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Walden by Jessica Klingelfuss

Walden is a unique tribal themed shoot, where London based photographer Jessica Klingelfuss and her team get lost in the Epping Forest, “I’ve always been drawn to forests in particular; they are the most magical place to be in”.

Jessica says she is inspired by nature itself. Being outdoors and shooting on location is an apparent trend in her work, providing rich saturated colors and contrasting backgrounds as well as an outlet for natural light. For Walden, she was especially intrigued by the forest they shot in, “Everything is always so still, so quiet, but so full of life. The light is always changing and perfect”. She spent an entire day on foot prior to the shoot to scout the landscape. From the vast trees and teepee made of sticks to the lush green, the location chosen looked like a fun and interesting place to explore.

An equally important necessity to making a tribal themed shoot innovative and eye-catching is a talented team of artists to create a persona. Wardrobe stylist Polly Hayward did this by long drapey capes and shawls creating a powerful silhouette. The funky prints, creepy mask, and beaded statement jewelry added to the theme. Heléne Eriksson did a great job with the hair by teasing it and twisting it into different braids. What is distinctly different about this shoot is that while most tribal stories stick to bareness and earth tones, Walden features bright pops of color and what seems to be a more modern twist on the common tale. The makeup, done by Linda Wallsten, features vivid war paint, a bold lip, and neon colored nails.

Taii Gordon at Premier was the model. “From the moment I saw Taii’s card in the package I knew I wanted her for the shoot. She had such a unique face unlike anything I had ever seen before”, says Klingelfuss, “incredible blue-grey eyes, sharp cheekbones, and gorgeous freckles. She was really lovely”. Taii has a strong ethnic and eccentric look, with a personality to impress “…being quite sporty she was quite happy to trek for hours through the forest with us”, explains Jessica. She says her main focus is for her whole team to feel the mood and feed off of each others energy, “My main objective is to harmonise several different visions into one fluid story”.

Credits
Photography by Jessica Klingelfuss
Modelling by Taii Gordon @ Premier
Styling by Polly Hayward
Makeup by Linda Wallsten @ Era Management  using MAC Cosmetics
Hair by Heléne Eriksson using Bumble and Bumble