Stripes

THINKING:

In general we try to avoid stripes in portraits, because stripes can so dominate an image. But for that same reason stripes can be very powerful.

In this image I have contrasted the line of stripes on Lou's jacket against the stripes of the wooden decking she is lying on. This has helped the jacket really stand out.

SEEING:

The diagonal stripes of the wooden decking, and the diagonal flow of Lou's body provides a strong dynamic.

The flow of the diagonal could go from either corner, this image vertically flipped may have put Lou's face in the higher, stronger position, but it would also put the shadows into the top of the frame - which would be counter-intuitive.

Notice how the stripes form such a strong set of leading lines. The jacket across the torso leads the eye back into the bust. The arms held around the face really pull the eye into the face. They form an almost starburst halo, with every line on the circle pointing inwards.

This combination of leading lines and a pose that joins hands at the top forms a tight, controlled circle for the viewer's eye.

DOING:

Shot in an outdoor location this image relies on a shady, cloudy sky. In direct sunlight the decking stripes would have been overwhelming and the deep shadows from Lou would have blacked out any stripes along that side of her body.

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