Migration season
Watch this being made... 'From Pixels to Vogue' on YouTube
And news since the video - it's also exhibited at Photo Vogue's Milan
exhibition!
Most complicated one of the surreal fashion series yet, I think. It's worth a long large look as there is lots to absorb.
Taken at our Shoot Experience at the Roost (name very apt), with 5 new models, a lot of chocolate bars and the fire on all day, naturally. There was a busy styling room and a house full of lovely photographers to first and foremost oversee, and the warmth of the house was making me flag, so I decided to settle on a minimum objective - to do something with the startling new ornithological decor that had appeared in one of the rooms since last time (so much other stuff goes on here between our visits). I'm eternally inspired by the shabby quirkiness of this place, and to run riot in an adventure playground of creativity with 9 other photographers is exhilarating (and exhausting!)
After an early night I arose at 3am (see where it started) and edited for at least 8 hours in total, but enjoyed all of it, not too much frustration. I loved that there were correlations between the dress and the birds before I even started, so I was glad I got to shoot that model, in that dress, in that room (this dress was an unplanned addition by the stylist too - so extra lucky). Each bird I chose to 'animate' was slowly and organically woven into where it felt 'right'. The pictures in this series call for a strange logic amidst illogic, a method in the madness. Whenever I tried to force something 'obvious' into the works, it would reject me. I took another hour to devise the right title which I ended up changing again.
Model - Katie Johnson; dress - Negar Bahardoust/Queen of the Wild;
styling - Pash, StyleCreative.
Hair by Kaylee Yasmin & make-up by Grace Gray. Big thanks to
Bernard Yeoh for being such a great help assisting the set-up here.
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facebook / blog / twitter / the experience
Comments and faves
justanotherphotographystudent, Allissa Lemaire, insipidwhite, truputis.Žalio, and 1290 other people added this photo to their favorites.
Miss Aniela (15 months ago | reply)
if you fancy more surreal birds...
whidbychick (15 months ago | reply)
Love this concept
kimdokhac (15 months ago | reply)
beautiful !
708718 (15 months ago | reply)
thats a nice Room :)
Stevе (15 months ago | reply)
you are amazing Natalie, this is amazing; so much see
Stevе (15 months ago | reply)
I especially like the big bird behind her and how it blends through to the front of her dress
alfanhuí (15 months ago | reply)
just...fabulous!
franziska.ambach (15 months ago | reply)
wow ! this is stunning !
jyryk58 (15 months ago | reply)
Breathtaking... :-) Excellent work... :-)
jp1958 (15 months ago | reply)
Your best surreal work so far.
ColdSummerPics (15 months ago | reply)
impressive work!
ClaudiaJR (15 months ago | reply)
Outstanding!
serhenity (15 months ago | reply)
STUNNING! This is so beautiful. You did an amazing job! I just LOVE everything about it.
Nick Barkworth (15 months ago | reply)
How very very delightful! It really does make me want to sit for an hour and stare!
smilewithme tanja (15 months ago | reply)
The details are amazing! And that room is magnificent! I spent lots of time just looking at this photo. It's so captivating. Really nicely done, it was an instant fave for me!
Stevе (15 months ago | reply)
still staring at this, love the green radiator, her pose, her dress, the bird on the door, the door, the floor, everything
jonathansdarkerside [deleted] (15 months ago | reply)
Brilliant.
Miss Aniela (15 months ago | reply)
thanks stevey
thanks for the comments...
hope i haven't yet burned anyone's eyes out with my layers and layers and layers...
Sebastian | HazYLeaF (15 months ago | reply)
Absolutely Fantastic.
Sarah Ann Wright (15 months ago | reply)
I see no stubby beaked swan!
Where did the birds come from, the dress itself?
Mr. Happy Face - Peace Friends :) (15 months ago | reply)
Beautiful Image :) Awesome :)
Miss Aniela (15 months ago | reply)
@ Sarah
there is indeed a short-billed swan!
birds all from the wallpaper. (was tempted to call the image Paper Bills..)
