Photo Diary: Valentine's Day at The Madonna Inn with Miranda Harrison & Carianne Older
☆ By Patrick Zavorskas ☆
IN A DAZZLING ARRAY OF ROMANCE AND INTIMACY - the dynamic duo of Carianne Older and Miranda Harrison are back with The Luna Collective with another Valentine's Day themed shoot based within the iconic Madonna Inn. Featured on the cover of our 12th Issue, Older and Harrison always stay busy and we can guarantee they’re always cooking up some killer content.
For those who might need a quick catch-up, Carianne Older is a renowned LA-based photographer known for her dreamy portraiture that captures a blend of theatrics with warm affection and sensuality. Working alongside her friend and collaborator, Miranda Harrison, an LA-based singer-songwriter, actor, model and all-around creative, the two mix their love of the holiday, rom-coms, and red and pink color schemes to reimagine what we think about Valentine's Day. And let us tell you, these women know Valentine's Day!
We caught up with the team to discuss what their dream Valentine's Day looks like, what it is like to shoot in such a legendary location, and even how to be confident when modeling for a photoshoot. With their passion for the craft and dedication to the work they produce, we are thrilled to invite you into a glimpse of their world and the unique art that they create. Read on to hear more about Harrison and Older's photoshoot at the Madonna Inn and their projects coming soon this new year!
LUNA: First off: How are you doing? How has the new year been treating you so far?
HARRISON: The new year has been great! I've started the year off with a few campaigns that I can't talk about quite yet! But there was one with Katys new apparel line called “Thirty Years”, that I am definitely excited for! But it has been interesting to see how the creative world has been shifting during the pandemic. But also, giving opportunities to newcomers has been really exciting! So I feel fortunate to creative direct my Valentine's Day series and work with so many of my friends and collaborators and work on set again.
OLDER: I was home for the first two weeks of the year with my family, which is really nice. I was taking it easy, gearing up to come back and just work for Valentine and do crazy work for Valentine's Day. It's been really fun. I did a really epic shoot with Jordan Woods around Wednesday that we dropped this week and then again on the actual Valentine's Day. So keep your eyes peeled for that. Our Madonna Inn shoot was amazing. And we're so excited to share that with you guys here today, The Luna Collective!
LUNA: In doing this Valentine’s Day shoot, I am curious as to what your relationship with the holiday is like? Do you ever (consciously or subconsciously) attune your work to the holiday?
HARRISON: I think year-round, I really go towards more of the vintage romantic vibes. Valentine's Day really helps play into what is already my 365 aesthetic. But the shoot at Madonna Inn was a dream for both of us. We've spoken about going to the Madonna Inn since we met. We truly were able to create in just about every inch of the space. I love being able to create a Valentine's Day series because it makes me really focused on what I want to create and also kind of gets me out of the usual rut of being a creative. When it happens - there are weeks and months where I just can't seem to get the concepts or the creation right, and Valentine's Day always seems to be a reset for me.
OLDER: I love doing Valentine's Day concepts. I think as Miranda mentioned, my brain also automatically goes into a pink-heart mode all year round. This is because I genuinely love the holiday so much. I like what comes out of it; I love the heart shaped candy boxes, the heart shaped balloons, the little sweethearts - like literally everything that is Valentine's Day is just such a vibe! In my head, I would love to own like a heart shaped bed - or something weird like that - because I just love that entire aesthetic so much.
LUNA: This series was shot at the iconic Madonna Inn - can you tell us a bit about what inspired you to select this location and go with this aesthetic for the shoot?
OLDER: To me, shooting at the Madonna Inn was so amazing, as it is like the ultimate place for Valentine's Day. Their dining room is all hearts and romance, so it was just really cool to go there with the gang and turn out some cool stuff.
HARRISON: Like I said before, the Madonna Inn has practically been an everyday topic of conversation since I met Carianne. I've wanted to visit it since I lived in New York City. So being able to do this as a part of our Valentine's Day shoot with Luna Collective was such a dream. As we both said, Valentine's Day is basically the vibe. So being able to go to one place and be able to create in different rooms with different tones and themes, was so special. We were also able to bring an incredible makeup artist, Jillian Wilkey, as well as our wonderful assistant Ryan Ivey, to be a part of the shoot and really make something happen in the space.
LUNA: What’s your favorite part about Valentine’s Day?
OLDER: For me, it is all the photos that I get to create with such amazing people throughout the few weeks prior to creating Valentine's Day content. When I look at the overall scheme of ta shoot, these photos that we are creating last forever- and being able to create something so specific for people, with friends, or clients, is just something so near and dear to my heart.
HARRISON: I definitely second that! I do a 14 day series every year with 14 different shoots themed for Valentine's Day. The holiday has started to become more of a holiday with my friends, as well as my partner, because I am able to create so many long lasting memories. I'll never forget that during one of the shoots we were doing for Valentine's Day, one of our closest friends, Ashley Simmons (who is an incredible makeup artist), told me that these specific photos will be the photos that she'll be showing her children one day! So if that ain't love, I don't know what it is!
LUNA: Partner or not - take us through your dream Valentine’s Day.
