Fashion Editorial – Chantelle Lockett

Photographer: Bruno Domingues
Model, hair & makeup: Chantelle Lockett

Black Bodysuit: Bardot
Jeans: Ava & Ever
Jeans Jacket: GRIPP JE&NS
Singlet: ROXY (Designer: Julia Handleman)
Leather Jacket: Ally Fashion Moto Pu Jacket (Designer: Angelique Cavallaro)

Some people will agree and some will disagree, but every once in a while a photographer will need a muse. Someone to inspire the photographer to create beautiful images, break rules and be more artistic.

Finding the right model to work with often to bring creative ideas to life can be very difficult and take quite some time, as the first thing you will need is the perfect connection. It is not something you can force upon someone, it happens naturally and it has to go both ways. A partnership. Someone who loves your work as much as you love theirs and is ready to jump head first whenever you have an idea to create something. And when it happens, make sure you make the most of it as usually these relationships don’t last forever – or both yours and the model’s work could stagnate.

I met Chantelle a few months after I started shooting fashion, last year. I cast her as the model for a friend fashion designer and we had an awesome full day massive shoot. Chantelle was just starting her modelling career and little I knew she was very sick that day, but she didn’t tell anyone because she didn’t want to cancel and leave us hanging. Now, although we would all understand if she had cancelled for being ill, when I found out after the shoot I thought to myself: “now that’s an amazing level of professionalism I don’t see every day, especially for a 18yo!!!”

The work we created that day was incredible and we had a few publications, but life happened and Chantelle had to slow down her modelling and we haven’t worked together again until April this year. I had a personal project in my mind I wanted to create and asked her if she was up to it.

This is our latest work together. I’ve built a new little home studio and wanted to try some lighting and tethering, of course she was up for it! As often happens, every time we shoot we create some of my new favourite images and they will probably be my favourites until the next time we shoot.

Most of the photos created in this shoot have some inspiration from Peter Coulson’s work. A one light setup using different things to reflect and fill. I build my studio with a very tight budget. The backdrop used for this shoot is a StudioPRO 5’ x 6.5’ Collapsible, dark gray with some texture (love this backdrop) and the key light is a Jinbei HD-600 with a 48” Godox Octa. For fill we ended up using a 48” x 35” piece of plastic instead of my go to silver reflector. I shot all images with a Sony A7R II and Sony CZ 55mm f/1.8 at f/8.

Chantelle did her own makeup in the studio (we shot some digitals prior so she came in with a clean face) and we started with her wearing a black bodysuit by Bardot. Right after, we added Jeans by Ava & Ever (human beings’ struggle to get into Jeans is real – and funny). Good thing the bodysuit had buttons in the bottom so Chantelle didn’t have to get out of her Jeans for our next look, wearing only the Ava & Ever Jeans and GRIPP JE&NS jacket, naturally moving to a singlet look (by ROXY’s designer Julia Handleman) and then throwing Ally Fashion Moto Pu leather jacket by designer Angelique Cavallaro.

Shooting with a model with whom you have such a connection flows amazingly and it’s always fun while still knowing you will create stunning images together.