Sometimes a photoshoot begins with a carefully developed concept. Other times, the inspiration comes from something as simple as a colour.
For this particular shoot with Megan, it was a little of both.
I’d hired a local photography studio and noticed that it had a beautiful purple backdrop. It immediately caught my attention, and when I first spoke with Megan about working together, I knew it was something I wanted to incorporate into our shoot.
The colour offered something a little different. Rich and vibrant, it provided a striking setting that I felt would complement Megan beautifully.
But there was another element I wanted to explore: light.
I’d had an idea for some time about creating a rim or halo effect around a model’s hair, using carefully positioned lighting to separate the subject from the background and introduce a little extra atmosphere into the photographs.
For this shoot, I experimented with several lights. One was positioned to the side, another behind Megan to illuminate the edges of her hair, and a further light was directed towards the purple backdrop.
That final light created the softer, circular area of brightness behind her, adding depth to the background while helping draw attention towards Megan herself.
The result was a combination of rich purple tones, contrasting highlights and a subtle glow that helped give the images their own character.
Of course, lighting is only part of a successful photoshoot.
Megan proved to be an excellent model to work with. She was comfortable in front of the camera, brought some lovely ideas of her own to the session and contributed to the creative process rather than simply following directions.
That kind of collaboration can make a real difference. Photography works particularly well when both the photographer and the model feel able to experiment, suggest ideas and build upon what the other is doing.
And that’s very much how this shoot developed.
What began with a purple backdrop and an idea about lighting became a series of photographs that I’m delighted to share.
I hope you enjoy them.
Photography: HERA Magazine International
Model: Megan
Leave a Reply