An Unconventional Cover Shoot
Photographer Izack Morales and model Helena Lu walk around the empty streets of Los Angeles for our first cover shoot.
When planning our first cover production from a distance, ideas like drones or FaceTime shoots kept popping up as the best strategies for keeping everyone safe.
But maybe it was thanks to our Instagram stalking skills that we found out that Izack Morales —a Mexican photographer whose delightful work had been on our radar for some time— had been quarantining in Los Angeles with Belarusian model Helena Lu. We only had to see a couple pics from their latest projects to realize they were all the talent we needed to get started.
Helena and Izack. Photos Courtesy: Izack Morales.
In 2009, after working in the film and television industry for four years, Izack decided to move to London and focus on photography.
“At this time, I met people that introduced me into the fashion industry, and from that moment, everything started to make more sense to me.”
Meanwhile, Helena started her modeling career eight years ago. Since she was a little girl, her dream was to become a model, even though she struggled with her height, but in the end, everything worked out for the best.
“I left my home in Belarus when I was 17, and the journey started!”
We The Cool: How did you meet?
Izack: We met in Mexico City three years ago. We had a test shoot together, and since that moment we connected. A fun fact is that we coincided in Thailand five years ago because Helena was living there, and I went for a book project to shoot local people, as well as organizing shoots with models to show the culture and architecture in different cities in Southeast Asia. I checked the model agencies in Bangkok (there were not that many), and I found Helena’s book, so I looked for her on Facebook, and she never accepted my friend request. Two years later, after totally forgetting about it, we finally met by coincidence.
Helena: I came to Mexico City a few years ago for work, and on one of my first days I got a test shoot with Izack. Afterwards, we went to a salsa place, we danced all night and were inseparable since then.
WTC: Modeling and photography are two professions where you need to be in constant contact with people. How much did your work change since the starting of the COVID-19 outbreak?
H: Everything changed! We were all very stressed about losing our jobs, especially as creatives where it is even harder to “stop.” But we took this time to educate ourselves, read more books, reconnect with old friends, family and plan some personal projects that we didn’t have time for before. Sometimes it is important to slow down as we don’t have these opportunities often.
I: Definitely the amount of work has changed, as well as the ways of working, so we have been adapting a lot. The good thing for us is that it doesn’t matter where we are as long as we are in the same city because we can keep shooting together.
WTC: What projects have you been working on together lately?
I: Since the quarantine started, we have done four shoots as a couple: two editorials and two shoots for different brands. What I feel is the best thing about all this is that we have managed to make each shoot differently. At the moment I am in the preproduction of a new cover that I’m shooting next week.
H: It has been an interesting experience! Also, while being in L.A., we like taking photos at home or outside just for ourselves. When we met, we used to do it all the time as our “Travel Diaries,” and I guess with time we just stopped. This time in quarantine, we started doing it again, which I’m so happy and excited about.
WTC: How do you think modeling and fashion photography will change with the arrival of a “new normal?”
I: It is very difficult to predict what is going to happen. Personally, I haven’t [felt] that motivated to do Zoom or FaceTime shoots and save them in my portfolio. Of course, if one way or another, the industry starts pushing me into that direction, I would give it a try. What I love about what I do is the connection you create with people, scouting the locations, being able to move around, so this idea that you can’t be in the same space with the team or the model is quite a downside for me. Another reality is that a lot of medium and small brands will close down, and that will greatly affect the flow of work in general. I’m pretty sure that new ways of creating content, making pictures and very interesting projects will come up.
H: I think there will be more opportunities for the creatives to shoot by themselves and to trust them during the whole process. Social distancing at work will be more common and fewer people in the crew to make it safer for everyone. I feel like we all are so anxious to go back to work and keep creating that we can adapt to anything to keep going.
Follow them on Instagram: @izackmr @helena_luuu