Mat texturonline (15 months ago | reply)
Love your work !!
CarloAlessio77 (15 months ago | reply)
Wonderful work!!!
Valerie Kasinski (15 months ago | reply)
this definitely reminds me on Tim Walker<3 this is so brilliant and everything about it is so amazing. it inspires me to expand my imagination so much more :)
Marianna Di Ferdinando (15 months ago | reply)
Loooooooooove everything here!!! A M A Z I N G !!!
Claudio Fleitas (15 months ago | reply)
Muy buena!
♫ Lion ♫ (15 months ago | reply)
Wow:)
Ryan O. Hicks [deleted] (15 months ago | reply)
I like the idea and it's a great start. I think a little better work on the shadows would allow the birds to match the scene more properly and complete this image.
The bird on the floor to the far right has no reflection or shadow in the wood, and the bird on top of the door has no shadow under its feet.
James Christopher / www.ModernCitizen.com (15 months ago | reply)
enchanting ;-)
Miss Aniela (15 months ago | reply)
Thanks ..well, they do have shadows, but maybe not as much as you would choose to add..
Miss Aniela (15 months ago | reply)
I might take a little look at the puffin's feet- he was the first one out so he's a bit complacent...
Brad Van Slooten (15 months ago | reply)
I like it. You almost have to see it large to get a true appreciation for all the work you put into it. There's a lot of detail that went into this busy image.
What makes it startling is the bird to her rear that seamlessly integrates to her dress. Also, the location of her left hand that leads our eyes to the bird to the right. The image of the bird's head on her white dress might just be one of the best special effects I have seen in a long time. I have no idea how you did that one (it looks like airbrush).
I couldn't help but think that this image might have had more impact if it were shot out doors and I'm not sure if all the other birds on the wall paper add or distract to the image. I'm just saying.
Miss Aniela (15 months ago | reply)
How about the desert... the image shape reminded me of a camel..
Brad Van Slooten (15 months ago | reply)
Yesss! A desert would have been a perfect location and the shape of the figures remind me of a desert camel. All sand though in the backdrop.
Miss Aniela (15 months ago | reply)
there's a desert image to come from me next... no birds in it though.. well, unless you count me.
i'm glad you like the bird on the dress, i fretted about this part.
Stevе (15 months ago | reply)
...or the arctic or a swamp :p
Miguel.Rosa (15 months ago | reply)
I love how one of the birds blends in her dress and how her dress blends in the other bird. And the reflection on the floor is quite awesome as well. Great great work.
Carlos Castañeda' (15 months ago | reply)
You inspire me a lot! this is completely amazing! I love so much the paintings!
Padrone (15 months ago | reply)
Totally amazing work, thank you for sharing!
Almost Never Black & White (15 months ago | reply)
Truly incredible!
alvazora (15 months ago | reply)
It is the most stunning of your works for me. These spatial and connotatial games make me blessed and I can't stop observing it: piece by piece - than the whole, than piece by piece again.
Günter Körtner (15 months ago | reply)
wow - i simply fell in love immediately
psycho_shock (15 months ago | reply)
hermoso ! :D
marcus mb (15 months ago | reply)
maaaaagic. incredibel work!
Briony Latter photography (15 months ago | reply)
Oh wow, there's so much detail and so many things to look at in this photograph, yet it doesn't feel cluttered at all. I find it really interesting and love those colours! :-)
guillermo mireles (15 months ago | reply)
Nice
miletbaker (15 months ago | reply)
I love this, I think this is one of your best yet. When you shared the work in progress image on Facebook this morning I wasn't sure where you were going with the image, I had a couple of ideas but you did both the ideas I thought you might and more. Brilliant.
Tsveta Haydarova (15 months ago | reply)
amazing!
dlemieux (15 months ago | reply)
this rendered me speechless at first, then i swore a few times. i looked a the image for several minutes and with each minute noticed a new detail. your talent disturbs me. oh and clever title
<3