If you have been following me for a while, you may remember Rachelle, possibly even this red dress and the red balloons, we had a fun-filled day a few years ago. Rachelle now lives back in New Zealand, so we don’t really get to create in the studio anymore, but I still have fond memories and awesome images.
I have recently started a new online class by Brooke Shaden (I am sure you all remember how much I adore Brooke’s work) and legendary Sebastian Michaels, I have been one of his student for many years now. Conceptual Portraits are loads of fun and something I have not really done for a while. These differ from the creative portraits I have been doing, as they tell more of a story and are often a composite with additional elements.
The main background is in the hills around Lake Tekapo in New Zealand, the stormy skies are also from NZ, so I am giving a slight nod to Rachelle over there. I loved how the sheep appeared to be looking up, so I grabbed this great image of Rachelle (who was standing on a stool and the wind blowing the balloons) to add some whimsey. The birds are also flying in the same direction almost as if they are being pulled along too. I frequently do my Conceptual Portraits in a square format, something I inherited from Brooke, but this image I felt it needed more landscape to give it a grand scale.
~ Julz
Julie Powell - Photographer & Graphic Artist 