A Comox Valley photographer and her daughter are taking on an isolation challenge and giving it the full celebrity treatment.
Ali Roddam of Bellaphoto and her eight-year-old daughter Dylan decided to take on the Getty Museum challenge – to recreate a work of art with objects (and people) around the home.
At first, the challenge was a way to pass the time while staying at home because of COVID-19, explained Dylan, a student at Miracle Beach Elementary.
“We started with (Vermeer’s) Girl with a Pearl Earring because it seemed like fun. The best part was eating the earrings – we used a marshmallow,” she added with a laugh.
The pair then began to turn to pop culture, celebrities and musicians. Their second attempt at a photo recreation was the cover of Courtney Love-fronted Hole’s Live Through This album.
It was followed by one of Dylan’s favourite musicians, Post Malone.
“The grills were my favourite part – they were made out of tin foil,” she said.
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| Ellen photo creation. Photo by Ali Roddam of Bellaphoto. |
The pair aim to post one photo a day and have taken on the likes of David Bowie, Frida Kahlo, Ellen DeGeneres, Will Ferrell’s Zoolander character Mugatu and Bruce Willis in Die Hard.
Roddam noted while she has a photo studio in Courtenay, she is unable to use it due to the lockdown. All of the photos were created at their home, either in their basement suite, on their kitchen table or, as seen in their recreation of David Rose from Schitt’s Creek, near their barn.
“That one was a lot of fun to do because it was a great way to show (Dylan’s) personality,” said Roddam. “Dylan kept calling it ‘Jeff’s Creek’ because she said she’s wasn’t allowed to say the other word.”
She explained all of the costumes and props are created from items around their home, and many of the effects are created in front of the camera rather than in postproduction.
“It takes anywhere from one to two hours to get everything ready and get the lights set. As a children’s photographer, I know I have a small window to get the photo. I want Dylan just to come in and take the photo so that she leaves on a happy note.”
Roddam noted her daughter’s happy personality works well for the recreations and added they will keep taking photos as long as she is having fun.
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| Girl with a Pearl Earring recreation. Photo by Ali Roddam of Bellaphoto. |
The photos are being posted to Roddam’s Bellaphoto’s Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages daily, and the duo has gotten a groundswell of followers from all over the world since the first images went online. They’ve also tagged celebrities in the hopes they will see and respond to the images.
“I would die if Post Malone saw it,” Dylan noted. “We love Ellen too.”
Roddam said the pair are doing the photos for fun, but by posting the images on her business page, it allows her to stay relevant.
“We don’t care if celebrities don’t see it; so many people are saying the photos are the best part of the day.”
Dylan, who explained she wants to be a comedian when she’s older, said she enjoys making people smile.
“We have so many characters in mind, and we’ll keep doing it until the lockdown is over. My favourite part is hanging out with my mom – we never usually get this much time to hang out together.”
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