She is from Ukraine and lives in a small apartment in Germany, next to the Belgian border. I can’t remember how I met her, but several models travel throughout Europe to shoot for a living.
We have already met several times and experimented in different directions. We decided to shoot together on a random day in the week.
We love to shoot at the edge of imagination, where you see body parts but must imagine the rest. From my point of view, storytelling starts when you get out of the rules, let your emotions free space, and try unusual perspectives, long exposures, and unsharp images. It is much more important that somebody trust you and your ideas than any technological improvement of the next cam – even if I love new tech and new cams 🙂 But you need to know your equipment at any time without hesitation, even in the dark.
It was a “normal” bedroom, and the daylight was falling though the curtains retired slowly. After a set of natural window light portraits, we decided to do a series of more sensual images based on long term exposure. Here is where it became interesting. I had to align the light, the timing, the shutter speed and my idea. Usually, I love the original Fujifilm kit lens, but this time, I forgot it and took the 18mm f1.4.
I had one powerful LED light on a light stand. Then I exposed to the highlights and the room turned into deep black.
I gave some instructions so that she gets the idea and let her act within the tiny space I gave her. As she was kind of dancing, I had to be quick.
What are the TWO most impactful features that make your image a good photograph? Don’t be shy!
It is this typical classical constellation of one room, one light, one model, and one moment. The power is in the imagination of the observer. As there is a lot of room for interpretation, it can go in all directions. Is she nude? What is she doing? Am I observing her? Your eye must stay on the face, walk around the body, and come back.
If you could make this photo again, what would be the ONE thing you would like to do better or different?
Maybe I would try to leave more space around her, but the observer would lose contact.
Peter Ortmann shared this photograph with the FRAMES Facebook Group.
Photographer
Peter Ortmann, Eupen, Belgium
Equipment and settings
Fujifilm X-T4 & Fujifilm XF 18mm at f/5 and 1/4 Exposure.
Godox LED light, but a powerful troche would also work.
Little Lightroom adjustments.
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