Photographer mom recreates iconic music album covers with 5-year-old daughter as inspiration
A mother is recreating iconic music album covers by David Bowie, Beyonce and Lady Gaga with her 5-year-old daughter as inspiration.
Steph Girard is a popular headshot and portrait photographer in Los Angeles, who also shoots celebrities. Unable to work during her city’s lockdown, Girard brought her camera equipment home from her Burbank studio and started a creative project with her daughter Lola, 5, who is home from school this year.
“My daughter is super into music because we listen a lot at home,” Girard tells Yahoo Life. “She loves ‘Million Reasons’ by Lady Gaga and we used to play it on the way to school.”
The song recently came on and Lola was “mesmerized,” says Girard. “She said, ‘That’s Lady Gaga!’ and put on one of my hats.” Inspired by her daughter’s resemblance to Gaga on her 2016 album Joanne, Girard grabbed her camera. Then, after adjusting the hat color with Photoshop and applying upper back “tattoos” to Lola with face paint, she posted the image on Instagram.
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“We are introducing [Lola] to different musicians, listening to their music, and of course recreating a photo of them,” wrote Girard. “We started this series with one of her favorites. Can you guess who?”
Girard and her husband excitedly searched for props around the house, not wanting to rely too much on photo editing. Their next muse was David Bowie as featured on his 1973 album Aladdin Sane, with red-and-blue iridescent makeup recreated with face paint.
Lola’s third project was Adele, as depicted on her 2011 album 21, for which the 5-year-old looked dramatically melancholy.
A tribute to Bruce Springsteen’s 1984 Born in the USA followed, then Amy Winehouse on her 2011 Lioness: Hidden Treasures album (with Lola’s fierce cat eye makeup and beehive hairdo) and Taylor Swift on her 1989 cover from 2014. Lola also channeled the late Freddie Mercury of Queen during the band’s 1985 Live Aid performance in London.
Girard says they take photos when Lola’s baby sister is napping. “It’s bringing smiles to people’s faces,” she says of the photo project.
One of Lola’s favorite acts is Mercury because she got to wear a mustache (and put it on her sister), and she enjoys looking at photos of celebrity subjects. The 5-year-old is proud of her artistry, says Girard. “She asked me, ‘Did Lady Gaga see [my photo]?’”
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