Story by Madison Bateman
Photos by Salt and Light Photography
Photographer Alexis Walls brought the magic of Bridgerton to the Eastern Shore this past year with a stylized photo shoot which featured local people and businesses.
Walls. 25, has been taking photos professionally and running her faith-based business, Salt and Light Photography, for three years now, mostly doing work with portraits and weddings.
Although she loves helping bring her client’s vision to life, Walls recently decided she wanted to step out of her comfort zone and create something of her own.
“I was beginning to feel burnt out doing the same things over and over again and it started to feel more like work rather than something I love,” she said.“I wanted to try a themed shoot and was deciding between Bridgerton and Game of Thrones for a while.”
Bridgerton is an American historical romance television show created by Chris Van Dusen for Netflix. Based on the book series by Julia Quinn, the series is set in early 1800s London. The show's costumes, set design and aesthetic are rooted in the early 19th century Regency period, but with a modern twist.
“I had a vision so I designed the set from there,” Walls said. “Then I posted online to find vendors who were interested in participating and having their products featured.”
Sweet Hearts Patisserie, a bakery in Annapolis, volunteered to provide pastries for the shoot.
Owner and Executive Pastry Chef Kristen Rowell said she saw Walls’ post on social media seeking interested local businesses to participate in the project.
“We worked at the bakery to design and prepare some desserts that matched the theme – which wasn’t hard, as our pastries tend to fit [Bridgerton’s] aesthetic pretty naturally,” she said. “We included a vintage style 2-tier wedding cake, along with some French macarons, mini tarts and petit fours.”
The bakery specializes in French macarons, petit fours and cakes for all occasions, including weddings, showers and birthdays. They also offer set up and displays for dessert tables.
Walls said she gave vendors creative freedom and allowed them to use her finished photos from the shoot for advertising purposes.
The location of the Bridgerton-themed shoot was an old Espicapillian Church in Talbot County. The Gothic Revival style building, known as the All Saints House, is owned and occupied by Anastasiia du Hoffmann, a model in the shoot and a friend of Walls’. Hoffmann said she is a fan of Bridgerton’s interior design, music, costumes and hairstyles.
“I was happy to assist [Walls] with the shoot,” she said. “The whole process took a couple hours, plus time for hair and makeup. It was a lighthearted experience, more like a girlfriend get-together, than a formal shoot. We laughed, ate delicious pastries and drank tea from pretty china.”
The costume Hoffmann wore in the photos was a rental from an Easton nonprofit called the Factory Project, which has an entire costume shop with a variety of time period wear and accessories.
Walls said she felt energized after planning, designing and executing her first solo creative project.
“Lexi’s kindness and creativity go hand in hand in her work,” Hoffmann said. “She is a wonderful human being and a professional dedicated to creating beautiful memories for her clients.”
Other models featured in the Bridgerton shoot include Emily Hock, Corryn Nagel and Macy Morris.
Comments