M.AY.BE
Story of the shot: This image was the primary idea behind this shoot. Inspired by the halos that Melissa employs in her work I wanted to frame her in the same way. Initially using only a flower wreath, I incorporated the light by placing a very uncomfortable Jeremy behind her chair with a flash. Rae outfitted Melissa in black and white dressing tied beautifully into the prominent black and white lines that can be found in much of Melissa’s work.
"The studio was a place of celebration that day, Body positivity was a reoccurring theme and our models were fearless. Melissa, shared that she finds solace in dancing, it's when she felt most sexy. We wanted to bring attention to her lines, and the grace in how she moves herself into these shots.”
“We also wanted to expose her postpartum scarring, having recently given birth to her second child, we wanted to show this for what it was: a mark of strength, and it took real courage from Melissa. “
“She embraced the vulnerability of the idea of showing these scars, and we wound up with some beautiful and powerful images. She's pictured next to one of her most recent pieces - a jeweled and painted raccoon skull. The coloring of the shot was inspired by this piece." -Rae