I Often Like To Mix Beauty With A Lil’ Creepiness, Here Are My 12 Dark And Moody Portraits
As an artist, I always want to tell a story, or portray enough emotion that the viewer can create their own when they see my work. From Fine Art painterly portraits to vintage horror, I love it all. I’ve been in photography since 2011 but working with Photoshop since 2013. I’m self-taught in Photoshop and learned it with a lil’ wine and a lot of swearing.
I’m not a fan of traditional photography. I often like to mix beauty with a lil’ creepiness. All I need is a creep-worthy location, papier-mache masks, and Anna Triant gowns.
For two months I shopped props, rode around my new state scouting out locations and talking to property owners, planning the models, styling, and doing dry runs. Yes… dry runs!
On the day of the shoot, I had one goal in mind: create a story with the images. I didn’t just want little girls in pretty dresses and masks. I wanted people to stop scrolling, click on the picture, and conjure up a story from the scene they were seeing.
This photoshoot was three years ago and I do things a little differently now. The theme was for a photo contest for a magazine that had to incorporate couture and Halloween somehow. I wanted to keep the traditional beauty of couture gowns but also add an eerie element that went beyond a ‘pretty dress and mask’.
The way I usually bring ideas to life is to plan the story I want to tell first and then I start the styling process. Today, that process is lengthy. I either work directly with a designer on custom designs (unlike in this shoot) or I will make my own skirt or dress, etc.
Next, I start the detail process—details are important to help tell a story and to give the viewer something interesting to ‘see’. My husband, sister and I will make props or I’ll find them from a vendor or online—usually a mixture of both. Then I move onto location scouting.
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They gathered near the barn, the fox with the key
The sunny sky turned dark, by the window they did meet
They found the sacred book, magic spells they did cast
Soon night would fall and they’d travel in their masks
They waited on the porch as the sun went down wearing animal masks, boots, and gorgeous couture gowns
They passed the time whispering, it wouldn’t be long now
The sun would soon set, and they’d be on the prowl
The sun set, they walked through the pines to the path
Adorned in gowns, they seemed so sweet without masks
The night was falling, oh, the night called their names!
On to the enchanted forest they went, to start their games
Wanna play?
I had just moved to my current state when I started planning this shoot so I wasn’t familiar with great locations yet. So my husband and I drove. A lot. When we finally found the abandoned home, I knew it was perfect—next to it was an old barn, some old structures in the background—a great location with lots of setting opportunities to help add facets to the story and a journey the viewer could follow along with. As always, these locations generally have an owner, so we had to seek him out and get permission.
I usually have a vision in mind and then I have to go on an expedition to find it. It can take months and sometimes, it can be a little scary driving up an old private drive and knocking on a stranger’s door to ask permission to photograph on their property!
So, what’s next?
I have been really busy this year with themes, I have created several Alice adaptations this year including Alice’s forgotten characters, Dark Alice, as well as Modern Alice, and I have a couple more planned this year including Alice’s asylum that will be taking place in an old abandoned asylum. I am always working on a Couture Wizard piece that lends a nod to the popular wizarding world, but with a twist. I just wrapped up a full-fledged circus that I shot in a city plaza that included 4 four wooden letters my husband and I made and a forklift and of course, the Dark Carnival, a couture clan of creepy couture clowns, will make another appearance this year in the corn fields. Stay tuned!
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