Publication: Xpressions Magazine
Photographer: Asher Mendigorin
Published: 19/11/2019
Editorial: Post-OP Barbie
Model: Abby Cremonini
MUA: Abby Cremonini
Back in May of this year, was the first time I had shot with Abby. This was a collaboration shoot between myself, Ana Costa and Bridget Cure in which we published our editorial “Untamed“.
After the shoot, Abby and I discussed running a separate shoot as she herself was a self taught SPFX makeup artist. It wouldn’t be till about September when these discussions would continue.
We had planned a lingerie shoot, and although everything was up in the air and it wasn’t certain we would be able to fit it into Abby’s increasingly busy schedule. I was still disappointed when I was not contacted to confirm she would in fact be unable to make the shoot.
Abby since our initial shoot had branched out and become fearless, baring more skin was not for every model; she embraced it. I found Abby like me just had a passion for what she was doing and just enjoyed trying new things.
So when she eventually messaged me back with an idea for a reverse beauty shoot where she would do her own makeup, I said my peace and agreed to the shoot. I can always appreciate those who like to try and expand and better their portfolios and are willing to fail to get something different.
Her idea was to do a shoot where she would look like she had gone through plastic surgery but instead of being beautiful in the end she would look like a disaster.
Because I like to shoot with a story in mind I thought it would be fun to first shoot her looking her most beautiful on the ground, at her lowest point along with a chaotic background to show how she viewed herself before the operation. This would eventually become the post-OP look where she viewed herself being at her most beautiful where the background would be pretty but would emphasis her being less than her beautiful starting point.
The set was published in Xpressions Magazine with only the last look being printed. Xpressions Magazine was actually the very first publication for me with bodyscapes I did with model Daphine Darling but equally relevant, Abby actually competed in Miss Inkd Australia and was the finalist for NSW of which they sponsored.
