Figure 1 : Lighting Set Up
Subject was styled in extreme makeup with abstract shapes and bright colours. The shoot was planned against a high key white / off white background. The lighting was set up as shown in figure 1.
Subject is not a model and this was only her second time in front of the camera. The jeans and t-shirt were the subject’s own and the rest of the clothes were added. The intent was for the subject to express herself and play in front of the camera through ‘dressing up’.
Figure 2: Sutherst 2017
Figure 2 has a pleasing composition with the arch of the back placed across the frame. The subject’s hair hanging down adds interest to the image. The hair would have been better if it were sleeked, glossy and completely smooth as this would have added more impact to the hair and made it more of a feature.
The makeup is striking against the rest of the image. The white fur coat adds an element of mystery and expense to the shot.
The arm positions seem to work too; the body does not look too wide as the front arm is forwards on her body, not backwards.
Figure 3: Sutherst 2017
Figure 3 looks more uncomfortable as a shot. The pose is a bit contrived and the subject looks shorter than she is. The is not enough tension in the subject’s body and this makes the image look amateurish and destined for a social media feed.
The brown fur coat is too big for the subject and hence is overpowering in the shot. Her hair adds nothing to the image and could have been sleeked back for a cleaner look.
The shoes are amazing but draw the viewer’s eye away from the subject and this was certainly not the intent.
The subject’s face is a bit lost in this image even with the extreme bright makeup.
Her t-shirt is too brightly lit and again the viewer’s eyes are drawn to the wrong part of the image.
Figure 4: Sutherst 2017
Figure 4 is a nicely composed image. I like the shape the subject makes with her body. It looks effortless and her hands are nicely relaxed. Again though, her hair doesn’t really add anything to the image.
Figure 5: Sutherst 2017
Figure 5 is interesting. The subject’s eyes are mesmerising and the angle of her head with the position of her hand make the portrait successful. However, the head appears out of proportion to the rest of her torso. The way that the subject is leaning forward has distorted the view and she appears to have no neck. Her hair again is not adding to the impact of the image. This image would benefit from exploring crops in Lightroom. The images below in figures 6-9 are just a few examples (both successful and not) of crops that could be considered.
Figures 6 – 9: Sutherst 2017
With a tighter crop, the lightness of her forearm becomes more apparent and draws the viewer’s eye.
What I really liked about this shoot was that the makeup translated well into the image and that the subject was able to become comfortable in herself and was able to perform in front of the camera.
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