Kurv Magazine White Story + BTS Video

The Video

In keeping with my commitment to stay true to my vision and to continue shooting in a style that is my own, I shot this white story for Kurv Magazine’s spring issue in a way I’ve always wanted to see a White Story.
I’ve done plenty of white stories over the years, but I always sort of compromised here and there because whoever I was shooting for didn’t want to go exactly in the direction I wanted to take it in. In the end, I was always a bit disappointed in the results. But not this time. This shoot, I’m fairly pleased with.

Again, I collaborated with Rodney Burns from Church Boutique in Hollywood, California. I can’t even begin to describe how amazing it is to work with Rodney. He’s on my DVD, I write about him all the time, and yet every time I work with him it feels so magical, as if it’s the first time we’re collaborating and I can’t believe my eyes! He’s THAT good! He pulled these pieces from designer Furne One that truly blew my mind. And he coordinated the clothing to compliment the pieces. I trust his eye completely and just KNOW that my shoots are going to rock because of his amazing taste.

I wanted two blondes for this shoot. I’ve worked with Sarah Deanna before and she’s just amazing. She’s as beautiful on the inside as she is on the out! She also is publishing a book soon called Model Skinny. She writes about her healthy secrets on how one can get skinny and stay skinny the healthy way! I love a girl who gives back to our industry in a positive and loving way! I thought Jennifer was a good match for Sarah Deanna because, well ,she’s a stone cold fox as well! Both girls were on point and really knew how to emote for the story. James from Photogenics helped me cast this shoot. It was nice to work with “the old team”, so to speak.

I worked with make up artist Camille Clark from AIM Artists. I’ve worked with Camille many times when I lived in LA and she’s a very talented make up artist. I was excited to work with her again and ended up using her on 3 out of 4 editorials that I shot in LA. Hair stylist Jonathan Mason came on board that day. This was actually the first time I worked with Jonathan and that day we sort of bonded to the point that now when I am in LA, he’s my go to hair stylist. Thanks again to Timothy Priano, owner of Artists by Timothy Priano, for making that introduction!

I used window light and Christmas tree lights behind a silk against a backdrop as my lighting sources. That’s it! I know, I’m sorry I don’t have some great big lighting set up to break off for you. This is my lighting and how I see fashion shot and I never have liked seeing things over-lit. I’ve said that numerous times. Over and over, I’ve reiterated how I use one light, or “less is more” or keep it simple. Well, I’ve gone even more simple now, using available light from a window or the continuous light from the room we are shooting in as my key or main lighting source.

Of course, I used the Nikon D3 and my 85mm lens for the shoot. I also used my 24mm lens and a 50mm lens as well. I think what makes this shoot really work is the amazing styling from Rodney and the emoting from two very professional models, Sarah Deanna and Jennifer. And me staying true to my vision! More to come and excited to continue to share with you my vision! Keep it real! xoxo

40 COMMENTS

Damarcus Ikard

April 19, 2012

wow! i’m stunned i was really impressed with your gothic dark work along with other shots but this is like some fairytale and it is just as wonderfully done. I also agree with your one light theory my photography teacher is a stickler for one lighting source only with minimum if any added lighting.

Lauri Levenfeld

April 19, 2012

Melissa, This is a true masterpiece. The feeling, texture, motion is just stunning. I am in love with your mind! You are such a unique artist girl! xxo!

John Waiblinger

April 19, 2012

OMFG! these are amazing… and the lighting is just so luminescent,gorgeous, mysterious… I’m blown away by these. My list of available adjectives fails me at the moment. Love this shoot, and FABULOUS video, too, btw! Love you demonstrating the poses.

T. Waterman

April 19, 2012

Amazing images Melissa! I think my favorites so far!

Alan Langley

April 19, 2012

Love them – I can’t believe just how good the light looks. Inspirational as always.

Timothy R. Lowery

April 19, 2012

Melissa, this is breathtakingly stunning! As always, CONGRATS!

larry gassan

April 19, 2012

If I may say so, this is a delicious Allison Goldfrapp delirium! Rock on!

Maria T

April 19, 2012

SUPER…Delicious !!!! Great Shots

PJ

April 19, 2012

Inspiring. Love your personality on set!!!!!

Rebecca Getsfrid, Portland, OR Commercial Photographer

April 19, 2012

I love the slow blurring at the edges of each photo. Particularly on the full length gown shot, it really makes it looks like that gown was painted. It’s incredibly pretty.

