This is why you hire models! Yes I had ran around to 30 different bridges the day before to find the perfect bridge/lighting, and also spent countless hours creating these looks, BUT this moment is ultimately sold by the models. It’s one of my favorites from this whole scene and I give all the credit to them. We just got out of a pose I had requested and I had Gloria stand back up, they both just fell into this for me and it was like fireworks. I told them, wow ok we got it we’re done here, and we left this location early!
Quick Snapshot
Location: Venice, Italy
Talent: Two professional models from separate Italian agencies (meeting for the first time on set)
Creative Team: Photographer: Kasey Powell. No stylist, planner, or assistants
Gear: Canon Rebel 2000, Sigma 24–35mm, Sigma Art 50mm f/1.4, a little Pentax 645.
Film Stocks:
Kodak ColorPlus 200
Portra 400 (35mm & 120)
Cinestill 800T
Kodak Gold 120
by Kasey Powell
Pre-Production and Planning
I often travel during the winter for fun and had already decided on going to Florence and Venice for the museums and food. I’d never been to Venice but I like for these shoots to use iconic locations, something that people have often seen and are familiar with but probably haven’t experienced themselves, and I knew Venice was one of those spots...
These planned shoots for me are always about creating something visually epic, without being contrived. They often start with some feeling or vision that pops up in my head one day, and I just chase that until it feels complete.
It can be really hard in this world of instant gratification and fast fashion to not feel pressured to create, but for me, slowing down is how I create my best work.
Being that it would be winter in early January when the trip was planned and knowing I’d need to keep my models warm, I next focused on the female model’s outfit. I pretty much knew instantly the vibe I wanted to go for fashion wise. 60s/70s era, boujee skiing on the alps vibe, big fur jacket and hat. Everything for this shoot was basically built around this, the location, the jacket, and the hat. The styling and fashion sourcing took a lot of time and is something that can definitely make or break a shoot in my opinion, so a lot of my focus went into making sure all of the fashion was perfect. There were 15 pieces all together. I have hired stylists in the past and love them but since I had a really clear vision, I just did it on my own.
‘How I Shot This’
This is my favorite type of light, and the kind I’m most comfortable shooting in. I actually tried to avoid this kind of direct light in this shoot since it’s something I’m already really comfortable with and have a lot of work showcasing. But, this was too gorgeous to ignore. I just told them to walk ahead and wait for me for a second. They just walked and chatted and I snapped when it felt right in frame.
Once I had the main vision for the outfit and location determined, I started my model search. I typically only work with professional models so I contacted a few agencies in Italy and started that process. I knew I wanted the female model to have brown hair, but otherwise felt open to who I could find. I could go on about my model process but, in general, it’s the same way I feel about fashion. I find it extremely important to perfect the model choices, and if I couldn’t find the perfect models, the shoot wouldn’t even be worth continuing for me.
I conceptualised the shoot into four locations and planned all the timings around my preferred lighting/emotion for each location.
I scouted all of my researched locations two days in advance, at the correct shoot times, planned out walking times, and used that info to build my moodboard and finalize the artistic story needed to weave everything together as one cohesive piece.
‘The Background’
This was not planned. We were done shooting formally and just started walking back to the hotel, I saw this background and said something like, wow just stop here a second and face me. I grabbed maybe two frames while someone briefly caught their attention, then we just kept walking!
Finally, I knew from the beginning that the shoot had to be done completely on film, my digital work just couldn’t create the emotion & texture I was looking to show. It felt a tad risky of course but I trusted the feeling, and it paid off 100%!
On the Day
Since it was winter, the gondoliers were mostly wearing jackets over their classic striped shirts. The first gondolier was not wanting to take his jacket off (understandably, it was cold). I just kinda jokingly kept pushing the jacket request and then thought we might actually need to go try somewhere else, but the original guy who I talked to jumped in a boat and took his jacket off! He was amazing in the end and it made the shot.
‘A Favorite Shot’
This lighting was incredible, we had full sun, and I had maybe 15 seconds before we turned around so I quickly asked for them to embrace (the original prompt was a bit more romantic), which made us all giggle because in reality, we were all strangers who had just met an hour earlier and this was my first intimate prompt I gave them. I never care about nailing a pose or idea, it’s really just a tool to create movement and then I wait for the right moment to shoot, whatever that moment may be.
‘Why I Choose Models’
One of the reasons I typically only work with professional models for these planned shoots is because they allow me to fully focus on the creative. They are confident and know their best angles and are wanting to produce a high end product as well, so they usually nail posing 90% all on their own. They are artists too and will come up with some angles or poses I’d never think of!
Editing & Final Look
People always ask me about my camera but it’s just a random, cheap Canon film camera I came upon a couple years ago. I loved how the scans looked with my lenses and prefer it over other film cameras I’ve tried! (All film stock is listed above) I pre-chose film based on time of day, ISO, and mood of each location. I tend to edit all of my work in the same way, ethereal yet real. I love for things to feel a bit painterly but still living in the world of realism. The lab and exposure of the film can also dictate an image for me, which I love.
We were done formally shooting and just walking back to the hotel. I looked over and thought to myself, ‘wow, this is so beautiful’ and just lifted the camera and snapped. I didn’t say anything and never stopped walking. I shoot weddings a lot like this on film so it just kind of happened automatically.
Zooming Out
These shoots help me grow a lot in my paid wedding work.
Since there is no client to please or final product to deliver, a lot of the typical constraints are off and I really allow myself to do exactly what it is I want/feel. This allows me to experiment with new techniques or editing or whatever comes up, without penalty, and I often walk away with new tools in my tool belt for the wedding day that I now feel confident using for paid work (and also now have the content to advertise for that particular thing). I also believe that standing out is both really difficult and really important in this modern age of marketing.
My personal work is what allows me to explore who I am as an artist and carve out my own niche, in a way that doesn’t feel externally driven. When it comes to shooting film, confidence in yourself and your gear should be pretty high for paid work; shoots like these not only help build your confidence, but build your confidence in a way that allows you to take the calculated risks needed to be an exceptional wedding artist.
I easily end up spending thousands of dollars on shoots like these (models, fashion, tickets, hotels, etc.) and at least 80 hours or more from beginning to end in labor, so I really give it my all and take big risks in hopes of creating something worth all the time and effort.
And in my experience, the images I create have always been more than worth it; it's always pretty transformative for me and my work.
Photography by Kasey Powell
