If you thought you knew what makes a photograph stand out, Lindsey Drennan is here to ignite your senses. With her award-winning projects “Fragrance on Fire” and “Regal Lips,” Lindsey is capturing beauty and redefining it. These self-promotional pieces, born from a renewed focus on her passion, showcase her exceptional skill and creativity. Look closer into the story behind these stunning works.
By: Lindsey Drennan, Photographer
“Fragrance on Fire” and “Regal Lips” were two personal projects I decided to shoot after a hiatus of shooting personal projects/creatives for about ten years. Towards the end of 2022, I chose to focus on getting more of the jobs I wanted to shoot rather than shooting whatever came my way. To make this happen, I knew I needed to update my portfolio with the kind of work I was passionate about in the beauty and product world.
Fragrance on Fire
For “Fragrance on Fire,” I aimed to blend technical precision with creativity and master the art of lighting reflective surfaces and glass. As I started the creative process, I sought inspiration that would set my work apart, and that’s when I stumbled upon an editorial shot by Phú Đào for L’Officiel. It featured florals ablaze falling onto perfume bottles—a concept that instantly intrigued me. I wanted to build upon this idea to create work uniquely mine.
Realizing the complexity of executing this concept in-camera, I was excited for the challenge, knowing it would elevate my portfolio. I produced the shoot and creative concept to ensure the final images were polished, with the product as the focal point. I knew collaboration was vital, and I was only as good as my team, so I reached out to one of the top artist agencies, Cadre, and was happy to secure Alanna Davey for the shoot. With a strong background in prop construction and set design, I knew Alanna would be instrumental. Her expertise in styling and sourcing props like heat-resistant glass and a diverse array of flowers ensured our vision would come to life.
Since a client’s specific vision didn’t drive this shoot, we embraced creative freedom, experimenting with various techniques on set—playing with composition, igniting flowers, and applying lighter fluid to the glass. However, it wasn’t without its challenges. Initially, capturing the flames on camera proved to be quite tricky. Thankfully, with the assistance of my photo assistant, Ryan Francoz, we found a simple solution: more lighter fluid!
The result? Four great images, each offering a unique perspective. The winning shot, a composite of various elements, was crafted in post-production by my retoucher for the project, Irmina Mikolajczyk. This project has been one of my most successful, winning a Graphis Platinum Award, getting picked up for publication in Scentury Magazine, attracting new clients, and signing on with my rep shortly after its release. I believe this image showcases the dedication and creativity that define my work.
