These days collaborations with brands and creative talents are becoming more commonplace in the fashion industry and it is yielding some really incredible results. Case in point: Amanda Shadforth, photographer and the extremely talented woman behind the blog, Oracle Fox (and also a fellow cast member on Fashion Bloggers) recently collaborated with Australian label LXÉ to photograph their latest campaign, starring British model Bee Beardsworth. Shadforth shot the campaign in iconic Parisian locations such as Jardin des Tuileries and Grand Palais (see the stunning results below) and will have you either a) wanting to buy a pink coat immediately or b) booking yourself on the next flight to The City of Light. During the recent launch in Sydney I sat down with Shadforth to discuss photography, brand collaborations and travelling the globe…
What do you enjoy about collaborating with brands?
I love having the opportunity to draw upon full creative freedom to create imagery and content that speaks to a wide range of audiences. It’s a really amazing process to work closely together with a brand to create magic for everyone involved.
What’s influencing your photography at the moment?
A lot of my photography at the moment is inspired by the subject matters and talent that I’m shooting. Every creative needs a muse. So much of the talent that we’ve been shooting have been so beautiful but they also have really interesting backgrounds and stories. I love tapping into the personal side and seeing the unique moments we can achieve in the photography.
Tell me about shooting in Paris for LXÉ. What was the experience like?
We had so much fun on this shoot, shooting on the streets of Paris is always interesting. Even though there were some stressful moments i.e. freezing temperatures, moments of snow, crazy Parisian traffic and crowds of tourists sidelining our every move, the Parisian streetscapes always make for the most beautiful images. Working with the LXÉ team was a dream come true, Olivia [Sheed, the brand’s creative director] was very trusting in our vision and everyone was so excited when we presented the campaign.
What would be your dream photo shoot location?
The black sand beaches of Iceland.
What’s the key to taking a good photo?
Feeling inspired is the most important part of the process, creativity needs to come from a higher place and even those who are very creative can find that not being in the right mindset means that personal emotions can through in in the imagery. For me I love beautiful, natural light and the images I’ve taken in direct sunlight are always my favourites.
Who would you love to photograph in future?
I would love to travel to destinations where the location and the culture are visually inspiring, shooting people in places such as Cambodia, India or Peru. The challenge is to capture individual personalities through the lens, which is a special skill.
What’s a day in the life of for you?
To be honest, there really is no average day. Each day is completely different to the other and always busy with creating concepts, editing, writing, photography etc. At the moment we are working on some large scale projects so it’s always a balancing act between production for existing work and working on creatives for the next exciting collaboration.
You seem to travel a lot! What do you love doing when you’re at home for a few days?
I’m very lucky that I get to travel so much with my business, but it’s always nice to be home. For me, weekends are scared and I really value time with my friends and family, if I do get some down time the first thing I always do it pick up my paintbrush as I love to paint.
What do you miss most when you’re away?
I’ll get in trouble if I don’t say Sam & Knoxy [Shadforth’s husband and son, respectively] but that’s just a given, they are always on my mind. Next on the list is the coffee from my local cafe. Also I have a bed that I call the fluffy cloud and am yet to find one that compares.
What are some of your daily rituals?
I’m quite a creature of habit so there are too many embarrassing rituals to mention, however the first one that comes to mind is visiting my favourite cafe for a caffeine fix.
With Shadforth, Sara Donaldson and Nicole Warne at the LXE launch in Sydney
What’s currently on your shopping list?
Vetements Ankle Boots, a Loewe Sweater for the cooler months and I’m obsessed with cropped flares at the moment, they are a must have on any shopping list. No winter wardrobe is complete without the perfect pair of leather pants… Lucky for me, LXÉ was there to help a sister out in the leather pants department.
Whose wardrobe would you love to have unlimited access to?
Jane Birkin’s wardrobe, please… So effortless and chic.
What’s next for the Oracle Fox brand?
There is no denying that Oracle Fox has taken me on some amazing adventures, and allowed me to realise many of my goals, some which were previously just a dream. My ultimate career goal is to continue to grow the Oracle Fox brand and to share beautiful original content with my readers. To be honest my greatest competitor is myself, so I am always working on pushing through my own boundaries and limitations, this is a really satisfying process and serves as an ongoing challenge. Being an artist by trade, I have high expectations and am extremely critical of my own work. The main focus is always working to continue the growth of Oracle Fox, the Oracle Fox Journal and continuing to love what I do.
