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SHARE A SHOOT: Holly Alexander's Shoot With Phil David Photography And MUA Alicja Broda

Header photo: Image by photographer Phil David photography, model Holly Alexander and make-up artist Alicja Broda (not on PurplePort)

Holly Alexander is a part-time model based in Birmingham, United Kingdom, with more than 15 years of experience.

Following their recent photoshoot with photographer Phil David photography and make-up artist Alicja Broda, Holly Alexander generously gave their time for a quick interview to share their shoot with us.

Check out the interview below and find out what preparation was needed for the shoot, the gear they used and more (and, of course, images from their photoshoot!).

SHARE A SHOOT with PurplePort model Holly Alexander

How did you come up with the concept? Did anything inspire you?

It all started with the dress! As soon as I bought it and tried it on, this idea came to mind of a pink glitter tears creative make-up look surrounded by pink flowers. It was such a vibrant and unique dress that it had to be shown off with a strong make-up look and a stunning location.

Funnily enough, my original idea was to be completely surrounded by pink flowers. However, when we arrived at the location, we found that the exact flowers I had in mind had passed their season!

I should have asked my Dad, who is a professional gardener, what month would have been best! We made the most of the rest of the location and am thrilled by the results, so it all worked out in the end.

Image by photographer Phil David photography, model Holly Alexander and make-up artist Alicja Broda (not on PurplePort)

What did you do to plan the shoot?

I knew Alicja Broda MUA would be the perfect make-up artist for it as she is very talented and great with both fashion and creative work. Although it is a more extreme make-up look, I wanted the images to be very fashion-inspired and give that 'perfect' look.

Phil David Photography was another go-to as I knew his beautiful way of capturing models would suit the shoot.

For the location, we just needed some gardens or a park, as it definitely had to be outside with nature around.

Image by photographer Phil David photography, model Holly Alexander and make-up artist Alicja Broda (not on PurplePort)

How did you arrange the shoot?

I've worked with and known both Alicja and Phil for a while, and we always worked well together. I think it's important to always expand your creative network and work with new people, but for this one, I wanted to work with people I'd worked with before, as it was quite a precise concept.

I created a mood board on Pinterest and approached them both individually with the mood board and photos of the dress. Luckily they both loved the idea too!

I find that imagery really helps explain a concept, and it can sometimes be a lot easier to describe photoshoot ideas using images more than words. However, this doesn't mean we are restricted as they are always just a guide and initial idea.

I believe it is up to all the individual aspects of a photoshoot to naturally create something new and organic, no matter the original concept.

Image by photographer Phil David photography, model Holly Alexander and make-up artist Alicja Broda (not on PurplePort)

What was it like shooting at that location?

We did the shoot at a local gardens, who were happy for us to use the location. It's always polite and advisable to ask when shooting at public locations, and most of the time, I've found people quite excited by the idea and happy for us to shoot as long as we're not getting in anyone's way.

It is important to remember that some locations have commercial rates for photoshoot use, though. As this was purely for fun, for our portfolios, and a collaboration between all involved, it was fine to go ahead. Always good to just ask the question first.

Tell us about the gear used for the shoot.

Phil was shooting on a Sony A7III with a Sony 1.8 35mm lens. And that's about it! As we were shooting in such a naturally beautiful location with good light (sun not too harsh, etc.), a camera was all we needed!

Alicja bought along one of her portable LED lights just to add a bit more light on the face in some areas which were more covered by trees and leaves. They are such handy little lights to take with you on location shoots!

Image by photographer Phil David photography, model Holly Alexander and make-up artist Alicja Broda (not on PurplePort)

What's your favourite image from the shoot?

My favourites have to be the ones with the pink flowers, as it was my original plan, and they actually came out exactly how I imagined them, which is amazing!

But I honestly love all the final images. I think we did such a good job as a team to get the most out of the shoot.

Image by photographer Phil David photography, model Holly Alexander and make-up artist Alicja Broda (not on PurplePort)

Thank you for sharing your creativity, experience and images with us, Holly Alexander. We loved learning all about your photoshoot with photographer Phil David photography and make-up artist Alicja Broda!

We hope you all loved it too. Don't forget to check out the links below to see more of Holly Alexander's work!

Here's where you can find more of Holly Alexander's work

PurplePort: Holly Alexander

Instagram: hollyalexanderpriest

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