Over the course of two days and after nearly two thousand snaps of my shutter, Mandi’s set wrapped. This was certainly the most epic photographic exploration I have had to date. Mandi was the second model for the Tokyo Leather project and was shot to be our edgy look. And edgy it was.
We were blessed with great weather on both days. The first day threatened rain but never quite got around to actually raining. The effect was perfectly diffused light and a quintessential Portland atmosphere. Mandi came über prepared with an array of fashion that was perfect for our project.
^ Green on green plaid and a fur-lined leather vest against an amazing temporary construction wall that was a perfect color match. Add the ripped and faded light blues and Converse Chucks and you’ve got a sexy early-nineties grunge rocker persona that the Tokyo market is absolutely fascinated with.
It should be noted that Mandi is a tremendous model. She came in with her interpretation of the role we were looking for and absolutely nailed. She was easy to work with and added value to every shot. Much in the same way that having a makeup artist can make a great look truly amazing, an experienced model can take a great concept and completely make the idea come to life. And in this case, it was fun to boot.
^ Up close and personal with the 50mm lens, my new (and current) favorite toy. This lens has become the go-to for getting storytelling shots. The great speed and depth of field produce some of my most interesting shots. Add that to the fact that it is not an Auto-focus lens and often some of the effects (like a slight soft focus) are the result of simple mistakes in focusing. I found that I shoot and adjust focus so quickly that while I might miss focus points quite a bit, it’s worth it to find shots like these while editing. My hope is to find images that are accessible, relatable. I really feel like it’s easier to be interested in something that’s not completely in focus, because how often are we ever completely focused?
^ I love this. If you have watched any video of Kurt Cobain toward the end of his life, you understand the expression in this shot. Slapped against the overcast, misty skyline of Portland’s downtown district, I feel like this shot truly captures the essence of the grunge movement.
^ This dress. The second day brought us to the top of a parking garage in southwest Portland. It took all of three seconds to decide to shoot this once Mandi pulled it out of her bag. If I recall correctly, her mom had just bought it for her. Though a departure from the typical style of early grunge, I think this look actually compliments the feel fairly well. Mandi’s look is so dramatic and defined that covering it in a pretty pink dress is about as punk as it gets.
^ And then, of course, the rock star. Bug-eye shades, sequined, tiny top, awesome headband. As the daylight faded on our second shoot, we decided to go with something a little more modern rock. This is another example (the first being in Karri in Vegas) of using the built-in flash to light the model while exposing the background. Unlike Karri’s shots, these were handheld and using the 50mm lens. The effect is quite different, but after some filtering in Aperture, I think the stylized feel really works.
All-in-all this was a great shoot with a plethora of amazing finished photographs. It was also a step in further defining my style. The use of the 50mm lens brought out several style points that I continued using afterward to achieve similar effects. This was also one of the few shoots I have done where I posted black and white versions of shots—a look I have since used more as well.
