“This story is about a girl who wants to break some shit,” Lavenda Memory says. We’re intrigued.
What the Portland based fashion photographer is talking about is her first story for Ben Trovato, entitled Through The Trailer Park, featuring Emma Pelett. “My original inspiration was to play off of Emma’s alter ego. Emma is normally this very pretty, very cupcake kind of girl so when we were throwing ideas around for her shoot I said how about we don’t do your normal ‘pretty’, how about we dirty you up. Incidentally we had to climb a brick fence from our kept, condo community to discover our shoot location.”
She was definitely up for it, climb and all.
It was during a few relaxing days in Palm Springs, that Lavenda and Emma found themselves overwhelmingly inspired by a location behind the aforementioned brick fence. A location they had to shoot at: “- Once I peeked over the fence and spotted this glamorous trailer park I realized we had struck gold. During our shoot, the owner of the main trailer came outside and commenced to tell us all about her TV shows, an earlier nap and her son’s personal life. I kept looking around for cameras, wondering if we were being punked.”
Despite being disturbed by outgoing locals, Lavenda, Emma and photo assistant Camille Collard produced a wonderful story depicting a trailer park princess in her prime. Lavenda styled the shoot herself, and Emma did her own hair and makeup. “- Since we were traveling, knew we wouldn’t have the normal production like hair, makeup and wardrobe stylists, but the elements really came together for us and gave us a big break!” she explains, adding: “- Emma was amazeballs! Her hair is like an actual lions mane, there is so, so much of it. She takes direction well and is incredibly easy to work with. She was such a camper getting everything ready herself. I never got a complaint from her, not one.”
Lavenda picked up her first camera in October of 2007, and fell in love.
It didn’t take much longer after for me to realize fashion was the only thing I wanted to shoot.
“I began doing lots of tests so that I could play and stretch myself and eventually began growing a business photographing commercial products. My aim is to get my work published toward a larger audience though and I’m so, so excited for this publication and for 2012 as a whole. I really feel like this is going to be my year!”
Credits
Photography & Styling by Lavenda Memory
Model - Emma Pelett @ Sports Unlimited
Photo Assistant - Camille Collard
Wardrobe
Calvin Klein shirt
Plein Sud pink leather mini skirt
Steve Madden pumps
Wacoal bra
Elizabeth and James sweater
Mossimo Supply Co jeans
Vintage bracelet and necklace models own
Louis Vuitton shoes
