We sat down with NERD’s beauty photographer Chantel to chat through her favourite projects, her creative push and the importance of diversity and representation not only in her work but also on set.
What inspired you to pursue a career in beauty and portraiture photography, and how has your journey from art foundation to graphic design influenced your unique style?
I began my career exploring fashion photography. I was captivated by Tim Walker’s portraits. I love his wonderful, creative use of lighting and oversized props to enhance his images. Honestly, I began shooting beauty due to a lack of finding a brilliant fashion stylist, which is extremely important in fashion. To my surprise, I find so much joy in shooting beauty and portraits and wouldn’t look back. I love photographing all skin types well and capturing the realness of a person.
Your portfolio showcases a diverse range of projects, from soft and gentle portraits to bold and dynamic compositions. What is your favourite project to date and why?
There are many favourites of mine; however, if I had to choose one, it would be my ‘Synthesis’ series. I love this series because it’s not merely a portrait, but a collaborative piece involving makeup, hair, styling, and art direction. I shot the portraits alongside still lifes, which were then collaged together by the art director to form a new portrait, hence the title ‘Synthesis.’ These portraits have received much praise and recognition.
Your commitment to inclusivity and representation in photography strongly aligns with our values at NERD. How has being a black female photographer impacted your journey in this industry?
Representation is extremely important to me; being seen makes a huge difference in this industry. I address this message wherever I can. I also ensure that I have a diverse team, whether in front of or behind the camera. This diversity is reflected in my portfolio and the stories told through my work. I notice the significance of subtle surprises from models who recognise me as the photographer, and the fact that the majority of assistants who reach out to me are women of colour. They see themselves in me, which is deeply rewarding. Additionally, I strive to pay my expertise forward in various ways.
Experimentation seems to be a key element in your creative process, from playing with different lighting techniques to exploring various styles. Could you tell us about a particularly memorable experiment or project that pushed the boundaries of your artistic expression?
Yes, I love playing with light. The shoot where I pushed myself the most was in my ‘Art of Glass’ beauty series. For this series, I held different vases in front of the lens, creating a beautiful spherical viewpoint of the image that I simply could not recreate in post-production.
And finally, tell us a NERDy fact about yourself 🙂
I absolutely love all types of puzzles whether it’s jigsaws, escape rooms, sudoku, or any puzzle where I have to solve something, I get so excited and even more when I complete it.
NERD Productions’ resident Creative Producer Ira Giorgetti spills the tea on art, producership and being a multi-hyphenate in London
Introduction
Who are you?
My name is Ira Giorgetti, and I’m a creative producer, photographer and entrepreneur.
Where are you from (both in UK and heritage)?
I am of British-Filipino ancestry, although I’ve got an Italian stepfather, so I’m a little bit of that too as far as culture’s concerned! I’m based in leafy West London, where I live with my partner and our three-year-old chihuahua.
What do you do?
I’ve got a very mixed professional background as well, to be honest! The day-to-day sees me working my magic with production, showreels, pitches and directors’ treatments at NERD Productions as a Creative Producer. I’m also on NERD’s roster as an Advertising and Portrait Photographer, with a dash of Still Life and E-Commerce in the mix just to spice things up. I’m currently also working on my fledgling side-hustle Provoke Art.
How did you fall in love with what you do?
I’ve been in the media and advertising game since I was about three years old when my mother, then a creative director for a publisher in the Philippines, decided to “hire” me as a talent for a magazine cover when the model they’d booked got ill and didn’t turn up. As a result, I got paid in Mcdonald’s Happy Meals, which was an exciting start to life in the industry!
Anecdotes aside, I’d always been fascinated by film and photography, and I developed a love for the visual arts from a very young age. I first picked up a camera in high school and have been making pictures ever since. Delving into production felt like a natural next step, as I think that creativity flourishes when paired with a good understanding of how to utilise imagination best and turn ideas into reality.
Production
What’s been your favourite project to produce so far?
It’s hard to pick a single favourite, as I enjoy working with the fantastic roster of diverse directors and outstanding creative talent at NERD. However, a project that resonated with me and my visual aesthetic was a 3D project for Genesis Motors (a subsidiary of Hyundai), which we produced for Innocean USA with our animation director Roman Bratschi. The resulting visualisations were beautifully constructed, conceptually brilliant and genuinely designed with a perfect blend of artistic vision and an eagle eye for details.
