What do you get when you combine all things vintage, a smoke machine, and a love for Sci-Fi? Invasion, a photo series by Rickett & Sones, of course. Ryan and Sonia, a husband-and-wife conceptual photography team based in Los Angeles, have been shooting together since 2010. They’ve combined their artistic visions to bring dream-like, dramatic, and often vibrant images to life–ones that allow viewers to narrate their own interpretations. The collection of photographs from Invasion are just that, giving off a cinematic feel as if straight from a 1960s Sci-Fi film.
Sonia let us in on their creation process:
“Our work flow has become pretty streamline. We first decide who we want to shoot and that sets the vibe for the shoot. We’ve shot the entire series in our home so we think of all the angles we haven’t shot yet and come up with a shot list. Our shot list is usually pretty detailed and includes a lighting diagram, camera angle, wardrobe ideas, etc.”
Storyboards, hair and makeup artists, and prop rentals are just some of the elements that contribute to achieving one of these images. And despite all of the planning, improvisation always comes into play once on set. All of the models have been actresses, which Sonia feels adds an extra dimension of action and drama. Ryan, who has experience as a director, has no problem helping them get into character.
The images haven’t been published anywhere yet, but they’re currently preparing to shoot their next image. Below are behind-the-scenes photos from previous productions.