BUSY CATCHING BLESSINGS___photoshoot
Editorial Photography · Art Direction · Concept Development · styling· Visual Storytelling · Creative Direction
From serving the monarchy to serving in padel.
"busy catching blessings" is a studio editorial photoshoot with a conceptual visual backgound that contrasts historical worship of power and sainthood with the modern obsession surrounding padel culture. The work blends irony, symbolism and physicality to explore how society replaces one form of devotion with another, turning athletes into contemporary icons of faith, discipline and admiration.
BRIEF
Create a studio based editorial photoshoot consisting of approximately five final images, in collaboration with House of Rowdy, who provided outfits to choose teo items from. Build a full concept around the selected pieces, source props and background elements that support the narrative, develop the art direction and produce the shoot at Myfuckingstudio in Barcelona. The goal was to craft a cohesive and visually striking editorial from concept to final execution.
GOALS
To build a narrative that links cultural worship across time ans use irony to challenge how society elevates contemporary sports icons.
Develop a styled visual world that merges royalty, religious symbolism and athletic aesthetics.
to produce imagery that feels bold, provocative and layered and create a cohesive series supported by set design, styling and character driven visuals.
final images
CONCEPT
The concept began with a news story about a boy who was elevated to sainthood and publicly celebrated as a modern icon. This idea of turning a real person into a symbolic figure sparked a conversation about admiration, devotion and the need to create heroes who carry cultural meaning.
From there, we drew inspiration from Kendrick Lamar’s line “I’m not your savior”, using it as a counterpoint to the pressure placed on individuals who are idolized or expected to represent something beyond themselves.
This tension led us to examine how contemporary culture glorifies athletes, especially within padel, a sport that has become almost cult like in its popularity.
The phrase “a year for a second” reflects the sacrifices athletes make for fleeting moments of glory. The project uses irony to connect religious imagery, sports rituals and modern fandom, questioning why society continues to worship figures, whether royal, saintly or athletic.
The visual world combines "crown", symbols, uniforms and athletic poses to comment on how devotion shifts over time, yet the instinct to idolize remains the same.
concept board
ROLE
Led the conceptual development and narrative structure.
Co directed the art direction with the creative team, collecting the props for the set design and oversaw details on set to align visuals with the intended cultural commentary.
Guided the visual tone, symbolism and styling cues and coordinated with the model and MUA to maintain coherence in character expression.
bts images
PROCESS
Concept selection and brief alignment
The project began with the initial brief and the decision to build a visual editorial around the two outfits provided by House of Rowdy. From there, we shaped a concept inspired by the cultural fascination with sainthood, modern idolization and the rising obsession with padel.
Research and mood boards
We developed two mood boards. One focused on conceptual direction, referencing symbolism, irony and cultural commentary. The second centered on visual language, collecting ideas for lighting, color, composition and atmosphere. We also gathered references for hair, makeup, posing, wardrobe details and props
Prop sourcing and preparation
We visited local shops and markets to find elements that could support the narrative, including the charm that was later attached to the shoe. We ordered a blue backdrop and a blue fabric option so that we could compare materials on set and choose the one that matched the concept best.
visual boards
Pre production coordination
We created a brief for the model, the makeup artist and the lighting designer, outlining the emotional tone, posing direction, character intention and key visual cues. This ensured that every collaborator understood the narrative and the irony behind the styling.
Studio setup and shoot execution
On shoot day we tested the two backdrop materials, adjusted lighting based on our references and finalized prop placement. We refined the look with the makeup artist and stylist, then photographed the editorial in approximately one and a half hours, working efficiently to capture five strong final compositions.
Post production
After the shoot, a team member handled the editing, retouching and color refinement to ensure consistency and polish. Final adjustments focused on enhancing the symbolic contrast between royalty, sainthood and athletic aesthetics while keeping the tone ironic and cohesive.
visual boards
SOFT SKILLS IN ACTION
Clear communication across creative teams.
Collaborative decision making under time pressure.
Visual problem solving when symbolism needed simplification.
Maintaining conceptual alignment among stylists, set design and photography.
Flexibility in adjusting ideas on set while keeping the narrative intact.
Creative leadership in guiding a multi layered thematic direction.
CHALLENGES
Balancing heavy symbolism with contemporary sports aesthetics and translating a layered cultural concept into clear, readable imagery was a challenge we faced and needed to manage multiple visual references without overwhelming the narrative.
Aligning creative contributions from a large multidisciplinary team.
Coordinating production elements such as wardrobe, props and set constraints.
on set
IMPACT
The project resulted in a strong, ironic and culturally charged visual series that merges symbolism, sport and identity. It created a fresh visual language that reimagines modern devotion and expanded the creative team’s approach to conceptual storytelling. The final imagery stands out for its narrative clarity, bold aesthetic and unique commentary on contemporary sports culture.
final images