Artistic collaborators: photographer Jess Bonham and designer Anna Lomax
When a photographer and a set designer get together, be it for an editorial shoot, a commercial project or just for fun, the collaboration requires understanding, patience and of course a lot of imagination. Two people who make it look easy are photographer Jess Bonham and set designer Anna Lomax, who have worked together over the years on many projects for clients such as Miu Miu, Hermés, Google, Vogue, Nike and many more.
The couple first met at Brighton University on their illustration course. "My early memories of her at college were that she liked black and white and minimalism, and I was pretty impressed that she was a black belt in karate," says Lomax of Bonham. “I remember she was a little elusive in the first term as she would be returning to London a lot. But we quickly became friends over a shared sense of humor and a love of music and raves. "
From the series she said. All pictures by Jess Bonham and Anna Lomax
Bonham and Lomax stayed close throughout the university and after moving to London the couple and group of other graduates took up a studio in Dalston together. The first time they worked together was six months after going into space on a project called Lost & Found.
"I had just left my full-time position as assistant to portrait photographer Julian Broad and was building a portfolio," says Bonham. “I didn't really plan to be a still life photographer, but a trip to Dungeness led us to develop a project around the discarded items we found strewn across the beach. We bought a truckload of trash back into our studio and built a story about these objects in order to find ways to breathe new life into them through interesting juxtapositions, textures and colors. So it was curiosity that made us collaborate. We just wanted to see what would become of it. "
Out of instinct, the two found that their different perspectives and styles actually complemented each other. "My 'more is more' aesthetic and my love of color with Jess' minimalism and 'strip it back' approach worked well together," says Lomax. “The project was fun for both of us, it was ambitious and experimental. Our style has evolved, but essentially having fun, ambition, and experimentation are still the foundations of why we enjoy working together. "
Power of one