Model – Mia Vixen, Hollywood Glamour and Film Noir

Darkman — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 15:17:04 +0000

Mia Vixen is a Southern California Model and Burlesque Dancer I had the pleasure of photographing a little while ago. This first shot Old Hollywood Glamour and reminiscent of Marilyn Monroe, with the second shot being more along the lines of Film Noir. Each shot was lit with Fresnel Studio Lamps, and each had a different number of lights used.

Can you tell how many lights were used? I’ll give you a hint: Look at the High Lights and the Shadows. That’s how I reverse engineer photos I like. Look at the shadows and the direction of the lights as well as with the high lights, there you will be able to tell where the light is coming from.

This is your typical Old Hollywood Glamour Style Photograph with a touch of Boudoir mixed in. The Lighting Diagram is below.

Mia Vixen Hollywood Glamour

If you guessed 3 lights you would have been right. One on her backside, one on her thigh and one on her face. The one on her face had a silk diffuser on it to soften the center but still give a hard-ish edge to the shadow on her cheek from her nose.

Mia Vixen, Hollywood Glamour Lighting Diagram

This next image could tell a story. A fine young lady is stranded at a bus stop late at night waiting for her bus. A single street light shines down on her. Her suitcase with all her worldly belongings props her legs up, in a recline. What’s a girl to do?

This would be a typical Film Noir type shot. How many lights?

Mia Vixen Film Noir

If you guessed 2 you would be right. On shining down on her like a single street light would, and a second one to camera left to open up the shadows a bit to keep her from disappearing int he shadows altogether. Hollywood Glamour Photography is often mixed up as or with Film Noir but there are some heavy distinctions, which I will go into at a later post. For now, enjoy the process.

Mia Vixen, Film Noir Lighting Diagram

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Model: Guy Chapman – The Film Noir Villain

Darkman — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 20:29:02 +0000

Guy Chapman

I met guy through a mutual friend that introduced us with the intention of needing to get some head shots done. Guy is an actor and has been in a few movies I am sure you have heard of: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest and Red-Eye as well as a few TV Series on HBO. Guy contacted me about some head shots(can be seen on his website) for his actors resume and Zed Card for which I agreed to shoot him. Upon seeing him I just had to do a bit more with him. He’s got a look that is sinister and brooding and I wanted to use that to capture some Film Noir styled photos. Guy worked out perfectly for what I wanted and I am sure you will agree as well, Guy is the perfect sinister villain. I’m inserting a full size image here below the gallery.

Enjoy…

Darkman…