Ben Trovato - The Falling + BTS Video | Fashion Photography Blog

Ben Trovato The Falling + BTS Video

The Video

2012 started with an upheaval of change. Painful, gut-wrenching, seismic change. From January 1^st, my life began a new journey. Part of that new journey was my reconciliation with the way I see. The thing is, I’ve always been a little weird. I’ve been told my work is “edgy” since my college days. “Dark, mysterious, seductive, depressing, edgy, suicidal, achingly beautiful, tortured, cathartic”…..these are all words I’ve heard over the years describing my work. So I tried to conform, to shoot in a style that wasn’t mine but would appease the masses. I shot freckled girls in denim jeans on white backgrounds holding puppies and smiling toothy grins of teenaged innocence. I’ve shot long legged girls in itsy-bitsy bikinis on pearl sanded beaches with come hither eyes. I’ve shot commercially acceptable, masses approachable, clean, honest and totally sans “edge” fashion photographs.

“All you can do is be confusing. Don’t ever empty the bucket of mystery. Never let people define what you do. It’s not about zigging when you should zag. It’s not about doing something unprecedented and unpredictable. It’s just about never being a word, or something that is not in the process of transformation.”
Marilyn Manson

But it hasn’t been my vision. This work was not mine! So with the upheaval of change that this year forced upon me came the renewed sense of my own Self, facing me again, asking myself, what’s it all about. I came up with this: if I can’t shoot what I love and how I see, what’s the point.

I flew to my hometown, Los Angeles, on January 9^th and I threw myself into work. I know, ironic right? I leave NYC land of fashion uberness to go to tacky LA to throw myself into work. I find it very odd that NY’ers hate LA people but LA people LOVE NY’ers. I think when you’re laying in the sun on January 15th in the backyard sipping on a mojito planning the menu for your outdoor barbeque that evening, there’s really nothing for an LA person to hate on a NY’er. But that’s just one theory. Any way, back to me going home: I shot 4 editorials and 2 video commercials in 6 weeks. I collaborated with my dear friend Rodney Burns who styled all the shoots. Ben Trovato being one of them.

The technical specs on this shoot can’t be any simpler. I shot with no artificial light. I used a large window to the right of the set as my key. That’s it. I shot with the Nikon D3 with my 85mm at 1/160^th of a sec at about F4. I shot anywhere from 400 to 1000 ISO. I was inspired by a picture I found of Keith Richards. One picture. That’s all it took. What really tied the shoot together for me was shooting the story on a Fashion Back Drop. I have mentioned my friend, Sedi Pak, in previous posts. Her back drops are amazing and really embellish my shoots! You can view the full editorial on Ben Trovato here.

I look at the results, the final pictures, and I’m pleased. But the feeling goes beyond being “satisfied”. I’m home. If that makes any sense. Shooting what I love and how I see fashion. My greatest wish for myself is that I can stick to this and not listen to people anymore telling me I must conform and change to shoot in a style that isn’t mine. I guess we’re all going to find out together if I can stick to my guns and stay true to my vision now. I’ve shed a lot of baggage so far this year. A lot of negative, heavy, cumbersome baggage. And I’m continuing to shed more. The excuses to NOT stick to my guns are getting fewer and fewer. Since my blog is very public (haha…. understatement of the century) you’re all along on this journey WITH me…….so as I like to say…..stay tuned.

51 COMMENTS

Samantha Nandez

April 6, 2012

I felt I’ve been going through the same thing this year as well. Last year I spent expanding my portfolio, but I think I went too far and shot what I thought people wanted to see. This year, because of many things that have happened to me, I’ve realized, I need to shoot how I want to shoot and hope that gets me where I want to me. It’s all about defining style, which I don’t think I have yet, but I have a better idea of where I want it to be. I’m ready to revamp my site, shoot photos that represent ME, and share that work with the world and see where it can take me.

Hey, if the world is going to end this year, might as well go out with a bang right?

Tim Scott

April 6, 2012

Melissa,

This is a fantastic blog post. There seems like there is something going around the “creative” world right now with a lot of people finding new inspiration, new hope and passions in things that feed our soul.

Me, personally, I have been in the advertising world for over 20 years and left NYC 5 years ago after working as a creative director at some of the “best” agencies in the world feeling discouraged, demoralized and questioning everything that I thought I love in the world of “creativity”.

