Countryphile Editorial

I can at last share with you all the Countryphile Editorial shots that we did in August, which is very exciting, and finally it has all been handed off and ready to go. Just in time for tomorrows Charity Fashion Show in Brighton, all in aid of raising money for Orphans International.

I asked our photographer for this shoot Gareth Gregg to do a guest blog about this photo shoot from his perspective, but before I present his account, let me first share some of the amazing shots we created together.

The full team:

Photography: Gareth Gregg

Wardrobe: Chrissie Nicholson-Wild

Creative Director, hair and make-up design and location manager: Zoe Della Rocca

Make-up: Sarah Vickery

 Videographer: Ed Beeson

Video Assistant: Zoe Van Spyk

Models: Tarcha Ann Josephine Peters, Damole Egbeyemi, Victoria Bennis, Rebecca Bennis

Horse: Nugget

To commission Gareth Gregg :

Garethgregg@rocketmail.com

07870179714
Sometimes i find that when you have a new shoot on the horizon it takes a bit of time to get inspiration about how it should be put together and what mood and lighting you should use. With this particular shoot that wasn’t a problem. when Chrissie said to me "Think lady of the manor gone feral" it gave all of us plenty of inspiration. 

I think when I look back on the original ideas that came about from the initial talks we had and how they developed into the concept that we used in the end it really shows how creative development is a natural and organic part of any shoot. That’s not to say what we discussed first was wrong or incorrect but it just shows how through discussion ideas are moulded and refined during the lead up to what was the final result. 

One of the most important aspects of putting together a fashion shoot is team work. Your role in the team and how you bring your skills to the table is key, Everyone has their own separate skill set and its important that what you apply compliments everyone else’s ideas. The way we achieved this was through the preparation, We had several meetings to bounce about ideas and the power of websites such as Pinterest really help you compile mood boards that all members of the team can then contribute images to. These aspects really nail the final ideas and make sure they are a success. 

We had settled on a total of two test shoots followed by the main shoot. The initial shoots for me really helped work out different lighting styles and angles. We were blessed with beautiful sunsets during the test shoots which yielded fantastic results. On the main shoot though the weather wasnt as good but that gave me the chance to really introduce some moody lighting techniques in the stables. This moody effect really turned out to be the dominant style and once we introduced some of the outside shots into the final set the juxtaposition worked really well.

 I was told once by a local photographer that any team putting together a shoot should strive for it being memorable. You should make sure that the viewer should see the work and remember it. I think we all really achieved this. All aspects were really pushed to the limit. From the key corsetry designs being the base we then introduced the fantastic high end leather work and even real horses hair that was woven into the models own hair to give a striking and unusual effect. All the elements were there and as with anything like this on their own isn't sufficient its only when all of these little touches are brought together that the ideas come to life. 

It was my first time working with animals. I did a little bit of research on the net about how horses behave around studio lights. According to the experts its actually the presence of the objects that freak the horses out as opposed to the flash. it was important that when we worked with nugget that he got used to my big camera being there as well as the additional equipment we had. All in all though he was great and we got some stunning shots. even if we did have to ply him with constant treats! 

Big thanks to all involved. It was a fantastic project that has really given some fantastic results.

Many thanks to Gareth for writing this guest blog, and for being such an awesome person to collaborate with. There are more shots to follow, but I shall save them for another day.

Cxxx