When I was starting my filmmaking career, I worked as a freelance fashion photographer. Well, I was assisting most of the time but the guy I worked for sometimes let me take a few rolls to build up my portfolio. I always knew that films were my main direction but also accepted that I love photography. I never liked the fashion world. The whole process of agencies, clients, art directors, copyrighters and so on always struck me as too superficial and to me, it appeared like a suckup scene With ego trips beyond measure.
However, the fashion photography as such, without all the rest that comes along is quite cool. Honestly, I don't consider it art, as such but must also admit that there are fashion photographers who cross the border of commercial message filled with sex and enter the subliminal sphere of art category.
I wrote all this because the location of the above photo would fit nicely for a fashion photography shoot. It is a very interesting place with high tonality range and emphasized structure. I would use front flash for the model if I was to do this and try to light the background with as much sidelight as possible. As this is no fashion photography, we have a mysterious silhouette of a female figure with a red glow on her hair.
The glow works perfectly with a few reddish "light leaks" which were added to interact with the orange door, enriching the atmosphere. The contrast range between outside and "inside" is a total keeper. Notice that the darkest details of the scene are preserved, everything is above the low-density range, except the woman who is deliberately left as a dark silhouette. As this is NOT a fashion photograph, I am at liberty to do this and further add to her mystery. Why is she standing there right at the border of shadow and light? Is she afraid to come out to the light? Does she want to do this? Is she deciding something?
The blue and green colours are not enough to diminish the warm, welcoming tone of this scene but they definitely do their part in making the colour scheme full. The green ivy, behind the figure, emphasizes the red glow on her hair and a few yellow spots on the floor break a large grey area with much success.
Enjoy! :)
©2017 Velimir Kovačić All rights reserved.