Bespotted

Anyone who’s been following the blog or Instagram for the past year or so knows that my personal style leans towards the vibrant on the regular, and I’ve been itching to execute that aesthetic on a grander level.
Three polkadot themed outfits, weeks of potential model Insta-stalking, and one insanely colorful haven later, Kristen and I were finally able to collaborate with super talented and artsy local high schooler, Kaelin Miller. 
After seeing her in a fellow blogger’s seasonal Etsy lookbook, I was taken by her awareness of her facial expressions and bodily positioning, while executing the conceptual vibe effortlessly. I imagine it’s hard for models to stay true to someone else’s visual ideas while pushing their own personalities through for the camera. Luckily, selling a rebellious but sweet slacker art student aesthetic for this shoot was really easy for a rebellious but sweet (not really) slacker art student!
In addition to her marvelous modeling talent, Kaelin is immensely active in pretty much anything promoting local youth talent and civil rights. From reading her intelligent commentary/seeing her stand up in rallies for complete strangers on her Facebook feed, or running into her volunteering during The Warhol’s Youth Invasion event earlier this year, I feel genuinely honored to have been able to work with such a conscious, intellectual, and talented wunderkind. 
Enough of me gushing about this wonderful ray of sunshine (never!), but working with Kristin and Kaelin was the highlight of my spring, and is part of a wonderful introduction to photoshoot coordination and creative directing/styling. The pure joy that radiated from each of these talented ladies and from the venue gave this shoot a life of its own. 
Finally, I have learned to “play well with others.” Take that, every elementary school teacher ever!

Creative Direction & Styling: Khadijat Yussuff

photographed in Randyland

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