Thank U, Next w/ Erika Denver

2019: The Year of Ariana Grande

With Ariana Grande dropping gems this year with music videos that play directly into a cult classic mentality, it’s hard not to want to be a part of if. Her Thank U, Next music video embodies Mean Girls, Legally Blonde, Bring It On, and more perfectly.

So how do you execute a shoot that is inspired by Ariana Grande? Glad you asked! (No one asked this.) First, watch that Thank U, Next video 100 times and figure out what really speaks out to you.

I was really inspired by the all pink from her Legally Blonde scene as well as the latest Aerie campaigns and wanted to combine the two together with Erika Denver.

When shooting a stylized session like this, it is important to have props and your model to come with prepared outfits that matches the shoot vibes. We didn’t work with a stylist for this shoot so it was incredibly helpful that Erika and so many outfits to choose from.

We even got some fun BTS shots of her boyfriend in between as she was changing into her different outfits. Another tip to maximize your time is to set a timer for each look to be photographed. Because we are in a controlled environment with basically one set, it is really easy to photos that look too similar.

To combat this, I like to shoot a look for only 5-10 minutes to ensure I don’t overshoot one look! In this instance, my favorite outfit and look overall is the green Nice-ish sweatshirt with her hair in a high Ariana Grande-like sleek ponytail.

Which look is your favorite?