FIRST LOVE | SOLO | April 26 – May 30, 2016
My work in fashion photography propelled me to create a hybrid of both worlds and thus, First Love, a landscape based fashion editorial in the magnificent light of Gros Morne National Park was born.”
Ashley Gesner
“I was inspired by the rich golden peak Tablelands and for this look I used MAC gold foil on the eyelids to reflect off the landscape. I thought of the sensation of freedom I get every time i’m on a road trip exploring so I picked fresh daisies on the hike up and made a headpiece from the local flora and placed it in her loosely textured amber hair. A flower child character that is easily one with nature. The last look was slightly challenging for me. I couldn’t use any of my power tools to sculpt the hair and the model had to hike for 6 hrs, sometimes in the rain, before shooting. Because the mood was darker I decided not to use the light wig. My solution was to set the hair the night before in tight braids that way up on the top I would have some texture to play with and the model’s hair would look great blowing in the wind. I didn’t mind a natural overall effect.”
Kelleth Cuthbert
“This shoot was the most unique and beautiful experience I’ve had in my eight years as a fashion model. The locals we encountered on our adventures in Gros Morne, Newfoundland have an expression: “If you don’t like the weather in Newfoundland, just wait ten minutes.” It didn’t take our team long to understand the expression. Our window for shooting each look was very small because of the rapidly changing weather and light.
Other challenges included black flies, the weight of our gear, black flies, wet feet, black flies, exhaustion, and black flies. Those little buzzing hell beasts aside, it was incredible to be able to interact with such a majestic landscape and to work as a team to capture beautiful and meaningful moments.”
Michelle Paiano
“Flowy, loose, organic fabrics, a relaxed approach. I felt the model should have clothing she could move and play with, enjoy where she is freely.I also featured some Canadian designers such as MASHA, Adam Atelier and BRAVE. My vision was for the model to look as if she ‘belonged’ in the environment. I wanted the clothes to capture elements such as wind, emanate the textures and compliment the colours of the landscape. Taking all this into consideration, I opted for a natural hippie look. After seizing the rare opportunity to shoot in Gros Morne National Park in Newfoundland, I immediately started devising a game plan for the wardrobe. My first thought was weight. I needed to keep it light as we were on the go constantly and were about to embark on a 6 hour hike up a mountain.”
“Kelleth is the quiet thinker.
It is said you shoot the personality, not the girl. With that in mind I usually try to get into the head of my model to figure them out. In the five days I spent with Kelleth we didn’t speak much. As it turned out I never struggled once to find her in my frame. Unusual.
Although I’ve looked at Kelleth everyday since the shoot I haven’t seen her since. Like the mystery that is artist and muse, I can say I know her like the back of my hand while at the same time feeling like I’ve barely scratched the surface.” RD
“WESTERN BROOK POND is anything but a mere pond. The long climb to the top of the summit involves a 2hr hike and boat ride just to reach the launch point. The assent is an arduous one that requires a skilled guide and an abundance of resilience.
Without the use of running water, electricity, toilets, or any of the necessities on a regular shoot, the team was prepared to capture something never done before.
Here you have a fashion editorial shot in what is one of the world’s most iconic natural wonders.” RD
THE TABLELANDS in Gros Morne are one of the iconic vistas of the park. The valley is split in two with mountains of rock in hues from raw sienna to burnt umber while the other half is covered in rich boreal forest. I preconceived this scene as an ultra-wide landscape with Kelleth perched amidst the desert rock like a lost wanderer. THE CLIFFS in Newfoundland stay with you. When I first saw them in Flat Rock, several years ago, they burned a majestic impression that is both romantic and fierce.
The sunset in the small town of Rocky Harbour was my mermaid shot with Kelleth. The ocean is not only iconic but an integral part of life on the island. The rock behind Kelleth had an unusual coal like quality that looked charred by centuries of salt and sun.
From Clement Reid
I was born an raised in the region (Norris Point). Gros Morne National Park has been an important part of my world since its establishment in 1973. I was 10 when I first saw Western Brook Pond (WBP) from the approximate location of the present boat dock and not much older when I first hiked Gros Morne Mountain. My father was one of the first tour boat operators in WBP with BonTours which gives me a personal connection to the place. I’ve been hiking in the Western Brook Pond Fjord semi-regularly for more than 20 years and frequently for two summers.
I’ve been asked if I ever get bored hiking in the same place over and over. No, I don’t. Every day brings a new group of people and their goals for the day become my goals for the day. The place changes daily and with the seasons. Rains flood the brooks and waterfalls, sun lights the cliffs and winds breathe a welcome relief from the black flies. Spring brings receding snow, high water, new growth and chance wildlife encounters. Fall brings the yellow flame of birches and the pastel colours of the barrens.
More than all of that though is the omnipresent spirituality of the place. In the two summers I’ve been guiding WBP regularly, young couples have gotten engaged here, older couples have celebrated their anniversaries here and many have sought out an iconic photograph to check off an item on their bucket list. Some folks have visited here in memory of lost loved ones, as I do almost every day. The sense of wonder among the guests whom I guide here makes every day a fresh discovery.
For this trip my concerns were the usual guide concerns: who are my clients, what are their capabilities and what do they expect? I must confess, I had some pre-conceived notions about folks in the fashion industry which led me to believe that this was well beyond their comfort zone. Therefore, a screaming, hair-pulling mutiny was not out of the question. I was wonderfully wrong! The challenges Robert, Robert, Ashley, Michelle and Kelleth are willing to take on for their art is truly a testament to their dedication, a level of toughness that I wasn’t expecting and high spirits. Michelle who smilingly backpacked a wardrobe for the shoot, Ashley who brought make-up and an addictive sense of confidence, Kelleth who managed with a rain coat that, unbeknownst to me until the second day in pouring rain, had a broken zipper (hardly the wardrobe she might be accustomed to) and the Roberts who carried photo gear of unknown (to me, anyway) weight … You are all models for anyone pursuing a goal.
A second concern for all guides is weather. We had some. There’s nothing a guide can do to change the weather. The best we can do is plan for it and try to ensure the safety, if not the absolute comfort, of our clients. We all made it back. The weather was a huge concern for Robert as the project depended on it. That made it a concern for me too.
The challenges for me on this operation were logistical and physical. BonTours and Clem’s Trekking Adventures provide gourmet overnight camping offers at the base of the fjord’s cliffs not near the top of them. This meant having to freight gear to the top of the hill on a pack-frame. Fortunately, I was able to haul a bit of gear for this venture with each of my day-trips leading up to Robert’s expedition. As a result I was able to prepare and serve a meal that wasn’t based on some dehydrated or freeze-dried preparation. The reverse happened after Robert and company were back home: each of my day-trips saw me bring down a few bits and pieces. As a result of Robert’s challenge I’m in a bit better shape.
I agreed to do this because it was an opportunity to challenge myself to do something a bit different and I was, frankly, intrigued by the notion of blending fashion and landscape photography. It sounded odd enough to be interesting.
For me the most memorable circumstance of the trip was hair and make-up and wardrobe changes on the edge of the fjord. I think “surreal” applies here. However, long after that image has faded “sleep with one eye open” and photo-bombing the ladies’ ussie (a selfie with more than one person in the frame) will make me laugh. In other words, not unlike my regular trips, the human connections to each other and to the landscape are the most memorable. I have to offer a big thank you to the five fjord fashion photo folks.
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