I've always felt rather insecure about my styling skills. Unlike most of my talented stylist friends, I tend to have a rather laid-back approach towards beauty. I'm inclined to believe in the innate beauty in all of us but sometimes I do wonder if I'm just lazy. I like the collaborative aspect of putting a spread together--the reference research, the brainstorming of concepts, the building of narrative. I like prepping for a shoot, it gets me excited and nervous at the same time. I'll always be a writer first and foremost but the rewards of producing visuals are more tangible, I feel. People react almost instantaneously to an image they like or dislike. With writing, I'm not so sure. I don't even know if people read.
In any case, after months of hoping, I was finally allowed to do some styling for Dewi. Of course, my favorite part of the assignment was the opportunity to assemble my favorite group of people together. Although I tend to be quite flexible with concepts, I am picky about the people I work with. Respect and trust are crucial. Trust me, they're hard to come by. There are lots of photographers but not many of them are able to appreciate subtlety. I like subtle. Having said that, I'm very blessed to have had the opportunity to work with luki and I am thankful that he pushed me out of my comfort zone. We did a profile shot of Indonesia's first female constitutional judge, Prof. Dr. Maria Farida Indrati, S.H, M.Hum. Whatever concerns I might have had, disappeared the minute luki's shutter clicked. I felt at ease. And I'm very proud of the result--not only because they're aesthetically beautiful but because they are images of of a woman who is educated, enabled, empowered. Here's the image that made it into the magazine:
And here are the ones that didn't:
Click here for the full-length article by Rustika Herlambang, Dewi's own feature editor and a respected journalist in her own right.
And this is why I love what I do.
