Wonderland is back! The last time we posted on Kirsty Mitchell's gorgeous series it was March, or almost one year ago, when Kirsty shared with us her amazing behind-the-scenes shots. It's been 9 months since her last Wonderland photo was released to the public, so we're excited to share this second part of her journey which begins with three mind-blowingly beautiful photos (which you can see in their full glory at the end of this post).
What I love most about Kirsty's pictures is that you can just tell that there was an enormous amount of work that went into capturing each and every shot. In a post she just released today, she gives her viewers an honest look into what went through her mind at the start of this daunting project.
"Back in April this year, I had a discussion with an art curator who advised me to step back from the Internet and the crazed world of constantly uploading. Instead, he told me to focus, and push myself to the absolute limit by creating less, but also the very best I physically could. To invest my time and money into something I truly believed in, and create an entire vision from start to finish with no compromises. So this is what I have tried my hardest to do. It's been extremely difficult not showing anyone what I have been up to, and even harder sitting on piles of unedited shoots, constantly having to go from the development of one character, to the next, without the satisfaction or release of editing a final image to share. I’ve watched other photographers racing ahead with their projects and ideas, and felt quite alone working on everything pretty much on my own, apart from shoot days, or the occasional help of friends and the visits from dearest Ebie. Having said this I am so very glad I put myself through this period. I have learned a huge amount about being ruthlessly selective with my work, balancing a body of images across a large number of shoots, and each time contemplating the colours, scale, and perspective based on what was achieved with the previous ones."
Kirsty shared with us the photos, below, which document her creative process. These show how her ideas developed - from the inspiration she took from a children't book called The Kingdom Under the Sea to her handmade costumes and her first foray into laser cutting steel. Interspersed within these images you'll find our exclusive interview with Kirsty, where she explains, for the first time, her exciting new set she calls The White Queen.
