28.9.10

when i say jump



I guess I should explain the jumping thing: when I started this blog about 18 months ago, just doing street style was a challenge for me as an artist. My photography up til then had been quiet, 'fine art': still lives, landscapes, a kind of photo-collage using myself, shot by me with a timer... to approach strangers, explain myself and why I was doing this was a real hurdle to overcome because altho I'm rather chatty, I'm also inherently shy.




BUT.. as an artist, I need to move forward and grow. And by last week at London Fashion Week... let's just say the whole idea of shooting fashionable people standing around hoping to be made famous by bloggers was wearing a bit thin for me. And shooting models is way easier than shooting fish. Fish move around. Models, especially after doing one of these shows, are generally hanging around, moving fairly slowly.

EXCEPT when you ask them to jump.



Why do I occasionally ask people to jump for my shots? Partly to keep things interesting, partly for the challenge of catching them in motion.. partly to amuse myself, partly to break the ice.. sometimes (not in this case) I feel the person is really quite photogenic but they're putting on that bored pouty face because they think that's what people want, and I ask them to jump simply to shake things up. Literally.

In hindsight, this fabulous model from the Unique show was really quite a sport. A generous, lighthearted spirit. I mean, she had just done a really difficult catwalk show in death defying heels, on the old Waterloo station Eurostar tracks.. most of the girls were just finding it difficult to stand up, let alone jump around.



It happened quite impulsively. Shini and I were about to leave - she had just said hi to Tommy Tan - we each got a similar shot of him with the model (damn I wish I remembered her name! She told me.. plum forgot*) - you should see Shini's shot, she had TWO extraterrestrial lights in hers - and suddenly, while I was shooting her, I just asked her to jump.

*Two people so far have told me this is Dree Hemingway, great granddaughter of Ernest. That sounds about right: I think she said her name was Dree. Okay, it's worse then: I made DREE HEMINGWAY, Ernest's great granddaughter, jump up and down having just completed a catwalk show. What is my problem. Just because I was feeling a bit of creative malaise.

I mean, REALLY. What would Ernest say.




Now I'm trying to figure out which one she was on the catwalk.. this might be her. I can't tell. I've been spending hours playing some kind of matching game with my photos, and I'm going a bit cross eyed, and Mr. Dot is getting hungry, and so I am.




I mean, we're talking a SEA of models in that show. And I shot every one. When they came out for the end, it was like an army of amazons walking down along the train tracks. A beautiful army of frizzy haired amazonians on crazy tall lucite platform heels.






It was only today, looking through, that I saw the shot I caught of her minutes after she did her jumping shots. The face she was making at a friend. This is someone with a real zest for life, someone who doesn't take herself, or the madness that is the fashion world, all that seriously.

I just can't believe that a) she told me her name was Dree - several times - and I didn't put two and two together b) I bossed her around like that. But she was a good sport about it.

23 comments:

Audrey said...

The model is Dree Hemingway I believe. She's so cute in some of the shots. Always smiling=)

jill said...

Thank you Audrey! will add asap

C. Anne said...

yes the lovely Dree, great granddaughter of Ernest Hemingway! She always seems to have such a fun spirit in pictures & interviews. Wonderful personal style too, I've seen her 'off duty' looks captured quite often.

ediot said...

ah- i do adore these shots. let them jump i say
makes the photos so lively and fun!
what a wonderful streetstyle blog this is! love it!

The Photodiarist said...

Your tales are always so humorous!

the style crusader said...

oh jill these shots are gorgeous! dree is incredible... i've always thought she looked so gorgeous in photos i've seen. plus, i'm big huge hemingway fan and think it's pretty cool that he's her relative. as always, i love the story woven through the images. the hair from the topshop show is so cool! xx

Veshoevius said...

Such great shots - how amazing you shot Dree Hemingway! Genius idea to get the models to jump. I love this Unique show - mostly because next SS my naturally long frizzy hair will be a fashion statement!

Shopgirl said...

I love the jumping shots. Such a good idea. I've always been a huge fan of Philippe Halsman's "jumpology" photos that he took to photograph the "real person".

The hair too is amazing. Don't think I'll be going there for S/S 2011 though - it reminds me too much of my hair in my teens - before hair straightners!!

Platform P said...

Hahaha Jill, another jump victim!

These shots are perfect, as are her Marni boots.

xx

slowdownapproaching30 said...

I'm a huge fan of the jump! It's become more commonly known by my friends as the big air and it's almost become obligatory to do a big air photo on every beach holiday we go on! I think it just captures that perfect holiday feeling... there's something just free and easy about being captured mid air!

wobblinbetty said...

her hair is insane!
awesome shots!

Ann said...

What great shots! You have come a long way in a year, haven't you? Bravo! I actually have a copy of A Moveable Feast, by Ernest Hemingway, in my purse. In it, he tells himself not to worry (about his writing), that all you have to do is "write one true sentence", and then you can go on from there. Maybe you just got "one true shot" of his great granddaughter? Nice.

Mary Standish said...

I love ironic little stories like that. Dree seems to have a great spirit!

http://huntersofzanzibar.blogspot.com/

mtg said...

you are so mean! (just kidding) poor girl... what a great sport she was!
hey jill, thanks for letting me use one of your pics. you can check it out here:
http://byebyesoccermom.blogspot.com/

misslikey said...

"what would Ernest say" hahahaha
I think she really enjoyed it. she seems very down to earth.

jill said...

'One true shot': Ann you just gave me chills. And the title of my next post.

You are all so amazing. Your comments are why I do this. I know I don't get as many as some bloggers (and yet, more than others) but it's the quality of your comments - especially when you can say with a few words what it takes me paragraphs. It's just so lovely to wake up to this kind of support!

So grateful I could just jump up and down.

EIGHT LONDON said...

Haha, Jill, girls like Dree will ONLY jump for you. I know I do! Which reminds me, you know the pictures you got of me in my neon dress on day 4? I appreciate you're really busy an'all but if you have a moment, do you think you could email them over?

x

Pearl Westwood said...

Jill your so funny, I love how you have no idea who anyone is LOL xx

jill said...

Yeah, it's not something I'm proud of, Pearly. I've always been like this, even back in NY, pre-blog.. I'd be talking with someone at a party.. my question is, how do you guys know who everyone is? You'd have to spend hours on people's blogs I guess.

Imogen, I'd love to - which day was neon dress day?

Stu said...

beautiful blog, and love the pink and white flowy dress... :)

xoxo, Stu

TheOnlineStylist said...

Fabulous - I love that she jumped for you without question. An amazingly normal and down to earth person... who just happens to be stunningly beautiful! x

SabinePsynopsis said...

She looks like so much fun, I bet she actually enjoyed the jumping interaction with you, the photographer. Great shots!

Audrey Leighton said...

aww my favourite model!
I love her and you did well getting her to jump around, she looks adorable! im glad i met you at fashion week, jill....your blog is incredible. I love how alive you make everyone look and how each photo has a personal quip or story!

much love x x x