Observer Magazine commissioned Franck Allais for "Objects of Desire", a cover story and series of diverse and fascinating objects of personal significance. By playing with the scale, Franck showed the people in a lively and engaging way, and with retouching we created relationships between the person and their object that could never exist in reality. Fashion designer Hannah Weiland, swaps roles with her teddy and is cuddled by it, and the feet of a miniaturised Will Self tap lightly across the keyboard of his vintage Olivetti typewriter. 

Not knowing what to expect from each person, Franck captured the objects first and then matched the angle and lighting when taking the portraits. During post production he visited us in our London studio to discuss composition and mood, whilst giving us a lot of freedom in assembling and finishing the shots.
Read the article online here.

Will Self, writer: "When you work on a computer you have a continual ultrasonic whine of some kind. When you’re working on a typewriter you have these little bursts but then you stop and… silence."

Ashish Gupta, fashion designer: "The tap has quite a Liberace vibe to it"

Julia Peyton-Jones, curator and gallery director: "To live with this chair and table is a joy"

Hannah Weiland, fashion designer: "On the shoot I changed positions with him. I got really excited that I could sit in his lap for once, in his arms."

Angela Hartnett, chef: "I’ve been using this coffee pot since I was a teenager"

David Morrissey, actor: "This mask really has character. Its surface is not smooth – it has real crinkles – and its inside is unfinished and sandpapery. Its expression is surprised, slightly quizzical, which I love. Its eyes are far too close together. When it looks at me, or when I look at it, rather, its expression changes, depending on my mood, or the light, or what day it is."

Renni Eddo-Lodge, writer: "If I am listening to something really interesting I won’t take them out when I get home, like I used to do with my old headphones. I keep listening. They are part of me."

Here's the finished cover and article. Read the article online here.

Photographer: Franck Allais
Client: Observer Magazine

Picture Editor: Kit Burnett

Art Director: Joanna Cochrane
Retouching: Recom Farmhouse London Team 

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