Photographing a cover story for LE MILE is one of my favourite collaborative and considered processes. After photographing Sandra Yi Sencindiver for LE MILE’s earlier cover, for this editorial featuring Christine Adams, photographed ahead of Apple TV’s Hijack Season 2, the intention was to create imagery that felt restrained, cinematic, and emotionally grounded. Rather than relying on abstraction in a sterile studio, the focus was on mood, presence, and a sense of quiet narrative in a grounded location that reflects the psychological depth of her work on screen.
As an editorial fashion photographer in London, I approach projects like this with an underlying narrative; I work toward building a visual thread across the shoot, paying attention to how light, environment, wardrobe, and body language come together to support a cohesive story.
While I’ve explored fabricating fashion stories on a white studio cove wall, introducing contextual set design elements and expression, interacting with the environment we’re in and building a day-in-the-life series captures my attention most – and brings together all the photography disciplines that make up my portfolio into one collaged approach.
For Christine Adams’ cover, I was inspired by silent, independent retreats I would take into cabin in the woods back in Vancouver, Canada. Leaving technology behind, and bringing grounded comforts like food to cook and books to read with me, a City Retreat is where I found my deepest introspection and became the title of this concept.
Imagined as a quiet sanctuary within the city, the space was treated as a temporary hideaway where everything needed for a short escape had been brought along. A cluttered kitchen, exposed brickwork, and a working wood fireplace helped ground the story in a lived-in, slightly weathered environment.
Props such as the leather overnight bag, paper grocery bag filled with supplies, firewood, books, and wine were chosen to suggest a weekend spent off the grid. The intention was not to style the space heavily, but to let it feel practical and believable, as though Christine had arrived, unpacked, and settled in. Lighting and styling were kept restrained so the environment could quietly support the narrative rather than compete with it.
While this project sits firmly within editorial fashion, the visual approach was informed by different areas of my wider practice, all of which fed into the City Retreat concept developed ahead of the shoot.
From an advertising photography perspective, I borrowed elements from my commercial work, particularly around polish, framing, and lighting. That influence shows up in the natural contrast and directional window light, helping the images feel clean and refined with a subtle glow – but without becoming overly rigid and flat.
My interest in street photography also played a role, especially in how Christine was framed within the space. I am often drawn to geometric framing, leading lines, and boxy architectural shapes when working on the street. Those same ideas carried into this shoot through the use of staircases, doorways, brick walls, and windows that gently contain the subject and create a sense of quiet structure.
Narratively, the shoot also drew from my dating photography work. Though an abstract comparison to some, instead of directing fixed poses, Christine was guided through small actions and interactions with her surroundings. Carrying groceries, handling firewood, moving through the space, or pausing in between tasks helped the images feel grounded and natural. These moments allow a story to unfold subtly, rather than relying on overt direction.
There is also an influence from my work as a personal branding photographer. Throughout the editorial, there is an emphasis on calm body language, stoic posing, and environmental portraiture. Christine is shown settled within her surroundings, present rather than performative, allowing personality to come through in a quiet and unforced way.
You can see the complete editorial, interview, and full fashion credits on LE MILE Magazine’s website here:
Photography and Creative Direction: Ian Kobylanski
Styling: Borna Prikaski
Styling Assistant: Annie Grace
Set Design: Louis Toledo
Make-Up: Howard K.C.X.
Make-Up Assistant: Jade Mistry
Hair: Abi Igz
Lighting Assistants: Nicola Sclano and Adam Weir
