Painting with a lens

My original idea for this session was to use my little sister as a model. She has been pretty sick with the flu and I had the idea of capturing the feel of The Black Plague. However, my sister has a mind of her own and that didn't fly to well!

So after the session I decided to go after the art of editing. In this first image I wanted to get rid of all small details and create the illusion of painting. 

I love the way this turned out, So I thought i'd show how I got from the raw file to this finished piece. 

This image was actually really difficult to work with because I had to use the JPEG file instead of RAW. Thankfully I won't have to do that anymore!

-So first I changed the colors. I always just eye this, I don't have any secret formulas I just change tones until I like what I see.

-Next I did all my retouching and airbrushing to color correct the face. 

-The final (and hardest) part was removing the detail from her hair and coat. It took me a really long time but it was worth it to me, and the smudge tool and I became friends really quick!

So here it is side by side-

These next two I edited much later. They both have an old vintage feel to them while maintaining their own individuality.

This last one somewhat depicts my original idea.

Over all I am pleased with the way these images came out, and while they all share a similar style, they could also stand alone.

What one is your favorite?!

Metal

In preparation for this shoot, I kept thinking of metal and how light reflects off it.  

 From there my mind wandered to things made of from metal, and I went straight to armor. The creative juices started flowing and I conjured up the idea of making a mask that mimicked armor. 

So that's where I started!

I used an assortment of different makeup to get the armored look. I found the most success with shimmery eye shadow, it created the metal illusion I was going for. 

 I didn't want anything to distract from the face and mask, so I kept the costume simple. I knew in the editing process I would  mute the colors, so the costume didn't play a major roll in this set. 

These last two images are edited differently, but I really liked the way they came out especially the last one.

And again, a little behind the scenes for you.

Back to it...

This was my first "post graduation" shoot. I was feeling the need to keep myself in the student mode so I set my own assignments and dead lines. This shoot didn't start out with a particular purpose, but I knew the look I wanted for my model so I started there. 

First I started with makeup.

Makeup consisted of a TON of foundation, then I covered the models face with a white shimmery powder. This created a flatter surface drawing attention to the eyes. Mascara for the lashes and then we were set. 

Then I moved to hair.

My models hair was pretty much perfect already, that's why I chose her! After slight straightening I teased the areas I wanted to be fuller, and cemented the hair down with some Kenra spray.

Next comes costume.

Nothing too spectacular here, sometimes the simplest things work. White leggings and a blue wraparound work perfectly. I knew I could change the color of the wrap later in photoshop, so I didn't worry about it too much. 

This first set of images are influenced by the new Hobbit film. Although I had actually edited them before I saw the film, I made a few changes after. The editing is probably my favorite part, it's when everything comes together and I begin to see what I imagined while shooting.

This second group of images are more open-ended. I could write what they mean and what I intended when shooting and editing, but that leaves you the viewer out.  So, how about you tell me what you think.

And a little behind the scenes action thanks to my sister Faith! 

Thanks to Becca for being my model! She always does a good job and never complains, even though it was freezing out!