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“On this project titled For What It’s Value, I had the privilege of collaborating with an all-women creative team from Barcelona behind the camera. We desired to capture the great thing about soft masculinity. I used to be excited to team up with the talented stylist duo mammamarmalade who had complete creative freedom to bring their vision to life. With the makeup artist Monica Cruz, we agreed to explore the concept of incorporating some subtle traditionally feminine makeup elements while keeping things minimalistic.

“The ethereal, blurry glow in these images is inspired by the moment of waking up from a dream. You recognize the sensation when you possibly can’t quite grasp all the main points, but the colors and emotions still linger, making a magical and charming memory. That’s exactly how I recall most of my dreams, and it’s the essence I desired to infuse into my work.

“As I work on a series of photographs, my focus is on achieving a charming color palette that pops in each image. I like using flash to essentially highlight the topic and make them stand out. I enjoy fooling around with the exposure, giving the photographs a rather overexposed look, which allows me to have higher control over the ultimate color palette. 

“I’m currently inspired by androgyny and the camp aesthetic, which I find absolutely mesmerising. They permit me to play with gender fluidity, celebrating the way it empowers us to precise ourselves authentically with fashion. I really consider in the liberty that comes from being true to ourselves, and am enthusiastic about advocating for it through my creations.”

“I focus my practice on exploring fashion as a zeitgeist by capturing quite a lot of raw emotions, real people, communities, and human connections. What empowers my work is the strong sense of vibrant colors and energy that reflect my cultural background. This series portrays a male subject expressing a variety of emotions while exploring the profound connection between his inner feelings and his physical body, pointing towards the male experience in its complexity.
 
“The intention of the series is just not to objectify the male body or exploit sensuality, but quite to create a secure and inclusive space where viewers can engage in a deeper conversation about gender norms, self-expression, and the facility of emotions in shaping our identities. Through these images, I hope to convey a message of acceptance, self-awareness, and the importance of embracing vulnerability as a fundamental aspect of the human experience. This was approached with the utmost respect for the topic’s boundaries and luxury.

“I even have at all times been fascinated by people, and the ways during which humans interact and explore differences, privileges, struggles, hopes, emotions, and identity. In the mean time I’m seeking to create more work that challenges mainstream representation in fashion and visual culture – where image doesn’t seem very alienating to people.”

“As a young girl, I used to be captivated by the cosmos, imagining the opportunity of other life forms and dreaming of exploring distant planets. Those sci-fi stories from movies and books fuelled my inspiration. Even during school, I discovered solace in writing fantasy tales. Nonetheless, my journey was not without challenges; dyslexia led to continuous spelling corrections.

“Determined to beat this, I launched into a photography project, observing the intricate details around me and collaborating with creative minds. The concept for this project had lingered inside me, sparked by a quaint village in The Netherlands. I yearned to craft a fantasy realm without using AI, in partnership with talented designer Tim van den Heuvel. United by a shared desire to flee reality, we brought forth an idea centred on an area odyssey, nestled inside the village’s distinct architecture.

“Tim’s meticulous designs provided the inspiration, complemented by the skills of makeup artists, hair stylists, fashion experts, videographers, and models. Together, we cocooned ourselves in an escape bubble, our collective effort giving rise to a mesmerising visual tale that seamlessly weaves reality with the extraordinary.

“Additional credits on this project: Stylist: Cynthia de Blander, Nails: Rachel Chichi, Nails by GiiGii, make-up artist: Roberto, R Godales del Valle, Make-up artist + hairstyling men: Anastasiia Minina, Hairstyling women: Valérie Guillaume, Video: CCMEDIA.NL. Models: Vladys, Karol & Merel ter Wal, Ilja Hemmen, Haoyang.”

“These are photos that I recently created with various London artists. I at all times try to search out recent effects to bring to my shoots. These projects are built on complex lighting, expressive looks, and experimenting with layers that I put in front of the lens to realize a component of distortion, and recent textures.
 
“Incorporating using material layers in my process could make for some exciting and unpredictable results – whether it’s placing a chunk of glass in front of the lens or experimenting with various filters, these material distortions add layers of complexity to my images. The layers introduce unexpected color shades and alter the very geometry of the objects, adding recent texture, engaging the viewer’s gaze, and welcoming them to explore the hidden stories inside. I exploit special soft filters, magnifying glasses, pieces of color filters, and pieces of thick glass plus work with mixed lighting. Truthfully, I never know the precise results of all these modifications until I take a photograph.

“I prefer it when we are able to show the weather that the audience can’t see in real life resembling exaggerated details of the hairstyle and make-up. Creating by itself is an inspiring thing. It’s a neverending exploration process that features constructing the story with the assistance of lighting effects, makeup, hairstyle, and garments. Connecting these elements with team synergy boosts me to work harder to search out recent angles, methods of color mixing, and spectacular light setups.

“Additional credits on this project: Art Directors: Vadim Yatsun, Margo Mayor, MUAs: Julia Leshanich, Sophia Sinot, David Gillers, Stylists: Yana Chaplygina, Shaquille Ross-Williams, Hair: Tizi Dima, Betty Bee, Models: Liam, Elias, Li Rui Xue, Jemma Hansen.”

“This project illuminates the seldom-seen splendour of Paris: it underscores the neglected locales, flirts with town’s vibrant subcultures, and embraces the conventionally unattractive, transforming it into something distinctly beautiful when viewed through an imaginative lens. What’s traditionally beautiful becomes an unexpected revelation. This provocative mix compels us to query the very essence of beauty itself. We wanted to focus on the great thing about Paris that’s barely seen: emphasise the forgotten places and embrace the Parisian subcultures that no tourists could experience coming to Paris for one week.
 
“Every element of my photographs supports a visible quest. I like to experiment with layers and depth of images, mixing analogical and digital techniques. There’s a way of freedom in moving across the boundaries of reality. I’m getting inspired now from the past, I’m looking really fastidiously at fashion photography from the start and I’m really having fun going back and seeing. I’m also more concerned with street fashion and the connection between town.

“I used a digital camera in addition to medium format 120 and Polaroid, because I at all times need to see my editorials in numerous media – each digital and analogue – that’s where I actually find joy in photography.”

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