pool was an interesting location to shoot at. For most of us it represents a scene of leisure and often sums up a bygone time. The location of Ilkley pool combined all of the elements of a quintessentially British institution where one might find rows of picnic benches and trimmed hedges next to soft turf and pools of cool blue water. I was interested in intertwining the symbolization of the woman entering the water as a symbol of baptism. The idea was to look at the woman being emancipated through the physical act of entering the water. The project was a collaboration between myself and Jack Tyson my MUA sided on structured, fifties clothing to re-enforce the social expectations of women from that era. Structured, Vera Lake waves and natural make up emphasizes the femininity of the fifties woman, and we felt the accessories were appropriately suited to the formality of the constricted landscape. In contrast, the woman who emerges from the water is a celebration of the power woman. The styling had a nod to eighties with emphasis on the celebration of the female form- so big bold dresses, even bigger earrings and slicked- back, wet hair. It was a great technical challenge to shoot half- submerged in the swimming pool. There was only so much shooting I could do standing on the side of the pool... so in the end I ended up shooting waist deep with the thundering clouds overhead. I had so much fun asking the model to sit on top of the fountain and I love the playfulness in the images.
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LOV ING YOU TH N I NETIE S BLU E RIN SE A/ W CO L L E C TION I was asked to photograph the Autumn/Winter collection for Blue Rinse’s sister brand, Loving Youth. The most interesting part of the brief was that I was only allowed to shoot on toy cameras and use film. Armed with a barrage of plastic and fresh film, I shot on a number of film formats that seems compatible with the current trend for the grunge look, particularly in fashion photography. I was interested in the free reign that I had with the photography, and some of the most successful images were shot on a plastic Holga. I love the timelessness of the terrace houses in Leeds with their cobbled streets that immediately lent themselves to becoming a location full of stories and character.
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O LY M P I C
D R E A M S
Olympic Dreams are a body of double exposure work that was a completely and thankfully forgiveable accident. I was invited to go to the Olympic Park as part of giving my time as a Ceremonies Volunteer Performer for the closing ceremony. I got a singular golden ticket to see the opening ceremony. It was a huge spectacle! I shot my images on a snappy little compact film camera. What I didn’t realize was the error in thinking I had one spare roll of film and put the same roll of film back through the camera. The results show the delight of experiencing a show that was kept a national secret. The images formed a lasting reminder of the transience of the Olympics as an event. There was no possibility of re-shooting those images, which emphasized the beauty of each images as a beautiful, if unplanned picture.
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O LY M P I C
H OP E FU LS
Being part of the Olympics as a Ceremonies Volunteer was something that was truly inspiring. People from all types of backgrounds were dancing, singing, and acting in the first “digital games� in the Olympic Stadium for an estimated television audience of one billion. I wanted to examine how the performers felt immediately after the games and looked at what they posted on social networking websites. The shoot was a great collaborative experience where I asked fellow performers to come together for the shoot. The Union Jack flag became identifiable with the athlete’s elation, symbiotic of the moment athletes finish their Olympic performance in the stadium. The lap of honour is usually conducted where athletes typically wear the flag as a cloak. Using the flag in the portraits reflects the sitters feelings of pride and excitement to be under the same spotlight as the Olympic medallists. By participating in the photo-shoot they have the opportunity to take the spotlight, and perform once more.
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CRAVING
FOR
IT
I was interested in the sexual connotation of food used in advertising and portraiture. I looked at how food has been over- sexualized by having the sitters indulging in excessive amounts of their chosen food. By exaggerating the amount of food, I turned it into costumelike pieces, showing food that sensualized it’s presence in front of the lens.
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S CO TT NASH : FIR ST YE AR CO LLE C TION
When I saw Scott Nash’s jacket, it immediately felt like it should have a saccharine sweetcoloured background to show off the glossy texture and the sculptural form of the jacket. Scott wanted dramatic eyebrows and doll-like features on the model, which exaggerated her petite form in incorporating different proportions in the image. I also photographed his fan jacket, which was a combination of mixed materials. The jacket revealed the model in a subtle way, and I felt it had a great fusion of colours in the images.
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B E C K Y C O N N O L LY: F I NAL M AJ OR COLL ECTI ON 2 0 1 2 Becky Connolly’s final collection was based on structural forms. I wanted to show off the eccentricity of the British woman using fierce styling and creativity in the studio. Bird’s nest hair was mixed with the profusion of smoke, which showed off the luscious colours and textures in her final major collection. I used coloured gels to light the backdrop and add to the atmosphere.
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COLO PHON AN D CRED ITS
T H A N K
YO U
O LY M P I C P1 6 - 1 9
I would like to that all the people that have collaborated with me who have been incredible in helping me to fulfil my creative ideas. I would like to thank the unstoppable Sophie Wilson for her incredible Graphic Design work on the branding for my portfolio, Jack Tyson for his incredible ideas and even more incredible eyebrows, lastly, thanks to all the staff at LCA for their support, help and their unshakeable cheerfulness.
HOP E FULS
Assitant Mona Zaw Location Tollington Park Studios Date November/December 2012 With thanks to Ellis Scott and Tollington park Studios, the Rose family and for each and every one of my sitters who agreed to have their photograph taken. The true Olympic stars.
P H OT O GRA P H Y/ L O C ATI O N A ND A S S I S TA N C E
C R AVI NG P2 0 - 2 1
R E NE E: T H E W O M A N P 4 - 7
Assistant(s) Isobel Moore, Louise Monk MUA Charl Sanderson Date February 2012
REB O R N
Location Ilkley Pool MUA Jack Tyson Model(s) Emily Rose Smith, Bex Wynn Date July 2012 L O V I N G YO U T H N I N ETI ES A /W C O L L EC T I O N P 8 - 1 1 Location Hyde Park, Leeds MUA Jack Tyson Stylist(s) Faye Mathieson Model(s) Kaitlyn Bullen, Emileigh Horton Date October 2012 O LY M P I C P 1 2 - 1 5
D RE AM S
Location Olympic Park, Stratford Date July 2012 With thanks to LOCOG for the opportunity to perform as a Ceremonies Volunteer.
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FOR
IT
SC O TT NASH: FIRST Y EAR COLLE CTION P2 2 - 2 5 Wardrobe Scott Nash MUA Jack Tyson Model(s) Sarah Mellor, Rebecca Martin Date June 2012 B E C K Y C O N N O L LY: F I N A L M AJO R COLLE CTION 2012 2 6 - 2 9 Assistant/Editor Bonnie Rowntree Wardrobe Becky Connolly MUA Jenny Palmer Model Bex Wynn Date July 2012 All images copyright of Jessie Leong and Jessie Leong Photography, unless otherwise clearly stated. Images should not be used without prior and express permission.
W W W . J E S S I E L E O N G . C O M