Now, I make much less money working on much less glamorous work and I am 1,000% happier, more inspired and feeling excited to do what I do every day again. I think that I too had given up so much of me and what truly inspired me on the floor in the name of “success” which ended up being such a hollow, lonely place anyway.

So now I am back to doing what turns me on, creatively, personally and intellectually and I feel so much more like ME. I am no longer for sale. I will create what feeds my soul and is the HONEST and RIGHT thing to do for both me and my clients. The funny thing is that I’m starting to find more “success” with this approach now, and, I’m happy, inspired and dreaming big again. That to me is success.

Thanks for your honesty, passion and doing what you do. Your work has inspired me to shoot more again, on medium and large format FILM, and I am loving it.

Never settle.

Tim

John Waiblinger

April 6, 2012

Gorgeous … and stick with you vision because it’s just kinda brilliant!

Isid0r0s

April 6, 2012

Amazing work!

Bravo

T. Waterman

April 6, 2012

Love your work Melissa! I completely agree that if you’re not shooting with your natural vision then what’s the point? Keep doing what you do best, you inspire so many!

larry gassan

April 6, 2012

Spot on. A wise counselor I knew once said “Where is this “Book of Should’?—meaning when people say “you should be doing this! Or that! Where is it written? You have to figure it out for yourself, and be prepared to own it.

Terry Christian

April 6, 2012

Love your work, Melissa! Yes, your photography is dark, edgy, daring, mysterious — but that’s exactly why it is beautiful and what sets it apart from the pack. You inspire us to do the same.

Maria T

April 6, 2012

Amazing work!This is a fantastic blog post!!!!!!!!!!!

michaelJ

April 6, 2012

Stunning work, I don’t normally bother to comment on blogs – tend to just flit through things, but had to stop and post here.

You are absolutely right to do your own thing and if it’s more of this then you have made the right choice

Joe | Fotosiamo

April 6, 2012

Wow Melissa, your work is amazing! I totally feel you about having your own vision drive your creativity and photography and not just trying appeal to the commercial masses. I too feel that I am starting to develop a style and that I should stick to what I feel defines my vision. I shoot fashion and commercial, but I try not to do too many of the trendy look, too.

I would love to hear your opinion of my work, Melissa or anyone else on this blog, as I have only been shooting for almost a year and am starting to hit my stride: http://www.fotosiamo.com

Thanks for all the inspiration!

Regards,
Joe Gunawan | fotosiamo

Tamera

April 6, 2012

I’m with you — I’ve been going through kind of a creative renaissance as well, and I like it.

This shoot was fantastic. I caught it on the Ben Trovato blog and now here. The finished images are beautiful. Congratulations on coming back around to your true self.

david weimann

April 7, 2012

wow…nice work!

Albert

April 7, 2012

I’m always a fan. Lovely!

ken

April 7, 2012

Love this…reminds me a lot of Ben Kjanarek’s work w/ the cookies.

I was surprised to see you using a D3…given up on Canon?

ken

April 7, 2012

Love this…reminds me a lot of Ben Kjanarek’s work w/ the cookies.

I was surprised to see you using a D3…given up on Canon?

JK

April 7, 2012

Melissa – These photos are stunning and your post is really inspiring as I try to finally make an attempt at being a professional photographer after graduating with a photography degree over 30 years ago. Keep dumping that baggage. You’re obviously on the right path!

Joe Powers

April 8, 2012

Gorgeous!

Pedro Mendes

April 9, 2012

Loved reading this post Melissa. As I’m trying to find my voice, I am reminded to stick to what I love mostly. You’re, as always, an inspiration.
Love from Portugal

joan

April 9, 2012

Your stile show us always a part of you. It doesn´t matter if is more or less comercial. Go with whatever you need in every moment of your live and keep on riding!!.
BTW, I love your new photos!!
I hope you can understand me, my english is horrible!.

Craig @ Canvas Prints From Photos

April 10, 2012

These are beautiful images! Im glad you have decided to remain true to yourself. Let the people who find it natural shooting images of puppy’s and sweet girls carry on – they will do a good job. Your work is tremendous as it is!

Pierre-Alain

April 10, 2012

Always very interested by your blog and “making off” videos. There is so much to learn and automatisms to acquire to be able to concentrate on the “artistic” part in portraits. Thank you.

