Hello all,
Over the past few years, Alex and I have learned quite a bit about photography and creating a fantastical setting in portraits. This week, I'd love to share some of these tips and tricks with you, so that you can create your own fantasy world without the need for fancy equipment! And once you're done reading, head on over to my new Gallery Lookbook page for inspiration...
Have an idea for next week's Inner Circle Post? Let me know in the comments!
Many Blessings,
Marin
1. Layers & Accessories
It can be overwhelming sometimes to find the perfect costume for your vision. You might think that you don't have any pieces that fit a fantastical setting, or that all the fancy costumes are out of your price range. Luckily, I'm here to tell you that you don't need expensive costuming to put together a magical look. In fact, my most-used pieces are a $5 dress from a thrift store and a plain black rectangle of fabric. I layered both in our Sister Witches shoot to make it look like the dress had long, flowing sleeves (when in fact it's sleeveless). This layering technique can be used in many different ways to transform your clothing for the camera without making permanent changes. Just pull out a bunch of flowy, earth-toned pieces from your closet and start experimenting!
My ultimate tip? If you want to make an epic costume but you don't know where to start... Try dressing like a pirate. All you really need is an oversized button-down shirt, some dark pants, boots, several belts, and a few other layers or pieces of fabric to accent. All of these things can be found at a thrift store or even borrowed from friends. The more layers you incorporate, the more the focus is shifted away from the individual pieces and is distributed across the entire look.
What if you do have a fantastical new piece that you want to show off? Well then my advice is to keep it simple. The same rule applies in reverse: choose simple, nondescript clothing to direct the focus to your featured piece.
2. Incorporate Props
I always feel like I don't know what to do with my hands during a shoot. I might have a great costume and a great idea, but when I finally start posing, I'm lost. I always find that incorporating some sort of prop helps give your something to do, and helps generate the creative flow that you need in order to tell your story. This prop can be anything from a big shiny weapon to a stick you find in the woods. Either way, it adds an element of action and intrigue to your character.
3. Tell a Story
To continue down this trail of thought... What does it mean to "tell a story" with your photo? When I come up with an idea for a shoot, I always try to think up some sort of context and portray that in the posing, costume, location, props, etc: Ask yourself these questions: Who is the character? What are they doing? What are their feelings about the viewer? This helps you bring the character to life, and that creates a world within your photos - why stop at making it "pretty"?
4. Lighting
As a general rule, I tend to use natural lighting on a cloudy day. The clouds help to diffuse the sun's rays, and soften any shadows. Even when taking indoor photos, I usually depend solely on the diffused outdoor light coming in from the windows. But if you're going for a different look, you might want to explore other lighting options. If you're aiming for a horror vibe, you might want sharp shadows in order to create tension, so maybe you experiment with flashlights. If you're shooting at night, you might need to make your own diffused glowing light with battery lamps pointed at a white sheet. Just make sure to include lighting notes in your plan, because it makes a big difference to the overall look!
5. Work Your Location
Location can be such a vital part of a photoshoot... But it doesn't have to be anything special. If you find yourself in the midst of stunning natural scenery, or ancient architecture, then by all means, make the location your focus! However, if you don't have access to a breathtaking location, you can still work with what you have. Want to know a secret? The Dvalinn photoshoot, one of the most popular photosets we've ever done, was taken at a golf course in winter.
One of the most important things to think about when deciding your location is contrast. You want to make sure that you don't blend in too much with your surroundings, but you also want to choose a location with colors that compliment your outfit and aesthetic.
If you live in the city like I do, it can be hard to find a location without buildings or cars in the background. That's when F-stop comes in handy. This setting has historically only been found in cameras, but it's starting to be incorporated into phone cameras too. Try messing around with your phone's camera settings and see what you can find. Adjusting the F-stop is what makes the background of your photo blurry. It's great for when you need to shift the focus to the foreground and away from any unsightly signs on modern life in the background.
6. Composition & Framing
Along those lines, let's start thinking about framing. There are a few rules of thumb when it comes to framing that we've found useful at times... But other times, rules are for breaking. So keep them in mind, so that when you break the rules, you do it consciously and with a reason in mind.
The Rule of Thirds is a composition trick where the subject of the photo is placed on the intersection of imaginary grid lines that divide the photo into horizontal and vertical thirds. Placing your subject in that area makes the photo more dynamic and interesting to the eye.
You also want to make sure that your subject is facing into the center of the photo. When they are facing away from the center, it can look awkward or make the viewer feel excluded.
Another thing to think about is background overlap. If your model is overlapping with any part of the background, you want to make sure that it's complimentary to the overall look. For example, if you're shooting in front of a moss-covered gazebo, you may only need to have a little bit of it showing in order for the photo to have the desired effect. But If you're wearing antlers, you may want to avoid too many tree branches right behind your head.
7. Strike a Pose
When we do a photoshoot, we take as many photos as possible, utilizing as many different poses as we can think of. Generally, my poses will be inspired by the character and the story that I came up with. However, there's nothing wrong with scrolling Instagram for some modeling inspiration!
When posing, you want to think about your body and head placement from the perspective of the camera. Generally, the 3/4 view is pretty "safe" when it comes to positioning, and try to either hold your arms away from your body, or hold something in front of your body in an intentional way. Try some poses out in the mirror and see what comes naturally!
8. The Wonders of Editing
There are those who take beautiful pictures without the need or desire for any editing - and I applaud them! That's a totally valid way to approach photography. But I also don't believe that editing should be seen as shameful in any way. It's a tool, just like all of the tools that I've introduced so far, and you can decide whether or not you want to use it.
Photoshop is widely regarded as the best photo editing software, but if you don't have Photoshop at your disposal, "Snapseed" is a free app that works just as well. I use it to edit all of my photos, and it has some seriously impressive functions for being a free app! It includes many filters and editing tools, and it even lets you save your own edits as filters for future projects. I honestly haven't found a single tool in Photoshop that you can't replicate in Snapseed in some way. So try it out, experiment, and see what you come up with!