Who knew 'Mean Girls' could get even more glam?
Photographer Jada Imani M (@jadaimanim) captures sultry smizes and lengthy, decal decorated acrylics in this high saturation and ultra vibrant pink photoshoot, inspired by the iconic early 2000's American teen comedy Mean Girls for Maryland nail technician Amber, founder of AJ Nailed That (@ajnailedthat).
© jada imani m
Ever reminisced the early days of social media, where once upon a time you could scroll without being forced to see tons of adverts or sponsored posts? Platforms such as Instagram were once a place solely to discover and share personal photos for the average user. In the last decade, social media, particularly Instagram, has pivoted to prioritising brands, business use and advertising on its platform as well as content monetisation. Love it or hate it as a consumer, this shift has arguably worked in the favour of commercial photographers like Jada, especially since the pandemic, as more and more people have taken up 'side hustles' or started their first business, many of them are wanting high quality photos to advertise their products and services on social media platforms such as Instagram, X and Facebook. As a result, many people like Amber are investing in professional photographers to take their business promotion via social media to the next level. After all, the presentation of the product is oftentimes just as important as the product itself.
© jada imani m
Each photo is more than just a snapshot of Amber's work, and it's evident that creative product placement was a big part of this photoshoot. Jada made sure to incorporate as much of the beautifully designed bedroom set as possible, including the famous Burn Book prop. Overall, this is a clever Instagram ad that doesn't look like an ad at first glance, but rather stills from a movie that leave you wondering: why are you so obsessed with those nails?! They undoubtedly steal the show whilst everything around them is a seamless supporting act, and Jada finds the balance of showcasing Amber's work at a good distance creatively and effectively for potential customers.
"When Amber, founder of AJ Nailed That, brought up the idea of doing a shoot inspired by Mean Girls, I was all for it! As a brand, it can be difficult to make creative and authentic content. When you create something relatable and it looks good, it makes consumers intrigued. The whole theme of "On Wednesdays We Wear Pink" was the perfect homage to Mean Girls while representing the brand colors of AJ Nailed That."
Jada's photos of the staged slumber party paint Amber and her models as the ultimate It Girls, and themes of sisterhood, confidence and glamour are encapsulated. She makes use of wide focal lengths for the group photos to get everyone in shot, and also uses wider angles for a few individual photos of the models, where she works with the lens distortion to channel a subtle 90's - early 2000's fisheye lens vibe. Throughout all her photos Jada clearly directs the eyes of potential customers to specific parts of the photos she wants to emphasise by using a wider aperture, and her sharp focal points are enhanced as the background is separated from the foreground, adding a rich depth to her photos, along with a dreamy blur to the outer edges of the frame. The combination of the amazing set and Jada's camera settings, composition and framing create a cinematic aura similar to the works of David LaChapelle.
Jada understood the Mean Girls assignment and it's safe to say, she nailed it!
Photographer: Jada Imani M
Nail technician: Amber, AJ Nailed That