A good old Parker ballpoint pen and ruled index cards. I’m a bit old-school about task management, but I’m trying to learn Notion to better organise my life given how fast-paced things are nowadays!
What’s the most challenging part of the job?
When our team puts hours of effort into pitches only for us to receive word of reworked marketing strategies, delayed campaign dates, or sudden changes to execution and approach. Always hard to hear that the hard work, creativity, and commitment to excellence didn’t make it in front of clients’ eyes. However, that knowledge results in less heartbreak for us in production and our partners, designers, and directors!
What’s something you wish clients knew, but you dare not share?
So much hard work and effort occur in the background, with directors spending hours and hours poring over the little details and flourishes in their work. Sometimes it can feel disheartening when clients want to scale big ideas back or streamline concepts that work best unrestrained. Of course, we always offer our best creative suggestions and advice throughout the entire creative production process, but the client is always right at the end of the day!
Creativity & Art
What’s your favourite style of art?
I don’t have a favourite style or genre, although I tend to gravitate towards visual and experiential art. I’m a bit musically challenged, and even though I appreciate poetry and prose, I find myself drawn mainly to photography, illustration, painting, sculpture and architecture. I also love a bit of experiential art here and there, even if most people find it to be a bit corny!
Who/what are your top 3 artistic influences?
I have a great love for the works of Zhang Jigna, Darren Aronofsky and Alasdair McLellan.
What’s the most challenging experience you’ve had on the job?
I once had to shoot a summer fashion campaign during a snowstorm! I just managed to pull it off, although the whole crew had the sniffles for a couple of days after.
What’s your fondest memory of making art?
Probably my early days of exploration and experimentation in the Philippines, where I set up self-motivated projects taking portraits of friends and family with no particular goal in mind. I think that whilst my skill and style have developed significantly since then, I still miss the simpler times of my youth when I didn’t have to think about commissioners and how each project fits into my professional narrative. It was a lot of fun just to grab a camera, hop in the car and drive to the mountains with people near and dear to me – something I sorely miss now that the naivete is gone and I have to think a bit more about approvals, deadlines and deliveries. Of course, production is rewarding in many ways, and I appreciate the daily exposure to different ideas and disciplines. Still, there’s something to be said for one’s first few creative ventures and how that shapes their viewpoint, perspective, and approach.
The Future
What projects are you working on?
I’m handling a fair few productions at NERD at the moment, including having just delivered some pieces for L’Oreal and Hyundai whilst working on active productions for Google, Air Wick and Guy’s & St Thomas’ Foundation.
Photography-wise, I recently shot the social campaign for E45’s refreshed range of moisturisers and creams. In addition, I won a competition with M&C Saatchi and the Cabinet Office, which has brought my work to large-scale display at airports, embassies and government offices. Although all that commercial progress aside, I’d love to build Provoke Art up a little more!
With any luck, I’ll be able to take it from concept to budding side hustle. I’d love for it to be a space where queer artists around the globe are celebrated and allowed the opportunity to get their work in front of more eyes and into more physical spaces. I’ve got a fair bit of interest so far, and a couple of friends from the queer and ESEA communities are keen to get involved!
I’d love to say that it was to get published in a certain magazine, land a particular client or receive a specific grant, all of which I’m trying to do. But, for now, I’d be thrilled to see my friends and family in the Philippines again after all we’ve been through with this long and drawn-out pandemic!
Where can we learn more about you and your work?
I love connecting with new people, and I’ve got loads of profiles online where I try my best to engage regularly:
To signify 2019’s International Women’s Day, photographer and diversity advocate Yana Binaev‘s documentary photojournalism project launched with TMRW Magazine, designed to reveal the uplifting stories of eleven incredible, influential ladies who have made their mark and written their destiny despite a bumpy journey, including the woman at the heart of NERD’s core, our founder Milana Karaica.
Our freshly launched director Hayley Morris stands for everything that we envision here at NERD – gender equality in the industry, encouraging young talent and crafting visually stunning work – that’s why we’re diving deeper into Hayley’s inspiring, handcrafted world to discover more about how she became the thriving success that she is today.
