Creative Fine Art Photography by Irina Dzhul

Hello everyone! I am a photo artist from Ukraine. I work in a fine art style. I would like to tell you about one of my fabulous filming… from start to finish.

I was contacted by the local music channel M1, in my city of Kiev, in Ukraine. They wanted to release a program called “My profession”. They wanted to show the photographer’s work, how it happens and what happens as a result. The channel asked me to film their famous TV presenter in a beautiful female form. I began to think about which image would be most suitable. I usually start off from the invented image and start looking for an outfit, props and location. Since it was a music channel, I wanted to emphasize this. I decided that I needed to film the muse of all composers, musicians and creative people. The first was ready … The idea!

Second: I had to figure out how it should look like… I wanted this picture to be fresh, light, sweet like marshmallows and fragrant like flowers. I found a suitable dress. It was light, white and pink with layers. I found one that had a very long train. This gave me the opportunity to put the model on a stepladder and make it a little unreal, fantastic.

Third: I needed props … a musical instrument is best suited for this. But I wanted it to be fabulous and out of touch with reality. I decided that it would be a cello, but decorated by me for the shooting style. Why cello? Because it is a very elegant instrument that emphasized the gracefulness of our muse-model. We bought a used cello, and my husband and I decided to decorate and paint it white with an aging effect. To do this, we went to a hardware store and bought foam curtain rods (this was the cheapest option), which had beautiful monograms and decor. I cut them out in separate elements and glued them to the cello surface. Then my husband painted it with light coffee paint, and painted over all the convex parts with a sponge with white paint.

Fourth: I had to choose a location… where better would a garden with lilac bushes fit? During this period, everything was in bloom in our city botanical garden. But I wanted a non-trivial shooting in lilac bushes, so I found a location where they are not the main ones in the frame. Also, to make our shooting more fabulous, we used a white smoke bomb, which helped to tear the model away from the background and add magic.

Fifth: Shooting… to come up with an idea and an image is one thing but to embody what was conceived on the shooting itself is another. I chose such a place so that there was a depth of the frame. I selected the lighting for the maximum volume of the picture and worked with the model in such a way as to achieve dynamics. It’s a muse, it’s not so constant, it’s not a static concept at all. Today it is there, tomorrow it is not… dynamics! It was important! Also, for the longest time, I look for a composition so that there is a harmony of the frame. In this shot, all the dynamics rests on the cello, which is right in the center of the frame. She is like a symbol of the unchanging, and everything around moves and dances.

Sixth: post-production (Photoshop). Usually, I shoot so that everything in the frame is already good. Light, pose, props. It remains with the help of Photoshop to enhance the effect on everything. This is done right by working with contrast and color. I don’t add smoke or props in Photoshop. All that was in the frame was during the shooting. Therefore, if it is smoke, then it looks natural and not photoshopped. When processing a photo, I try to preserve light/shadow, all midtones and highlights, so as not to lose volume. I use color to control my mood. If this is a children’s shooting or a love story, it is better to make warm shades of the photo, if you need to show dynamics, anxiety or movement, colder shades are better suited.

Everything that I did on this shooting was accompanied by the work of three cameras of video operators. It is also not an easy task on the set not to disturb anyone. I am completely satisfied with my idea and its result. My picture in my head was reflected for the audience in my photo. It always pleases! ~ @irinadzhul