Filed under: Degree
Even the most photogenic models require a little tweaking. I decided to have a go at smoothing down our española’s frown. The images needed to be edited anyway – there was lighting and colour to sort out. I’m new to both studio photography and image editing.
Yesterday saw my first foray in to art direction when I shot my own fashion photography in a proper studio. I was part of a team of three. We shared responsibilities across the board but my focus was on styling, art direction and later, image editing. The model is fellow student Solmaz; she could dance flamenco and she even bought her own music with her which was brilliant. We did not want her look to be total cliché of Spanish tradition and culture so we dressed her in contemporary clothing that is Spanish in essence. There is a line separating Spanish and Mexican fashion and I think we did cross it a little but it is not hugely important at this point.
The biggest obstacle we faced was lighting. Setting it up took longer than I wanted it to and I would have liked to have tried more combinations of both lighting and clothing before running out of time. Solmaz was confident, trusting and a good mover. When I studied the images afterwards I realised she was pulling the same expression in most of the shots – one that looks more disgusted rather than fierce or intense and I wish now that I had asked her to convey a greater variety of emotions.
There is a lot of work involved in organising a studio shoot and it certainly raised my stress levels, but when it’s not trying it is incredibly exhilarating and rewarding so I’m definitely keen to do it again in the near future. Perhaps next time it’ll be on location.
Here are the shots that I deem best. All have been edited with Photoshop. Click for full size versions.
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