Jeremy Charles Photography + Design

If I can see a photograph clearly in my mind, it usually turns out really close. My best photographs are burned into my brain before the shoot even happens. That’s how this shoot, “Veggie Woman” for the Urban Tulsa Weekly cover, unfolded. The design team at UTW had a rough illustrated concept they were planning to finish out, a slightly twisted Pied Piper. When I saw it, a composition was in my head instantly, and I immediately said “This idea would make a great photo.” I took the reins from there.

While the original mock-up was sinister, I wanted to create a literal interpretation of the expression “You are what you eat” with a bright palette, beauty lighting and emphasis on makeup and costume. What you see here, aside from some minor retouching, was all shot in-camera. I knew I wasn’t able to pull it off alone. I needed the right team. So I called up my old friend George Miller who has experience with costume makeup for movies and music videos. He brought in a wonderful makeup artist Re-Becca Carleton to help us put it together. We had originally intended to have one of the people cited in the article as a model, but it proved difficult to convince them to be plastered with green makeup and spirit-gummed-up with vegetables. So, my assistant, the photogenic Mia Babcock helped us out. It turned out to be a great decision.

These are behind the scenes shots from the shoot. We attached leafy romaine to a foam cap with hot glue. I carefully sculpted the lips and eyebrows from bell peppers. Mushrooms for ears. A necklace of radishes and baby carrots. “Veggie Woman” came to life before our eyes.

The lighting was very straightforward – beauty dish above camera with two rim lights. After 3 + hours in makeup and costume design, the shoot itself took less than 10 minutes.