Chad Currie

April 19, 2012

This is beautiful. It so much fun when photographers get to work in our style completely and not have to comprise with anyone about anything. These last two shoots are a reminder that you are an artist. Amazing!

Ellie B

April 19, 2012

Love the pictures Melissa truly beautiful – and you are way too modest! – but to what extent is PP a factor in getting this kind of end result? I can see that a lot of work goes into setting this up but is it all done with lighting? Any chance you would post some shots before PP?

Benton Sampson

April 19, 2012

Stunning, Melissa. I am a big fan of your work and admire it all, but I feel like with these last two posts I have enjoyed your work even more. I agree with your mentality too, less is more. I like keeping things as simple as possible as well. The Christmas lights really add a sense this magical/dreamy feel…gorgeous all around.

Zlata

April 19, 2012

Wonderful work. Melissa, you are magic photographer!!!

Dave

April 20, 2012

SPEECHLESS.

Sofia Röjder

April 21, 2012

Wow this is gorg. Love it. Wasn’t it hard to shoot all that white? I would imagine that it’s very easy to overexpose these?

J

April 22, 2012

Love the images, how did u manage to bring out so much detail in the clothes by only using window light? Would you be able to share with us a bit more information on the camera settings you used & what was done in post? Really love your fashion vision!

Asia De Montesquieu

April 22, 2012

Completely mesmerizing work, Melissa! And absolutely, stay true to your vision as a photographer and artist. It what keeps you going and keeps your enthusiasm alive as a photographer.

After being a fine art and portrait photographer in my free time photographing actors, writers, musicians to muses, I relatively recently decided to embark the world of fashion as a professional photographer.

I had many doors shut in my face because they felt my work was considered ‘too edgy, too surreal, too haunting or too strange’ for the industry.

What I do is deliver what the client or model agency wants with a touch of my vision, yet continue to engage into creatives to express myself in my spare time, inspired by the arts, cinema, life.

Keep on creating these gorgeous gems, Melissa. You’re an amazing artist.

Raymond Murray

April 22, 2012

I love the blog site, I have been pouring through it since last night, your honesty is inspirational. I have found myself learning things that I didn’t notice before. I love the latent you, now emerging, rediscovering your passion. Ofcourse having an amazing team compliments your abilities. I hope to buy your dvd shortly when finances improve or I may just just buy it and sell one of my norman 4000 packs and a couple of strobes, that has been sat in my bedroom for 4 years doing nothing. I hope that it will give me the insight in to the business side of fashion photography that might finaly lead to some success, being published in a credible magazine and maybe some advertising dollars (or in my case for 2012 pounds). I love your work you are an inspiration to those of us a couple of (literal) years younger who’s lack of success and business savvy over the past twenty odd years drives us forward. I would love to submit my fashion images but fear that they are too beauty and commercial orienteered to be rated by you. But in time when clean well lit sharp images come back in vogue I will throw some your way. I can sympathise with your perspective of other peoples critiq. When you work with others it seems that instead of them viewing your work and style and having you shoot similar images that 9 times out of 10 they try to get you to work outside of what you like to do. Then they critisize you for being inflexible, when all the time you bent over backwards to give them an image that they wanted but still stayed some what true to yourself. And ended up with niether of you getting fully satisfied. Thank goodness that we can enjoy the journey the process of the shoot. I do not want to complain too much, but I am looking forward to your discovery of a solution to that delema. look at Norman Parkinson, Avendon or good old Helmut, bless his soul. I bet no one said to them could you make it more artsy and then show your 10 images from art school, really I can remember seeing those same images back then, why do you need me; you could take better shots than these shots yourself.
Well love you much. Keep upp the great work…

hana tajima

April 22, 2012

good god, those girls look really pale.. not to my liking but the style is definitely unique.. and i love your vids

Gerald

April 25, 2012

I love the way you made the background twinkle lights with X-mas lighting gear.

Tom

April 25, 2012

Respect for the camera work by the making of video. Nice steadycam operating !

Jessica myourstyle

April 28, 2012

I love how it was made! Lighting is very perfect.:) I love your site and I want to be part of it!

Organizador de Bolsa

April 30, 2012

This is so beatiful! I love the pureness, simply white!

Lorii Abela

April 30, 2012

Wow! Truly magnificent work! Amazing and beautiful photos.

Gabriel

May 1, 2012

The pictures are stunning, no surprise here, but how about some more Photoshop tips on how to get this kind of fashion look. I mean the skin tone is out of this world. Thank Melissa!