All photographs © Artistic Soul Images, shared with permission
Ten years in the past, Atlanta-based photographers Kahran and Regis Bethencourt of CreativeSoul Images seen a scarcity of range within the business, they usually seized the chance to characterize and have a good time the myriad types and tales of African heritage. Of their ongoing AfroArt sequence, the Bethencourts embrace the flexibility of Black hair by sweeping it into towering updos and beaded braids. Younger fashions are bedecked in sequins, ruffles, and shells which can be typically paired with elaborate clothes product of vibrant Dutch wax cloth.
Because the sequence advanced, CreativeSoul dug deeper into fairytales and folklore—some conventional and a few of their very own imagining—inspiring a collaboration with Disney for a assortment of dolls that reframes traditional princesses as African royalty. Replete with robes product of brightly patterned textiles, iconic characters like Snow White and Cinderella put on colourful bows of their lengthy braids and afros.
Elaborate hairstyles, embellished costumes, and daring backgrounds characterize CreativeSoul’s portraits. “In the case of sourcing outfits and producing concepts for every picture, we work intently with mother and father and youngsters themselves within the artistic decision-making,” they inform Colossal. “We usually ask every baby, if they may have the shoot of their goals, what wouldn’t it be? We imagine in giving them a voice and permitting their personalities to shine by within the ultimate outcomes.” From the preliminary thought, they brainstorm themes and supply inspiration from literature, tradition, and the youngsters’s particular person pursuits.
The Bethencourts additionally simply launched Topped, revealed by St. Martins Press, as a followup to their first title Glory in 2020. The books are “a celebration of black magnificence, that includes beautiful imagery that showcases the range and uniqueness of black youngsters,” the pair says, sharing that “we goal to encourage younger readers and instill in them a way of pleasure and self-love.”
Upcoming initiatives embody two new books, one celebrating Black historical past and one other specializing in Christmas. You’ll be able to snag a duplicate of Topped on Bookshop, and discover extra on CreativeSoul’s web site and Instagram.
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