Kelly Maker
Posts: 495
Followers: 104k
Kelly Maker (1995-present) is a digital artist and photographer, most known for her unique and captivating collage styles encompassing glitters, papers and florals and many more elements in order to create eye catching pictures of art.
Kelly was born in Australia, and I actually went to high school with her. Kelly began her career at the age of 19, teaching herself how to digitally manipulate her images she had shot on a 35mm camera. From there, her passion spread to editing the images of other talented photographers and models alike, producing a rare and yet unseen form of collage manipulation she calls ‘paper edits’.
What is the title of the photo you have chosen to analyse?
Maker. K, 2018, ‘@margotrobbie edited by Kelly Maker’, image, via @kellymaker on Instagram
How was the photo authored?
The image I have decided to analyse is an instagram picture of actress Margot Robbie. Maker’s style is evident in this piece. Whilst the original shot of Margot may not be Maker’s shot, she makes it her ‘own’ by layering different processes to make it a unique collage. The background appears to be from a page of a book, which is a common theme in her work. Similarly, flora such as roses and leaves, and fauna such as bees and caterpillars surround her body. The shadow placed behind the figure makes Margot appear to be coming off the page, as a standalone 3D figure. Her name is watermarked on Margot’s arm as a sign of intellectual property precaution.
It appears that Maker would use online software such as Adobe Photoshop to layer all of the components mentioned above. Whilst it is unclear whether this is a physical collage, whereby it was physically glued together is unknown; this would be unlikely considering the high resolution image shown.
You can also purchase Maker’s originals via her website. Her prints are printed on high quality museum grade photo rag. The prints are unframed and have a 15mm border.
How was the photo published?
Kelly Maker primarily uses Instagram and showcases her work on the platform as her portfolio. This image was posted on the 27th of October 2018 and has 3,250 likes. Her first post was in May 2016. She posts all of her work almost simultaneously; which can be anywhere between once every 5-10 days. Whilst it is unclear how quickly Maker can turn around digital edits, remaining relevant and consistent on instagram would definitely be a consideration upon how quickly she creates her work.
How was the photo distributed?
Kelly Maker currently has 104,000 followers on Instagram, which is a huge reach for potential business and partnership opportunities. Her bio also includes her website, email and hashtags #kellymakerinspired are listed for further promotion.
As mentioned previously, her prints are available for purchase via her website for a small cost, which could be beneficial for some followers, as many digital artists during this time are online only.
This is a personal opinion, but I also believe that the certain models Maker chooses to edit on her page are a ploy for potential business opportunities. She always tags the model instagram in her pictures to gain attention and it appears to be working. As a result, she recently worked with Candice Swanepoel on her recent swimwear launch.
#thepowerofinstagram
Meet that girl: Kelly Maker, via blog.sportgirl.com.au
References:
Sportsgirl, 2019, ‘Meet that girl: Kelly Maker’, blog post, viewed 12th February 2020<https://blog.sportsgirl.com.au/2018/09/03/meet-that-girl-kelly-maker/>
Maker. K, 2019, ‘Kelly Maker: About’, website, viewed 12th February 2020 <https://www.kellymaker.com/about>
Maker. K, 2020, ‘Kelly Maker Instagram Account’, instagram, viewed 12th February 2020 <https://www.instagram.com/kellymaker/>