Behind the Scenes of a Self-Portrait Shoot Inspired by The Love Witch

Go behind the scenes in this eerie, Halloween shoot as one photographer attempts to create images similar in style to the 2016 American horror film, The Love Witch.

I'm not sure if it's a British thing, but I'm not overly enamored with Halloween. It certainly doesn't get the same level of coverage this side of the pond, although it has increased in recent decades. Nevertheless, there is one part of Halloween I do appreciate: photography opportunities. 

Not only do people suddenly have elaborate costumes, try new make-up techniques, and generally look more interesting, but there is a wealth of props available in all shops. As somebody who enjoys dark-themed portraiture, Halloween is a great time to experiment with that aesthetic. It is far easier to collaborate with a make-up artist (and hopefully one who does special effects) than you might think and you do not necessarily need a traditional "model" for this sort of shoot. The wilder the make-up, the more open casting can be for the subject of your photograph.

In this video, Irene Rudnyk opts for a self-portrait and uses the film, The Love Witch for inspiration. The classic horror look is still popular today and it's easy to see why; this shoot creates some memorable images.

Rob Baggs's picture

Robert K Baggs is a professional portrait and commercial photographer, educator, and consultant from England. Robert has a First-Class degree in Philosophy and a Master's by Research. In 2015 Robert's work on plagiarism in photography was published as part of several universities' photography degree syllabuses.

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1 Comment

Irene, your creativity is astounding! Bravo!