I've admired Viktoriia's work for quite a while, so when she mentioned she was passing through Toronto, I immediately hoped we could find time to work together. The timing wasn't ideal. I had just returned from New Orleans, she was nearing the end of her visit, and it seemed like one of those collaborations that simply wasn't going to happen. Thankfully, we managed to carve out a few hours on her last day in the city.
We shot on the hottest day of the year in a beautiful Parisian-inspired apartment in Toronto, and I'm so glad we chose it. I had never shot in this space before, but I immediately noticed it had so much more character in person than the photos suggest. The natural light changed beautifully throughout the afternoon, and every room seemed to offer another corner worth exploring. I'm grateful to Juliette and Fanny for opening the space to us.
Studio:
https://www.peerspace.com/pages/listings/65d63f17d7f08d58f2cf1490
One thing I appreciated about working with Viktoriia was how relaxed the shoot felt. I always want to arrive with a clear intention and I always prefer shoots to feel relaxed, collaborative and artistic. We didn't arrive with a long shot list or a complicated concept. We found some beautiful light, tried some ideas, talked about tone, mood and intention, then moved somewhere else.
I photographed the entire session on a few rolls of Kodak Tri-X 400 using my Canon EOS 1N paired with a Sigma 50mm f/1.4 Art lens. Shooting film always changes the pace for me. Every frame carries a little more weight, which naturally slows me down and encourages me to pay closer attention to what's happening in front of the camera. Looking back through the scans, I think that slower approach suited this session really well.
The film was processed and scanned by Downtown Camera, who continue to do wonderful work. Every time I get scans back from them I'm reminded why I trust them with my film.
If you aren't familiar with Viktoriia's work, I highly recommend taking a look at her portfolio. She's an incredibly talented photographer and model, and I'm grateful she was willing to spend part of her Toronto visit creating these photographs with me.
Viktoriia:
