snow day

model + stylist: ana de niz

styled, creative directed, and shot by maia feruzi

Saturday January 20th 2024 4:00pm

📍Chestnut Hill, MA

shot on: canon eos rebel t3i 18-24mm 75-300mm

concept

When living in New England, particularly Boston, the weather is as unpredictable as it can possibly be, the only consistent thing is its inconsistency. So when you get a perfect snow day, without the blazing winds of a blizzard, the overly wet flakes that instantly turn to mush, and no afternoon sun to instantly dry it up, you seize that chance. I posted on my instagram a call for any models willing to shoot with me in the snow and Ana was the first and most readily available to do so. There’s an old abandoned shed I used to pass on the way to my old job and I’d shot there once before in the spring. It’s technically near private property but since it faced away from the residential houses and wasn’t actually on anyones front lawn, I figured we would be okay to shoot there as long as we moved quickly and respectfully. The shed was had peeling black paint with a very vintage and rustic exterior so I decided to channel that into my directions for styling Ana. I requested lace, hat or head scarves, and warm/neutral toned clothing, lastly providing faux leather gloves to tie it all together. We were aiming for a classic feel, 1920s housewife taking a moment to yearn in the snow.

Ana was an absolute beast for showing up in a crop top and not dying of frost bite for the entire shoot. She didn’t even get a runny nose! I on the other hand was struggling to keep my hands alive enough to press the shutter button, that’s just how cold it was. I directed her to pose with movement instead of static positions so that it seemed almost like a dance. I wanted to reflect the graceful fluttering of the snow falling softly around us. It started snowing right as we began to shoot which was perfect timing and let us get shots of untouched snow on the ground and light flurries before it got too strong to see anything. In my edits I prioritized black and white so that I could up the contrast and really make the snowflakes pop. I also really wanted to focus on that old vintage feeling and channel a nostalgic feeling in the photos. It almost appears like she’s surrounded by stars, heaven and earth connected on one pillar, and I love that effect.