Sereen Stéphanie

Model: Stéphanie | Canon 5D mk II / EF 85mm F/1.8 USM | 1/125 - f/7.1 - iso 100

A small parquet floor is quick to lay and provides a unique surface for a photograph with very little effort. The cost of a floor like this is manageable, and it's easy to pack away afterwards. Yet it plays an important role in the image. It offers a welcome alternative to a plain black background or, in this case, a completely unsuitable white one.

Combined with the model's pose and dreamy gaze, the wooden floor brings warm tones to the photograph.

The blue fabric introduces a completely different colour into the image. This creates a little visual interest in an easy, playful way. It also provides an opportunity to fill some of the space on the right-hand side of the photograph.

Compare this photograph with the one of Sofie, and you'll notice many similarities, but also some clear differences. Here, for instance, the model's face is much more shrouded in shadow. Blue fabric was chosen instead of red, as it's less overpowering, and the pose reveals considerably less nudity.

The lighting came from a single flash fitted with a deep octagonal softbox (Elinchrom Deep Octa 70cm), which directed the light downwards quite effectively. Using just one flash means that the model is illuminated from only one side. This partly conceals her nudity, while still leaving enough visible to make it apparent. The result is a photograph with a certain sense of serenity and atmosphere.