PHOTOGRAPHER ROBYN DAMIANOS:

A photo shoot is a delight when the whole team worked smoothly and professionally. Your shooting for the cover of InSTYLE Moldova is delightful. Tell me how and where did it go?

This cover shoot was produced and photographed in The Bahamas, with New York fashion stylist Veronika Lemle and my team. I met Veronika a few years ago when I was drawn to her styling work. While she is based in New York and I am based in The Bahamas, we love to travel and work on projects like this. Our incredible model is Jessica Thompson, who has modeled in VOGUE and for brands such as PatBO, Moschino and Paper London. The makeup artist is Raven Simone, and she put together a range of editorial makeup looks which complimented the outfits.

What was the most difficult and interesting part of the project implementation?

To be honest, the shoot was perfect and we didn’t run into any difficulty. My creative team in The Bahamas is one that I work with all the time, so we are always prepared for any situation. I work with a local production company called Cloud’s Image, so we have access to all of the equipment a client might need to rent for their photoshoot including tents, ladders, Drone for aerial footage and Jet Skis.

Who from the team came up with the concept idea, tell us what you wanted to convey with these?

The concept was something that I have dreamed to do for a while. I shared with Nika that I had always wanted to photograph dramatic gowns on the beach, and she had an amazing list of designers she works with and wanted to bring to The Bahamas. Here in the islands, I photograph advertising campaigns for Resortwear brands and the fashion styles always fit perfectly into the tropical scenery. I wanted to do something different, by photographing a famous Bahamian model wearing elegant gowns from New York that would usually look out of place if you were to wear them at the beach. A few of the images start out by feeling as if the model has just been dropped onto a desert island. But as the story progresses, the model’s emotions and posing changed to become more comfortable. She embraced her new surroundings, and it began to look as though she might have worn the gowns to the beach all the time.

The Bahamas, a unique island on Earth, which is famous for its incredible beauty, how did you choose the locations for shooting?

There are over 700 islands in The Bahamas, and endless photoshoot location choices. I’m Australian, but I grew up in The Bahamas and know the islands well. There are so many stunning locations to choose from, but sometimes it all depends on the time of the day, the sun’s direction, ocean tides and the overall look the client is after. I chose this location because I knew the sun would be in the perfect position, and the beach is a secret location that tourists do not know about. We had the entire beach all to ourselves which gave us space to work without interruptions, or crowds of people in the background of the images. It was also close to The Baha Mar Hotel where the stylist was staying, which made it easy to schedule the day.

Did you have any interesting or funny moments while shooting?

The image of our model standing in the ocean was a funny moment! We installed a set of steps out in the deeper water that the model would be able to stand on, but we didn’t want to get the dress wet by having her swim out to it. So one of our production assistants carried Jessica through the ocean and helped her climb up onto it. Once she was on the platform, she almost fell off! If she fell, it would be impossible to swim in the heavy dress, so my assistant who is also a certified lifeguard stayed close by and hid behind her until we got the shot.

How do you work with clients, can clients fly to you or do you fly to them?

Most of my clients fly to The Bahamas for their photoshoots. They usually book 1 day for this work, and then stay for a few personal vacation days. I have a list of amazing hotels and airBNB rentals located on the beach that I share with clients. I also fly to New York to work on editorials for magazines with Veronika Lemle once or twice a year, and those are always produced in a studio in Manhattan.

What are the features of filming in the Bahamas?

The crystal clear turquoise ocean and pristine white sandy beaches are the main feature of The Bahamas. But we also produce editorial photoshoots at high-end resorts such as The Four Season’s on Paradise Island, Rosewood at Baha Mar and the Dunmore Hotel in Harbour Island. You can pose for your photos with flamingos and brightly colored parrots in the tropical gardens, ride a horse on the beach, swim with the friendly sharks & stingrays, and even meet the swimming pigs in The Exumas.

Is it easy to be a fashion photographer in the Bahamas, tell us about your work?

To me there is something so beautiful about water and light. I find myself drawn to these elements in such a profound way and I love to create beautiful imagery in the stunning locations we find in the Bahamas. I started out as a fashion model, modeling for 15 years with world-renowned photographers such as Steven Meisel, Mariano Vivanco, and Corinne Day before moving home to The Bahamas and starting fine-art photography. I quickly found my passion for fashion photography, and my strengths in connecting with my subject through the lens. Composition, posing and working with the sunlight comes naturally to me.

VERONIKA LEMLE, CREATIVE DIRECTOR

The stylist for the shooting was a popular creative director from New York Veronika LEMLE. Tell us what is the most interesting and difficult part of your profession?

Being a stylist in New York is very exciting and interesting — every day you are literally around celebrities or one step away from them. In New York, you have no boundaries: you can create, and work with any brand you want. And yes, it’s freedom! The difficulties of the profession, I would include reelancing and the inconsistency of photo shoots. One month you can have 10 shoots a month, and the next — 1 shoot per month.

How did you choose the outfits for the shoot?

? I look at the idea of outfits mood & location and try to reflect both the beauty of the outfits and the beauty of the location as much as possible. So, for photo shoot in the Bahamas, I chose delicate airy dresses to create as much air as possible on the set and emphasize the unprecedented bright beauty of the island itself.

What brands did you work with?

I love working with brands from Fashion Weeks in New York or Paris, at these events you can always meet interesting and creative designers.

You also collaborate with fashion weeks. Are you more interested in photo projects or styling for shows?

I love working as a stylist for shows. It’s exciting: In one day of the show, you can work with 30-50 brands, meet and make many useful connections. In addition, I really like to travel and a trip to a show in Paris inspires me a lot. True, the show takes place only twice a year, so my second passion is photo shoots for magazines.

You often do images for magazine covers, what trends could you identify this year?

This year, black-and-white and realism-style shootings are very popular. Speaking of locations, you can shoot in water/ under water/ on water , shooting on the roof or night street fashion is also relevant. Also, this year it is trendy to shoot on a red background.

How did you work with the model and the team?

Shooting such airy dresses on the beach has its own peculiarities. Water and sand, in the process of filming, make the dresses heavy. For the sake of a good shot, sometimes you have to climb a tree, be in the ocean, lie down on rocks or go into cold water. I usually have good luck with the team; models and the whole team are also ready to do anything for a good shot, so most often we manage to get very good images in the process of production.

What project of this year do you remember the most?

This year, of course, the most memorable was photo shoot in the Bahamas. Firstly, I had to fly to there on January 01 at 8 am. That is, in fact, immediately after the New Year’s Eve, I was already in a taxi and went to the airport. But meeting January 1 in the Bahamas is probably the dream for many, so I was lucky.

What inspires you the most?

I am inspired by many things, but New York itself inspires me most of all. It is impossible to walk and get bored in this city. Everything is attractive here: skyscrapers made of glass and metal, people from all over the world dressed differently, sculptures, flower arrangements … all this creates constant source of inspiration, controversy and desire for self-expression.

Photography Robyn Damianos @robyndamianosphotography
Creative director VERONIKA LEMLE @nika_lemle
Model JESSICA THOMPSON @jessicafrancesmode
Production Assistant ARIANE MARQUES @plenalife
Makeup RAVEN SIMONE @ravensimone_mua
Retouching ANNA ISMAGILOVA @ismagilova.retouch
Grip KAVANO @vano_bruhhh
Video: CREVIII MEDIA @wecreviii