Ink Magazine Vol. 12:
Nocturne, Out of the Dark
Creative Direction, Styling, Writer: Piper Lynch
Photography, Makeup: Amber Carpenter
Production Assistant: Mac Woolley
Models: Sydney Murray & Liza Pittard
Illustrations: Julia Sachs
During my 2019-20 school year at VCU, I challenged myself as a member of the university’s culture and arts, student-organized magazine Ink to construct a personal project for my love of moths. This project has an elongated title which I will be shortening to “Nocturne, Out of the Dark” or just “Nocturne.” It is a creative project that I highlight as one very near and dear to my heart.
Thoughts
Nocturne began as a photoshoot idea for Ink’s online content. I was fixated on researching moths and so enamored with their beauty and color, that I was inspired to reflect this in a visual story. I chose two moths to focus on: the Atlas and Comet moth, as illustrated to the right. I began brainstorming the shoot through journaling and a collection mood boards for photography, styling, location, and aesthetics which can be found here.
Synthesis
The next step was bringing this to life through sourcing clothes, scouting locations, and making connections. I acquired a few vintage capes from the 60s and 70s which I felt created an interesting essence of wings. I reached out to a fellow student and talented film photographer Amber Carpenter for collaboration in photography. And finally, contacted two lovely people for their interest in modeling who I felt were right for this concept. The location would be a local park in Richmond called Forest Hill.
Direction
Creative direction for a photoshoot requires me to move outside of my comfort zone in this position. It involves commandeering a vision, suggesting movement and angles, and making the next decision which can be difficult as a non-confrontational person. I often approach these situations from a collaborative standpoint, giving and receiving from the photographer, models, and assistants. It becomes a communal creative conversation from my discussion point.
Change
After a rewarding photoshoot in November of 2019, the magazine revealed the theme of the annual print issue for 2020, Potential. Influenced by societal fluctuation and intersectional discourse, Ink looked for thematic spread content. I chose to pivot in that moment and pitch the photoshoot as a larger spread idea, including a written creative non-fiction piece and illustrations by my artistic roommate, Julia Sachs. The pitch was accepted and the second semester began the road through organization to publication.
Finality
“Endurance of the moth’s modest survival through process and status exists vividly in spite of their experience.”
Nocturne was not only an exploration of the moth’s magical and complicated existence, but an exploration of my own creativity. I found strength and value in the experimentation of my creative limits and the way collaboration can build out a process and artistic world even further.
As of October 2020, I digitized super 8 footage which I personally filmed on location of the photoshoot and produced music to go along with it.
