SPECIAL FEATURE
INTRODUCING
CASS BIRD
A FASHION PHOTOGRAPHER
2023 JANUARY ISSUE
Curated | IAJ & STEAMDesign
Editor | Obilivate
Reviewer | Lola
From the Desk of the Publisher
Cass Bird is an independent fashion photographer working in New York. In this article we can browse through her pictures. She is able to show limitless beauty and reveals the most real emotions through the body language. This takes a lot of talent.
Cass Bird :
“Every character I photograph is taken while they are playing.”
In the New York independent photography scene, there is a maverick photographer who has shot stunning photos and short films for a wide range of models, celebrities and well-known brands . She once said: “Every character I photograph is taken while they are playing.”
For her, photography is a tool for researching women’s experiences and her way of communicating with the outside world.
She is Cass Bird, a talented and humorous photographer.
01
listen to the voice of the body
Listen to your body
Looking back at Cass Bird’s photography, it is not difficult to see that the theme of “exploring the Female Body” never seems to leave her lens.
Beds are exploratory, experimental spaces. I want that kind of range, and that kind of closeness in my pictures.
Cass Bird was involved in a shoot called “In Bed”. She believes that the bed is an exploratory experimental space and one of the most intimate places with the body. People can cry, laugh, stay up late, sleep, restless in bed, and can express their emotions truly.
When a person is in a relaxed state in bed, we can perceive the intimacy and comfort of the bed and the body. All of these works create a blurred atmosphere, and at the same time show the connection between body and emotion.
The body seems to be in silent communication with the bed, expressing inner emotions.
“I just wanted to create an environment where we could take some physical and emotional adventures and enjoy freedom here.”
In Cass Bird’s photography, we often see the subject posing in strange poses. These poses may seem awkward, but a closer look reveals the beauty of the body and the emotional expression of body language.
Cass Bird is good at setting the shooting in the places of daily life, allowing the shooting to
happen in any location.
Against these backgrounds, we can feel the physical beauty of everyday life, although it is sometimes overlooked. Cass has integrated it into the life we are accustomed to, and then amplifies this beauty.
Cass encourages subjects to express their thoughts without hesitation in front of the camera. This photo of Cate Blanchett is on the balcony. Cate put her hand to her chin in the “Am I not pretty?” gesture,
a witty and funny proposition from Cass Bird.
Under the lens of Cass Bird, the body that accompanies our spirits shows endless beauty and
reveals the most real emotions through body language.
02
embrace the truth
Embrace the authenticity
In Cass Bird’s work, we can see the subjects show off their bodies confidently. Here, there is no body anxiety, no definition of the so-called perfect body, only real people.
Cass Bird shot lingerie photos and promotional videos for
Amazon’s first lingerie brand, Iris & Lilly.
“No, I want that photo, I want the awkwardness, I don’t want perfect posing, I want you, that’s you,
I think that’s beautiful.”
At the time of the shoot, Cass’s longtime friend Mia was chosen as the lingerie model. There was a picture that Mia thought was ugly, but Cass liked it very much: “No, I want this picture, I just want this clumsiness. I don’t want perfect poses, what I want is (real) you, that’s you. I think it’s beautiful.”
In the later shoots, Mia was also infected by Cass’s attitude, and she began to let go of those insecurities in her body and show the real self that is imperfect and has been asked to hide. This attitude is conveyed
to all women under the camera and resonates with everyone.
Cass Bird has photographed underwear for a number of plus-size models. Models are undoubtedly at their most beautiful when they are wearing underwear and confidently showing off their figures.
Every inch of fat, every wrinkle, exudes a sense of Unadorned purity.
When creating, Cass Bird did not modify the model’s body, but naturally placed the model in the lens to record the real body, real skin, and real expressions. Or angry, or at ease, or happy, or ecstatic.
The tones of black and white make people have no time to pay attention to elements other than the model. Without too much color, tearing off all the illusory filters, what we see are people, a group of ordinary people who are confident and have no body anxiety.
03
"her" power
Power of “She”
In the 2018 film for the Dior Cruise series, Cass Bird joined Maria Grazia Chiuri to explore the power of the Female Gaze and the importance of HERstory to history.
“Being a woman has historically been defined as either an extension of, or counterpart to, being a man. It is not until we occupy the same space that we can truly identify the differences in male and female, if any.”
“Historically, women have been defined as the appendages or counterparts of men. Until we occupy the same space, we can’t really identify the differences, if any, between men and women.”
Under Cass’s lens, we can see the raw power of women, free and unrestrained. The models bathed in the sun, ran and enjoyed the pristine fields. The picture presents a rough and delicate, powerful and gentle sense of balance.
“There’s always been female image makers, female contributions, but history has failed to account for it. There is a HERstory, if you ever want to get close to an honest history, we have to expand the stories we tell.”
“There are always female image-makers, women’s contributions, but history has failed to appreciate that. There is a ‘her story.’ If you want to get close to a real history, we have to tell the ‘her story.'”
Among all female identities, mothers are undoubtedly the most special one. In 2020,
Cass Bird shot a photo series titled “HOT MOMS”.
Different from the image of the gentle mother in the impression, the mothers in HOT MOMS are all casual and informal hot mothers. They revel in their motherhood without losing their charming selves. Cass Bird unearths the brilliance of motherhood, while also showing the many possibilities of women.
Breasts, pregnant belly, symbolize the birth of life. The mother in the photo is sincere and touching.
Over decades of photography, Cass Bird has an excellent resume. However, this famous fashion photographer still insists on his original intention of photography, focusing on the shooting experience and expressing sincere relationships between people.
Cass Bird is working with the human body and personality. So under her lens, we see real people, real bodies, and real emotions.
Cass Bird Photography, iD
It does not limit the physical expression of the subject, and integrates the female power into the photographic works, explores the diversity of women, and explores multiple expressions, which is the most precious gift that Cass Bird gives women.
References:
https://id.vice.com/en_uk/article/ne3y5g/she-is-consistently-expressing-feminism-cass-bird-on-maria-grazia-chiuris-dior
https://id.vice.com/en_uk/article/mb7jp8/cass-birds-intimate-new-show-takes-us-into-her-bedroom
https://fotomen.cn/2011/09/28/cass-bird/
https://id.vice.com/en_uk/article/j5d8q4/have-amazon-revolutionised-fashion
https://www.commarts.com/features/cass-bird
https://id.vice.com/en_uk/article/xwx947/cass-bird-talks-beginnings-and-best-advice-with-young-creatives