YOLANDE BEAUTY AND HEDONIST BEAST

This summer season turned out to be very fruitful for us in terms of various events and collaborations. And it cannot but rejoice.

Tell you, we are completely delighted by how diverse and rich the world of each person we come into contact with on a creative level is. And of course, the process itself always brings much more pleasure than the final result, but we are confident that it can convey the atmosphere to you and inspire your own creativity.

We met Exodus during the preparation for a fashion show at KUDETA beach club and we discovered a cool connection and similar sparkles in the eyes. Get to know him too! We are confident that you will see many more of his works with HEDONIST and beyond.

Exodus, you have an extensive list of equipment you work with. What's your background?

Well, the background turned out to be no less extensive, as I am a multifaceted person. I've always been interested in video production, dynamics within the frame, I adore and am inspired by old American movies with the vibe of that era, my respects to the VHS era, and cassettes with terrible dubbing. When editing photos, I sometimes lack patience due to the static nature of the frame, unlike video.

By education, I am a financier, worked in the environmental field in a managerial position, but the desire to create never left me, I had to combine and learn the necessary skills, but at that time I still didn’t know exactly what I wanted. Initially, I was captivated by motion design, I studied at profileschool and received a certificate in animation in After Effects, then as the best student of the course, I was offered the opportunity to choose any course for free and I mastered Photoshop, then went on to editing programs like Premiere Pro and Davinci Resolve. There was a compelling desire to go freelance. Over time, my friend, a photographer, looking at my works, stated that I should also try myself in photography, since in his opinion, I see a bit more than a photographer with relevant education.

The lengthy tech park is my experiment, you could say that each photoshoot is my experiment, I am madly in love with color, I read color schemes, buy old lenses from the 1970s and earlier, as each of them is unique in its own way and gives its effect (film, grain, flares, bokeh, etc.), through trial and error comes the understanding of which technique to use where and in what genre. In this way, I can't identify myself only as a photographer, my skills make me "wider" in a good sense. At the moment, I continue to learn something new, the last thing I decided to delve into was “these your 3D”. So, only forward)).

How did you come up with the idea for this shoot? What was on your mind?

Mostly I've dealt with individual photoshoots, where you act as a screenwriter and director, which is quite resource-intensive: choosing clothes, locations, lighting conditions, posing, and a bunch of other small, but significant factors.

This time, the stars aligned in such a way that I had the opportunity to work with a team of professionals: a model, stylist, crazy looks... I was pleasantly shocked, plus fashion genre was not as familiar to me but attracted me more than others. Another thought was precisely about Hedonist venue, I saw something non-standard and unusual, there was a certain match, because I consider myself and my approach to be in the realm of the unusual, of that "how you're not supposed to do it.

We know you’re very selective in choosing models, why Yolande?

The thing about choosing models is true, I allowed myself for some period to be completely non-selective and gained tremendous experience everywhere, thanks to everyone who was in the lens of my camera...but now active taste formation is going on, it's something internal, along with "I see it this way" there are thoughts and images in my head, which I try to project onto real people, sometimes I sit for hours looking for a model and don't find one.

With Yolande, we already had a photoshoot earlier on my personal initiative, I was thrilled with the session with her. After working together, I felt that I had reached a new level and yes, for me, a distinct type of ecstasy is dark skin, it's something inexplicable, but I see a separate beauty block in it. Why exactly her? Those who saw her would understand, she is amazing.

The shooting process in our mini-studio. Interestingly, what challenges did you note?!

As odd as it might sound, but the first time is always painful, or let's say the first pancake is always lumpy. I encountered the typical situation of being on unfamiliar ground and beginning to navigate the process in real-time, gradually noticing the wrong lighting, incorrect camera settings, the wrong lens, and having to fix everything on the fly. This is a rapid yet inevitable process.

I can definitely highlight the fact that having a mini studio EXISTS, not every store can boast that content creation can happen right inside. There are numerous variations on where to place and position the model, even to elevate them on a staircase at the end, which is a huge plus and allows for maneuvering during the shoot.

What do you think? How did it all turn out in the end? Did it meet your expectations?

I believe everything went more than well, and we will get published in the magazine, making us more recognizable. I, as a content creator, and Hedonist - as a progressive multi-brand platform, also managed to skillfully compile looks, realize ideas from both sides, resulting in an excellent backstage and, consequently, a result. I'm very glad to be a part of our joint work🙌

Would like to say a huge thanks to this collaboration!

Participants:
Camera: [Exodus Prod]
Stylist: [Galedda & Hedonist Team]
Model: [Yolande]
Location: [Hedonist Store Bali]


*The collaboration was carried out on a complimentary basis and for pleasure. All the items showcased on the model are available in the store.