For Miami Ad School’s Liv Donaldson, photography is about capturing more than just a moment—it’s about evoking a feeling. Her Silver-winning project, “Elegance in Motion,” began as a discarded photo, only later becoming a centerpiece of her work, reminding her to always cull for emotion over perfection. With “RAINS,” Liv leaned into intention, blending experimental lighting techniques with the dramatic design of the Scandinavian outerwear brand to create images that feel alive with motion and edge. Whether by chance or design, Liv’s work resonates, staying with you long after the frame fades.
By: Liv Donaldson, Freelance Fashion/Product Photographer & Former Student, M.AD School of Ideas
“Elegance in Motion” wasn’t in my initial cul. The shoot concept was a mock mini lookbook for a clothing and loungewear brand that focused on capturing the feeling of wearing the pieces.
Months after the project was wrapped and complete, I was pulling together photos for an exhibition I was working on. My professor and curator asked to see more pictures from this shoot, and I found this image that hadn’t aligned with the original shoot concept.
It ended up becoming an award-winning photo and the centerpiece of my exhibition as a 40” by 40” framed print.
Returning to this photo and finding it amongst my unchosen selects taught me to cull for emotion and feeling. Working with a team of talented creatives to capture emotion through light, composition, makeup, clothing, and expression—that’s my favorite part of what I do.
While “Elegance in Motion” was an unintentional discovery, “RAINS” allowed me to explore an intentional and conceptual vision.
“RAINS” started as a personal project assignment during my time at M.AD School Atlanta. I quickly jumped to one of my favorite brands, Rains, as inspiration and decided to create a mock campaign that would fit in with their visual identity and branding.
Rains is an outerwear lifestyle brand with a conceptual-meets-functional design approach. It’s edgy and conceptual, Neo-Scandinavian and dramatic. I love it. One of my favorite pieces of theirs is a hooded poncho that has so much drape and sort of billows out when you move. When you put it on, it just makes you want to dash through the night in a super dramatic, editorial way. I wanted you to be able to feel as if you caught just a single frame of someone doing just that.
To accomplish this, I experimented with a technique in the studio where you combine strobe lighting with continuous light and drag the shutter to create motion blur while keeping the subject sharp. It made such a nice, soft afterimage effect that really alludes to the feeling of motion.
Credits
Elegance in Motion—Model: Kay Harris, Makeup: James Christopher Carter III
RAINS—Model: Elizabeth Harvey with Click Atlanta, Makeup: Destiny Arreola, Styling: Nia-Simone Eccleston
Liv Donaldson specializes in photography and art direction for fashion brands. With her clean, elevated style, she partners with brands to craft campaigns, lookbooks, and editorial imagery that resonate with their audiences. Currently based in Atlanta, her approach blends artistic sensibility with thoughtful planning, production, and art direction.
