📷 'Portrait Photography Contest' Week 19: Entry 1: Sweeney Lair

Let me introduce you to my 'Villains' series.

This is an ongoing project (i.e. I haven't gotten around to finishing it yet) that I started shooting a number of years ago.

I'm developing what I call ‘character studies’ of many of the classic male horror movie villains. I have spent months piecing together detailed costumes and researching the best possible locations before each shoot. I won’t be using a single drop of blood or gore in the images, but rather, expressing the essence of the character through the atmosphere, colors, props and lighting. What’s the catch? I put a feminine pinup spin on their costumes, and they'll be portrayed by woman models hand-picked for each persona. The pretty ladies are always the first to go in horror movies... This time they’re the bad guys >:)

Each villain will have two images. One full body shot to showcase their full outfit, while depicting them in their natural surroundings. And one head-and-shoulders beauty shot to showcase their makeup and details.

I have aspirations to someday finish my series, with a total of seven villains: Freddy, Sweeney, Chucky, Jason, Candyman, Jack Torrance, and Norman Bates.

"Sweeney Lair"

Lighting info: Lit entirely with one small speedlight, diffused and shot through a white umbrella, to light the bright side of the face, while allowing the far side of the model to fall deep into the shadows. It's clearly placed camera-left, to light the model from the side. Fired with Pocketwizards.

The location is on the abandoned second floor of an old building, in the little town of Dallas, Oregon. Historically, the building was a number of different businesses, located on the main street, but the second floor was hastily abandoned and closed up since around the 1940's. I've had the pleasure of using the space for a few photo shoots, including some fun senior portraits!

Note: This image received an Honorable Mention in the Oregon State Fair's Salon of Photography back in 2011. I'm still rather chuffed about the recognition, as the competition receives over 1,000 entries, and awards only a small handful of photographs each year. It was my first (and only) time entering the statewide Salon of Photography, and some of the old-timers were a little grumbly about a first-time participant receiving even an honorable mention. But it was all in good fun ;)

Thank you to @jasonrussell for hosting another week of #portraitcontest!

Thanks for reading,
Dani

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