This is the final entry in the the Edwardian photo shoot and required learning a new set of skills with posing two people together. Previously most of my work, when not doing weddings, have been single portraits. I had to get my mind into a different frame set in order to try and make sure both people were posing correctly and no hair or expression was out of place.
I had photographed Beth and Jordan separately and you can refer back to the previous blog entires to see their portraits. Beth had asked me if I could do a shot of both of them together in order to give their mother a mothers day present.
The gift
I wanted to create a contrast to the two characters they were portraying for the first photo so Beth was given some dead roses I had dried out and Jordan was given a fresh bunch.
Working in the small space did require some quick thinking as the background wasn't wide enough to cover both of them and positioning the lights proved tricky to ensure even coverage of their faces. Jordan has some shadow on her face in this one, but again it contrasts with Beths face so I learnt to live with.
In terms of editing I decided to give this one a very painterly look, and the colour grading has a warm brown look to the image. Once this was printed onto fine art paper it looked fantastic and made a perfect gift for Mother Gauntlett.
The second pose
I decided to ask Beth and Jordan to go back to back in the next photos and with the help of my fiancé Emma we were able to show them the pose I wanted in order for them to mirror us. I love this photo as the costumes seem to really stand out and you can see the detail of the lace work. Look at Beths amazing nails! I didn't really capture those in the previous photos. The attention to detail Beth created was so cool.
The final pose
The final photo is my favourite from the photos of the two of them, as it really has a strong narrative. Jordan's look at Beth has undertones of a sinister nature and you can imagine this been the cover for a Shakespeare play.
I really enjoyed this photoshoot and it seemed to reawaken my creative side. I learnt so much in terms of lighting and editing and I can not wait to work with Beth again. It really was a collaboration as without the input and skills of Beth these photos would never have seen the light of day. Please make sure you check out her instagram page.
Which was your favourite photo from the series? Do you think I need to take a different approach in future and move on location to help heighten the narrative? Let me know your thoughts in the comments or give me an email with some feedback.
Thanks for reading.