Amy Growcott: Every location has a story, and I always aim to add a new one

This editorial moves between blossom filled gardens, candlelit historic interiors and the quiet streets of the city. Which of those three worlds felt closest to who you are as a model, and why?

In their own ways, all these worlds speak to me and they brought out a different side to me in each shoot. But I would say the historic interior and the cherry blossoms photoshoot are closer to me as a model. Nature has so many wonderful, amazing places, phenomenas, and otherworldly beauty. Historic interiors carry such beauty, romanticism, a classic elegance and even mystery in them. I love shooting in nature and historic buildings and to do so in two beautiful dresses, it’s like something from a storybook or a painting. I love to be a part of these types of visions because it resonates with me artistically and personally.

There is a strong contrast in this story between the soft blush gowns and the darker, more guarded looks in black. How did you shift your presence between those two registers on the same shoot day?

When I embody two different looks in one shoot, I always think about what are the key differences in the looks and how do they blend in with the location? But I also look into what side of myself each look brings out and how I can bring it to life in the photos. In my experience, when changing from one look or one dress to another, I find that each has its own uniqueness, its own story, so I’m not just changing appearances, I’m embodying something new. And it’s a chance to embody two different sides of myself and to tell two different stories i n one location.

The Hague has a particular atmosphere, elegant and reserved at once. How has living and working in the Netherlands shaped the way you carry yourself in front of the camera?

It has given me a whole new perspective on how to carry myself and how to express myself in a photographer’s lens. The Netherlands is a beautiful country, full of so many beautiful, places of natural and historic beauty. Here, I have been very lucky to work with some amazing photographers and a wonderful producer, Anna Psy, owner of Art Photo Project and her creative team. Working with them and living in The Netherlands has enabled me to grow and find my place as a model because there are some incredible artists here who have enabled me to discover a lot about myself and my creative side.

Several frames place you alone in a grand interior or an empty street. How do you fill a space like that with feeling when there is no one else in the frame?

I make it my own space, my own frame and I think about what story I can tell based on the location, what I’m wearing and the theme of the photoshoot. Although they seem empty, every location has a story and I always aim to add a new story to that place when I do a photoshoot there.

Many of the images are shot from behind or with your gaze turned away. What do you think a viewer understands about a woman when they cannot read her face?

That she’s telling her own story; that she’s bringing her own individuality forward; she’s being herself rather than trying to "fit in" and she’s saying "here I am in my artistry and I have a lot to share."

When you first arrive on set and see the location, the light and the gown, what is your private process for finding the character you are about to become?

I take into account all these aspects and I think, "This is what I’m wearing, this is where I’m shooting, this is the light I’m shooting in; what can I do to blend into the atmosphere and bring more beauty to it with my creative touches? What might I do if I were this character in this story?" But whatever kind of character I’m portraying or whatever look I’m embodying, I never forget not to lose my creative voice because I want the viewers to see me as the character and/or in the look, not just the character or not the look.

You have built a body of published work over time. Looking back, what did you understand about modelling in your earliest shoots that you have since had to unlearn?

That I could be a model. Before I started, I didn’t think modelling was something I could ever do, but now, when I see the body of work I have built over the last year, I see I have a talent that I didn’t know I had.

Romanticism runs through this entire editorial, blossom, lace, candlelight. Do you see romance as something you perform for the camera, or something you genuinely feel in those moments?

It’s something I genuinely feel in these moments. The theme is decided pre-photoshoot, but when it comes to getting in front of the camera, the feelings and emotions really come in the moment. And once they come, it all becomes magical.

There is a real difference between posing for a still image and inhabiting a story. At what point during a shoot do you stop posing and start living inside the narrative?

I’m always living inside the narrative, the narrative doesn’t stop; it’s always there.

The industry often asks models to be a blank canvas for someone else's vision. How do you protect your own creative voice while still serving the photographer's story?

By always remembering that we’re all artists creating art. I’ve been very fortunate to work with photographers and producers who not only invited me to be a part of their vision, but encouraged me to really unleash myself in those visions with my own unique artistry and individuality. Some people might forget that models and photographers are artists and with every photoshoot we do, we’re working together to create art; we’re not just taking pretty photos.

Which image from this editorial do you think reveals the most about you, and which one shows a version of yourself you rarely let people see?

I would say the wide shot image of me in the historic location where I’m standing in the doorway reveals the most about me and the images from my city streets shoot show an edgier, more daring side that I rarely show.

Looking ahead, what kind of story or collaboration would genuinely stretch you as a model, something you have not yet been asked to do?

I would love to do some photography tours abroad; there are several places where I would love to travel to and do a photoshoot in nature and historic buildings, including France, Portugal, Germany, Austria and Iceland. I would also love to collaborate with some of my favourite brands in the near future, including Needle and Thread, Club L London, Lily and Rose Jewellery and Delilah Cosmetics.

Fashion Designer: Calzedonia @calzedonia

Model: Amy Growcott @amy_growcott

Dress: Holland Dress Rental @holland_dress_rental

Fashion Designer: Intimissimi @intimissimiofficial

Makeup Artist: Delilah Cosmetics @delilahcosmetics

Accessory Designer: Lily And Rose @lilyandrosebyzetterberg

Photographer: Taya Dulaeva @dulaeva_photo

Makeup Artist: Sofiia Tovkun @stovymakeups

Fashion Designer: Stradivarius @stradivarius