'I wanted to create something that was beautiful but strong, something that had character, with mythical and magical qualities'
When Mark sent on this series, I was blown away by the drama and beauty of Anthony and Robert, posing in such a breathtaking location in their stunningly unique headdresses. I initially thought I'd find a way to feature the shoot over Easter, but when I decided a Mardi Gras theme was in order, I knew they'd be a perfect fit.
The headpieces were not designed for Mardi Gras, and the shoot didn't occur in New Orleans. The elaborate designs however, and the magical and mythical qualities Mark described, are a beautiful compliment to the theme. The location was thousands of miles from New Orleans in Tarifa, Spain and the reasons for shoot went beyond just a holiday, parade or party.
In past features about Mark's work, I mentioned the elements of design and fashion weaved within his visuals. In addition to photography, Mark's field of study also included dance and fine arts sculpture, and you can see the influences of all three in much of Mark's work, especially this shoot.
'I was asked to design them for a performance - a fundraising and awareness event for breast cancer. I gave one condition - two decent, daring, creative and striking models.'
The choreographer suggested Mark use a model named Anthony and his brother brother Robert. This ended up being a positive sign as when the choreographer asked Mark if he knew of Anthony, Mark was happy to reply that he'd worked with Anthony many times before, in fact in all his years of shoot, Anthony is the model Mark's worked with more than any other.
'Both guys immediately agreed and it was great working with them I chose the music - one Indian and the other African and suggested an interpretation - but both models understood what it was all about and they were great. Of course the best thing for me was shooting them afterwards - we went to the sand dunes - even though it wasn't the best of days and it was windy but we worked with that too I had never worked with Robert and he shows as much promise as Anthony'
'I enjoyed every aspect of this project - from sourcing materials, to designing, to creating them, setting them on stage, shooting and editing!'
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