Call it the “Bert Stern” influence.
Growing up (and still) I was heavily influenced by Bert. I just had a connection to his pictures. Perhaps it was his series for Smirnoff, or for Levis. But people interacting with a product always struck a chord with me.
I recently shot a series on “Chocolate.” I have seen lips with chocolate lipstick before, but not with a direct connection to a product. So I did exactly that.
In this case, I wanted to combine a beauty shot – flawless model – with the messiness we associate with a chocolate bar. But the messiness adds to the treat. It’s almost as if the chocolate is irresistible, and we have caught the model in a moment of sinful indulgence. One she just can’t get enough of.