it takes two: randal ford + annabelle breakey collab
Many hands make light work, and in the case of a recent rare collaboration between MCA photographers Annabelle Breakey and Randal Ford, it also makes for a lot of creativity and fun.
Randal Ford and Annabelle Breakey
The two photographers were independently hired by a pharmaceutical skincare company to shoot their specialties for the same campaign on the same set, with Breakey on product and Ford on portraits. “It was a really unique experience for Annabelle and me to be on set for the same client,” says Ford. “It was such a great solution for the client, giving us a chance to provide a lot of extra value by having two expert photographers working together, with creative teams dedicated to each aspect. One of my core business values is that we make sure our clients get what they need and that we eliminate any friction or difficulty while we do so. Working in tandem with Annabelle’s team, we were able to do that perfectly.”
The all-in-the-family approach yielded creative dividends, too. “There were close to 35 people on set and a lot of positive energy,” Breakey explains. “We were able to act nimbly and capture images that weren’t on the shot list because we were collaborating and ideas were unfolding in real time. There was a synchronicity.”
Neither Ford nor Breakey had ever worked so closely with another photographer, but both felt its appeal, coming away with new appreciation for each other and their counterpart’s distinct expertise. “Still life eats me alive,” Ford says laughing, admiring what he observed Breakey capturing in the lens. “I can tolerate babies on set, animals on set, but something about still life is so difficult for me—it was cool seeing Annabelle work with such a sense of ease.”
“And from a personal standpoint,” says Breakey, “how fun is it working with another photographer? Really fun. I never assisted photographers out of school, so it was great to watch a photographer of Randal’s caliber operate, from setting the lighting to running his team to directing talent—all of it.”
Vanessa McGarry, Randal Ford and Annabelle Breakey
The shoot took place at Jack Studios over a week in NYC. Breakey and Ford came away from the experience with energy and enthusiasm, delighting in each aspect of their collaboration from the early co-creative calls to the wrap dinner. They can’t wait for the next opportunity to work together.