Pink Studio Portraits

My aim was to create an ethereal and hyperreal scene inspired by David Lachapelle’s work, particularly how he questions beauty standards and subtly ridicules celebrity culture through his work.

I used a soft box directly over the model as the main source of light, and a second dimmer soft box to the side. This beautiful new pink backdrop adds to the femininity of the model and surrounding flowers.

I used roses symbolising love; lilac roses convey enchantment, pink roses convey admiration, white roses convey innocence. Also, I included hydrangeas which symbolise heartlessness, overall connoting that she is playing the part of a siren luring in men with her beauty.

I have created a composition inspired by Emma Phillipson’s fashion photography.

Balloons connote freedom, but also fragility. The balloons may pop very easily, bringing the woman crashing down to earth. Relating to how in the modern day we build ourselves up with likes on social media, just to have it all come crashing down with a negative comment. Beauty standards nowadays are impossible to reach, which begs the question what do we gain by striving for them?

I took this photo with two direct facing soft boxes, before cutting her out on photoshop, adding in the balloons and finally I added a dark pink drop shadow to both.

I’ve angled her body to look as though she started to levitate, just like Icarus flying too close to the sun, the higher you float the harder you fall.

Model: Gabrielle Nash

Balloon image: www.uihere.com

Lighting Diagram: www.lightingdiagrams.com