David Handley - Great Britain - Naughty angel
© David Handley courtesy of Sony World Photography Awards 2010 / Jackie Gibbs
78696-138403
Series of a children’s' fashion story for a magazine taken in South Africa on a farm with native children.
Comment from David Handley:
“A children’s fashion magazine commissioned me to photograph a fashion story to be shot in South Africa. They handed me a suitcase of colourful clothes and, after not too much persuasion, off I went.
The brief was simple: to photograph the story using local kids on an African farm or within a similar environment. The location was easily found and a single day of casting gave us the models. A friend/stylist deciphered the suitcase of clothes, adding some of her own touches to the collection and bringing along the more unusual props like ducks and wings. Most of the children were from local townships and, although poor, were incredibly polite and an absolute joy to be around.
When working with children you always have to adapt, improvise and make it enjoyable for them. The shoot day was a mixture of frustration and fun but was ultimately rewarding. The ‘fun’ element can be seen in the girl jumping, while the boy was determined not to smile or comply – hence the ‘frustrating’ element.
One of my favourite moments was when we handed a girl a toy duck and she looked so proud of her gift. It was moments like this that made it all worthwhile.”
78696-138403
Series of a children’s' fashion story for a magazine taken in South Africa on a farm with native children.
Comment from David Handley:
“A children’s fashion magazine commissioned me to photograph a fashion story to be shot in South Africa. They handed me a suitcase of colourful clothes and, after not too much persuasion, off I went.
The brief was simple: to photograph the story using local kids on an African farm or within a similar environment. The location was easily found and a single day of casting gave us the models. A friend/stylist deciphered the suitcase of clothes, adding some of her own touches to the collection and bringing along the more unusual props like ducks and wings. Most of the children were from local townships and, although poor, were incredibly polite and an absolute joy to be around.
When working with children you always have to adapt, improvise and make it enjoyable for them. The shoot day was a mixture of frustration and fun but was ultimately rewarding. The ‘fun’ element can be seen in the girl jumping, while the boy was determined not to smile or comply – hence the ‘frustrating’ element.
One of my favourite moments was when we handed a girl a toy duck and she looked so proud of her gift. It was moments like this that made it all worthwhile.”
