I Took Portraits Of The Van Schoor Family Garbed In The Baroque Style

This Baroque styled shoot created for my friends and fellow photographers resonates with me for a couple of reasons. The first being that I am very proud of this series of portraits: the styling, light and treatment all coming together, the relay, the narrative. I am excited that other photographers trust me to capture their creative sides. Secondly, because it reminds me of traditional art, the painted portrait commissioned by the client and hung upon the wall as a reflection of themselves and their status in society. Art that has become all but lost in light of the modern day trend of snapshot photography. And although I think it is wonderful that portraiture has become available to the masses rather than reserved for the elite, I do feel that it has lost some of its reverence in the process.

When my clients, Jaco and Laura Van Schoor (also known as the photography duo Jack and Jane) requested to have their family portrait done in the classical Baroque style I was very excited at the prospect of recreating the imagery that first saw portraits of individuals outside of church patronage. As such the portraiture was often ornate and illustrious, a reflection of the the upper class’ lifestyle of that period. Following the footsteps of the Renaissance, it favoured chiaroscuro lighting, in which the subject emerges from the light into the dark. Another trait from this era was to have the subject depicted with their little critters, which seemed all too fitting for this family portrait session with Jaco and Laura’s two furry children, Max and Nixon. The theme was just right, and the team brought it all together beautifully.

A very special thank you to all involved:

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I Took Portraits Of The Van Schoor Family Garbed In The Baroque Style