Creativity & The Climatalypse

A powerful environmental message connects a series of striking, nail-focused images, one of which features on this month’s cover. REBECCA HITCHON finds out more about the nail inspo & on-set photo shoot antics

Visual storytelling can be incredibly powerful when all components come together harmoniously, and the photo shoot that produced this month’s front cover image is evidence of that. Natalia Palmer, the creative director, photographer, stylist & retoucher, conceived the series of images – titled ‘Climatalypse’ – for the final project of her masters degree, with a desire to convey the urgency of the man-made climate crisis.

“The photo shoot drew inspiration from the current climatic changes that our planet is experiencing,” notes Sophie Donaldson, the Kent-based tech & session stylist behind the shoot’s nail styles. “It focused on the effects of global warming, as well as the detrimental impacts of deforestation and oil spill pollution.” The result? An abundance of eye-catching before and after images.

A shot portraying the beauty of glaciers, clouds and snow contrasts with what Sophie describes as ‘a red-hot planet look, inspired by satellite images of Mars and jellyfish’, depicting the effects of global warming. A purple floral style inspired by rainforests marks the ‘before’ of a smoky red image, centred around burnt forests and deforestation. Lastly, this month’s cover photo: a turquoise shot with an underwater-style setting, inspired by marine animals and ecosystems, is juxtaposed with a dark aquatic look that focuses on the aftermath of oil spill disasters.

“The images portray exactly what the team had visualised,” Sophie shares. “It was crucial to collaborate with creatives who shared a similar vision, therefore Natalia selected many team members that she had previously worked with, including myself. New individuals were also added to the team, so their unique insights could bring a fresh, diverse perspective to the shoot.”

“The photo shoot drew inspiration from the current climatic changes that our planet is experiencing.”

The nail stylist had Scratch’s global photographic nail competition, The Great Scratch Shoot Out!, in mind during the planning stages, and after the shoot in June 2023, she submitted two photos from the collection into the competition. She didn’t expect to scoop a prize when the winners were announced at October trade show, Olympia Beauty, at ExCeL London. However, a striking side angle image portraying the impact of global warming, showcasing red stiletto nails featuring 3D shards, saw her win second place.

“When I heard my name, I couldn’t believe it – it was a feeling I’ll never forget,” Sophie reveals. “I had attended Olympia Beauty alone, with no expectations, and had even assumed who the winners would be. Scratch has been part of my life for 20 years, since I started doing nails, so to place in The Great Scratch Shoot Out! is beyond my wildest dreams.

“I always follow my gut instinct, and when I first saw the image that won me second place, my whole body tingled,” she continues. “I love the lighting with the shadows on one side of the model’s face, and the colours of the wig and nails next to each other. It’s a timeless image that makes a statement.” Sophie also entered a second image into the competition: a close-up shot of the oil spill-inspired look, displaying shimmering black nail tips with abstract 3D elements.

However, behind the elation of the photo shoot’s visual results and her win, Sophie was facing personal challenges. Her dad was battling cancer at the same time she was preparing for the contest. “I was juggling spending as much time with him as possible and crafting the nail styles, trying to lose myself in creativity rather than feelings of loss and sadness. When I saw my dad, I would talk about what I had created and it took our conversations away from the difficulty of the situation,” she tells Scratch. “Unfortunately, he passed away before hearing that I won the second place prize, but it’s lovely to know he was approving of the process and had seen some of it. The photo shoot was a way for me to focus on the possibility of good still being able to happen.”

As a Lecenté creator, Sophie used the brand’s gel polishes, chrome powders and glitters to create the shoot’s nail looks, as well as some non-nail-related materials. “I had so much fun thinking outside the box for the nail styles, using leaves from the field behind where I live, pieces of a Ferrero Rocher box for some 3D features and melted plastic for elements of the ice-inspired nails,” she says. “I am always pushing myself to try new or challenging nail designs, rather than hiding away from them. At this point in my nail career and at the age of 37, I chase failure. I will fail 100 times just to achieve one success, and each time I fail I learn so much.”

“The photo shoot was a way for me to focus on the possibility of good still being able to happen.”

Sophie’s determined attitude has served her many successes, from working at London Fashion Week and being featured in fashion magazines, to representing companies including Moyra UK and providing insight for industry brands. The works of this month’s cover shoot have also been exhibited in a Bournemouth art gallery. But Sophie admits that there’s no greater success than a Scratch cover. “It has always been a career goal to have my work featured on the magazine’s front cover, so I’m over the moon. Thank you Scratch,” she gushes. “Nails are such a huge part of my healing process, and it’s wonderful to bring people so much joy and help them to discover their identities. Even on my worst days, nail art offers me escapism and happiness.”