Joke

Model: Joke van 't Veer | Canon 5D mk II / EF 135mm F/2.0L USM | 1/160 - f/10.0 - iso 100

Personally, I think this is one of the finest photographs in my portfolio. It was also a concept we had worked out in quite some detail before we began. So, what exactly is there to work out, you might wonder?

As a photographer, you have an idea in your head and want to bring it to life. That means thinking about what you need to make it happen. A model is obviously important, but to start with, you need someone with long hair, who is also willing to pose nude and whose appearance fits your vision. I have a great love for classical painting, and this photograph was inspired by a painting by Salomon de Bray that hangs in the Louvre in Paris.

In the original painting, the contrast between light and dark is less pronounced than in my photograph. That was a deliberate choice, too. I simply prefer stronger contrast.

The sideways gaze gives the model a somewhat distant expression. But the comb and those long red locks leave no doubt about what she was doing: attending to her toilette, as it was once called.

The light came from the right-hand side, with a large square softbox providing soft light from head to toe. By using just a single light and positioning it well off to the side, I was still able to create a beautiful contrast between light and shadow.