Patrycja S. | Joanna Szproch | 'At The Old Mill' | The Creatives

Note | Nudity Photographer Joanna Szproch delivers an artistic, emotional and intimate editorial that AOC readers will love.  Joanna is speaking my language when she writes of connecting using the camera to connect with unconscious, hidden feminine messages.

Knowing how important writing and channeling human response to images is at AOC, she also shared with me her own biography of her photoshoot ‘At The Old Mill’, featuring Patrycja S. The editorial was just published in Contributor Magazine. Anne

“After a long winter, spring was shyly coming in. It was about the same time as the Easter, important holiday in Poland, and a perfect reason to visit family. So I went with my father to my grandparents. They live about 150km away from Warsaw. On our way I convinced dad do take a little trip around the villages. We went ahead, just driving forward without any particular destination. We were passing beautiful woods and cottage houses. Everything was awakening after the winter.

Suddenly, we saw interesting old building, emerging from the forest. It was made of red bricks. I quickly realized that it is an old mill. We stopped the car and entered the building. What we have found inside was astonishing . All the machinery, that you typically see in museum, was there. It was all preserved very well. In small office we found a terrible mess. This room was cluttered with documents and bottles. To me, finding such abandoned places is always fascinating, but I have never found one that was so untouched. Moreover, everything was of significant age. I was surprised, but at the same time I felt inspiring power of this place. I knew I had to come back there, in order to prepare a magical photo shoot.

The time passed by, summer came in.

And I made my dream come true. I invited friends to cottage house of mine, which is situated in this country-side. Stylist Gosia, Marianna - the Make-up Artist, Kate- our driver, who also assisted me and took photo reportage about our journey (http://akssak.blogspot.com/2010/07/blog-post_27.html ), and gorgeous model Patrycja.

And again, just as with my dad, we went for a ride, on the same picturesque roads.

We saw an orange house, our mill, appearing from even more rampant bushes than in the spring time. Next to the mill there were also few other abandoned buildings barn and apiary. In the barn Gosia found some grids, wax cloth, and even old shoes that she used to stylization.

I wanted to show a sensual story about girl who walks to this mill and gradually discovers its secrets. I brought some old, yellowish flour that I have found in the attic. We also have few packages of new flour. So we throw it straight on brave Patrycja, who seems not to notice any discomfort. Working with her is truly great. She has a great body-awareness and she is just natural. This makes her every pose worth capturing. Plus I admire her patience.

Malgorzata mixed high fashion with real vintage: designer clothes and things considered as garbage.”

Hair and makeup by Marianna Jurkiewicz; photo assistant Katarzyna Rostalska. Joanna Szproch website.

(Note to photographers: I’m loving the verbal share on the contex behind the images, so please feel free to send them with editorials.)