Proof of Existence
The project, Proof of Existence, created by the duo Fotómetro, highlights diversity, inclusion, awareness of others, and creativity. Rona and Ofek speak about the fantasy world they constructed for this project and the idea behind it, “Our characters are total rebels who aren’t afraid to be themselves and break free from societal norms. We hope they inspire you to embrace your creativity and individuality.” The narrative takes the viewer to a world of fantasy that seamlessly blends with staged documentary photography and fashion. The locations of the shoot depict everyday life and invite us to become more perceptive and open toward the unique appearances and personalities of people around us.
The work is essentially about love and embracing diversity that shines through the beauty in each character we encounter. This world is rich with colors and emotions. It brings us closer to encounters with strangers who open up to share their talent and creative spirit. We speak with Rona and Ofek about the idea for the project and the way they created this fantasy world. We discuss their work with the Talent Agency and designers that allow to expand the boundaries and build the narrative. Rona shares how her lifelong interest in fantasy art and fashion affected her decision to bring about societal change through photography.
Fotómetro is a duo from Israel currently based in the UK that consists of Rona Bar and Ofek Avshalom. The duo collaborated with stylist Bessy Huang, makeup artist Elle McMahon, and Modeling agency Zebedee Talent which represents people with disabilities and visible differences. In addition, designers Myah Hasbany, Julia Mazur, and Noy Munis, fashion done by Christine Skowron, and hair stylist Tomer Nagar were involved in the project. Proof of Existence was shot mainly in London and features portraiture, landscapes, and still-life images.
Photography by Fotómetro Rona Bar Ofek Avshalom Styling and Creative Direction by Bessy Huang Makeup by Elle McMahon Modeling agency Zebedee Talent Agency
Talents
Hannah Harpin Camryn Yule Az Franco Nan Mthembu Osh Veda Emmanuelle Morgan Steve Higgins Myah Hasbany Amanda Rasmussen Ventcislava Nekova Luigi Caputo Oscar Ade Danielea Fikayo Min Ji Kim Ezekiel Frog Wet Mess Gianna T Co Kendrah (Diogo)
Designers
Myah Hasbany Julia Mazur Noy Munis Fashion by Christine Skowron Hair Stylist Tomer Nagar
‘We want to change the way people view others and promote solidarity, open-mindedness, and diversity in the media and the world.’
Rona & Ofek: Our project is all about embracing our weirdness and celebrating our differences because we all have unique quirks that make us who we are. We want to change the way people view others and promote solidarity, open-mindedness, and diversity in the media and the world. Creating this project was a great experience because we got to be as creative and expressive as we wanted. Our characters are total rebels who aren’t afraid to be themselves and break free from societal norms. We hope they inspire you to embrace your creativity and individuality.
‘To create that contrast between surrealism and the documentary, we found everyday locations and put our characters there, sometimes asking them to do everyday things.’
Rona & Ofek: We created each character by taking inspiration from different sources. Some parts were purely from our imagination, working together as a team to bring our vision to life. Our makeup artist, Elle McMahon, made some distinctive and bold makeup looks, while our stylist, Bessy Huang, collaborated with young and emerging designers from London to create the fantasy world of our dreams. We also took inspiration from the models themselves. We worked with Zebedee Talent Agency, which represents people with disabilities and visual differences, to include some of the most unique and beautiful people in our project.
At times we incorporated parts of their world into our fantasy ideas, they made it even more special and authentic to our message. To create that contrast between surrealism and the documentary, we found everyday locations and put our characters there, sometimes asking them to do everyday things. We mostly took photos in London, which also influenced the look and feel of our project.
‘Growing up, I was always captivated by surreal fantasy art. I felt a connection with the underdog characters and found myself fascinated with everything quirky and weird.’
Rona & Ofek: The project blurs the line between reality and fiction, making each image in the series a unique exploration of individuality and the human experience. The result is an engrossing look into everyday life, captured in an unfiltered, authentic, and sometimes strange way. In addition to the characters, the series contains still life and landscape images with the same bizarre atmosphere. The images without the characters contribute to the documentary feel of the series and make the viewer form connections and stories between the images.
Rona: Growing up, I was always captivated by surreal fantasy art. I felt a connection with the underdog characters and found myself fascinated with everything quirky and weird. However, I was also constantly exposed to mainstream media, which affected me with its impossible beauty standards. My struggle with body image has driven my wish to promote a more inclusive and diverse perception of beauty.
Many years later I did not lose my love for the unconventional and my fascination with the human condition. My exploration of these themes has helped me in my journey to self-acceptance. As photographers, we believe that one of our missions is to use our lenses to capture and communicate what we believe, to encourage social awareness and change.
Rona & Ofek: One of the designers we worked with and photographed is Myah Hasbany. They’re photographed in their room wearing their design inspired by their battle religious upbringing and their queer identity. Originally we wanted to use their designs on one of our models but after hearing their story we decided that photographing them wearing their design would be more special and authentic. We also used their designs in another image, where you can see Az, a transgender man, photographed on the beach wearing Myah’s pink feathery hat.
