The idea behind this moody portrait is to express a relationship. We can be very close to someone and still have fears and insecurities at the same time.
I like photos that make you think about how and why they were taken. And I hope this one delivers. I use minimal adjustments and have a clear idea of the result in advance. At the same time, I try not to make the photos too simple. I like to leave room for other people to perceive my photos when viewing them. This is also the reason why I don’t like to give titles to my photos.
I like to take photos in series. This one also belongs to a series of 5 photos. I think that then the emotions that are in the photos belonging to each other make even more sense.
What I put in my photos are the emotions I have in my inner world. My life, people around me, books, movies, theater, and above all, relationships between people inspire me.
For this photo and for the entire series, I chose an octopus as an accessory. Of course not alive, that would be animal cruelty. I bought a frozen one in the store 🙂
The octopus itself is very interesting and I think generally perceived by people as both beautiful and scary at the same time. This animal is perfectly suited to express the emotions that the photo should have.
I have been taking portraits with this model for a long time, we have known each other for a long time and she is able to perfectly express what I want the photo to have. Most of my portraits are black and white; I made an exception for this series. I often photograph in the water environment; it seems to me that the water environment can add the right mood and mystery to the photo. I always try to put emotions into my photos. I think that photography can often express what cannot be expressed with words.
I have been shooting with a Fujifilm camera for a long time. Most of my portraits, and this one is no exception, are taken with a 56 mm lens.
What are the TWO most impactful features that make your image a good photograph? Don’t be shy!
Use of the octopus use and water environment.
If you could make this photo again, what would be the ONE thing you would like to do better or different?
I wouldn’t change anything; I don’t post photos I’m not completely satisfied with.
Martina Dimunova shared this photograph in the FRAMES Facebook Group.
Photographer
Martina Dimunova, Prague, Czech Republic
Equipment and settings
Fujifilm X-T4, XF56 mm f/1.2
f/2.8, 1/250, ISO 320
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