Los Angeles County Museum of Art, January 2014.
Harper’s Bazaar Arabia brought Brazilian model Lais Ribeiro to LACMA for the Ray of Light editorial, and I was hired to document the process: the styling, the team at work, the candid moments between takes. What emerged was an intimate look at how fashion photography intersects with contemporary art spaces, and what happens when the installations become participants rather than backgrounds.
Urban Light.
Chris Burden’s 202 restored street lamps form an architectural forest that transforms with the day’s changing light. During quieter museum periods we had relative freedom to move among the iconic posts, building compositions that played with repetition, scale, and geometric pattern, the fashion narrative threading through a work of public art.
The Museum as Catalyst.
The contemporary wing offered minimalist galleries and bold architectural elements, each space steering the creative approach. Working in public museum spaces added its own dimension, visitors wandering through shots, security keeping careful watch, the need to respect both the art and other patrons. Those constraints pushed creative solutions that would never have emerged in a controlled studio.
Between the Takes.
While John Russo focused on the editorial requirements, I captured the ecosystem of fashion production: stylists adjusting details, makeup artists perfecting looks, the model’s preparation between shots. The most compelling moments often happened between official takes, Lais moving naturally through the museum, interacting authentically with the environment, her professional expertise meeting genuine engagement.
Light as Narrative.
The varied conditions throughout LACMA demanded constant technical adjustment, from the harsh California sun among Urban Light to the controlled gallery lighting inside. Natural light became a creative tool rather than a challenge, the day’s progression adding temporal narrative to the shoot.
The documentary approach meant being ready for fleeting moments: a particular expression, an unexpected interaction with space, the perfect alignment of model and architecture. It required holding multiple perspectives at once, anticipating where compositions might emerge.
Cultural Intersection
A Middle Eastern publication bringing a Brazilian model to an American museum: a multicultural dialogue expressed through fashion photography, images that transcend geographic boundaries while staying grounded in a specific place.
Legacy & Impact
These frames document a moment when print magazines still commanded cultural influence, when behind-the-scenes content was gaining value, and when museums were embracing fashion as legitimate artistic expression.
