YOUNG & IN LOVE
PHOTOGRAPHER/ CINEMATOGRAPHER FEATURED IN INTIMACY | VOL.3 | ISSUE.2
A photographer, cinematographer and model who has a slight addiction to hats and the way the human mind works, she is a lover of many things. Bailey grew up in a small town called Stuart, where families would come to find some peace and quiet and the shoreline would glisten ever so brightly. As a kid, she couldn’t keep her hands off anything creative. Her mind would wander, thoughts turned into visuals, visuals turned into ideas, and those ideas would then build up inside of her, begging to come out. She couldn’t help but want to bring these ideas to life, so much so that she didn’t last long at any normal job, as for she couldn’t focus on anything else but her desire for wanting to create. At the age of 16 she shot her first wedding, age 19 began building her own business while being mentored by some of the best photographers in the game, and now at 22, is a full-time wedding and lifestyle photographer and cinematographer.
Q. We adore your raw and authentic style how do you create such naturally beautiful images?
I don’t have an exact method that comes to mind but there are many factors that are involved in creating raw and authentic imagery. The technicalities of photography are always a factor, but I’d say the most important one is making sure your couple or muse is comfortable. On rare occasions, you might know the person who you’re shooting with, but most of the time you are working with people you have never met before. What I have found that works for me is to have them interact with one another more than they are interacting with me. The difference in energy at a shoot when you are stagnantly posing a couple vs. having them chase one another, be silly and look deep into each other's souls is night and day. Think about it, they may not know you that well but their partner who they are deeply and madly in love with is standing right beside them, utilize their connection and familiarity and snap away!
Q. What does your day to day life look like?
My day to day life is structured for someone who is a freelancer. Before I hop onto the computer and start working, I have my morning rituals that include reading exerts from my gratitude journal for 5-10 minutes followed by a quick meditation and stretch where I welcome in the new day. Staying off my phone for the first few hours of the day has also helped me greatly with focus and avoiding unnecessary stress and anxiety. As lovely as this all sounds, not every morning goes as planned and life happens. However, when I can start off my day is this way, the rest of my day seems a bit easier on my body and mind. Following my mornings, I am either editing at home, prepping for a shoot that I have that day or running errands. I can be a bit of a workaholic at times but some of my favorite ways to unwind are thrifting, spending time outdoors and getting creative with friends.
Q. What is it like capturing pure love and moments for couples?
It is feeling like no other. I can’t express enough how much my couples mean to me. To have a job in which I get to experience the highlight of someone's life right before my eyes and make art of it leaves me feeling eternally grateful.
Q. You are a multi-talented creator that is a model, photographer, and cinematographer! How do you balance everything and still create exceptional work?
As a multifaceted creator, I put most of my focus on working. Lucky for me, I deeply enjoy what I do but that doesn’t mean there aren’t times that I am extremely overwhelmed. For a while, I was juggling many things and doing them well. I’d go down to Miami and attend castings or jobs as a model and then plan photography shoots afterward to utilize my time in the area. As my photography business started to get busier and so did modeling, I felt that I had needed to choose one. Although I no longer have time for a modeling agency, I still model independently on my own time and schedule and for my new hat brand Gypsy Taco. However, I’d say photography and cinematography get the most of my time and attention, not only in a monetary sense but where my heart feels the most pull towards. Luckily all of these things interrelate with one another so it makes it easier to switch gears between them all and couldn’t imagine my life without multiple outlets of creativity.
Q. Why are you so passionate about photography and cinematography?
In such a fast-paced world that is ever-changing, photographs and films allow me to preserve a moment, emotions and all. Whether that moment is for a bride and groom or even for myself, I find that these captures are priceless, as you can never relive an exact moment in time.
Q. Tell us about the process of creating one of your films?
There are many moving parts in the creation of a film, but when It comes to breaking it all down, we have visuals and audio. Something about the way visuals, when paired with a specific sound or audio, can evoke great emotion. Music, having an incredibly big impact on my life, has inspired most of my films. I can’t recall my first memory of it but for as long as I can remember, I was ALWAYS listening to music. I would put on a song and visuals would just start coming to life in my head. When I edit a film, I listen carefully to the song that I am using and pair certain parts of it with visuals in a way in which I feel something. When it comes to filming weddings, I try and take as much time as possible to learn about my bride and groom and what they value and how they see the world. When it comes time to shoot their wedding, I go into it with them in mind, capturing all the hugs, tears and little moments I know they would appreciate. Storytelling is important, but the perspective of the storytelling is everything.
Q. Your images have gorgeous tones. What is your editing process like?
I have fiddled around with my editing process quite a bit, especially during my shift from shooting only fashion editorials to transitioning more into lifestyle. There was something about the realness and raw moments over the perfection that drew me in. As for tones, it took a while to come up with something that I like enough to use on a regular basis but over time I found a nice balance between staying true to color while still keeping that moody cinematic feel.
Q. What advice do you have for a beginner lifestyle photographer?
My advice to any beginner lifestyle photographer is constancy. I know as an artist it can be extremely difficult at times to look at some of your own work and genuinely like it. Unfortunately, that will still happen no matter what stage of your career you are in.
Q. What do you have planned for 2020?
Entering 2020, I have intentions set, goals that scare me locked in and exciting projects that make me want to run marathons because they excite me so much. I do however plan to take on 2020 a bit differently than any of my previous years, as for personal life experiences and the realization of how fragile and precious our lives can has never been more self-evident. I want to make sure as much as I am working and growing my business, that I am enjoying life and soaking up every moment to its fullest.
Q. Tell us a highlight from your intimate photoshoot with Shea Marie & Andres Fanjul!
My favorite part of my shoot with Shea and Andres had to be during our beach look. I had not brought my swimsuit, so Shea had lent me her Nike shorts that while struggling beneath a towel, I had successfully changed into amongst the crowd of beachgoers. We didn’t want to leave any of their Jewelry out in the open while we were shooting in the water, so I ended up rocking a black bag tied around my neck with all of their valuables inside. At the moment I didn’t think twice at how ridiculous I looked because I was so excited about the images we were getting, but now that I think about it…
______________________________
Photographer/Cinematographer:
Bailey Ann @taco_bail
https://www.baileyannoriginal.com/
Lovers: Shea Marie @sheamarie,
Andres Fanjul @andres_fanjul
Location: Versace Mansion
📍Miami, Florida
______________________________