What I learned in art school
One of the first things that I learned in art school is that the human body can be so much more than a sexual object. Of course I knew this before, but in today’s world where there are so many
Artists are taught in school to appreciate the human form. We dedicate countless hours to capture and perfect its intricate shapes, textures, and all of the complexities that make up these amazing pieces of art. As a photographer, I like to call this particular style of photography body-scapes, where my focus is to photograph the body as though it were a landscape of its own. I would argue that it is. The human body has texture, shape, depth, tones, life, movement, and it comes
After my second year at art school I became drawn to boudoir photography. Before becoming a photographer, I always felt that boudoir photography was used to objectify women. The majority of the images I saw were too aggressive and painted women in an unrealistic way. Today I would argue that there is a place for everyone, where personalities can run wild and free. I accept and in many ways appreciate the more risqué side of boudoir
Subtly
One of the biggest lessons that I learned from being a dancer was the silent power of subtly. I’ve found that in art and in life, a subtle gesture can say more than an outright cry for attention, and that is one of the qualities that what I wanted to capture in these images. A beautiful woman lounging in a soft, sensual environment. She is surrounded by luxury, but in the end it is all about a stolen moment of a sensual woman.
Inspiration
My inspiration for this shoot started with Marie Antoinette. Antoinette was the wife of Louis XVI of France, and is famously known for being a leading lady of 1700th century French fashion. There are countless stories about her luxurious lifestyle, which is a key quality that I wanted to bring to the shoot.
Aesthetic & Stylistic Elements
Location: When it came time to select a location I decided that I wanted the
Wardrobe: The wardrobe for the shoot is a mix of Victorian dresses and contemporary lingerie. I wanted all of the pieces to accentuate the model’s form and regal persona, while giving her an air of a different time period. I chose to work with contemporary lingerie because I wanted the fashion in the images to apply to the type of clothing that woman wear today.
An important detail in the styling were the accessories. Marie Antoinette was known for re-popularizing the color baby blue, which is why we chose to
MU & Hair: For hair and make-up, I decided that simple is better. In my mind this woman is regal and elegant, I didn’t want her accessories to drown and overwhelm her. Instead the make-up and hair was designed to accentuate the model’s naturally classic features.
Set Design: To continue on with the idea of a welcoming atmosphere, I chose to use a soft warm color palette. This is why I chose the yellow/gold curtains for the backdrop and floor, and light green and beige stripped curtains to help give the set a sense of depth and separation. The furniture, pillows, and other colorful accessories helped to add a bit of life and depth to the monochromatic setting.
Stylistically the room is split in two, one half being of Victorian influence, the second resembling more of an Arabic harem theme with pillows on the ground and soft fabrics. Ultimately, this room was built to illustrate this woman’s luxurious lifestyle, and I wanted to accomplish this by surrounding her with beautiful textures and colors.
Lighting: I wanted the lighting for the shoot to look like warm, late afternoon light. I maintained the diffused quality of the light in order to complement the model’s face and skin, playing with the ratio at various points in the shoot to add more form and mystery to the model’s face.
Post Production: I often play with my images in Photoshop after the shoot to make up for lack of
Personal Emotional Response: -How I felt about shooting this project?
My emotional response, I realize that this may seem like a silly snippet to add in, but I must confess that this particular shoot was by far the biggest production that I have ever created. Not only did I design the set with the help of my amazing mother, but actually building, dressing, lighting, styling, and bringing all of the different components that I needed for this shoot together turned out to be a wonderful experience. It made me realize how much I love production work, and more than anything, actually getting to watch as all of my different characters and ideas come to life.
Audience Emotional Reponses: -How I would like for people to see this project. What I want them to get out of it.
Once again, a silly snippet but more than anything I hope that people enjoy these images. I love that they portray a different type of woman, one not typically seen in fashion advertisements. I love all types of women, and there is absolutely a place for them all in this world. But as someone who doesn’t always identify with the daring sex kitten or dominating risqué female that we see in a lot of fashion, to me these images represent another side of what is out there, another type of woman, just as beautiful and strong as the rest.
Acknowledgments:
I would like to thank everyone who was a part of this shoot. I couldn’t have done it without you and your amazing talent.
Prop/Set Design/Stylist: Susana Blair- My right hand woman who has been with me the entire way. I’ve learned so much from you over the past couple of years, and I thank you for all of the hard work that you put into this project with me. Like any good artist, I had my moments of lunacy, but you stayed by my side and helped me pull through.
Model: Michelle Berardesco @michellemae88
Make Up: Hina Khan @glambyhks
Hair: Taylor Gibbons @taytay_hairstyling
If you would like to view the final series, please click on the link below.