“THE STYLE OF STUDIED NONCHALANCE IS THE PSYCHOLOGICAL TRIUMPH OF GRACE OVER ORDER.”
– G. BRUCE BOYER
INTRO
Since I've started pursuing cinematography I've been rewiring my mind to approach my photography with the eyes of a filmmaker. Rather than seeing the world in vertical compositions, I’m training myself to think horizontally so that I can learn how to better balance a composition that incorporates both a main subject and environment. This has opened a new world where the addition of depth and environment have helped make my images richer and more visually engaging.
This series stood out to me because of the length of each of its sections. Normally, the projects that I produce feature short snapshot moments that insinuate a much longer storyline, but this project is my first attempt to capture the equivalent of a short ten to fifteen second commercial.
MOOD
I wanted to convey the sensations of movement and anticipation. I wanted the audience to feel that there might be something peering right over at us from just above the horizon.
©AliciaM.BlairPhotography A close up crop of a final image.
CONCEPT
This project was inspired by the famous international spy named James Bond, created by novelist Ian Fleming in 1953. My goal for this project was to create a cinematic series featuring James Bond in a variety of different locations and styles. I wanted to capture the aesthetic of this famous British gentleman who is known for his debonair personality and style.
Behind the scenes by Susana Blair.
Gif Credit: Google
THE MAN
My character is based off the 1960’s British spy, James Bond, portrayed by Sean Connery. In the films, Mr. Bond is a notorious playboy with an unlimited supply of charm and charisma. I decided to take this Casanova character and drop him in a different setting.
WHAT IF?
When it came down to creating this project, I wanted to make sure that whatever I created, that it was a little different from what I have seen in the films. These are the questions I asked myself:
-How can I make this story different from what I’ve seen in the films?
-What if there were a woman that could change this man?
-What would she look like and what would it take to change this black panther’s ways?
MY MR. BOND
My approach to the character was to portray a more intimate side of the famed playboy. I wanted to portray my James as a man who can’t reach what he is looking for, but who is relentlessly on the hunt. He is constantly changing from location to location, adapting and blending with his environment to spy on the one thing he can’t have. I would describe the series as a long romantic seduction of cat and mouse, where the character is seen both from a distance as well as in a series of intimate close ups.
My project still features the classic elegant, masculine, sensual, and intelligent Mr. Bond, but in my story he is also melancholy. My character embodies all the sexy things that we see in the films plus one. In my re-telling, James Bond is in love with love and in search for his perfect match.
A behind the scenes look at my highlight and shadow masks as well as a dodging and burning layer.
LOCATION
For this shoot I wanted locations that reflected the personality of my character. James Bond is a worldly man, so I chose a variety of locations to show his versatility and ability to adapt to whatever environment he finds himself in.
LIGHTING
This project pushed me to embrace the use of natural light and taught me how to work quickly and efficiently. Pre-planning and pre-visualization were essential parts of the process for me to complete this project.
It was important that each location have a distinct color palette in order to portray the different moods & environments.
CAMERA SPECS
The images were photographed with a Nikon D810 with a NIKORR 24-120mm 1.4 G lens, using natural light and a reflector as bounce.
WARDROBE
A lot of time was spent on collecting and piecing together the wardrobe for this project. It was important to me that the props and clothing reflect the classic style of the 1950-60’s British gentleman. I wanted there to be a diverse selection of color palettes that would go with the mood of each location as well as clothing that would highlight my models features. In general, I’m drawn to earth tones, and my favorite color palette is the one used in the Marina with the hunting sport coat and Tyrolean hat. The plum red is in the scarf and the grey, blue colors make a wonderful contrast between the golden yellow of his jacket.
My mood boards for the project.
HAIR & MAKE-UP
“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” – Leonardo Da Vinci
Gif Credit: Google
POST PRODUCTION
The project was shot at various locations in San Francisco, California. One of my challenges was to create images that reflected different times of day and different environments. Both days of the shoot, the light was soft and overcast. San Francisco is known for its soft pastel like colors and blue, sometimes almost monochromatic color palette. In post-production, I color corrected the images and added different color casts to help give each location its own personality.
©AliciaM.BlairPhotography A before and after of James at the lighthouse.
SETTING THE MOOD
DREAM TEAM
Producer, Photographer & Retoucher: Alicia M. Blair Photography
Stylist & Prop Stylist: Susana & Alicia Blair
Make Up & Hair: Jessica Clark Beauty
Model: Marco Jimenez
To view the completed series, follow the link below.
http://www.aliciamblairphotography.com/man-out-of-time#0
Cheers,
Alicia M. Blair
