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Not too long ago, I came across the Valentine’s Day Campo Viejo project of Ilka and Franz. A photographer-director duo that specializes in creating stylized, colorful images. Yet again, I was blown away by their beautiful, almost “punchy” approach, so I decided, “Well, why not message them for once and see if they can explain how they got this style?”. Here’s what they answered to my questions:
The Valentine’s Day Campo Viejo project
The Valentine’s Day Campo Viejo project has a very distinct look. What inspired this aesthetic?
Ilka and Franz: Much of our work gets commissioned by advertising agencies, and more often than not, the creative team will have come up with copy lines and rough layout ideas before they approach us. This was the case with the Campo Viejo campaign, which we shot in January 2023.
Often, we are presented with said layout ideas and a “mood board“, which often contains lots of our own images. This way, we know that the client wants exactly our aesthetic, just tailored to their specific needs. In this case, the client wanted to show a diverse, same-sex couple, feature the product, use the brand colors in backgrounds, wardrobe, and props, and create a subtle suggestiveness between the talent to match the Valentine’s Day theme.
The images show very deliberate choices of color and assets; how did you plan such things ahead of time?
Ilka and Franz: A lot of planning goes into all of our shoots, as we like to sketch out each shot and plan how the colors will come together. We also collaborate with prop stylists and set designers to find all the objects that we want to use. It is then a dance between our vision and what is actually possible to buy, alter, or build ahead of the shoot day. Once on set, we have a clear vision for each shot, but it still takes some time to set up the still-life elements and then also direct the talent to do exactly what is required to convey the right feeling and message, as well as work for the different formats and copy layout.
Lastly, what gear did you use for this photoshoot?
Ilka and Franz: This campaign was shot on the Canon 5DS with an 85mm lens and Profoto flash lighting.
Editor’s note: It is true that the 5DS isn’t a new camera, but it is, without a doubt, still a very potent camera. Frankly, the fact that Ilka & Franz didn’t use something like a Canon R5 only proves how you don’t always need the newest flagship to deliver stunning results.
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