We recently shot our new jewellery collection in the hauntingly beautiful Amer Fort, Jaipur, India. It was a total pinch me moment.
The first time I came to Jaipur was on my honeymoon back in 2015, we had visited the fort with our son and were mesmerised by the stunning architecture and magical atmosphere. Elephants dressed in gold and red finery, walking up the winding fort hill accompanied by the sound of sringa horns, really contributed to the feeling of stepping back in time.
The fort has all the beautiful Indian architecture you would expect from such a national heritage site, plus stunning rooms made of glittering mirror from ceiling to floor. Walls still hold on to their brightly coloured paint and murals depicting scenes of pomp and pagentry are all there for the public to see.
It was a 6am start for me and the shoot team on a very warm summer morning in April. I had been up late the night before, making sure all the jewellery was organised and ready, having had my artisans make some last minute adjustments. My trusted taxi driver Prithvi, who I always use when in Jaipur, picked me up from my hotel and drove the half an hour drive to Amer, an area situated on a dramatic hilltop, north of Jaipur city centre.
We had special permission to shoot at the fort for the day, so we parked in the central courtyard area, normally closed to cars. It was truly magical being there before all the tourists, with only wild monkeys and a couple of watchmen walking around. I had the opportunity for a very special moment looking at the stunning view down to the city below. With the sunrising, my shoot team arrived along with Gulsha our model from Kazaksthan.
We spent the next 8 hours shooting in various areas of the fort, utilising the stunning huge doorways and steps, the jali patterned windows, mirrored rooms and walls with old murals. As the tourists arrived we gained a few observers, but Gulsha, popular with overseas brands shooting in Jaipur, worked her magic with photographer Surbhi and Aditya my videographer.
My shoot team were a group of 8, who regularly work together, young Jaipurians who have refined their skills to work together seamlessly. It is always nerve racking waiting to see the results of a shoot, as it is an investment and this was also the first time I had a used videographer. However, the results were truly beautiful. The team had really captured the magic.
That warm summer morning, will be etched in my memory for ever and I look forward to working with the "A" team again in the near future ♡
Photographer: @photography_for_freedom
Videographer: @_badelog__
Model: @nyssanova