Art Direction & Editorial Photography: Matrix-Inspired Shoot
Y2K aesthetics meets underground spirit.
Over the past year, I’ve been exploring new ways to understand photography. I didn’t want to limit myself to capturing what I see — I wanted to build images with intention: to create a small aesthetic universe, a visual story that could stand on its own.
That’s how this experimental editorial shoot was born — developed from scratch with two friends who, besides modeling, helped shape the entire process.
I designed the session as a blend of art direction, fashion, and photography, stripped of big production or pretension. The main inspirations came from The Matrix universe, retrofuturism, the Y2K revival, European underground techno culture, and that raw, confident energy you find somewhere between The Sopranos and Madrid’s late-night streets.
All the clothing came from my own wardrobe. I wanted the characters to feel real, but still project provocation, strength, and style — black, leather, bold sunglasses, subtle metallic details, strong silhouettes. The session took place on the street, guerrilla-style: no permits, no production. I picked a location where urban decay and rough textures could enhance the contrast — dirty walls, graffiti, a neglected environment.
That raw, aggressive background made the whole setup shine. It was exactly what I needed to highlight the clash between attitude and surroundings.
We worked with total freedom. There was no fixed narrative — just the models inhabiting the characters we had built together. The flash became the protagonist, giving the images their intense, cinematic energy. This session is, above all, an experiment — a study in art direction and visual identity. Created with limited resources but driven by creativity, instinct, and the urge to design and photograph with meaning.
