Discovering style through my own lens

by Jordan Moorhead
Dec 29, 2017
4 min read

Throughout my different positions as a student and editor in chief, I've never been the person behind the camera taking photos for a project. I was busy styling or overseeing, never photographing. This fall I was able to produce a series of photos with my own idea, and that all changed.

I wanted to produce something minimalistic that would give me a way to explore how exactly I wanted the photos come out. I didn't want to be so overthrown with the outfits that I lost the art of simply taking the photo. I had finally learned the mechanics of it, and wanted to put that to use in a solid way.

I found other photos that served as inspiration for how I wanted my images to look; portrait style, a focus on the clothes or the outfit, and good composition to catch the eye. Some of the images come from my favorite bloggers like Aleali May, and rappers like A$AP Rocky and Playboi Carti.

In my previous post, I showed you how I style black and white. It's such a classic combination that every single person owns. In this photo series, I wanted to see how other students would wear it. However instead of using gold as an accent like I did, I told them to wear something denim.

Denim is a wardrobe staple. If you don't own a denim piece, you need to buy one! Denim jeans, denim jackets, denim tops; this year denim was worn a million different ways. It's been a trend for many seasons and its only getting crazier.

Even if you're not the type to rock Vetements Jeans with a zipper on the back seam or a full denim on denim look, use these students as inspiration on how you can wear it using the clothes in your closet.

Emily wore a long denim jacket with frayed edges and silver button accents (Zara), a long sleeve white top, and a short black textured jumper (Zara). The length of the jacket really pairs well with the length of the jumper. It makes it interesting to switch up the proportions. To complete the look she added black tights, a pair of Adidas superstars, and a black floppy hat.

I really wanted to shoot Emily in an art gallery. Her look really gives off the vibe of an artsy, creative individual. Unfortunately the art gallery I had in mind wouldn't let us in. The owner only spoke Italian and I'm not sure she understood what we wanted to do. That can happen sometimes in Florence.

We ended up shooting all of these images in the main building of my university. It turned out really well, and provided a great back drop for the photos.

Derek came dressed ready for a photoshoot. In his backpack he brought different accessories to really elevate the look from a t-shirt and jeans. I loved being able to style the final look I was going for by choosing the pieces I wanted him to wear.

For his photos, I wanted to get that contrast of him against the sky in the back. I shot a lot of photos on a bridge with him sitting on the edge. Having the sunglasses on and his bag next to him really makes it seem luxurious.

Derek is wearing a black button up, white t-shirt, and distressed denim jeans. He also accessorized with a gold wrist watch, a pair of black sunglasses and black and gold Nikes. I really liked how the watch and shoes added a touch of gold on both top and bottom.

In my final group of photos, Rylee is wearing a denim jacket (Levi), black ripped jeans, and a white off the shoulder top. I definitely think I found a future model in Rylee, she came through fierce through every photo. Plus the chains and the Gucci belt makes this such an "off-duty" model look.

I decided to take this photos in a few random spots around the city; a small open garage, on a couch outside of a coffee shop, and a small corner filled with shelves of plants and trees. Some of my favorites are the portraits in front of the yellow wall. I had her just stand in the garage, thankfully the gate was open, and it creates the such a visually pleasing background.

I'm extremely proud on how these photos came out to showcase different moods, different looks, and different personalities. Diversity is important in any project.

Any piece - top or bottom - in black, white, or denim are essential and can be showcased in so many different ways. It's important to go back to the basics and reinvent them to be seen in a new way. I wanted to showcase this in my photos and give inspiration to anyone looking for it.

Cheek out all of the photos in the slideshow below! All of them were taken in Florence, Italy where I was taking classes this past semester.