IBM - BEHIND THE SCENES
Recently IBM & Jason Grech approached me to shoot a campaign with the incredible IBM Watson working alongside the epic Ogilvy agency. The Ogilvy team was not just from Australia but also from Singapore which was exciting since the team was flying out for the shoot and also for Melbourne Spring Fashion Week. It was also a nice surprise to once again work with model Paige Royal who I’ve been working with since she was 16.
Knowing I needed to be on my A-game, the first call I made was to Robert Gatto from Kayell Australia to ensure I had the right gear sorted. When it comes to my photography I choose equipment from Elinchrom and cameras from Canon. My Dad taught me how to light with Elinchrom when I was 16 years old. Kayell both hire and sell these brands around Australia and have showrooms in both Sydney & Melbourne where I mainly shoot, apart from when I get a break on holidays in Noosa, Qld. I’ve worked with them for years and when you have great service like they do it's hard to beat. My usual pre-shoot tensions were eased when they said every item I needed was arranged.
From a technical standpoint, there is no option to miss moments when working on a campaign. Which is why I chose to use the Elinchrom ELC Pro Units along with the brand new Skyport Universal Trigger Remote. The ELC units can capture 20 stroboscopic flashes per second. So there weren't any missed moments on this shoot! I combined this with the for my main light and my two side lights were modified with the Rotalux 70cm Square Softbox. The 70cm I’ve actually been using as a main light for years, however, this shoot needed extra soft light and attention to detail. For the camera to capture the high-speed flashes I chose the Canon 1DX and as a backup the trusty Canon 5mkiii.
I knew I wanted a certain look and feel to the final images. I’ve worked with Jason for years now on many campaigns and lookbooks. I had never worked with IBM, Ogilvy or with an Artificial Intelligence before. Jason & I have a definite understanding and mutual love for flowing fabrics. It’s perhaps become the speciality for both of us. Myself working with high-speed motion capture during my fashion shoots and Jason using the absolute finest silks and other fabrics in his garments.
This time around we decided to go with structure and form. The collection was designed in collaboration with Watson. It was inspired by architectural references and also by referencing the Vogue archives. Watson was able to curate a selection of references and colour palettes for Jason which quite obviously hit the mark! When shooting in the advertising space it’s very important to have a solid team around you.
Having Jess my digital operator, Eleisha shooting behind the scenes gave me the reassurance I needed to just focus on the stills. Being able to work with our other model Linnea, hair & makeup artists like Casey & Beth, and a styling assistant like Anna was also a pleasure. If I can give one piece of advice to photographers out there wishing to be in this space. Ensure your equipment and your team are top class. It’ll replace your fears with confidence!
