Bottomless Brunch
Bottomless Brunch takes us through the daily meals of an eccentric person: Breakfast Of Champions, Bottomless Brunch, Liquid Lunch, Afternoontini and TV Dinner.
Photography: Ilka Noggler (of Ilka & Franz)
Post-Production: Ilka & Franz
Talent: Regiane Almeida
Set Design: Gemma Therese Pearse
Food Styling: Loic Parisot
Styling: Joanne M Kennedy
Hair: Eiji Sato
Make-Up: Jo Lorrimer
Nails: Naima Coleman
The project basically started with its title. I thought it would be funny to do that shot where a model sits at a table to have brunch with no bottoms on. From there I developed the rest of the series. I wanted the model to never be fully visible while we walk through all her meals in a day. What she eats is a bit of a strange mix of hot breakfast and builders tea but then a liquid lunch and a posh “Afternoontini.” So without ever seeing much more of her than hands, legs or her bum, one assumes her to be an unusual person.
Bottomless Brunch has been a “solo project” for me as I normally work as part of a duo, Ilka & Franz. What every one of our projects starts with is planning and getting a great team together. In the same way, Bottomless Brunch started by working out what exactly the shots would be and what they should look like. I did hand drawn sketches and gathered some references. This is where the set designer Gemma Therese Pearce came into play as she then looked into and suggested props and surface materials, etc. and things started taking shape. On set there were also a food stylist, who made all the food and drinks from scratch, a hair stylist, make-up artist and nail artist, and of course the model. The project was shot on a Canon 5DS using Profoto lights. Then they were edited in Photoshop, which sounds like a little thing at the end of a project but actually is a major part of it all and most of the times takes up the most time.
The project has been published by Kein Magazine and so far the responses have been very positive. I was a bit nervous because this is the first time there is some nudity in our work but so far no one has called to complain.
Ilka & Franz are a German/ Austrian photographer duo based in London (UK). Their work blurs the lines between portraiture and still life and is often humorous with an unexpected twist. While their unmistakable use of colour is vibrant and bold, their conceptual undertones are often subtle and of child-like naivety. Ilka & Franz draw their inspiration from pop culture, kitsch and surrealism as they put a playful spin on the ordinary. The duo work on editorial and commercial commissions in the UK and abroad.
