Beauté Aviaire

A series of conceptual fine art prints, exploring the connection between the aesthetic beauty that visually lies in the delicate luxurious opulence of avian plumage and the sexual femininity of the female form.

These composite images, where feather meets beauty and fashion, are constructed using the art of photographic capture, photographing models and birdlife in separate instances and in separate locations.

Then digitally manipulating the imagery in postproduction, to create a new single piece of artwork, a combination of both bird and beauty, each perfectly complementing the other.

It has always interested me, the way that the fashion industry has long associated a feminine quality to both fur and feathers, especially when more often than not; it is the plumage from the male of the species that is chosen to be worn.

Here with the help of modern digital postproduction techniques, I have been able to explore this connection further and unlike 19th century aristocracy who chose to wear whole stuffed birds as hats at the height of the "plume boom" era, I’ve been able to produce this artwork without any birdlife being manhandled or harmed in the process.

All of the garments, as well as hair styles featured have been created solely using manipulated imagery taken of various birdlife and at no point during the process of this project did any of the models see, wear or come into contact with any of the feathers or birdlife featured in this series of prints.

Makeup Artists:

Caroline Stewart

Jenni Muir

Karen Bowen

Molly Jane Sheridan

Rosie Fraser

Sammy Foster

Our Models: 

Amy Chong - Colours Model Management 

Charlie Banks - Colours Model Management 

Christine Stephanie Dunnett - Model Team

Gemma Warnock

Kaitlin Dobson - Colours Model Management 

Lynn Mathieson 

Megan Johannessen - Colours Model Management 

Monika Wiktorowicz

Namate Sililo

Nikki Fox Weston

Olivia Taylor - Colours Model Management 

Shana Gilham - Colours Model Management 

Suki Kaur Sunner

With special thanks:

Photographers Assistant - Emidio J Battipaglia

Production - Youth Juice Creative Productions.

Fashionscape Europe 2014

Essential Edinburgh

Norwegian Consulate General

Colours Model Management

MEOW Studios, Edinburgh

RETINA – Scottish International Photography Festival

The Creative Exchange

Edinburgh College

Harvey Nichols

BIPP – British Institute of Professional Photographers

Adobe - Adobe Creative Cloud

Bēhance

Bowens Industry Lighting Company

Wacom

Saatchi Art

Project by Lee Howell