This month I did several shoots with dystopian post-collapse vibes. I've always been a fan of dystopian novels and movies, but when it came to photos most fall under one of three categories that I don't like: "the end of the world is sexy," "please wear a costume with lots of extra flaps and straps," or "let's make you look homeless." I wanted to show what real people might actually look like in a run-down urban scene if the economy and government collapsed fully. Some of my shots from the series are a bit surreal, like the one here with the TV, but I feel the ideas they convey work well with the series. This is a small sampling, but some of my favorites with each of the models. What do you all think?
Matt, I definitely hear what you're going for with not wanting the more over-wrought, cinematic styling thing. I think the trick is how to make these images get across the post-collapse storyline without the signals that the viewers get from those trope-driven stylings. In that sense I like your two that have the TV and the woman with the sleeping bag because they hint that something has gone wrong.
There's a really interesting challenge in this for those of us who want to tell stories in our images. It's easier for me in my fantasy/weird work because the costumes and props are such a really strong clue. But what are the clues to the viewer that what otherwise might be a normal, modern-day scene is something else? Graffiti in the background referring to the Dictator-for-Life of the United States? The model holding a prop of a rebellious underground newspaper with a headline of why 2031 should be the year of the uprising? Is the suspicious looking woman in your next to last image holding a fistful of subversive leaflets? Does everyone seem to have a weapon tucked somwhere near to hand?
So I'd encourage you to look at how your pieces can send those clues to the viewer. I love your choice of setting, and I think you've set yourself a hard challenge.
Thanks, I really appreciate your feedback! I've definitely been thinking about what I can do differently, and maybe doing a second run later in the year. I may have rushed this one a bit as my local downtown area (where these were all made) is undergoing a revitalization where many of these locations are being restored for housing or business. I already lost one of my locations halfway through the series, and at least three more pictured here are planned for in the near future. I'll definitely keep your ideas in mind and expand in that direction!