OLDER: I'm just gonna go ahead and say that I already had my dream Valentine's Day at Madonna Inn with Miranda and Ryan! Honestly, that's my dream Valentine's Day! We ate at the restaurant. It was raining. It was a vibe. We all were in like leather. Like we all were in pink. It was just perfect! And even though it wasn't Valentine's day, it was Valentine's Day for us. And if I was not single and I had a man, I would want him to take me to the Madonna Inn and repeat my trip - even though it would not be as good as when I went with my two best friends to create content.
HARRISON: That's actually exactly what I'm doing for Valentine's Day! My boyfriend and I are going back to Madonna and I am still trying to convince Ryan and Carianne to go with us. We'll see if that happens, but I'm all for a day at the Inn!
LUNA: You’re both no strangers to holiday themed shoots, so what did you like most about playing with the Valentine’s Day theme?
HARRISON: For me, the idea of being able to not only recreate around iconic movies, photoshoots, TV shows is always a blast with Carianne. We're definitely going to have a little recreation this year for Valentine's Day. In playing with that theme, I feel like It allows you to get creative. There are so many rom-coms and music videos that play into romance, and the color schemes of Valentine's day, that I feel like this year, we were able to really get creative with it. In fact, we spent three hours kissing a white pantsuit for a weed brand shoot, because it was just a vibe, and do what you got to do. We gotta keep that energy year-round!
LUNA: Both photography and modeling can be a deeply intimate medium - there’s a connection being created between the subject, the tool, the photographer, and the viewer. How do you go about portraying intimacy and relationships within your work?
OLDER: Within my photography, I do sometimes shoot what I would say “more intimate moments”whether it would be with a pregnant woman, or a woman in lingerie. As a photographer, and as a woman, I feel that it is very special to be able to create such content without there being like a negative connotation on it - or any type of feeling. As a woman, I feel like I am the perfect one to capture these moments. What makes it seem very intimate is that my relationships with my clients are strong. And because I am booked so often by the same people, there is a special connection there when shooting stuff that is so private.
HARRISON: I definitely get that as both a model and a photographer. I feel like the intimacy of the shoots that I do is the most important part. That is why I shoot mainly with female and queer photographers, because that's where I feel safest. Speaking to the work that I do with Cariannee, our relationship with both our work and our friendship is very intimate, and we have been able to create so many special memories, while also shooting together. There are so many stories between us that I wouldn’t even begin to share with you! Every shoot we've ever done has a memory attached to our friendship that I'll never forget, and I think that helps create the shoot and the imagery that we make.
LUNA: Carianne, you have worked as a photographer for Playboy. I can imagine that it could be quite an intimidating experience for the model on the shoot. However, it can also equally be empowering for the model, as you go the extra mile to make them comfortable. In comparison, Miranda, I am sure it requires a lot of confidence to be a model and prepare for a shoot. What do you think makes photography and modeling together such an empowering duo?
OLDER: In shooting for a magazine such as Playboy, going the extra mile for myself and making the models feel comfortable is my number one goal - my number priority, actually. Especially for shoots such as Playboy, it is so important to make who you're shooting feel comfortable, welcomed, and loved in the space. That truly goes above even taking the photo - that's step one!
HARRISON: I can definitely second that! I mean, you can be the best photographer in the world, but if that energy does not come correct, the vibe is off. I did a shoot one time for a company that I was so excited to shoot with, but I don't think the photographer said a word the whole time we were shooting. I left so concerned with what I did. And then they used all the photos, so I think I did okay! But to use that as an example, like I said before, making memories on set and being able to build, and grow, and evolve with basically an all-female team has shown me not only the power of professionalism but also the power of energy transferred between different creatives on set. It's so important!
LUNA: How do you create a sense of confidence within your shoots?
OLDER: I'm a very confident person. I've always believed in myself 100%, and I never doubt my work. I never doubt my worth. And, I never doubt who I'm working with. I believe that you are put in every position you are in because like the world wants you to be there. And if you're confident with your work, and the way that you go about doing things, then it will 100% show.
HARRISON: I think it's fairly easy to doubt yourself as a creative. But the one thing that I’ve always stayed steady and confidence wise, is in my work. I think preparing correctly and spending the time to make sure that there won't be any mishaps is something that's really important to me in creating confidence. Trust the vision. If there's something that you want to do, taking a moment to doubt yourself will only affect the work. I just try to execute and evolve as I go.
LUNA: What does self-love mean to you, and how do you work on creating it?
OLDER: I think that self love, to me, means just like taking care of yourself. Not doing stuff that you don't want to do. Saying no to things if your gut is telling you to say no. You know, treating yourself as you treat others, and just being a kind person all around.
HARRISON: You said it perfectly, definitely second that!
LUNA: Lastly, do you have anything you would like to promote? Any new projects you would like to spill some details on?
OLDER: I just created my first little zine. It went really well and sold out three times. We are working on creating one together, just because we have so much content from being friends and shooting for so long. So be on the lookout for that! I don't know when it'll drop, but it will definitely be within the next month or so. Our designer is going to get working on it soon!
HARRISON: I've got a few really exciting campaigns coming up. Again, my Valentine's Day series is the first through the 14th of February, highlighting a lot of incredible LA artists and creatives from hair artists to photographers. Excited about that. There will definitely be more campaigns with Carianne as well!
*This interview was edited to ensure clarity
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