Creating a portrait for competition versus Vogue Italia's Photovogue
Hi everyone!
I’ve been wanting to do this blog post for a long time, but I had to wait to see what kind of results one of my portraits (that I’m going to discuss here) got in competition first. Well, I got the lovely news a few days ago that my portrait in question scored 2nd place in WPPI’s 2020 First Half Competition in the boudoir category! For all you non-photographers out there, WPPI hosts one of the leading conferences in the photo industry every year and also offers some of the toughest photo competitions around.
First, I highly suggest that everyone reading this check out the above link if for no other reason than to see some of the AMAZING photography that won first, second, and third place in every category from creative portraits to families to boudoir and everything in between.
The skill level of these photographers will blow your mind and I’m beyond honored to have my work featured alongside theirs.
The above portrait placed 2nd in WPPI’s 2020 First Half Competition in the category of boudoir. Photo © Laura Shortt. Makeup: Blended By Amber. Model: Akosuya Miki.
Earlier in the year, I also had the distinct honor of having another portrait of mine approved by Vogue Italia for their Photovogue ongoing series (see the portrait below). The portrait featured by Vogue Italia was shot within a couple of minutes of the above portrait, but there are a few key differences between the portraits.
This portrait was approved by Vogue Italia for their online Photovogue series. Photo © Laura Shortt. Makeup: Blended By Amber. Model: Akosuya Miki.
1) Lighting:
I changed the lighting between the two portraits with a simple shift of one light. In the first portrait I had placed it- a little Yongnuo flash in a homemade snoot (i.e., a sheet of construction paper that I taped around the flash head😂)- behind the model camera right and angled above and slightly down on her to create a back light. For the Vogue Italia portrait, I took that same little flash and homemade snoot, flipped it around and angled it at the backdrop to create a vignetting effect. There was also a key light in front of, camera right, and feathered off of the model (again a little Canon flash, this time in a 36” octabox).
2) Posing:
Although the posing is similar in the two portraits, it’s not the same. In the WPPI portrait, the model’s pose is very structured and the pose in the Vogue Italia portrait is slouchier and more ‘fashion’.
3) Expression:
It’s a subtle difference here between the model’s expressions in the first portrait versus the second, both of which were informed by her body language (although I normally coach my subjects with their expressions, I did not have to do so here). Her expression in the Vogue Italia portrait is a little softer and matches her more relaxed body language. In the first WPPI portrait, there’s more energy and power in her eyes that matches her erect posture.
3) Editing:
This is by far the biggest difference between the two portraits. The WPPI portrait took me several hours to edit (my guess is about 4). It was a nuanced process of perpetual little tweaks until I got the portrait just so. The Vogue Italia portrait, on the other hand, I’d say probably took about 30 minutes. Vogue Italia loves a filmic look, and that’s what I tried mimic in my editing, keeping the look of editing as minimal as possible.
The big takeaway…
What have I learned from this experience? I think my biggest takeaway is that if a photographer wants to get published or win an award, they REALLY have to think about where the portrait is going to be submitted. What are the judges or photo editors after visually? For example, I know for certain that my first WPPi/award-winning portrait would have been rejected by Vogue Italia had I tried to submit it to them, because it’s just not a Vogue Italia aesthetic. That’s a competition aesthetic appropriate for WPPI. Similarly, my Vogue Italia portrait would not have scored well had I tried to enter it at WPPI.
Thanks so much for reading!
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