Creating Freely Magazine Blackout Edition | "The Needles"
Photographer | Marina Listrova @marina_listrova
Makeup Artist & Concept Creator | Nataliya Nayda @nanaika
Model | Nasty Shafranskaya @__________nastya__________
Hair Stylist | Elena Glazkova
Creating Freely Magazine Blackout Edition| Cover Story 1 Interview
Marina Listrova
The fashion and beauty photographer behind this lens is Marina Listrova, a Ukrainian artist who has been in tune with her creativity since childhood. The Needles was one of Marina’s first shoots as a photographer and has since become a pivotal moment in her career that challenged her to pour passion into her creative process. The inspiration behind this editorial was brought upon by Sea Janiak’s 2011 photo series with Naomi Campbell, which features bold, intricately detailed styling against a mesmerizing usage of the plastic wrap effect, delicately showcasing Naomi as a mystical glass goddess. Marina and her team were set on developing a similarly stunning paradox, telling us, “We wanted to combine two opposite textures in beauty shooting: smooth skin and needle points. Smooth and sharp - these two qualities are not mutually exclusive, they can exist in each of us at the same time. And sometimes even complement each other.”
Over four tedious hours of post-production were required for each photograph in this collection. This made the construction of the glass-like skin a difficult pursuit, but Marina’s team strategically started with a base of colorfully contoured makeup that aided in laying the foundation for a realistic effect, eventually resulting in a flawless finish. In addition to each team member playing their own unique role, they also effortlessly worked together in glueing each and every needle onto the model’s head and face, producing an ambiance on set that embodied an ethereal, “cool, creative atmosphere”, and allowed them to collaborate in a graceful flow.
With an editing process as time consuming and elaborate as this one, we asked Marina about her view on post production as a whole, and how she plans on incorporating it into her future work; she thoughtfully professed, “I think post-production remains an important creative component of projects in order to correct flaws or mistakes during shooting, and to enhance or add effects, moods, or fantasies. But at the same time, in realistic beauty and fashion photographs, I now try to make post-production as simple as possible. I try to create everything during the photoshoot, so that afterwards, I can minimize corrections and modifications, and leave heavy post-processing for the more creative projects.”
Revel in more of Marina Listrova and her crisp photographs by keeping up with both her Behance and Instagram accounts @marina_listrova
Creating Freely Magazine Blackout Edition| Cover Story 2 Interview
Han Yang
Fashion photographer Han Yang’s lifelong passion for creativity has molded her into the excellent artist she is today. Her creations often display stimulating details, aimed at targeting the viewer's psyche and leading them on a trail to dig deeper into their emotions. She describes her work as “eerily elegant, surreal, and romantic”, all elements that have been derived from her own personal traits of shyness, overt caution, and a tendency to crave extreme perfectionism. Her rigorous precision plays a crucial role in her design process, as she regularly premeditates her editorial concepts, finding inspiration in worldly theories such as social constructs, society, femininity, and the ways in which humans behave in relation to these topics. Han then relays these visions onto her team in order to find a harmonious method of execution. And although transferring her perceptions into the 3D realm is constantly a new challenge, she is fully capable of overcoming any obstacle in her path.
Han’s prosperous attitude towards her craft is continuously upheld by her willingness to recognize her true talent. By reassuring herself of the proficiency she holds in photography, she is able to harness her strengths and find motivation when needed. In addition to her love for shooting editorials, Han also appreciates her free time, spending it indulging in lighthearted activities like playing guitar, swimming, and reading compelling literature. She has an adept sense of groundedness that is necessary to thrive in this ever-changing industry. She left us with some thought provoking commentary to ponder on: “In recent years, changes to the industry have been very rapid. The transition from paper media to social media has been very fast, and last year’s pandemic may have only exacerbated this change. More people, young people, are choosing to express their attitude towards fashion and understanding of beauty through online forms. This industry is facing unprecedented innovation. For example, 3D fashion, virtual reality, and forward thinking creative artists are challenging outdated standards and redefining beauty through different digital art expressions.”
Show your adoration and support for Han Yang and her teams by exploring her Instagram gallery @yanghanphoto or, sift through her collection of masterpieces on her website at: www.yanghan-photo.com
Creating Freely Magazine Blackout Edition | "Black Humor"
Curated from the project ‘ The Magic World’
Photographer | Han Yang
Stylist | Yi Tian @tianyi.1997
Makeup Artist | Seunghee Yoo @seunghee_mua
Hair Stylist | Kanae Kikuchi @kikuchikanae
Model | Dara with Select Model London @shvetsdarina
Artifact Designer | Melody Chen @melody_chiic
Wardrobe | Headpiece by @caroline.ohrt
Assisted by | Sanni Liisa