October 10, 2024
Photographer Courtney Blackett knew the pressure was on when she was booked for an eight-hour photoshoot with renowned fashion designer Tracy Reese. Shooting with Reese was a big deal, but adding to the pressure was the fact the photos were going to appear in Vogue.
“I knew my edits had to be flawless,” said Blackett, who is an Oakland University studio art major. “I always care about the quality of my work, but there’s extra pressure when you know it’s going to appear in Vogue.”
Blackett rose to the occasion and Reese was pleased with the photos. That was back in 2022, since then Blackett has done several shoots with Reese and appeared on Vogue.com several times.
Blackett said her relationship with Reese has continued to blossom since the first shoot.
“We had a great rapport with each other,” Blackett said. “The first photoshoot was at Woodward Throwbacks so it was a space she rented out for the day. We shot 40 different looks, which was a lot. I didn’t know what to expect at first, but it went great.”
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| Courtney Blackett's photo of renowned fashion designer Tracy Reese's clothing line has appeared in Vogue. |
Reese’ clothing line is called Hope for Flowers and is a sustainable clothing brand. Reese has a number of celebrity clients, including former first lady Michelle Obama.
“Reese is published in Vogue Runway multiple times per year to show her new collection,” Blackett said. “I love working with her, it’s always very collaborative.
“She comes to me with ideas and we communicate well together. I'm pretty flexible too. I try to make those ideas come to life, that’s my job as a photographer. I think that's what makes our relationship great and why we continue to work together.”
Blackett is a huge fan of Reese’s clothing line.
“I absolutely love her dresses so much,” Blackett said. “It's really important to me that my ethics align with my clients. I love that it’s a woman owned business and I love that it's a sustainable fashion line.”
Blackett transferred to Oakland and plans on graduating in December.
The Oakland program has helped Blackett get out of her comfort zone, as she’s required to take non-photography art classes. She said the art classes have helped her develop new skills she can use in her photography.
“Oakland restructured their art program so that meant I have to take a sculpture class and a painting class,” Blackett said. “At first I was like, ‘I don't know about this’, but I will say the skills definitely translate to my photography work. I feel like it all layers together.
“I’ve really enjoyed the program and now I’m not pigeon-holed in one area. You wear so many hats as a photographer so having these skills really helps. And I’ve really developed great relationships with my professors. I had to miss class to do the latest shoot for Vogue and I communicated that with my professor. He was really understanding and knows I’m only missing so I can develop my career, which is important.”
Recently Blackett’s version of “Judith Beheading Holofernes” (inspired by Artemisia Gentilschi) was juried into the 43rd Annual Michigan Fine Arts Competition at the Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center.
“I submitted the photograph to the BBAC, not really knowing if it would get in,” Blackett said. “I've spent a fair amount of time in fashion photography, I recently started to explore fine art photography. I was elated when I received an email that my work was accepted. It was my first time participating in an art show. It's an indescribable feeling watching strangers look at your art. I'm interested in submitting my work to more galleries and participating in the fine art community.”
Blackett said the photo was inspired by her time at OU.
“In 2023, I took an art history class and I heard the story of Artemisia Gentilschi,” Blackett said. “I was awestruck by her painting, I knew that I wanted to create a photograph based on it because her story is still relevant in today’s time. In winter 2024, I took a seminar class with Professor Dick Goody and he pushed me to go outside of my comfort zone. In this class, we make art work once a week. I gathered all of my resources together by thrifting for props and casting models. In the photograph, I have one light source, which was a beauty dish placed on the left-hand side of the set.”
Blackett’s photography work also resulted in her recently being awarded the Mark Murphy Endowed Scholarship in Photography.
“Earning this scholarship means the world to me,” Blackett said. “It allows me to dedicate more time to my art practice, especially because this is my final semester. As a studio art major, I have the opportunity to create a body of work to be exhibited in the Oakland Art Gallery at the end of the semester. This scholarship allows me to enable all of my energy and resources into creating strong photographs.”
Blackett has also worked as the photo editor for The Oakland Post, which is Oakland’s student-run newspaper.
“Working at the paper has given me the opportunity to meet new people around campus and inspired me to be more active in school events,” Blackett said. “Working alongside the staff photographers inspires me and makes me want to become a better leader and artist. It’s such a treat to see their photographs every week.”
Blackett’s long-term goal is to work as a photographer for an e-commerce studio.
“When you're online shopping and looking at clothes, it takes a lot of work to upload all those photos,” Blackett said. “I do that as a freelance job, but I would love to do it full time one day.”
Blackett said her work with Reese has helped her build credibility with other clients and improve her resume.
“I think it’s really helpful to have that experience and I have a little section on my resume that talks about Vogue and the other publications my work has appeared in,” Blackett said. “I think one of my biggest strengths is my technical skills with lighting. I think my photos are pretty dynamic because I love movement in my photos. I love color in my photos. I would describe my style as dynamic, colorful and fashionable. That’s my goal.”