Sunset Encounters
Sunset Encounters follows two guys in the natural landscape environment of Prospect Park. The narrative is a comparison of the general state of loneliness of an individual and the state of togetherness.
Friendship enters the scene as an extension of individualism, which allows being truthful to oneself, preserving genuine behavior. Nature in the background emphasizes the theme of authenticity, the zone of comfort and acceptance. The natural light shapes the facial features of the characters adding to the soft atmosphere of calmness. Slowly the day comes to an end, the sun sets down, closing the encounter.
Andy Jackson is a New York based photographer. Andy, together with Ashley Lantigua, a stylist for the Sunset Encounters, speak with WÜL and share some of the behind the scenes moments from the set. ‘I wanted to show the new friendship of young black men. The whole idea is to know that no matter what, there’s someone just like you on this earth that you can relate to.’ - Andy Jackson.
Photography Andy Jackson Style Ashley Lantigua Hair Hiro Furukawa MUA Miki Ishikura Talents Tyler J. at D1 Models NYC Xander Jones at New York Models
‘I wanted to do a story about the friendship between two POC boys and how soft it could be. I think sometimes, in our culture, it's shown that boys like these can’t have a close and amazing friendship’
Hi Andy, Ashley, happy to feature your work! Tell about the idea for Sunset Encounters and the theme of friendship you decided to explore?
Andy Jackson: So for this shoot, I wanted to do a story about the friendship between two POC boys and how soft it could be. I think sometimes, in our culture, it's shown that boys like these can’t have a close and amazing friendship, without it being seen as ‘gay.’ I want to fight those stereotypes and ideas. I show the concept of wanting to become someone new and learning from this.
Could you take us into the process before the shooting day and the discussions you had on the outfits and styling as opposed to the chosen location?
Andy Jackson: For personal projects, I’m usually leading and have a visual idea of what I want to shoot or what the main focus will be. In this instance, I wanted the location to be outside, and most importantly, a public space where shooting is allowed. Thus, I had thought about Prospect Park as it's a very big park and beautiful at that. When it comes to the outfits, that's when the mood board usually will come in, and I will have the stylist chew on the concept a bit and then formulate the looks.
What are the challenges you anticipate for filming outdoors, and how do you solve those?
AJ: For me, it's definitely the lighting. Because at some point we have to race time for these photos, so I have to make sure we’re being conscious of how long we're taking the photos. I personally think I get so lost in taking photos, so it's always nice to have someone on set to help me push along the shoot!
Ashley Lantigua: The challenges I anticipate for filming outdoors are lighting and making sure the garments don’t get dirty.
When filming outside, the lighting is constantly changing. Being aware of the lighting is very important. It can create intense and unflattering contrast to the silhouette and model. To overcome these lighting concerns, a photographer/videographer should consider picking a time of day (a golden hour would be the best).
As for garments, from the moment clothes are in your possession, the designer, PR, or retailer expects you to look after them – ensuring that they are not soiled with make-up or from being on the grass (my biggest nightmare). So always, always, have a set of styling kits.
While creating a narrative and a relationship you need for the story, how do you approach the work with models? Do you have a motivational talk, or do you prefer to show the mood board, or is it more of a process of building the relationship you need while shooting?
Andy Jackson: I will show them the mood board first and then explain what the story is about and what it could mean for me and them. They have to depict the story and pretty much I am the one to direct it.
Ashley Lantigua: While creating a narrative and a relationship for the story, I prefer to show models the mood board. Before shooting, I discuss with the team the look(s) we are shooting and dress the model. Then I will show the model the mood board to get an idea of what kind of story we want to tell and that contains posing, colors, images, etc. all of which illustrate a mood or idea. That being said, having a mood board is paramount because you can visually and verbally communicate your ideas.
Did you have a funny or curious occurrence during the day you could tell us about?
Andy Jackson: I don't have any particular funny moments, but I did find it fun trying to prepare this shoot outside! It was a fun experience.
Ashley Lantigua: Oh geez, I guess when I was getting attacked by bugs! When it starts to get dark out, pull out the bug spray – it’ll come in handy.
