Behind the Scenes Film Shots:
This was something I knew I wanted, and I had photographed it on digital and while it looked great, I really preferred the film version when I received my scans. There is something about it that feels more nostalgic. I took a fly-on-the-wall approach for many of these shots and allowed our cinematographer to work while I documented.

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Jennifer Moher

Quick Info

Concept and Photography Jennifer Moher
Venue Fieldwork Studio
Styling and Gowns Atelier Caravaggio
Hair and Makeup Beauty Confidante
Backdrop Draping Decor District Co
Video Fieldwork Studio

Models Three ballet dancers from the National Ballet

Gear
Nikon Ziii with 24 to 70
Nikon D850 with 85
Nikon F100 with 35
Contax T2

Photographer: Jennifer Moher

‘1950s Ballet’
This shot was completely organic as Bella, our dancer, began moving and dancing across the stage. The music was loud and I believe it was Clair de Lune playing for this moment. Moments like these remind me that when we create a world that feels like a space our subjects can comfortably navigate, where they understand how to “be” and don't feel awkward, magic happens. Ian, the Cinematographer and I had reviewed a few images online of 1950s studio lighting and replicated the look with two lights. One in front and above, facing down and one behind and to the side.

Creative Direction & Preparation

“I have been really drawn to film set photography lately. I love the behind-the-scenes look into some of my favourite films. Most recently, Hamnet, Marty Supreme, and Frankenstein have featured some truly stunning on-set photography.”

“I wanted to take this idea and create a movie set concept styled shoot for myself.
I created a mood board mainly filled with images of ballet dancers, Sofia Coppolas Marie Antoinette and some beautiful wedding gown inspiration.”

“I reached out to a ballet dancer first, as I knew i wanted to photograph her, she had two friends who were also in the National Ballet who were interested in participating as the models. From there, I reached out to my friend and dress designer, Erin (Atelier Caravaggio) and asked her if she wanted to create three looks for the shoot. Together, we decided on a Marie Antoinette theme for the styling. Within a week she had sent me an image of the first dress, and four days later sent me the second.”

“From there, I sourced a venue and knew that the venue would dictate the direction of the story. I chose Fieldwork Studio in Toronto because they have two separate shooting spaces - one with a beautiful textured wall, and the other with a white infinity cove. This choice allowed me to create a story of two eras, one set in the 1800s and the other in the 1950s. The owner of Fieldwork is also a cinematographer and so he offered to shoot video with the Arri Alexa cinema camera, which I immediately said yes to. Having him there shooting solidified the concept of film set photography, and I was able to lean in further to this theme.”

“Hair and makeup was next, and I reached out to my friend Anna (beauty confidante), whom I adore and trust fully. She personifies this beautiful Hollywood romance in everything she does and was the perfect fit.”

“We booked a decor company to create a theatrical backdrop for the 1800s scene and relied on their expertise to create something beautiful.”

“Ian (the videographer) and I collaborated a lot throughout the day on the shots and scenes. This allowed me to step back and watch him document certain moments, giving my brain space to decide what could happen next.”

'As we were shooting, I had this visual in my head where I would shift between the eras visually while focusing on our main character, perhaps leaning into a dream-like state or past life story line. Maybe the 1800s character is visualizing what life is like in the future….or maybe the 1950s character is feeling a past life version of her. I love the mystery of it.

I had prompted the dancers to get into this similar positioning at certain points throughout the shoot, knowing that i would create a GIF from it.

In post production, I edited each image and then brought them into Photoshop and overlaid one over the other with 50% opacity to match up the facial features in our main character.

On the Day

“I often think of adaptability as a superpower I've gained from decades of photographing weddings. Inevitably, things often don’t go as planned on a wedding day, and we have to be quick thinkers and problem solvers at times. I am always open to little gifts from the universe on days like these.”

“There was a moment when we were planning on shooting the 1950s ballet scene and a box of dessert showed up for the girls, so I brought it over to where they were standing and we ended up using the content for images and video. It was such a real and wholesome moment.”

“The beginning of styled shoots can feel a little hollow at times, and I know it often takes a moment to find my footing and immerse into the story, or to even understand what the story is. The first moment that I stepped back and documented Ian shooting video, I felt everything click creatively.”

'The Backstory’
There was an unexpected magic that occurred here. We had an idea of what we wanted for the draping, and once it was set up, It didn’t feel 100% right. Typically, I hate asking for things to be altered, and I feel bad speaking up. I gently asked if we could create a theatrical opening to expose the textured wall and the designer instantly understood the vision and altered the backdrop.

“From there, we had the dresses set up in an alternative space, which looked beautiful, but it occurred to me that this set would make a beautiful backdrop for the gowns to be displayed. We brought them in and it felt as if the whole space came alive. The sun started to shine through the window -we added the ballet tutus and this became our set - I love that the dresses essentially became part of the set itself.”

‘When Erin first sent me the image for this specific gown, I knew it would be our main character and would need to have a big moment. Erin left the fabric roll attached to the train of the gown and I just adored how Conner, our model, was delicately holding it. We had cinematic classical music playing (very loud) during this, and I just asked for Connor to gently flow with the music.’

Shooting Approach

“I relied heavily on music to dictate the movement and energy. I had a playlist that was created for this shoot and used the entire time. When I wanted intensity in eye contact or posing, I played November by Max Richter, Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, or Mozart’s Requiem. When I wanted something more innocent and gentle, I leaned into Debussy’s Clair de Lune, Mahler's Symphony no.5, and Camille Saint-Saens Carnival of the Animals VII.”

“We created characters out of each of the three girls with their own personalities, and I guided them using those, we also had one that was more of the main character. The more we could make this feel like a film, the more energy I knew it would bring.”

Editing & Final Look

“For the film photos, Ilford HP black and white 400, I wanted to recreate the feeling of behind the scenes of movie sets, similar to the black and white natural light images shot on the set of Frankenstein by Jacob Elordi and the BTS flash photography of Sofia Coppola's Marie Antionette.”

“For the digital images, I wanted something soft and romantic for both eras, leaning into both color and black and white.”

Bigger Picture

“A wedding parallels a movie production in so many ways. It's a large-scale situation, often with huge number of creators involved in the day and many moving parts. For years, I approached a wedding like I was more of a director, but this year I am taking on the approach of a Film set unit photographer. Someone who is there documenting all the moving parts rather than JUST the feature film. It takes us a couple step back, rather than being so zoomed in on the perfection of the day, and it adds an element of honesty and aliveness that feels really exciting to document.”

“I have been buying books like The Sofia Coppola Archive and Even as a shadow, even as a dream (a book of unit photographer from Hamnet) to immerse myself more into this approach rather than looking at the work of my peers prior to shooting.”

“Overall, I really love the challenge of making a styled shoot feel “alive”, and the idea that we can show up to these shoots and not just take pretty pictures but actually create a story and make it feel lived in and honest. I think this can push us forward with all of the work we create.”

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