When Marina told me, “I want our photos to feel like the film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” I was immediately sold on the idea.
Tarantino’s love letter to 1960’s L.A. isn’t just a movie; it’s a mood. It’s the golden hour glow on the boulevard, the hum of a V8 engine, and a specific kind of effortless, imperfect cool. To prep, I rewatched the film, taking note of its framing and the heavy emphasis on the era’s “driving culture”.
The Details: Committing to the Bit
Marina and Daane didn’t just show up; they stepped into character.
- The Whip: Marina sourced the perfect vintage ’60s muscle car — a red 1967 Pontiac GTO, which served as our third protagonist for the day.
- The Props: Daane went the extra mile, picking up a pack of Lucky Strikes to lean into that Rick Dalton aesthetic.
- The Vibe: Their commitment to the vision made my job easy. There’s a certain magic that happens when a couple isn’t just posing, but inhabiting a world we’ve built together.
Golden Hour at Musso & Frank
Of course, we had to make a pilgrimage to Musso & Frank. As a pivotal location in the film (and an iconic Hollywood landmark since 1919), it provided the perfect gritty-yet-glamorous backdrop. We spent time capturing the couple as they leaned against the chrome, sharing a smoke at the valet, while the neon lights of Hollywood Boulevard began to hum to life.
Setting a Real Mood
To truly honor the Tarantino-esque aesthetic, digital wasn’t going to cut it as the primary medium. We leaned heavily into 35mm film for the majority of the session.
The result? A gallery that doesn’t just look like a photoshoot, but feels like a lost reel from a 1960s fever dream.
Did we nail the vision? Comment below and let us know!
