Fashion Photography – Location Shoot Austria 12500ft

Fashion Photography – Location Shoot Austria, Lambertz Goddess Campaign was a 29-day, epic photoshoot that took place in 12 different European nations. I’m eager to share my experience as its creator, James Nader, with you all. This adventurous undertaking combined high fashion with spectacular scenery in an effort to embody the spirit of legendary heroines in beautiful landscapes.

We started our journey in Hintertux, Austria, where our first obstacle was to photograph in an ice cave beneath a glacier at an altitude of 12,500 feet. Our creativity and tenacity were put to the test under such challenging circumstances, but the end result was worth it. A game-changer was the first use of LED lighting in such a setting,

Every stop during our journey throughout Europe has its own set of advantages and disadvantages. While Pula, Croatia, offered the ideal setting for editorial material, we ventured into Slovenian caverns to capture otherworldly photography. During our trip, we had the pleasure of collaborating with famous models such as Petra Nemcova and Dita Von Teese in the UK and Ibiza.

I was involved in more than simply photography during the campaign. In order to get the German marketing team’s OK, I needed to show up with low-resolution ideas and workflows on the spot. By working together in real-time, we were able to adjust to the specific needs of each site without straying from the campaign’s overall goal.

Visual narrative was at the heart of the Lambertz Goddess Campaign, which went beyond the creation of visually appealing visuals. The ancient myths that each goddess embodied were intended to be brought to life in a contemporary, fashionable setting, and our aim was to do just that.

Crucial parts of the drive:

– A 29-day shoot spanning twelve European nations
– Difficult settings, such as mountaintops, ice caves, and glaciers
Work in tandem with internationally renowned models and up-and-coming artists
Combination of natural landscapes with high fashion-A real-time system for developing and approving ideas.

FAQ:

Adapting to the varied and sometimes harsh locations while keeping up a constant level of high-quality output was the greatest difficulty throughout the Lambertz Goddess Campaign. Lighting and technical challenges were unique while filming in an ice cave at 12,500 feet.

How were you able to keep the German marketing team on track?In order to get the in-house marketing staff in Germany to approve my low-resolution ideas and procedures, I had to accomplish small photo plans  each day. Working remotely, we were able to remain engaged to the campaign’s vision thanks to this.

To what extent did the campaign feature any famous models?A: Among many others, we had the privilege of collaborating with supermodel Petra Nemcova, burlesque legend Dita Von Teese.

The Lambertz Goddess Campaign was remarkable for its ambitious scope, which included varied scenery across several nations. This set it apart from previous fashion shootings. It was also the first of its kind to combine legendary elements with natural surroundings and high fashion.

Four long cable cars to the top, this takes the best part of an hour to reach the summit. The views on the way to the top are stunning.

When we arrived, the weather was beautiful and sunny but cold with fabulously stunning panoramic views across the mountain tops.

Working at 12500ft, the weather is similar to Iceland and changes every few minutes unless stable air pressure is above us. Clouds flying in from below just quickly obliterated the location – my problem would be how to get the final shots when the whole team has spent over an hour getting to the summit?

Next day we were up early and began hour-long convoy of camper vans and cars to the location. Unpacking, we started our ascent to the top and weather at first seemed favourable. Kit all gathered and people gathered we headed to the summit of Hintertux.
“We approached the entrance into the Ice Cave via the side of the actual Glacier.”

As we followed up via a chiselled path, we entered the side of the glacier and into a winter wonderland of ice. Through the opening, were magnificent ice structures and lots of low-level lighting.

The air was weighty and damp, water was running and dripping everywhere which we to be a problem shooting. However, I had decided to bring a collection of LED light panels and handheld lights power by batteries and one battery generator pack which stored charged electricity — a perfect and safe way to power up.

Water was running all over.
The actual position which seemed the best location to work in was through some holes in the ice wall when climbed through would allow you to stand on an ice floor with giant and quite dangerous ice columns surrounding the shooting position.

The floor level was the ceiling to a large ice cave below, and if it collapsed, we would fall into ice-cold water fifty meters beneath us. No health and safety measure here!

Setting the light panels and supplementary secondary lighting was tricky, the leading lights of which I used three dimmable light panels and no diffusion. The main problem was how to keep them dry as the water was running everywhere. The light panels were all dimmed accordingly to create an atmospheric setting, and we added gels to them.

Jackie, the model, was from Germany and had such a great attitude which helps when the location is tricky. She’s as perfect for this particular shot as could be, because of her happy and engaging demeanour. For her, nothing was too much of a problem, and the cold was not going to put her off.

Some models with an uncompromising attitude make some shoots draining and hard work.

Here we were okay 🙂 Inside this part of the cave, the air was very clammy, cold and damp and was effecting the camera gear, steaming up and getting quite moist. Time was of the essence, set up, time would eat into the models comfort zone; it’s also imperative you get to the shoot quickly; otherwise, she would develop goosebumps.

“As a rule, I don’t shoot naked models like some prefer.”

The client decided to up the game and put the model and me on the spot. In these circumstances, it is essential to read the situation. While I felt uncomfortable, I realised the shot would be better if we somehow contained her nakedness. Her arms masked her nakedness the shot work, and the direction allowed for the perfect look.

La Befana

Shot entirely on location in Austria and part of European 27-day production. The final look for the client which shows lighting with a very simple LED light and my own post-production techniques. The final image was marketed throughout Europe via German production and clients.