Wrapped in Plastic: A Twin Peaks-Inspired Editorial on the Northern Coastline
A symphony of artificial and natural: the dual perfection and pollution.
Looking back on this editorial from 2021, Wrapped in Plastic remains one of my most memorable shoots. It was a refined revisit to a concept I had photographed a few years earlier, the exact same Laura Palmer-inspired idea, but this time I knew I could take it further. This second attempt allowed me to refine my vision, execution, and storytelling, creating images that felt more cinematic, layered, and conceptually complete.
The title carries layered meaning. It references Laura Palmer’s iconic “wrapped in plastic” imagery while also commenting on the fashion industry as one of the largest polluters in the world. The shoot became an exploration of contrasts: raw versus curated, natural versus artificial, beauty versus disruption.
Inspiration and Concept
Twin Peaks has always fascinated me. Its juxtaposition of idyllic beauty and hidden darkness perfectly reflects the tension I wanted to explore. Revisiting this exact concept allowed me to think more critically about composition, styling, and narrative.
A key part of the shoot was metres of plastic. Draping it along the windswept coast was a challenge and nearly impossible to control in the wind, but it created dramatic shapes, textures, and movement, adding a surreal, sculptural quality to the images. The chaos of the plastic mirrored the tension between human-made perfection and the raw, untamed natural environment.
The Location: North-East Coastline
The Blyth coastline in the North East provided the perfect setting. Rugged rocks, stormy skies, and windswept beaches created a cinematic backdrop that reinforced the editorial’s mood. Working outdoors on location added unpredictability, as the wind, light shifts, and textures of the environment all influenced the outcome, but these elements ultimately enhanced the story, making it more alive and immersive.
Looking back at the 2021 images, the coastline feels like a character in its own right, interacting with the fashion, the model, and the dramatic plastic structures.
Collaborators Who Brought the Vision to Life
The success of this editorial was a team effort.
The model, @_vickyjackson, embodied Laura Palmer’s haunting energy, balancing vulnerability and strength in every frame. Makeup artist @a.k.c.sfx created surreal, cinematic looks that amplified the mysterious, Twin Peaks-inspired mood. Jewellery from @xanderkostromalifestyle added intricate pieces that punctuated the story and gave the images an editorial polish.
As the photographer, creative director, and retoucher, I guided the shoot, captured the imagery, and shaped the final post-production vision. Revisiting this concept for a second attempt allowed all of us to refine our collaboration and push the editorial further than the previous iteration.
Creative Direction, Makeup, and Jewellery: Artificial Perfection
Glossy, structured fashion contrasted against the wild, windswept coastline. Surreal makeup and intricate jewellery emphasised the tension between artificial perfection and natural rawness, a central theme of the shoot.
The metres of plastic added another dimension. Flowing and chaotic, yet visually striking, it created textures and forms that reinforced the editorial’s layered narrative, echoing both Twin Peaks and fashion’s dual nature as creator and polluter.
I approached this shoot as a cinematic exploration of contrasts. Every frame was carefully considered, including the model’s pose, the movement of the plastic, the textures of the environment, and the interplay of light and shadow.
Looking back at these images from 2021, I can see the growth from my previous shoot of the exact same concept. This second attempt allowed me to execute the idea with greater precision, narrative depth, and conceptual clarity, producing images that resonate long after the shoot.
Wrapped in Plastic is more than a fashion editorial. It is a meditation on contradictions: between perfection and imperfection, natural and artificial, creation and pollution. Revisiting a concept I had photographed years earlier gave me perspective, showing how pushing an idea further can yield richer storytelling, stronger imagery, and deeper meaning.
Fashion photography can be glamorous, editorial, and visually striking, but it also carries responsibility. This shoot is a reminder that creativity can exist alongside critical reflection, that beauty can coexist with commentary, and that storytelling can be both cinematic and purposeful.
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