Men in Skirts

I was in the studio recently with Rosie Bertuello. The styling and concept is completely down to this girl.  This was just a test shoot but - I already love it! I can see it's going to progress and she is really on to something. 

Rosie approached me and asked me to photograph this for her. For part of my FMP I am exploring off-screen space within photography. So I took this opportunity to experiment with this. She wanted crops anyway to portray her concept and I wanted to see if offscreen space can compare in the studio with location. Now these are not edit so bare with me (Rosie wanted black and white so thats why they are currently):

Off-screen space is world that is existing or occurring beyond the frame (public view of knowledge). It is the space that is imagined and not seen by the audience which can relate to areas behind the camera, outside the edges of the frame or noises. These evoke curiosity in man as we automatically want to know what is in the extended scene and often try to create our own narrative. 

This was just a little experiment for myself to see how it works in the studio without the help of scenery. I love the shots and concept alongside and I do feel like I want to know the extension of the scene. However, I feel this idea of the extended scene works better on location with a surrounding that completely changes the fashion story.

While in the studio with my beautiful model in front of me, I took the opportunity to take some portraits: 

All my recent test shoots for Body London have been black and white, and with Rosie wanting black and white I just sort of followed suit and everything I am dong lately has followed too. However I do really love the odd colour edits I have achieved like the one above and the one shot in this post. I definitely need to push myself towards colour more, I'm getting too comfortable in a monochrome scene.

Model: Edvin @ SUPA

Styling: Rosie Bertuello

Photography: Jessica Gates

Old Work

Here are a selection of a few I got earlier on in the year...

Styling: Rosie Buertello & Emily Grimes

Photography: Jessica Gates

Procrastination...

As you may or may not know, I am in my third year at university. We all know what third year means.... the dreaded dissertation!!! Right now I can't even pick up a book! I literally sit for hours doing other (more fun) work with them sat beside me and they don't get a look in. At least I am procrastinating with other work - I guess!

I should have read three books by tomorrow, and haven't started - God help me! Instead I've been retouching some shots from yesterday. I have even gone to the effort of locking my external hard drive (with the images on), my graphics tablet and mood boards in my office so I don't get distracted whilst 'reading'. 

But... as soon as I turn my laptop on, I find photoshop left open with a shot from yesterdays shoot! And I fell into a retouching coma. After I came out of this coma I realised the day was slowly but surely passing me by. 

Just thought I would share this shot (apparently I am liking the hand on the opposite arm pose) and after lunch (food - another delicious distraction!) I will read these blasted books!!!!

MUA: Hannah Spencer
Model: Joanna
Photography/Styling: Jessica Gates 

Today was spent...

...in the studio test shooting Joanna and Derrick from Body London. For this the agency wanted really clean images to show of the models and I wanted something raw and natural - being on the same wave length was a great start! 

Having done very little shooting for months; I got completely lost in it, my finger got extremely trigger happy and I took hundreds of photographs. This abundance of shots therefore results in a mega amount of retouching (making more work for myself as usual). The lights did their fair share too - we soon realised it was time for a break as a cloud of smoke emerged from the main light. 

I manages to get a few quick edits in whilst finishing up in the studio, stay tuned for more...

MUA: Hannah Spencer

Model: Joanna

Photography/Styling: Jessica Gates

Photography: Jessica Gates

Shoot in Layout

In response to my previous post, I have finally got all my final edits into layout. I have aimed my outcome for AnOther magazine, so have recreated their layout and style. I love how simple AnOther is, it reduces fuss and distraction and allows for focus on the actual content:

Jessica x

Photography/Styling/Creative Direction/Layour: Jessica Gates
Model: Courtney King
MUA: Lucy Oldham
Hair: Justine Houzego

Final Shoot

Yesterday I did my final shoot for my latest university project. There isn't much to say about it really, it was a fairly stressful time, I managed to get a model, MUA and hairstylist in the last hour of the last day whilst lots of money was borrowed and spent, it all came together with an amazing team! I styled directed and photographed the entire shoot with bondage/tailored inspiration all about the textures and light. Now all I need to do is finish the edits and put them in magazine layout (with a title I cannot think of!) which will follow soon. As for now, here are some of the shots I am thinking of using...

Jessica x

Photography/Styling/Creative Direction: Jessica Gates
Model: Courtney King
MUA: Lucy Oldham
Hair: Justine Houzego

Final Outcome

From the images of petrol spills (seen in University Begins Again and More Petrol) which gave us inspiration in the form of vivid colour, high shine, reflection, metallic, gloss and the oils inability to merge with water - we came up with our final concept and styling. We were so excited to create our final editorial, and it was lovely to work in a group that got along so amazingly and were all so passionate and dedicated. 

Inspired by a filmic photographic direction influenced by Blade Runner this is our final fashion spread. We aimed our concept and outcome for Interview magazine as we felt the magazines own photography reflected ours and would keep with the visual identity of our shoot. Interview is forward thinking and would be perfect to encapsulate our forward thinking styling. We also admired the clean and simple layout, which would show of the styling and photography without distraction. 

Jessica x

Photography: Madi Browne & Hannah Spencer
Photography Assistant: Claire Gerrard
Styling: Emily Grimes & Rosie Bertuello
Retouching and Layout: Jessica Gates

It's D-day...

So the day is approaching... tomorrow has eventually crept up on us and arrived! The time has come to actually do our final shoot, inspired by the petrol spill. Today we managed to get in the studio to shoot our final looks (even though these aren't official, as items are missing from the line-up). But, I thought I would share this with you anyway.

We are aware that some people may interoperate a few pieces in this collection as hideous - we are not blind I swear! But they work well together and look pretty amazing when used in the right way, I'm now evening contemplating buying a PVC shirt (hmmmm)! One of my favourite pieces, which was cut out due to it being so beautiful was meant to arrive clear and came in silver? Since when did transparent mean silver? lol!

These have not been edited as I have don't have photoshop on this laptop :( maybe when I can get access to the software I will give them a quick little tweak and enhance but for purposes of showing of the almost complete line up, they will do!

 

As mentioned some of the looks are not complete... in need of additional (hand made) socks, jackets and more precise bondage tape for the final shoot - which is coming ever closer. You will have to wait and see the finalised styling in the form of the final shots! :D The lighting alongside this styling will reflect our inspiration more than it would appear above. 

Just a few outtakes from today:

 

Jessica x

Photography: Jessica Gates

Styling: Emily Grimes and Rosie Bertuello

Model: Claire Gerrard