Photoshoot: 'Haunted Ocean' + Interview with TJ Drysdale Photography & Model Victoria J. Yore
Photography: TJ Drysdale Photography
Model: Victoria J. Yore
MUA: Melinda Clark Henry
Lighting: Scott Thompson
Assistant: Miquela Gonzalez
Creative Director: Cristina Chiricosta
Design: Art Institute of Tampa
Enthralling, dramatic and incredibly beautiful - these are the words which come to mind when trying to describe today's featured photoshoot by two of Whim's regular contributors, TJ Drysdale Photography and model Victoria J. Yore (both featured here before).
Everything about these images is just perfect and we could gush for hours about how much we love the vibrant colours of the foreboding sky, Victoria's flowing, chiffon dress or the added element of surprise with the hovering tea pot, however, we thought it may be best to let two extreme talents (both TJ and Victoria) take the show with an exclusive interview with the pair:
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Q: Please tell our readers a little more about yourself and what you do?Victoria: I am currently a college student studying business management. I will graduate with my bachelor’s degree in May so this is a very exciting time! Aside from modeling, I own my own business teaching ballroom, latin, and swing dancing! I danced competitively for years and now I share my knowledge with others. I create custom choreography for weddings, Quineneras, and special events, but Quince’s are my favorite! I also work part time doing social media management, marketing, and copywriting for a national software company so that I have relevant work experience when I graduate.TJ: My name is TJ Drysdale, I’m a photographer in the Tampa FL, region. I love everything about photography, and definitely want to do it for the rest of my life, but I do have other passions! I’m heavily into filmmaking. My sister and I are partners in crime when it comes to movies. We’ve made quite a few short films, and it’s our dream to one day be featured in the Sundance Film Festival. Aside from all the artsy stuff, I love to stay active and play sports! Baseball and basketball mainly.
Q: What inspires your creativity the most?Victoria: I would have to say that my creativity is inspired by my likes, dislikes, and past life experiences. I love to browse different look-books or mood boards for inspiration for which fashions or poses should be included in a shoot.TJ: What inspires me most is looking at other artists work. Whether it’s a photograph, painting, or even a film. I’ll see something that catches my attention and I just want to recreate it in my own way. Everyday life can inspire me as well. Like how the light is falling on someone’s face at a particular moment, or how it looks in a field during my daily commute. It’s the littlest things that often inspire me.
Q: 'Haunted Ocean' is a stunning shoot! What was the experience like for each of you whilst shooting these images?Victoria: TJ and I had planned this shoot for months in advance, so when the actual day came around, it was pretty exciting. A few other photographers came along to help/shoot a few photos of their own, so it was a really neat experience to be surrounded by so many flashing cameras! We even had one assistant who took an aerial video with his drone camera! The dress was gorgeous, but became horribly binding and heavy when it got wet. As soon as the first inch of fabric was drenched with seawater, walking and moving became very difficult! The end results were all worth it though.TJ: It was an amazing day! Victoria and I had it planned for a long time, and it finally came together. We were actually worried for the longest time that we weren’t going to find the right dress for it, but we did thankfully! I had a lot of photographer friends tag along that day, and photograph the shoot as well. It was just amazing seeing everybody have such a good time. I don’t think a smile ever left my face! We’re really happy with how the images turned out, but I’m just glad we all had fun.
Q: Lastly, we would love to hear what your hopes are for your career in the not-too-distant future; Do you have any exciting upcoming plans that you would like to share with us?Victoria: I have always wanted to travel Europe, and it is something I want to do after I graduate, before I get a full time job. TJ has similar thoughts, and so we are planning a trip to Europe next summer. We plan to shoot in the beautiful landscapes and architecture that European countries have to offer. Stay tuned for some pretty fantastic shoots next summer!TJ: My career is slowly beginning to shape out. I have a deal with a foreign book cover company, and I’m really excited about that opportunity. I feel like it can open a lot of doors for my career. But with that said, I still feel like I have lots to learn. I try my best to improve from shoot to shoot, and learn something new from every one of them. I have quite a few photoshoots and trips planned for the near future that I can’t wait to share!
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We want to say a huge thank you to both TJ and Victoria for taking the time to submit this incredible series and taking part in our interview. We also want to congratulate all those involved in this shoot for their amazing efforts at producing such an epic series of images.
We also invite you to view more work from TJ Drysdale by visiting the photographer’s website and Facebook page. You can also follow his work on Instagram (@tjd_photo). His portfolio is filled with the most dreamy of images!