Recently I saw a photo book that included the photographer’s photos but in addition also showed the photographer’s contact sheets of the roll of film he shot nailing down the shot.
It struck me as an interesting insight into the creative process. So, in the post, I am doing just that. I am sharing a selection of images that highlight the evolution of the image below.
Click on the gallery to read the captions walking through each choice.
Originally the concept was this narrow beam of light with a blue colored fill for the rest of the image. I still think there’s something there in that concept it just doesn’t work here.
I switched to a straw gel on the fill light and I like the look. It provides a disconnected bit of information, in the sense that it adds shadow information but the viewer doesn’t see it as a “light source.”
Here I have worked out a little more of what I want the pose to look like and and an outfit that fits with the aesthetic I’m trying to create.
I decided I did not like the strong highlight on the wall and adjusted the light accordingly.
The last image was almost exactly what I wanted but the fingers felt awkward here I adjusted that and this ended up becoming the final image.
Despite my intents to play with color the end frame ended up being in black and white. I felt that was the direction the image was heading as I started to edit it.
