Haven't posted in a while. Been busy with other projects. Here's an image from yesterday's shoot:
Graham Mitchell: Ludmilla
110mm f2 PQ lens, ISO 400, f4
Graham,
This could be called,
"Revelations" from the way the open neckline reveals the necklace, the open coat, her dress, then those provocatively placed open thighs showing off her boots and finally we're led to the handsome, (and no doubt, stratospherically, costly), bespoke purse. in contrast, no inner thoughts are allowed to emanate from her face. (To consolidate the frozen mannequin look, here hair is simply made, almost wig-like). So this strong dichotomy of "showing", makes the picture extremely provocative and unsettling. That's the mental hook, even if you did this all subconsciously. That dynamic is really there and the far beyond pan face, really get's one's attention.
A great choice to contrast the crumply and shiny dark coat with the flat gray stone of the steps. He sitting allows your fantastically model like pose. The painted face make her the perfect manequin. i had to look several times at her legs, (no suffering there), to reassure myself that she was indeed a live model. I really like this picture. it's well composed, immediately catches one's attention and we're drawn in to the clothes and shoes, the whole point of the exercise, I expect.
There's a constant need in fashion to push the edges of magazine and buyers expectations and stop for long enough to make a commitment to consider a particular presentation. Here you are completely successful in that we'd not simply flick over the page to the next advertisement in a magazine or next billboard on Sunset Blvd!
As for smiles, I have them in spadefulls from my family. I do not like blank stares in those pictures ever!
Asher