Kremer Johnson Creates Strong Colorful Visual Impact With In Camera Techniques

Kremer Johnson’s personal work often starts as a simple idea born out of curiosity, a “what if” statement. Then, through Neil and Cory’s creativity and hands-on nature, a more complex project develops. Cory recently visited a friend's house who creates bold geometric paintings, and the idea for “Interwoven” came about. 

They approached the project as a true collaboration, bringing together distinct disciplines to create the portraits. Neil and Cory worked with the painter, who produced original geometric works specifically for the shoot, while a Hollywood special effects makeup artist developed designs that integrated each subject into the canvases. Layered with the duo’s own casting, wardrobe, and direction, the project became a merging of media, all working together to create portraits that are bold and original.

What went into the creation of these sets?

The original artist painted them specifically for this project. She collaborated closely with us on set, helping refine ideas and contributing a fresh set of eyes. Color is always such a big part of our work. It was exciting to let someone else drive the color palette.

How did you choose your subjects?

We are usually drawn to talent with strong, striking features. And since we were playing off of geometric patterns in the art, we wanted defined features in the models. Their bone structure, high cheekbones, and angular jaws mirrored the geometric quality of the paintings really well and helped play into the illusion of the project.

The makeup feels central to the project. How did you find the right artist?

That was actually one of the hardest parts. We searched everywhere: traditional makeup artists, SFX artists, even face painters. Ultimately, we found a Hollywood special effects artist who loved the concept and wanted to collaborate. She came prepared with her own illustrated ideas and we gave her the freedom to run with them.

How much of the illusion is enhanced in post?

Very little. Almost everything was captured in-camera. The richness of real paint carried through, so the colors you see are basically as they were on set. We are always intentional with out lighting too, so we didn’t have to tweak that too much.

You’re often known for narrative-driven images. How do you approach portraiture differently?

We just want to make cool work. We fell into narrative, but it’s not the only thing we want to do. At the end of the day, we make things we want to see and we encourage young creatives to do the same. Agencies aren’t looking for what’s trendy, they’re looking for new ideas and distinct points of view.

Credits

Original Paintings - Elle Starlight
Hair/Make Up - Itzel Berg 
Retouching - Jeff Whitlock
Talent (In order) -
Anabelle Lopez
Miral Milani
Lisa Jacqueline Starrett
Olabisi Kovabel