A Joyful Journey – Celebrating New Beginnings through art

In this post I share the behind the scenes of creating a fine art photography series – Celebrating New Beginnings through art

When I started this art series in 2018, I never thought it would blow into an entire art print collection. It started being in Tuscany for a photography workshop where everything went pear-shaped. I had been following this photographer for years. I loved her creativity and the incredible sense of emotions she displayed through her images. So, when the opportunity to join one of her workshops opened, I jumped on it. 

When I arrived, I needed something to work as planned. At the same time, I understood from other participants that they had such a fantastic time the previous year and had decided to come back for another workshop. This time it all looked pear-shaped. Unfortunately, with photography workshops, you always take a risk. It’s an investment risk we photographers are willing to take to continue educating ourselves by meeting fellow photographers and continuing to be inspired. Still, sometimes, it leaves us dismayed with a significant money loss.

I had no regrets, though; I had a wonderful time in Florence, and the model I found to work with fit the type of photography I was after dark, moody, black, and white. I had also hired a make-up artist, and she understood my vision perfectly. Initially, I didn’t know what I wanted to do and went with the idea of promoting a personal branding photoshoot in Florence. But this quickly evolved into something more creative from going with the flow. I had brought a long chiffon dress, which completely changed the mood for the photo shoot. From sleek pictures, it became blurry, moving into a dance movement. I didn’t even realise that I had created something compelling. I was happy I had it on camera. It was liberating to make what I wanted.  

When I started to consider selling wall art print online and took an online course to learn more about setting myself up as a visual artist, this image of Vera dancing in Florence became limited edition fine art material with a strong message behind the picture. One that would mean new beginnings, celebrating yourself, featuring art with a message to inspire. I needed fresh eyes on my work to recognise what I had created. Crazy, eh?

As an artist, curating our work can sometimes be challenging. I might fall in love with some pieces I made and get a little engagement. While not being so fond of other art pieces, being selected for exhibition, and gaining raving fans. I get it. Art is subjective material. All I can do is put more artwork out there, be consistent with my story and let it go. I have no control over how this artwork will be received.

I planned to continue this project across other European cities, but COVID-19 halted everything. Would this project ever retake centre stage? I was delighted when I found a model I had worked with, and she got back in touch to tell me that she was planning to travel to Paris. February is undoubtedly the best month for a photo shoot in Paris, but neither was November in Florence. 

Again, I was figuring out how to start, where to photograph the model in Paris, and how to style her.

I arrived a day early in Paris to scout locations where I wanted to photograph. I quickly realised that some places I had selected wouldn’t work. Fitting the Eiffel Tower in my image meant the model would look very small, different from what I was after. So, I had to reassess and figure out which locations would work. I selected a few bridges, including the famous Alexander III bridge. What I liked about this location was the Eiffel Tower pointing in the distance and the gorgeous 19th-century architecture-style lamp post. Shooting early in the morning helped not to have too much of a crowd, but the sun only rising at 8.30 am meant people would walk by, and we had to play between passersby.

I had set 2 outfits for the styling. I knew my images would be in black and white, and the styling would reflect that, so I chose a monochrome outfit with solid graphics to play with movement.

This Paris photo shoot has rekindled my love affair with the Women dancing in the city, and I can’t wait to add more cities to the wall art prints. This aligns with my love of travel and portraiture, sharing the story of independent, free-spirited women.

Venice

The next set for the joyful journey was in Venice. My first challenge was to find a model. Guess where I found her? On Instagram, I selected a few until I found one. She was willing to get up early on Sunday so we could have Venice nearly for ourselves. We met at Piazza San Marco at 6 am during blue hour, and the sun was about to rise on the horizon. We had San Marco’s square for ourselves. It was an incredible feeling the model understood what I was after. We visited many landmarks in Venice to create a different mood for my wanted images. We had such a delightful time, and I hope this will encourage you to get up early when you visit places. It’s tough but so worth it.

Amsterdam

I joined my husband during a trip to Amsterdam only a few months later. Again, my first challenge was finding a model willing to get up early. I posted a casting and had quite a few candidates to choose from. I was only in Amsterdam for a few days, which gave me time to tour the city and scoot locations for the photoshoot. Unfortunately, it rained on the day of the photoshoot (outdoor photoshoots are always a gamble). It was light rain, and we managed to keep it going, moving between different locations, mainly among the old Amsterdam. With so many canals and bridges, I was spoilt for choice and places to feature my model. This is the final image I chose.

London

How weird to live in London, and I still have yet to do a photoshoot in London! I tried to set up this photo shoot a few times, but it didn’t work out with the models, or I was away. London finally happened in April this year! And I am delighted with the results. But we had a little surprise. I met with the model at 7 am when the sun was rising. Oh, wonder the streets were so busy. It felt like it was midday. I was expecting empty streets at this time of the day, but no! People get up early in London. There were far too many people on Westminster Bridge to my liking, but we managed, and the model was acceptable about having to walk in front of a crowd. We had quite a laugh about the whole situation!

Strasbourg

Strasbourg is the city of my heart. It was easy to find a model, as I had met her a few years earlier in London, and strangely enough, she moved to Strasbourg. My challenge was to choose the right bridge, one that would say Strasbourg, with enough space for the model to evolve in front of it. We travelled to a few bridges, but one image stood out. What do you think?

Next City

I am still deciding about the following cities for this project. Which city would you like to see featured in the joyful journey? Which city do you see yourself starting anew with a new beginning and would love to see on walls to inspire you and celebrate your next step?

Florence, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Strasbourg, and Venice are currently available for the last print release as open and limited editions prints.