This is photographer and creative director Hynd Mezaguer - in her element.
Taking us behind the scenes of a recent shoot, Hynd brings us into her creative process, one driven by instinct, storytelling and that little bit of pressure.
For her, it’s more than creating an image. It’s about building a world around a subject, playing with light and atmosphere and letting the art take over.
How did your career really start?
It started when I learned how to use Photoshop. Laughs. No, really, I think it started when I produced my first campaign entirely on my own, from the moodboard all the way through to post-production.
When did you first think, “OK, this is what I do, I’m a creative director”?
Probably the first time I saw one of my creative ideas, something that had only existed in my head, come to life through a team of around 15 creative talents. Seeing all those people come together and put their energy into turning that idea into something real was the moment I thought, OK, this is what I do.
Was there a project or moment that really changed things for you?
Definitely the first Dr. Martens production I worked on. I did it with Virna, my colleague and longtime friend. We created an actual music video in a hotel in the Marais. Not a short film, a real music video. That project was a game changer for me.
What are you trying to say through your work and the images you create?
It really depends on the kind of project. In some of my personal editorials, the message can be political or more personal and introspective. In commercial productions, I’m often trying to find a balance between an artistic message and what the brand needs to communicate. And sometimes the message can simply be humorous or light. It mostly depends on the brand behind the project. I don’t want to distort a brand’s identity, but I don’t want to lose myself in the process either. I tell their story in my way.
What’s the part of the job people don’t usually see?
Pre-production, without a doubt. When people see a 30-second video on Instagram, I don’t think they always realise how much work goes into those 30 seconds, or how many people are involved. Very often, people see the creative director credited in the caption, but they don’t see all the people behind the scenes who worked to make that video exist in the first place.
