Sometimes in photography, we need to break rules...break all the rules to do something a little bit different.
Many of my previous Venice Street Portraits have been a bit too perfect...with carefully picked models at the best locations matching their costumes, and then taken at a time when lighting is best at that particular spot. They become so perfect that many people cannot believe they were done just on the streets with natural lighting only. These pictures were all engineered to showcase the beauty of the costumes that my masked friends have spent months designing and making.
At the Venice Carnevale, masked costumers and photographers usually want photos fulfilling as much as possible of the following criteria:
The mask and costume need to be the main subject of the photo
We must be able to see the eyes clearly and the eyes need to be looking at the right direction
The mask must sit on the face properly - photographers are expected to let the masked costumer know if the mask is slightly out of place
There must be no other people behind or in front of the masked costumer
The lighting must be perfect
The location must match the design of the mask/ costume
The photo must be in color
I made a lot of changes to my photo styles (and even models) this year.
This is one of my favourite photos from this year's Carnevale...it is more of a street photo, somewhat inspired by those black and white American street photographs...
What I am looking for here is a more penetrating work of reportage on Venice...I want photos that are searching observations with astonishing comprehension of the Venetian taste and character...to showcase the unparalleled aesthetic allure of Venice...
I print most of my best photos on fine art photographic paper - usually German cotton rag, Japanese mulberry, and sometimes Silver Gelatin or Pearl...
This one should do very well as a fine art print...