If I don't share these photos now I'll sit on them waiting for the 'right time'.
The main English Rose photograph is the image that means the most to me of the whole set. My studio came with these murals and I had it noted on my shot list to see if the Queen Elizabeth 1st would work as a portrait shot. I had planned for Sophia to do a similar pose to Princess Margaret in the Cecil Beaton Dior dress image, sat with the dress flared all around and looking regal. The proportions and idea of Elizabeth looming over Sophia didn't work.
I asked Sophia sit up on the mantelpiece where she nestled in front of Elizabeth as a successor rather than a subject.
The result portrays An English Rose.
I'm really pleased with them but have been looking at them non stop for the last 7 days and have lost all perspective. I hope when I look back on them next year I will still love some of these shots.
Sophia made every shot beautiful, it was impossible to choose. Usually I get maybe 20% usable images from a shoot. The model will be awkward, I will be awkward or use the wrong settings. This shoot there were 90% usable. A professional model makes a huge difference.
I booked Sophia to model as I had worked with her before and knew she was professional and had the face I needed. Sophia is also a designer maker and creative from London so in this image in particular was fitting not just in looks but in identity. I understand this is very much my gaze and in truth about my cultural identity being British and needing a way to look at it with hope and pride.
To feel the shame of being English which I had for so long discounted all the people here who are brilliant and inspiring and just getting on. I gave too much focus to those who hate and need to only give air to those who hope.
I just kept saying to myself, focus on the beautiful. This is what its about.
These are my favorite 11 today
Model - Sophia Brown aka Velvet Jones
Photographs - Alexandra King
Dresses - Alexandra King
