Fierce T-Shirt

Having gone through the planned setups, Jessica requests that we photograph her wearing a t-shirt, as a favor to a friend of hers who designed it. I'm not in the habit of saying "no" to Jessica, so I agree.

Although there was adequate tonal separation between the dark t-shirt & the dark background, my first decision was to swap the background with a lighter one.

I find out later that...

Jessica owed this fellow a favor,
This fellow wanted to use the images on his web site, to promote the sales of t-shirt, and
This was the fellow who designed and/or implemented Jessica's tattoo.

Normally, I would have declined -- I don't want my photographs to be used commercially, and I am really not interested in promoting tattoo artists. If it was anyone else, I would have said "no", but like I said, I'm not in the habit of saying "no" to Jessica.

So, it is a challenge. What should I do?

As we get started, I'm still not satisfied with the lighting. I'd be happy with this light if Jessica was nude, but it doesn't show off the details of the t-shirt design. Some poses, like this one, show off Jessica's tattoo -- I figure we'll have to include some poses like this one, intended to show off the design & the tattoo at the same time.

Here's an image that I'll call "transitional". I think we were still fine-tuning the lighting at this point. The lighting & exposure are getting there -- I like that there is tonality in the t-shirt, so that you can see the shadows across the wrinkles of the fabric.

However, we haven't settled on a vision for this images. Although there is fine intensity to Jessica's look, it really isn't generic.

Okay, I'm an old fogey; and what we need is something that more embraces today's youthful culture. I can do nothing but try.

How do you like the electric plug? If this was a better picture, I'd edit it out.

Now we are getting somewhere. At Jessica's request, I had positioned a mirror a bit behind & to the left of the camera position, so that Jessica can look at the lighting & adjust her poses. I usually don't do this -- I find that the mirror draws the model's attention & slows things down, but I make an exception for Jessica.

Here, she's looking at her reflection, and although I normally prefer eye contact, but in this case, the detached focus works well for the "feel" we are trying to achieve.

The light is getting there, too -- I like the semi-harsh shadows -- they are making Jessica's eyes look hypnotic and are highlighting the shape of her lips.

Finally, I like the strong diagonals in this image. If I was going to pick an image to show off the t-shirt & tattoo, it probably would be this one.

Same idea, but with eye contact. I probably should have included more of the tattoo.

Okay, in the spirit of "doing only new stuff", I decide to kick out all the stops. I lie on the floor & ask Jessica to lean over me. What results is crazy (and I love it).

This is one of those circumstances where I see a better picture within the picture. Below is an interesting cropping of this image, and I love it.

I can't tell you how uncomfortable it was for me on the floor. It was hard wood, and I have to sit up slightly to aim the camera -- my abdomen muscles were always clenched tightly. It was exhausting, but the images were so exciting, that I pushed through the pain.

I like the refraction.

Tons more t-shirt images in the Out Takes Gallery

I can't help myself -- these pictures are so amazing that I have to ask Jessica to pose for some without the t-shirt. She does.

This one, especially the face, is almost spooky. We are moving around quite a bit. I'm rolling around on the floor, and Jessica is leaning over me.

It's a subtle thing, but in this image, all references to the wall & ceiling are gone. This contributes to the strangeness of this image -- it's difficult to figure out, to orientate.

One last picture. Too bad it was so difficult on my back. But I'm going to have to come back to this idea someday.

It's always a pleasure to photograph Jessica. It saddens me to think that this might be the last time I get to work with her.

The latest news is that Jessica has decided to move back east. I wish her luck. For me (and for many), the transition from college student to full member of society is quite difficult. Nothing is school prepares you for the harsh realities of finding a job, meeting financial obligations on your own, finding sufficient spare time for one's art & one's social life, etc. She's got a good start -- we can wish her well.