In Linda Blacker’s new YouTuber Fairytale photo series, Rose Dix and Rosie Spaughton star as the Queens of Spades and Hearts.
“Something stirs in the hearts of the two queens as they prepare to face each other in battle. They feel… something. They have always felt a connection but pushed it aside as something untrue… Something impossible.” Set in the backdrop of a magical warring land, Linda Blacker depicts a beautiful forbidden romance between the two queens, played by Rose Dix and Rosie Spaughton.
“I already knew that I wanted this shoot to be a love story, that was key,” Linda tells TenEighty. “The characters just fell into place! I wanted two powerful female characters that were an unlikely match.
“Naturally everyone would pair the Queen of Hearts with the King of Hearts, Queen of Spades with the King of Spades, and so on,” she continues. “That’s when the story simply unfolded in my mind and I loved it! The idea of the Queen of Hearts falling in love with the Queen of Spades, and the power of their love bringing about a massive change (the end of a war) I found really exciting and I couldn’t wait to get started.”
Elaborating on the creative process involved, Linda says: “First step is to style the characters. That is so much fun! I got in touch with Joanne Fleming who is an incredible dress designer and maker who kindly lent me dresses for the shoot. I spotted the perfect dresses from her selection which formed the base of the character’s costumes, and the gorgeous shoes were lent by the amazing Irregular Choice.
“I then reached out to Liv Free Creations who makes the most incredible head pieces. There were two perfect pieces in her collection, which really added something special to the costumes. The makeup and hair where then designed by the fantastic Ashleigh Bunce which brings to life the shoot.”
Linda goes on to explain that certain aspects of the costume design can then mould the story. “For example, before I thought of having the sword and cane in the shoot, the ‘almost’ fight scene did not exist.”
Linda was most pleased with how unique this fairytale is. “This is the first time a YouTuber Fairytale has involved romance, and I am so happy that the first one is a same-sex romance! It isn’t often that I personally see anything but heterosexual relationships in fairytales, so I thought it was time for a change!
“Rose and Rosie are a pleasure to be around in general, so to work with them was a joy,” she adds. “They were truly invested in the shoot and passionate about the outcome, which reflected in their energy in front of the camera. They are so in love in reality that the romance was so easy to capture because there was truth behind it!”
As for future YouTuber Fairytales, Linda has big plans. “I already have the next YouTuber in mind for a February YouTuber Fairytale, which I am really excited about. After that, my aim is to do larger scale fairytales with more than one or two YouTubers, to really create an in-depth story. Stay tuned!”
More photos can be found on Linda’s Instagram.
Want More?
Zoe Sugg played the part of Sleeping Beauty in another of Linda’s YouTuber Fairytales. Alternatively, check out Linda’s Modern Woman – YouTuber Vintage series!
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