Summer 21 Photo Shoot

The Summer 21 photo shoot was not only the first shoot for my new brand Janika, it was also the first shoot I've ever done in Newcastle. Previously I had an amazing crew on the Northern Beaches in Sydney who I used to do most shoots with - Helen Coetzee (photographer), Jessica Berg (Hair and Make Up, and the last couple of shoots I'd even used the same model, Karina Beilina. However, covid was looming and Sydney was already in lockdown!

Thankfully I've met so many wonderful creative people since moving back to Newcastle 18 months ago (after being away for 27 years!! haha my life seems to be one big circle lately!) and I met Zoe Lonergan who is an amazing photographer and was excited to help create my lookbook images. So now I just needed a model and Hair & Makeup (HMU). Ok so Sydney's in lockdown and no one can travel to Newcastle so that leaves well most of the talent in NSW out of the scenario.

With no-one confirmed and just 2 days before the shoot, I visited one of my Newcastle stockists, Kim at Sobelle Living. I mentioned my small yet significant dilemma of doing a photo shoot with no model (!!) and she suggested her daughter might have a friend who freelances. Ok great! I met with Ruby and she was just perfect for the shoot. So we locked that in and I found a new HMU artist via Instagram. Everything was set right? 

No!! The HMU lady contacted me at 8am on the morning of the shoot to let me know she wasn't feeling well and had to cancel all her bookings for the day. Oh really?! Ok breathing in, breathing out, find the solution...

I contacted the model and asked if she could do her own makeup (as she had down such a great job for the casting I suggested something similar). Yes that was fine. So for hair I was thinking something simple - straight with a bit of movement would work. So I packed my hair straighteners and spray and headed in to be Hair artist, designer, stylist. All the things.

Well I must say I was so pleased with the outcome. The HMU was actually perfect for the shoot - very natural which I love and I think it really let Ruby's beauty shine through. One of the most fundamental values of the brand - natural beauty.

I hope you enjoy these images. I love the clean aesthetic and the movement we've captured. With each season we'll continue to build on this, adding in some more ad-hoc shots and some real people too.

Here's a fun pic of me being HMU artist on set (that look didn't work out!)