Collection: The Elements

“Earth, Water, Fire, and Wind.  Where there is energy there is life.”  —Suzy Kassem

In this collection, Photographer Jamie Nelson explores the power of the elements with the model as her topographical canvas.

With ice on the face and fire on the lips––Nelson shocks the viewer as she contrasts delicate human beauty with the volatility of nature.

Rather than employing photoshop trickery––Nelson uses in-camera skill to reveal physiological extremes.  The models were forced to transcend the unpredictability of nature’s wrath––resulting in feverish, textural, and lucid experience for the viewer.

Nelson collaborated with hair stylist Kunzo Kohzaki who used a real frozen wig transported in its own Igloo cooler.  While wearing the icy wig, the model was shivering uncontrollably––which allowed only a few select frames to be fired.  Similarly, making for another challenging shot––the model’s face was covered in metallic flecks, rendering her claustrophobic.

In a highly disconnected culture, these images remind us of our vulnerability to the elements– earth, water, fire, and wind.  As John O’Donohue states: “The unity of four elements is what constitutes and sustains our existence in this world”.