As my project has progressed to become (at least visually) about the intertwining of fantasy and reality of worlds and therefore using paintings as references for my images, my previous shoot of Selene has become irrelevant to this current project, which is a good sign of progression. However, this also means I want to redo my portrayal of Selene in a way that fits the way I wish my project to continue.
For this particular Goddess, the Greek goddess of the moon, I will evolve the depiction from elements from several paintings to interpreting one singular painting, which will be Selene and Endymion, by Nicolas Poussin (1630). The painting is from the Baroque period, and shows Selene being worshipped by her lover, Endymion. In the background, you can see her brother, Helios, bring the daylight to the sky by riding across it in his golden chariot.
As I want to depict only Selene and not the entire scene (despite it being very interesting and beautiful wherever you look) as I do not have a whole crew or the funds to create such a scene. As the project is about me and my need for escapism, this is more than satisfactory for me.
Above his how I would like to crop my image, excluding the cherub and Endymion. I feel like this cropping is comfortable to the eye, and leaves enough space to show the sunrise behind Selene. I intend to show the sunrise in the background, as this is a key part of the narrative of the image, only it is hidden in this crop. I would like to keep a reference to Helios bringing the sun to the sky even if I cannot depict this in a direct reference to the painting.
In terms of lighting, I will, of course, be using the natural light from the sunrise, but we may also note that in the painting Selene has an external source of light coming from the left, perhaps a suggestion of moonlight. To replicate this element, I will be using an external flash in the same direction.
For the costume, I intend to wear a white dress with a yellow scarf wrapped around me. It will not be completely accurate to the painting, however I do not see this as an issue as I do not want to replicate it, only use it as a basis for reference. The white dress I think is essential as it links with purity and moonlight, making the image feel fresh and clean and therefore translating to the aura of Selene herself, especially in the setting of nature with dirt, plants, and many brown and yellow tones.
LOCATION
For the location of this shoot, I have found a spot near me.
The top image shows where the park is, with reference to my location. The second photo shows where in the park I aim to take the photos. The yellow shows where the car park is, and the pink shows where I aim to stand. This point is on a hill, and so I should be able to get a good amount of the sunrise in the image. The direction of the sunrise is shown through the orange line, and so I will need to angle myself so that is behind me. The perfect composition will, of course, depend on the day.
Today I went and planned how I'd potentially like some of the images to look, using my partner as a subject.
With these images I was mostly experimenting with the composition and the relationship between sky, ground and the body. Within Poussin's painting, the landscape stops about mid-thigh, and so the composition of the first image would appear ideal, only it depends on how the sunrise looks as at this angle the sun does not rise directly behind the subject. At the same angle where the sun does rise, there are trees in the way which makes the divide between nature and sky higher in the frame (third image). The fourth image was me trying to incorporate the trees within the landscape an have this divide between top of the trees and sky thigh level, which therefore means a lower angle for the camera. I do not mind this, however the separation between the ground and the trees may be distracting. However, I will experiment with both ideas on the morning.
The second photo helped me understand where the sun would be rising, as it was setting when these images were taken. By using the shadows of myself and my partner we could predict where the sun would rise.
SUNRISE
By checking the sunrise times online, I can be sure to not miss the optimal time for shooting.
With the sun rising at 06:13am, I would like to be there for about 06:15am, to shoot for about 06:30am. This gives the sun enough time to rise to an amount where the light is visible and appropriate for my images. If I am to take photos at the angle that includes the trees, I will likely have to wait a little longer for the sun to be high enough to show off the sunrise, and not be hidden by the branches.
For this particular Goddess, the Greek goddess of the moon, I will evolve the depiction from elements from several paintings to interpreting one singular painting, which will be Selene and Endymion, by Nicolas Poussin (1630). The painting is from the Baroque period, and shows Selene being worshipped by her lover, Endymion. In the background, you can see her brother, Helios, bring the daylight to the sky by riding across it in his golden chariot.
Selene and Endymion, Nicolas Poussin (c. 1630)
As I want to depict only Selene and not the entire scene (despite it being very interesting and beautiful wherever you look) as I do not have a whole crew or the funds to create such a scene. As the project is about me and my need for escapism, this is more than satisfactory for me.
Above his how I would like to crop my image, excluding the cherub and Endymion. I feel like this cropping is comfortable to the eye, and leaves enough space to show the sunrise behind Selene. I intend to show the sunrise in the background, as this is a key part of the narrative of the image, only it is hidden in this crop. I would like to keep a reference to Helios bringing the sun to the sky even if I cannot depict this in a direct reference to the painting.
In terms of lighting, I will, of course, be using the natural light from the sunrise, but we may also note that in the painting Selene has an external source of light coming from the left, perhaps a suggestion of moonlight. To replicate this element, I will be using an external flash in the same direction.
For the costume, I intend to wear a white dress with a yellow scarf wrapped around me. It will not be completely accurate to the painting, however I do not see this as an issue as I do not want to replicate it, only use it as a basis for reference. The white dress I think is essential as it links with purity and moonlight, making the image feel fresh and clean and therefore translating to the aura of Selene herself, especially in the setting of nature with dirt, plants, and many brown and yellow tones.
LOCATION
For the location of this shoot, I have found a spot near me.
The top image shows where the park is, with reference to my location. The second photo shows where in the park I aim to take the photos. The yellow shows where the car park is, and the pink shows where I aim to stand. This point is on a hill, and so I should be able to get a good amount of the sunrise in the image. The direction of the sunrise is shown through the orange line, and so I will need to angle myself so that is behind me. The perfect composition will, of course, depend on the day.
Today I went and planned how I'd potentially like some of the images to look, using my partner as a subject.
With these images I was mostly experimenting with the composition and the relationship between sky, ground and the body. Within Poussin's painting, the landscape stops about mid-thigh, and so the composition of the first image would appear ideal, only it depends on how the sunrise looks as at this angle the sun does not rise directly behind the subject. At the same angle where the sun does rise, there are trees in the way which makes the divide between nature and sky higher in the frame (third image). The fourth image was me trying to incorporate the trees within the landscape an have this divide between top of the trees and sky thigh level, which therefore means a lower angle for the camera. I do not mind this, however the separation between the ground and the trees may be distracting. However, I will experiment with both ideas on the morning.
The second photo helped me understand where the sun would be rising, as it was setting when these images were taken. By using the shadows of myself and my partner we could predict where the sun would rise.
SUNRISE
By checking the sunrise times online, I can be sure to not miss the optimal time for shooting.
With the sun rising at 06:13am, I would like to be there for about 06:15am, to shoot for about 06:30am. This gives the sun enough time to rise to an amount where the light is visible and appropriate for my images. If I am to take photos at the angle that includes the trees, I will likely have to wait a little longer for the sun to be high enough to show off the sunrise, and not be hidden by the branches.
Selene Shoot 2 Prep
Reviewed by BethCorbett
on
March 12, 2020
Rating:
Reviewed by BethCorbett
on
March 12, 2020
Rating:
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