FLORENCE AND THE TOURIST / SHOOTING IN CEMETERIES… WITH MICHAŁ G

I met Michał at my friend and fellow photographer Emre’s house. I was helping him unwrap a load of expensive lighting kit and assisting him with trying out his new kit for the first time. Michał was his model, someone who’d not done modeling before yet was a total natural, extremely photogenic. So when Emre was done I asked if I could photograph him too. I just asked him to tell me his favourite artist so I could maybe use some of that music for inspiration. His response was Florence Welch.

I spent the next few days until we’d meet listening to the back catalogue of Florence and the Machine. Eventually I decided on “Blinding”. The line that jumped out was “a tourist in the waking world, never quite awake”, so I chose to meet at a cemetery in Battersea/Wandsworth.

Have a listen on Spotify to the gorgeous song: https://play.spotify.com/track/1vWZiSA1PDGBcnvmiC5E3e

Cemeteries are tricky places to shoot because even though they’re absolutely beauty, there is a cautiousness and respect that needs to be adhered to. So no big smiles, no overtly sexy pouts either, just natural, sombre, and thoughtful. And you need to be careful to not get any actual mourners caught in the frame. These are peaceful places, so we want peaceful faces and peaceful sounds. It’s perfectly Florence and perfectly Michał.

Elska Boy: Michał G

Photographer: Liam Campbell

Location: London, England

Elska Magazine: N/A

#LondonEngland