Shooting Undina's AW20 Collection was my favorite time on and off camera at shootings we did till now.
Generally i am not the biggest fan of photo sessions - at times it is an exhausting task to accomplish :) Especially when playing both the creator both the promoter and lets say when one does a thing for its first times - it takes some experience to learn to organise better the process.
As it gets to small brands like us - i'm talking of a process A to Z. Imagination to Realization. But let's focus for now on Production to Promotion. So you better wanna have a complete series of interconnected items - a collection, spearing yourself endless dry homemade shots over the smartphone - each time a new design comes around.
Regarding production process - in our case, the whole call to action was intuitive and never planned. Therefore till now our whole production was a kind of a juggling between creating some of our own designs with our fairy dressmaker and buying ready made deadstocks which are then being upcycled by the attachment of our handwoven vintage crochet detail (and ofcourse at most cases manually cutted out as well).
Having your art work ready and set is just step one - now there is the thing of putting it out there in the light, letting the world know you exist - that's a whole piece of art by it self. We all know talented people mastering exactly this nowadays, as the mainstream yet living the reality of enormous consumption of "goods" and services as a quite bizarre way to try and satisfy our human needs.
I can say i'm just a beginner, with mastering my own art, mo matter what part of the process it has to do with. From designing the fit, choosing the fabrics, colors and till the arrangement of shooting days, loading to social media and our website, arranging sales, writing this article.. using all skills and talents. Im lucky to be choosing to do what i want, as this makes all the efforts invested much easier to be made, as i do it with joy. If pure will is not involved life shows me i might be taking the wrong road. My compass says - be genuine and enjoy, the process as well as the result are always better that way.
Photo Sessions are ideally approached in a manner of an artform made by a duet of the photographer and his/her muse.
I believe here comes the component of an artist's personal preference,
First rule for a successful session - VIBE the Photographer
First key component for me :) - feel the person behind the lense, know thy person - have a taste of their heart & soul.
Knowing another has to do with exposing yourself, therefore make sure you open up by yourself as well.. There starts another relation in your life - on & off the scene :)
This photoshoot is a result of a collaboration through open hearted communication together with a wild young lady; Moral Attar (https://www.instagram.com/moral_attar), a late entering - or i must be saying an accurate arriving soul into my life since the last passing 8 months - a gift from the universe for my practice of acceptance and fine inner tuning.
Not diving to it just one simple fact about our existence - we are the creators of our world.
And so Moral is definitely one of the people i've asked universe to send me in my way - an illuminating aspect to our relation.
Can that be seen on film? I do think so..
Once you feel open and known at least for the least of your own inner world - by the one looking throughout the whole shooting directly and closely at you; there is hardly a way to escape or to hide from the truly exposed human being that moment called you.
Second rule - Flow with the moment and its gifts - that has to do with flexibility and mobility. As i was looking for a new inspiring space for this photoshoot i was aiming and had in mind an old jaffa town style interior, with large arches and blue views. As the shooting was arranged pretty quick and spontaneous we flowed on just going out to the old town of jaffa, at the main square. Shortly after starting to play with the camera out in the sun, a friend walks by stating that ahead of us there is a beautiful new lounge & boutique known as Mr. something. (Check them out! - https://mrsomething.co.il/
The owners of the place were super inviting and so we continued the second part of the shooting within their exclusive magical space..
We are soooo grateful for the sweet and wide hearted hospitality by mr. Something!
Third rule for a successful session and first rule for a happy life! Enjoy. Just Enjoy it, whatever you do. Do it in your healthy pace, do it from pure inspiration, arrange your ideas and encourage yourself to try out new things & play.
Do it with a smile, if you meet others fill them with your kind attention, so treat yourself as well.