Photo by Heather Waraksa
www.heatherwaraksa.com
www.heatherwaraksa.com/blog/
Heather Waraksa knows posing. And she knows mood. Aside from being appropriately contemporary, this is the type of picture that, in the last year or so, has so often been copied, but so rarely been realized. An image like this works, because it goes against convention. Instead of going for something natural or romantic, it is quirky, odd, and rule-defying. To make it sing, every part of the picture needs to properly build to that, exactly as it does here.
First, let’s talk about the expression. This is the cornerstone, and it’s my favorite part about the image. It’s almost deadpan, but it’s underscored by a vulnerability in the man and candor in the woman that cuts right through any sense of campiness. It could easily have gone the other way with both of them simply looking bored, but Heather keeps us right on the edge with two expressions that are both empty and personal at once.
The framing isolates the couple, mirroring and enhancing their expressions, and the lamp is a perfect piece of set design. It clues us in to the feel of the environment and the character of the image. And the lighting? Dead on. If this were shot in natural light, the overhead lighting would create a moody, shadowy piece. But this isn’t a moody, shadowy picture. It’s an ironic, whimsical picture that calls out for ironic, whimsical lighting. The flatness makes the couple stand out, creating a portrait that is about the strength of the content and not the look of the atmosphere. It’s a wonderful reference to the type contemporary fine-art fashion and editorial work that we see in magazines like Purple.
And finally, the pose. The expression is the crux of it, but the the front facing, awkward bend in the girl’s body, the lack of any true curves in either individual, the feet planted firmly together, and even the softeness of the handhold seal the deal. Everything is picture perfect in a perfect picture.
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