Lupine Hammack Brings the Heat for Fenty

"Your reputation precedes you" is a phrase that can be nerve wracking to hear. But when you're Lupine Hammack, it is usually followed with a need for a photographer who can take an ordinary project and transform it into tantalizing visuals. Such was the case when the Senior Director of Video at Kendo saw a job for Fenty involving cherries getting lit on fire, and immediately though of Lupine for the job.

In past projects Lupine and his team have melted candy to look like condiments, skillfully used in camera work with a vinyl turntable to look like he manipulated the product with CGI, and performed chemistry experiments to test the limits of Jello. He is always looking for ways to transform ordinary items into something remarkably beautiful. As an artist interested in the surreal, projects like his Fenty campaign are a treat. Learning how to make the concept creative enough to seem unearthly but believable enough for the human mind to accept is the alchemic grey area where Lupine thrives.

The final product of this is as playful as it is mesmerizing, leaving you wanting more. Read on to learn more about this project and see behind the scenes images from this fiery project.

What was your most memorable moment on this project?

Between road tripping to beautiful East Bay cherry farms to wander between the trees and hand pick cherries, to testing out different kinds of flammables in the studio, I took every opportunity to make this fantastic concept a reality. The story goes that Amber Dobson, Senior Director of Video at Kendo, had this fiery project slide across her desk and as soon as she saw what it involved thought to herself..."I know exactly who to call for this one...Lupine!" This time around my most memorable moment was having that initial conversation and loving that if it involved fire in the studio she thought of me!

What did you learn on this project?

One of my favorite sayings is "don't be an expert". The best thing we can do as artists and as individuals is to always keep learning. On this project I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to test out new continuous lighting equipment from Broncolor. As a longtime Broncolor user, I was really excited to test and learn about the new technology.

What do you hope people learn about you and your work after viewing this?

There has always been an experimental side to my personality, I've always wanted to learn how things tick and how I can make them tick faster! Part of what I love about motion work is that the technology is always changing. I love diving in with clients and figuring out how to make their concepts as magical as possible. I want to play with the tension between making something seem surreal while at the same time believable enough for the viewer's mind to accept it. Concepts that start with the words "you know what would be cool..." are what I'm into.

Here is some BTS content from the studio for you to enjoy:

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