This is my cousin, Lucy. She graduated from the London College Fashion, did some hard graft internships and as a result, landed herself with this beauty of an occupation working for a high-end Italian clothing designer. She's in charge of dishing out samples and press releases to try and gain exposure for the brand in top publications. Her office is situated in the heart of posh-town London & I'm talking just a stones throw from Oxford Circus. The whole area is a place I aspire to end up working in one day, with top media establishments and advertising agencies littering every street.
The main room adjacent to your standard computer office was like a photography studio in itself, which proved lovely to shoot in. With a huge samples shipment just in, the office was a wash with the new 2010 range of Benetton clothing that had yet to go on general sale and needed unpacking and sorting for sample distribution. It was all very exciting and it's fair to say I spent a lot of time post shoot, trying all the small-Italian-man gents range on.
My family is relatively small and I only really have one proper cousin. This meant that Lucy & I spent a lot of time growing up together and remain very close. I've recently heard of a few aspirations and future opportunities she's taking a punt at, and am very proud of her.
It's also worth mentioning that being in constant contact with the press, her list of connections to EVERY magazine featured behind her (& many many more), is ludicrous! I am more then expectant to be hooked up by her with a sick internship when my degree comes to a close.
As for the composition of this shot, the obvious point to be made would be how little of the frame she takes up. I just became obsessed with the idea of including as much of the room as possible to give the audience a general feel for her working environment. It's a bit of a non-place, secular to the real world and the bubble perspective of an ultra-wide angle reflects this beautifully I think. I've uploaded a slighter larger version of the portrait to allow for the small details to be seen viewed on screen.
Finally, I hope by now you have realised how much I hate posed smiles in portraits. Lucy is one of theee bubbliest, enthusiastic women you are ever likely to meet, so there's no mood intended with a straight face. Put simply: no matter how glossy, business is business.
