Recreating Audrey Hepburn's 1953 Vintage LIFE Magazine Photoshoot - With a VINTAGE camera

PHOTO TAKEN ON 120 FILM WITH MY VINTAGE ROLLEICORD MEDIUM FORMAT CAMERA FROM THE LATE 1950S

If you're anything like me you are captivated by the glamour of vintage fashion and iconic personalities of the past with Audrey Hepburn being at the top of the list of those that inspire the most. I recently embarked on a creative project to recreate Audrey Hepburn's 1953 Life magazine cover photoshoot.

PHOTO TAKEN ON 120 FILM WITH MY VINTAGE ROLLEICORD MEDIUM FORMAT CAMERA FROM THE LATE 1950S

The orginal photos were taken in Audrey Hepburn's LA apartment while she was filming her 2nd starring role in the film Sabrina. Photographer Mark Shaw took the photos for the Dec 7th 1953 cover and corresponding photo essay in LIFE magazine.

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Come along on the Behind the Scenes process, from set up to completion in the YouTube video I made about the process! Even more photos than the ones seen here are included in the video!

https://youtu.be/PLme43pKtiM

Intially Hepburn did all she could to avoud Shaw's camera but when she realized they shared an intense devtion to their work she begin to treat him like a member of the family. Shaw took the first photos of her at home produced for publication.

Shaw opted to focus on her work day for the theme of the photo essay, and the magazine noted "not because there's anything so remarkable about it" but they go on to say "whatever Audrey does she looks pretty remarkable doing"

In a note at the beginning of the issue Shaw commented that she was a monster when it came to productivity and the studio techs who worked with her predicted she would have a long and illustrious carrer because of that. And they were right, though she did cut her career shorter than it otherwise could have been because she wanted more than anything to be a mother and once she was she wanted to devote all of her time to her 2 boys.

I aimed to pay homage to Audrey Hepburn's timeless elegance and sophistication that continues to inspire generations. Drawing inspiration from her iconic Life magazine cover, I meticulously curated the elements to mirror her style. With a shirt similar to hers and vintage props like a 1950s telephone and camera, I am no Audrey Hepburn but I sought to embody the essence of Audrey's sophistication.

PHOTO TAKEN ON 120 FILM WITH MY VINTAGE ROLLEICORD MEDIUM FORMAT CAMERA FROM THE LATE 1950S

PHOTO TAKEN ON 120 FILM WITH MY VINTAGE ROLLEICORD MEDIUM FORMAT CAMERA FROM THE LATE 1950S

The meticulous attention to detail was paramount in recreating the ambiance of the original photos. The vintage camera added an authentic touch to the photoshoot, and I predict Shaw used a similar camera, the more professional version of mine called a Rolleiflex.

PHOTO TAKEN ON 120 FILM WITH MY VINTAGE ROLLEICORD MEDIUM FORMAT CAMERA FROM THE LATE 1950S

Whenever I do vintage photo recreations the details from the set, props and poses are very important to me! And while getting everything 100% accurate is impossible, I was happy with the outcome of all the different elements. I actually did this same shoot 4 times over a few years because after each one I felt I could improve it!

Audrey Hepburn is always a source of inspiration for me and you can find more Audrey inspired content across my socials (@kellywoofclark on IG, TIKTOK and YouTube) so follow along with me for even more vintage and Old Hollywood content!

-Kelly