So this is another edition of what I humbly consider my personal artwork.  You can search this site for “paper dress” and see some other examples.  As you see previous versions you might agree with me that we seem to be getting better at this as time passes.

I’m really fond of this set because I was able to bring a variety of elements together in a environment and create images that go beyond the sum of the parts.  First, the dress is a new idea for me.  I saw a similar dress last weekend at a wedding and I managed to make something that takes the newspaper concept a step further.  In this dress, the newspaper is there to be seen, but beneath the translucent  fabric.  With the right lighting, the dress seems unreal and full of air as if it might evaporate.  Second, the lighting is really pleasing to me.  I’m sure everyone was getting a little impatient with all my test shots, but sometimes it is difficult to create lighting that fits in with the environment, looks beautiful, and creates a strong mood.   I’m also becoming much more demanding in that regard.  I really feel like the quality of light we created is adding to whole artistic impression of these images more than in the past.  Third the gestures and expression are really wonderful.  Moni is an actress rather than a model per se and I think she did a wonderful and professional job of channeling the mood I was looking for and adding her own touch.

For a while I’ve had prints of the paper dress shoots hanging on my wall to see if I like living with them or not.  I find that I need to spend some time with them before I know for sure.  Well, I’ve decided on some keepers for sure, but I have also developed a better idea of what I do and do not like.  Each time we do one of these shoots I can focus in a little more clearly on the details that I want to improve.  There are so may elements to consider as you create something.  Its a real thrill to see those elements come together and to continuously see new possibilities.

Some of the technical issues we dealt with include mixing strobe with constant light sources to give a selective sense of motion to the images.  Constant light allows certain parts of the image to blur with motion, while strobe stops motion.  Mostly we wanted to see blur at the edges of the figure and sharpness on the dress and facial details.  We also wanted to use out of focus elements in the foreground to blur and flare at the edges to make the mood more dreamlike.  Image color is also an issue when using mixed light sources so we carefully color corrected certain lights to suite our preferences.

In terms of the content of the images, I’ve always found myself more interested in portraying beauty than ugliness.  Maybe that’s why wedding photography suits me.  In any case, I hope people will look at these images and identify with them as moments of peaceful contentment.  Something that is hard to find amidst the stress of life.

Thanks to everyone who helped me put this together:  Moni the Model, Candice the MUA, and Anna and Paul who were very generous with their time as they helped me with all the hard labor.  Also special thanks to Salvage One who provided a great location for the shoot.