Girls With Gunz Photo Shoot
I hit the streets with my friend, photographer Estée Mancini of Girls With Gunz, for a fun photo shoot downtown. We met up at Mulberry Coffee with no particular destination in mind, other than to wander James North and see where inspiration strikes.
Estée began Girls With Gunz in 2010 and I’ve been a big fan of her sleek, sassy style. All of her photos are so polished but come off very natural. She is always on the lookout for cool spaces to shoot, particularly old buildings. Hamilton has so many little nooks and crannies that would make for interesting settings.
I wanted my outfit to match the blog’s colour scheme and we found some fitting black and white locations. The James North area reflected the gritty, urban side of the city as well as its artistic one. I think all of the shots represent myself and I Heart Hamilton well.
Estée effortlessly snapped away and guided me through with a few ideas for poses. We attracted a bit of attention – one elderly gentleman toddled up beside me to be in a photo and gave a thumbs up as he moseyed on his way. It wouldn’t be a shoot in downtown Hamilton without encountering some characters.
While we were in the area, I knew the shoot wouldn’t be complete without a trip to Dr. Disc. I’ve been in love with the black and white graffitied wall outside the record store since it was created this past fall at Supercrawl by a group of artists. Thanks to owner Mark Furukawa, we were also able to take some shots up on the roof, overlooking the city.
Along with photography, Estée’s next venture is the launch of an online shop, also called Girls With Gunz. She and her sister Felicia have been collecting vintage and designer pieces for years and decided the time is right to part with some of their unique finds. GwG also carries custom made items.
Thanks so much, Estée!
– Kristin
