Feature Friday: 'Fairy Series' by Art Around Photography + Interview
This stunning series of fairy-inspired photographs comes from Julia Ciavaglia, the talented creative behind the lens of Art Around Photography.
Based in Melbourne, Australia, Julia aims to capture beautiful and surreal scenes of fantasy and mystique.
Without further ado, here is an insightful interview with the inspiring photographer, discussing everything you need to know about this ethereal series. Be sure to read to the end to hear her helpful advice for those wishing to create a fairy-inspired series too!
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Q: Where did the initial idea for this photoshoot come from?
A: Every photoshoot starts with something inspiring, a movie or music video I watched, a beautiful location I’ve seen or sometimes even a beautiful face I saw. This Fairy series started with one of the models coming to me to update her modelling portfolio. From my first glance at her I knew I wanted to do something floral, light and colourful with this photoshoot. She looked very fragile: pale skin, blue eyes...like a Fairy, and we decided to bring a little fairytale magic to this photoshoot.
Q: Please tell us more about the experience you had whilst planning and capturing this dreamy series?
A: After we decided on the concept of the shoot I suggested the model wear one of the dresses I found in a vintage shop, added some jewellery and the rest we played by ear. I had in mind to decorate her hair with flowers or maybe just have her holding them. When we got to the location I saw these beautiful purple flowers exactly matching her dress’ colour and thought it was a good idea to make some sort of flower crown. I also had a notepad in my bag and realised it was the same purple colour as the whole concept and we decided to take a couple of shots of the Fairy relaxing near the pond reading a book. Basically everything was created on the spot, inspired by the stunning beauty of the location and whatever we had in our bags!
Q: The location in these photos is very beautiful! How did you find it?
A: I wanted to have a lot of flowers and maybe a lake on location. We decided to go to the Royal Botanical Gardens (Melbourne) and accidentally found this little closed patio surrounded by flowers, with ancient looking vases and a pond. The best thing about this location was its privacy, thanks to the surrounding trees and flowers. The setting sun’s rays were shining through, creating this magical lighting and the perfect fairytale effect I was after.
Q: How would you describe your photography in just three words?
A: Fantastical. Magical. Mystical.
Q: What advice would you give to other photographers wishing to capture a stunning fairy-inspired photoshoot?
A: Most important is the model and her connection with the concept. It’s always best to plan outfits and locations beforehand but sometimes it will all just work out so don’t stress too much about every detail. I would advise to go with your intuition and shoot what feels right.
I want to thank Julia for taking the time to shed some more light on her wonderful series and encourage you to stay tuned for another special photoshoot from Julia coming to the Whim blog in the coming week!
You can check out more of Julia's stunning photography by visiting her website, Facebook page, or following along on Instagram. Enjoy!
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Full credits: MODEL: Olga Gurkina | PHOTOGRAPHER / STYLING: Julia Ciavaglia / Art Around Photography | HMUA: Sarah Vandy & Ella McGovern.