Perception

In keeping with our mission to support and inspire creativity, we ask the artists we collaborate with to offer insight into their work, a look behind the scenes, and the opportunity for our readers to learn more about the process. For our latest fashion feature, photographer Elinor Kry answers our questions.
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What was the inspiration behind this shoot?
The scenes were inspired by our own experiences as women in our early twenties, navigating what it means to seek respect, empowerment, and autonomy from those around us in this industry, and the idea of being perceived as a woman, where it is so easy to be objectified. We wanted to create a story that reflects the nuanced reality of our journeys.

Each of these four scenes tackles separate aspects of this to encompass the overarching theme. To centralize it, we use the same subject, Echo, to show how simultaneous it feels.

Memory (couch scene) — the pain of unreciprocated feelings

The Male Gaze (purple hoodies) — confronting objectification and lack of respect as a woman

Comparison (balance beam and helmet) — navigating emotional self-protection vs. devotion to others

Competition (group with protective gear) — both internal and external struggles, leading to defeat and shame
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What was the first step of putting together the concept and idea for this shoot?
The catalyst for this shoot stemmed from a memory of a moment I shared with someone that I wasn’t sure where our relationship was going—we were sitting on my couch, our legs intertwined, while he talked about another girl, showing me a photo of her. She was the kind of girl that I always wanted to look like growing up.

That moment stuck with me because it felt symbolic of an ongoing experience in my life: navigating the desire to feel wanted while also grappling with the need to downplay my femininity in order to be taken seriously, especially in professional spaces.

I had been wanting to explore this theme visually for a while, so I reached out to my best friend and stylist, Claire Wiseman, to collaborate. We had discussed these ideas before, and I knew she would bring valuable insight to the project.

This concept also led me to start conversations with my peers—other young women my age—about their own experiences balancing femininity with being taken seriously in male-dominated environments. Did they feel these two identities were in conflict, or did they see them as complementary? How did they approach their own self-image? Did they even think about it?

Through these discussions, a common theme emerged: the way we choose to present ourselves physically has a direct impact on how we are perceived, which in turn influences the opportunities we believe we are given—both personally and professionally.

These conversations, combined with my own experiences and insecurities, helped me shape the vision for the shoot. Each scene became a direct reflection of the complexities we had shared, bringing this internal dialogue into a tangible, visual form.
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What is your favorite image from this shoot and why?
My favorite image is the diptych of Echo—one where she is undressed and another where she is fully clothed, surrounded by men. It’s probably the most direct visual in the series, but because the nuances of the male gaze and self-presentation are so complex in real life, I wanted to distill them into something digestible for both myself and the audience. I can see my experience in front of me, and this is what the feeling boils down to.
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How do you typically find inspiration for your work?
My work is very personal. I always start with an emotion or a question I’m curious about. For me, inspiration comes in two ways—either conceptually or documentary-based. This project stemmed from a direct feeling and memory, which I translated into stylized, posed compositions.

Lately, I’ve been drawn more toward documentary work, particularly stories about cultural identity and the immigrant experience. I’ve been unraveling a lot of my own family history through time spent in Vietnam, Cambodia, and with my assimilated family in America. That has led me to seek out and document the stories of others who have navigated immigration, identity, and personal growth.

Beyond my personal experiences, I find a lot of inspiration from other artists—a mix of Asian diasporic photographers and emerging fashion photographers.

I really enjoy traveling and learning about communities and activities that are out of my immediate known circle. I go where the stories take me.
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Is there anything you’re experimenting with or hoping to explore in your future work?
I struggle a lot with sleep. I want to visualize insomnia and sleep apnea, that makes me really excited right now.

I’m also going to Vietnam to visit my mom this summer, and I want to make a book about her, almost a memoir about her experience assimilating to the US and living here for forty-three years, but ultimately going back. Will the land ever welcome her back?