PORTRAITS

UNTOUCHED

Test Shoot

Cielo

I started working on another portrait concept. Taking inspiration on a mash up of dutch artist Rineke Dijkstra and american fashion photographer Irving Penn. I wanted to create close ups that felt vulnerable, naked, pure and personal. I wanted to take Dijkstra's vulnerability and Penn's eye for details. So I asked people that I feel close to and asked them to pose for me.


Rineke Dijkstra portrays people who look self consious and revealing at the same time. Her documentary portraits have a clear theme going on. I took inspiration on her "Beach" series because it shows elements like water and flash photography that create a very interesting outcome. They always have a very posed composition. I wanted to take from her the exposed feeling, and the "wetness", because it shows a pure form of beauty- naked and raw.

I took those aspects into my photographs but I didn't try to use the flash, because I felt like the lighting that I had was good- it gives it a bit of a yellow tint that I liked. I didn't feel the need to flash a harsh light in my subjects faces. 

"Beaches" series 1996

Irving Penn is more of a documentary fashion photographer. Predominantly black and white photography is always a winner for me. His photographs focus on facial expresions and personal features, using plain backgrounds and flattering lighting aid this purpose. As he said "less is more". 

So I took inspiration on that and focused in their features, aspects that to me are beautiful and untouched. I decided not to take them in a studio because I felt like it would take the intimacy out of the picture.

Irving Penn, circa 1960

After I had a clear concept and key inspiration in a place I started shooting. After I took the photographs I realized that they all look intimate in different ways, I like how the lighting makes each skin tone different. All my subjects reacted differently, you can see their mood and personal relationship to me - and I like it.

 

I like the general outcome of them, I edited some bit like the exposure and contrast, but they're features where left untouched. I am pleased with the outcome.

Here are some screen shots of how I edited in both photoshop and Lightroom, but i mostly used Lightroom.

I was playing around with the tint and the adobe presets.

I learnt how to brighten some parts of her face.

More Lightroom stuff.