Behind the Lens: Directing the Shoot, Handing Over the Camera
Photography is where Jerome Clarke's passion began. For our latest shoot he directed alongside Michael Perez, with two models, an assistant, and a drive in search of the right locations.
Photography is where Jerome Clarke's passion began, and it grew into Oceans Gallery. He still shoots when a project calls for it, but for our collections he brings in his peers, so that every collaborator is trusted with the work and given room to bring their own eye. Michael Perez and Marta have been our go-to team for each collection.
For this shoot the team came together again, with two models and an assistant on set. Jerome and Michael shared the direction, and Michael photographed the models and the product. The film is on our YouTube channel, and this is the story behind it.
Where it started
Photography is where the brand's story begins. A passion for the image turned into a fashion brand, and that is still how Jerome looks at every collection: as a picture first, and a garment second.
Working with the same trusted people gives each shoot more than one point of view. Michael and Marta know the collections well, which means less explaining on the day and more making.
Photography is where it started. The team is how it keeps growing.
Shared the vision for the day: the looks, the pacing, and the feeling each image should leave behind. Michael also photographed both the models and the product.
Two models and one assistant, with songs playing in the background to keep the scene relaxed and creative.
Two kinds of photograph, one standard
A day like this produces two different bodies of work. Photographs of models show how a piece moves, drapes and sits on a person. Product photographs do something quieter: they show the garment on its own, with nothing to hide behind.
The pieces on set were the Long Haul T-Shirt and the Terrain Twill Cargo Pants, both in brown, photographed on the models and on their own as product shots. For us the product images matter as much as the model images. They are where the cut, the construction and the weight of the cloth have to speak for themselves, whether that is 260 GSM organic twill, 460 GSM French terry or 230 GSM cotton jersey.
Finding the location by feel
We did not lock every location in advance. We drove around looking for places that matched the mood of the day, and we chose each one when we felt it and the team agreed. Some of the best frames came from stops nobody had planned.
What good direction looks like
Good direction is mostly invisible in the final image. It shows up as a model who looks at ease, a look that feels considered, and a set where nobody is guessing what comes next. That is the part a viewer never sees, and the part the film shows.
Because Jerome understands photography, the direction is specific and the conversation with Michael is quick. Because the team has worked together before, the day moves with very little friction.
Why we show it
It was a good day. Afterward we had lunch together as a team, as we do after every shoot. We are a brand built on how things are made, from the fabrics to the plastic recovered from the ocean with every order, so it seemed right to show how our images are made too. Watch the full behind the scenes film on our YouTube channel, and see the pieces in the collection.
