RenegadeSpirit

Sewn

I do a bit a special effects makeup, and this was something just to do.

I do a bit a special effects makeup, and this was something just to do.
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Sep, 2012

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Behind The Lens

Location

This was shot in my model's bathroom actually. This was my first "shoot" for my AP art portfolio in high school so I was just experimenting with makeup and the camera. I wasn't too focused on the setting.

Time

This was shot in the early afternoon. The light was then able to come in through the window that is above the shower in the bathroom we were shooting in.

Lighting

Like I said, the lighting was natural; sunlight was being diffused through the frosted windows above the shower in the bathroom.

Equipment

At the time, I only had one lens for my Nikon d5100, my 18-55mm Af-s dx Nikkor lens. Since then I've gotten 55-200mm lens and have a studio set up. For the makeup I used eyelash glue (to glue the threads onto her lips) and red lipgloss to make the wounds.

Inspiration

This was the first photo I took in an investigation I was doing on the ideas of censorship and silencing the self. I was toying with the idea that in today's society, especially the young adult world, we introverts shut ourselves up long before anyone would violate our right to speech. It's a grotesque and unfortunate (hence the extreme version of silencing) truth about growing up.

Editing

The only post-processing that I did was a slight color-grading in Photoshop to bump the green in the background in order to contrast with the red in my model's lips. I also had to fix some of the strings on the lips because they had fallen aside slightly during the shoot.

In my camera bag

Aside from my camera body and lenses, I always have extra memory cards, a couple of flash diffusers, extra batteries, an nd filter (mainly because I shoot a lot of video), and a sketchbook for writing down photo data and new ideas. I also bring my makeup kit to most shoots, which has latex, eyelash glue, grease paints, eyeliner, cotton balls, and paint brushes in it.

Feedback

I've always defined my style of photography as dark and fantastically plausible portraiture. My advice for shooting portraits that are based on any special-effects makeup would be to focus on making the photo composition perfect and spend less time trying to make the makeup completely believable. Secondly, when doing portraits it's important to make sure your subject is not being distracted from. For example, if the background is too busy, your subject becomes less important. Finally, don't ever limit yourself to what you think is possible. Whatever you can create with your own hands or with a software is possible.

See more amazing photos, follow RenegadeSpirit

RenegadeSpirit

RenegadeSpirit

Sewn

I do a bit a special effects makeup, and this was something just to do.

Behind The Lens

See more amazing photos, follow RenegadeSpirit

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