ABITCHINADRESS
Around the corner from our Hutong there is a small clothing shop owned by a very cool Chinese woman in her late 30s. One day I came in there feeling a bit under the weather, and she gave me food to bring home and put in my cupboards. It would make me feel better she said. The shop is sitting in between a sexshop selling fake vaginas and buttholes, and a Xin Jiang Restaurant giving people the runs everyday. Great location!
Yesterday I walked in feeling hyper on coffee and asked if she’d lend me something to play with. Sure sure, she said and helped me find a few beautiful garments that would fit me, but in styles I usually told me to just pick out what I wanted.
I was supposed to give each dress 1 hour and return them the same day, but it didn’t happen that way. Instead, the dresses are still with me. And today I finally have the time and light to do it.
These 2 images are shot with a Nikon D700 body, 80 – 200 2.8 Zoomlens.
I placed myself 4 meters away from the camera to get a proper head to toe shot. That’s all the space I had. See how I am almost sitting together with the background? Th
With the camera being attached to such a heavy lens it was very bulky to try and set still somewhere. I almost even gave up. Atleast uttered a few growls in the process. Plus the external flash was a factor! I stanced that up with a garlic (not a clove obviously..) to keep it from tilting the whole image. The lens itself was steadied with a rolled up kitchen apron. Worked beautifully! But the idea was faulty from start.
What I should have done, and will do today.
I should not have bothered with the zoom. The effect of it is bot coming through anyway, since the background is too close for the chosen aperture. The texture of the fabric (Ikea blanket) is too clear. So it becomes a distraction, rather than something soft and pleasant in the distance. Its clarity gives it too much attention. It buries the model.
To bring her, me, out more I need to step away from the bg and open up the aperture. I shot these at a F/5.6, which is enough, if the background isn’t about 20 cm away. You need about a metre, but I didn’t have that to spare. So fuck the zoom!
Today I’m whipping out my 50, and will try again. Wish me luck.