"I like to shoot people as heroes—people larger than life, but filled with humanity."
—Sophy Holland
Sophy Holland, a NYC-based, British photographer, wanted to collect and celebrate a retrospective of her work in a new monograph, entitled Super Humans. The book's title and concept of Super Humans was inspired by the dynamic and powerful nature of Holland's photography, as well as her practice of shooting all of her subjects in a heroic and aspirational light.
Adhering to the theme of the valiant, YummyColours curated Holland's vast photography archive, selecting images that best exemplify her ability to capture her subjects’ confidence. To highlight Holland's signature palette, the images were then further divided into sections defined by color, consisting of complex blacks, deep blues, and striking red accents.
Reflections and texture—commonly featured in Holland’s photography—punctuate the book, on the covers and throughout the pages. In addition to the content, the design of the book adheres to the theme, making use of unorthodox printing techniques—disappearing elements through the use of an acrylic sheet, peek-a-boo reveals via gatefolds and cut-outs, and spot UV gloss to create a 3D feel.
The 146-page, limited-run book was designed in NYC by creative agency YummyColours and printed in Verona, Italy by Opero.
“Sophy Holland’s beautiful book is aptly titled ‘Super Humans,’ and that is what it portrays. The pages are filled with indelible images of remarkable women and men who are not afraid to be vulnerable and not afraid to be strong.” —Chris Mitton, Executive Creative Director of McCann New York
A Celebration of Rule Breakers, History Makers, and Unstoppable Athletes
Simon & Schuster - BUY ON AMAZON NOW
“Part group biography, part cultural history, Strong Like Her delves into the fascinating stories of our muscular foremothers. From the first female Olympian (who entered the chariot race through a loophole) to the circus stars who could lift their husbands above their heads and make it look like “a little light housework with a feather duster,” these brave and brawny women paved the way for the generations to follow.
Filled with Sophy Holland’s beautiful portraits of some of today’s most awe-inspiring athletes, Strong Like Her celebrates strength in all its forms. Illuminating the lives and accomplishments of storied female sports stars—whose contributions to society go far beyond their entries in record books—Shapley challenges us to rethink everything we thought we knew about the power of women.”
Concept of the Year, created by YummyColours, is a response to traditional annual color forecasts. Instead of a trend, it is an open-ended prompt for work created through intentional and personal interpretation. It is an inspiration that addresses world events and meaningful markers in society. Unlike colors, which are fixed and full of associations, concepts are an intangible meditation on a particular moment, image, or feeling.
The inaugural Concept of the Year for 2021 is “Fuel on Water”: a body of work from 55+ global collaborators presented as both a publication and a digital exhibition.
To visually represent this fragile iridescence, YummyColours chose "Fuel on Water." Elements that oppose (e.g. artificial and natural) can coexist within the same ecosystem, resulting in something that is both delicate and incredibly colourful. “Fuel on Water” perfectly represents the
fluidity of change within life and suggests that beauty lives in the overlap and exploration of how seemingly distinct ideas and media can share space.
