Todo o Nada (All or Nothing) is a project collaboration of different artists exposing what they love the most and pushing their limits. It is about expressing ourselves as artists and as people. It was showing talent through the use of fashion photographs. It is a collaboration with everyone pushing their weight and exposing all that you got. It is simply “Todo o Nada” All or Nothing.
Todo o Nada consists of everyone doing their part to gain a better and well-executed piece of art. It is bringing everyone together and working as a team. It comprises course models, makeup artists, hairstylists, fashion designers, and myself, art director and photographer. Todo or Nada began when I knew cosmetic artists Rachel Grijalva (NARS Cosmetic artist) and Octavio X (Celebrity makeup artist) wanted to be part of a photo series with me. I quickly started planning a theme for the photographs.
My challenges
One of the most challenging tasks was everyone’s schedule. Getting everyone to participate in a whole day task was challenging. I had to constantly reschedule everyone so we all could meet in one day. Also, Rachel G. had to fly from Los Angeles to participate. So, it took about a couple of months to set it all up.
Once everyone agreed to a day, the next challenge was explaining the idea and the process. To make this easier, I had to create a PDF file describing every detail about the shoot itself and everyone else’s role. I gather examples of images and wrote just about anything they needed to know. I wanted everyone to know my vision as clearly as possible to start getting in the mindset. Also, I wanted everyone’s input and opinions. I like to receive ideas and suggestions before the shoot because I am not particularly eager to keep changing things on the node, or it may tend to lead to an unsuccessful day.
Yes, this was very stressful and time-consuming in both preparation and Production. I started getting everything ready by 6 AM. The team started arriving around 9 AM and talent around 10 AM. Makeup was first, followed by hairstylist Diana De La Hoya, who did a remarkable job all on her own. The next step was the fashion wardrobe, pieces designed by Jeanette Flores, who did amazing. The final step was to align the talent according to the height and how they look. We shot different variations, and we came up with the last shot. Our shoot concluded around 9 PM. The photographs consisted of beauty portraits base on the Roman Greek goddess.
The Final Product
In conclusion, once I knew the session was over, I said no more! I was exhausted and stressed. However, in the end, it was all worth it. I have now made Todo o Nada a yearly project, gathering different artists to collaborate and create art.
Todo o Nada pushed me to my limits, and I learned a lot. And yes, I learned a lot. If there’s anything I like most, it is learning. Please enjoy our work and let me know your thoughts.
The Roman Greek Files shot on a Canon 7D. Software – Capture One and photoshop. September 25, 2015.
The Roman Greek Files ~ Main photo. Shot on a V-Hasselblad Digital Back. Software – Capture One and photoshop. September 25, 2015.
