Fashion Design & Cinemagraphs
Petra Å vajger is a recent Fashion Design graduate from The Faculty of Design in Ljubljana, Slovenia. While Å vajger plans to pursue her masters in graphic design, she currently works as an event photographer. Å vajger is a multitalented artist with a distinct quirkiness and edge to her art. Interestingly, she “never really felt like a fashion designer,” noting that her true passions are GIFs, and more recently, cinemagraphs. From digital animation to living photos, Å vajger has mastered the art of the short looping video.
Discovered By Flixel on Behance
A popular member on Behance, her work is appreciated by artists from around the globe. Behance is a network of sites and services specializing in self-promotion, such as consulting and displaying online portfolios. Acquired by Adobe, all Behance members require an Adobe Creative Cloud account to join, thus the caliber of work is often incredible. Check out her Behance profile for more eye-catching work.
Back in 2011, she was first introduced to the art of living photos by the work of Reed and Rader, a talented duo based in Brooklyn, New York. While working and conducting research on her final thesis paper in 2013, she discovered Flixel, which at the time was being used to create cinemagraphs on America’s Next Top Model. Her paper discusses the place of cinemagraphs/GIFs in the fashion industry as a new medium of fashion presentation. Drawn to subtle, looping movements, cinemagraphs became a perfect pairing of her education (fashion design) and her passion (GIFs).
Å vajger *Hearts* Cinemagraphs
So, what does Å vajger like so much about cinemagraphs? “I find cinemagraphs interesting because they are freaky and beautiful all at the same time and you can watch them forever and ever.” This mesmerizing effect has been noted by many. Cinemagraphs are simple, yet captivating, making them one of the most engaging digital mediums. Å vajger predicts that cinemagraphs may take over the internet, and this isn’t that hard to believe.
Welcome to the Flixel Community, Å vajger
Since joining the Flixel Community in December 2014, Å vajger has used Cinemagraph Pro to create a series of cinemagraphs for Theatre Ponorelii in Ljubljana. These cinemagraphs can be seen above, featuring bright punchy colours and interesting, whimsical characters. Her most recent project for Flixel takes on a different, fashion editorial vibe. Shot in a dark, grungy club, the cinemagraphs have a very urban feel, while the styling is contrastingly feminine and soft. Sequins, fur, smoke, spotlights and graffiti; what more could you ask for? With a team of talented individuals working on all different aspects of the shoot, these cinemagraphs were brought from ideation to creation in a short period of time. Check out the “Making-Of” video, and her finished images below.
Å vajger enjoys the whole process of creating cinemagraphs; from brainstorming ideas, to experimenting on shoots, to having the models do strange and fun poses. She notes that though cinemagraphs are a mergence of photography and videography, and “contain elements of each genre,” they are still an entirely different art form. Inspired by fashion, costumes, performers and fairytales, Å vajger starts by thinking of a story to tell, and then finding some interesting people to tell that story with her.
The Art of Storytelling
Her advice to others creating cinemagraphs is to think of a moment that you want to last forever, and capture it. Tell it like a story, and always search for inspiration. We’re so excited to have Petra Å vajger as a part of our Flixel community. A talented young artist, with exceptional creativity, we are sure to be showcasing more of her work in the future.
Check out her accounts on Behance and Flixel for more great work.
Styling + Hair & Makeup: Marieta Milanović Trapo
Design (black bomber + pants): Luka Ivanišević
Model: Laura ButkoviÄ
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