There’s something special about being involved in a creative project that has no commercial element to it. What I mean by that is that it’s rare I get the opportunity to create just for the love of creating.
Recently I was privileged to be asked by photographer Debbie Deboo to make a “silver steampunk inspired waistcoat” for a shoot at Carrickfergus Sailing Club.
Debbie is well known for her artistic photography, fashion photoshoots and her work as an events, music and festival photographer. On top of that she’s an award winning wildlife/nature photographer and has been gaining a reputation in artistic circles for her macro work.
Debbie tells BAM the story of the Follow The Light shoot:
“This shoot was one of those that evolved” explained Debbie.
“It started out with a completely different concept and team. Sohaib Syed the male model had approached me, the photographer with a concept which I agreed to but when we couldn’t find a location that suited the concept we cast about for other ideas and I remembered a friend of mine had offered me the use of a sailing club.
“So we came up with a sort of romantic steampunk idea using a rowing boat on the water.”
Models Lisa Mills and Sohaib Syed | Photo by Debbie Deboo
However, the shoot didn’t take off to a great start and Debbie and the team were left trying to find replacements for people the day of the shoot.
She revealed: “The morning of the shoot and things weren’t going well. The female model and the MUA dropped out because of illness and I was desperately trying to get last minute replacements rather than cancel.
“My friend at the boat club managed to get me an MUA who was studying make up at the local college and I was lucky enough that one of my model friends rearranged her plans for the day to help me out.
“We were also picking up Tina Calder who had designed and made the steampunk waistcoat the male model was wearing on the way to the shoot.”
With the problems solved everyone was en-route to the sailing club but not prepared for what was to come next.
“We got to the boat club and although our contacts there were very helpful we discovered we weren’t allowed to use any of the boats in the water” said Debbie.
“We hummed and ahhhed about composites as they’re quite tricky to pull off well in post production but decided to go for it. So what you have in most of the photos is the boat and models in the boatyard with the sky and sea from a seascape I took in Donegal.
“The concept evolved during the shoot. The two models were Bonnie and Clyde figures, lovers and outlaws leaving the country and trouble behind them for a new life overseas.”
Models: Sohaib Syed and Lisa Mills
Clothes & Accessories: Naomi Hazley & Tina Calder
MUA: Kirsty Kidd
Location: Carrickfergus Sailing Club
For more photography like this go to Debbie Deboo Photography on Facebook