Kathrin

April 10, 2012

Awesome…you are always best at the things you´ve got most passion for…Love your work!!

Jamie

April 10, 2012

Well said, I hate it when a client hires me based on my book, then wants me to shoot to a totally different and boring style. Unfortunately I need the money!
Don’t conform and stay true to your vision.

PS Background’s lovely!

Mike

April 10, 2012

Hi Melissa, What raw conversion software do you use?

Annie MF

April 11, 2012

Melissa,

Thank you for sharing. I’m 18, living in Vienna and reading your blog since it’s beginnings. To me, this is the most beautiful post you’ve yet written. Probably because it is the most truthful one. I don’t want to get started in the Fashion Industry yet. I want my photographs to be MY photographs before they become anyone else’s. Just the thought of letting my work stand on it’s own makes me dedicate myself to it even more.

I think there is a tendency that people now realize how badly they ignored their roots and how manipulated they are. Just think of the food people eat, the newspaper articles full of wrong facts, the anonymous identities on the internet full of promises…. all of that makes it even harder for all of us to find our true self within this world as we don’t yet realize the consequences of what we’ve done to nature because it just doesn’t really affect us yet!

It’s very true that you won’t fulfill anyone’s expectations until you fulfill your own. Hope you have a good day and stay on that track

All the best,
Annie

Tim

April 11, 2012

An incredibly inspiring post. It can get very depressing trying to go against the criticism and money trying to pull you away from yourself. One thing that sure helps, though, is stories like this of resisting, and staying true. Just knowing someone as established as you struggles, too, helps for some reason. And the struggle seems to be worth it: these photographs so much more interesting than the Chanel on the boat ones!

oscarLA

April 12, 2012

Greatness,,thanks for sharing your life moments with us !!

Don Hajicek

April 12, 2012

If shooting fashion isn’t about shooting how you feel, then nothing is. I wish you well on the new part of your journey. I hope you are blessed with each one being better than the last. There is little else one could hope for. Change is always good.

Quang

April 13, 2012

These are amazing, Melissa. My favorites are the third and last one. Personally, I like your dark and edgy style more cause I feel it’s part of you. Thanks for sharing your journey with us. Wish you all the best as always

derek

April 16, 2012

good 4 u. that must have been a helluva build up to make that decision…

Sarees

April 18, 2012

Cool photography.. Nice fashion shoot… Keep it up..

Rebecca Little

April 18, 2012

Beautiful! I love the makeup, clothes, everything. With all us us so connected these days, it’s even harder to remain true to your vision.

Amy Nelson-Blain

April 23, 2012

Absolutely beautiful photographs Melissa!
I noticed that you seem to have some tree branches creating a pattern across the background – how did you do that? Is it just creating a shadow from the window light or did you use a different light source to create the shadows.

Amy Nelson-Blain

April 23, 2012

Toto

April 30, 2012

Inspiring to be watching a transformation happen… Thanks for sharing!

Bela

May 3, 2012

The beauty of these photos blew me away. Your decision to stick to your vision and to who you really are rings all the bells in my Cathedral.

Isn’t it ironic that so many of us spend so many years – sometimes a lifetime – traveling….to our own backyard? Isn’t that the longest journey, ever?

George Quiroga

May 5, 2012

Melissa, I love you for your vision and your results, not for the vision of others or what they want from you. Keep on being yourself and producing the artistic, beautiful, cutting-edge work that you do. I understand that my words of encouragement may not pay the bills but even if you must do the bidding of others to make a living, always make time for yourself to be you.
Thank you for sharing your vision.

Lisi-lu

May 12, 2012

The shoots are absolutly lovely, they seem to breath your heartblood.

Hunter McLachlan

May 16, 2012

Hi Melissa,
Beautiful photos used, Great work.

Pedro

June 9, 2012

Very nice Work

Cheers from Portugal

Tate Mcgee

July 3, 2012

I truly believe that we all have to return to our true selves if we want to find excellence within ourslveves and our work.

Debra

July 20, 2012

Wow thanks…I’m a hobbyist but I have that dark, moody edgy vision too and I feel so pressured to do cutesy lifestyle and kiddie work that is popular among some of the forums I’m on. Love the shoot – it’s fabulous.