The session was conceived as if it were about a girl from the sixties who suddenly finds herself in a current, contemporary environment, and therefore, somewhat lost. I was interested in highlighting the clothes and the look of those years and contrast it with modern architecture, metal and glitter, or dark passages. An urban portrait, with some references to the paintings of Edward Hopper. Female characters shrouded in mystery, slow faces waiting for something that never comes…
Lighting scheme 01
I worked on location with natural light but it was essential to use flash light to reduce the contrast of the scene. I had only two hours of shooting time because at this time of the year, in Barcelona, it gets dark at 7 p.m. and the photos started to be taken from 5 p.m. onwards. The idea was to work with minimal, portable lighting equipment, but powerful enough to be able to take the photographs effectively and without surprises.
For this I decided to use the Godox AD300 Pro as I had heard a lot of good things about this flash. It is very compact, at maximum power it allows 320 flashes, with a recharge speed of 0.01s at minimum power, up to 1.5 seconds at maximum power. It also introduces 1/256 minimum power output control, 1/10th increments, and HSS shooting up to 1/8000th of a second which makes it perfect for outdoor portraiture.
Since I didn’t want the lighting to be too harsh, I used a parabolic window, also from Godox, the AD-S85W, which turned out to be very effective for the result I was looking for. Its deep parabola shape is one of its important characteristics. This shape allows precise control of where the light falls. The Godox X-Pro radio tranceptor also proved to be very useful and not a single shot missed in the entire session. From there I could easily modify the power of the light needed for each shot.
In terms of color temperature, the flash responded very effectively without generating color shifts, despite the fact that natural light was increasing in color temperature as the hours passed. This allowed the skin tones to remain constant throughout the session.
Going back to the intention of this photo shoot, the cinematographic treatment of the scenes and the use of light were the main differentiating elements of this series. The empty public places underline the loneliness of the character represented. I also sought to accentuate the dramatic effect through the strong contrasts of light and shadow.
Lighting scheme 02
Lighting scheme 03
In Edward Hopper’s paintings, time does not pass. It seems stopped, condensed in an eternal wait where the feminine faces wait patiently, wrapped in an enigmatic air. His still and expectant figures in public places enhance an enriching and mysterious solitude thanks to those scenes, those colors and that unsettling atmosphere. The characters are thus included in transit scenarios.
Lighting scheme 04
They are urban scenarios where people are diluted in the wait, in that introspective look that longs perhaps for something that will not return. These spaces, which are beyond the family environment, constitute time travel.
Lighting scheme 01
Lighting scheme 02
Lighting scheme 03
Lighting scheme 04
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