“Fold your arms behind your back… shift onto your right leg. Yeah—I like that. Now look down… let the spine curve.”
Billy moves into it without a word, settling, finding the line on his own.
Jim leans in slightly. “That’s it… a Rodin in the flesh.”
Click.
Picking up from gray, color backdrops start showing up more in the ’70s and on—right when film and printing catch up, alongside the rise of color in movies and television. Now it’s not just light and shadow doing the work. The body’s in color too, so you get this push and pull between skin tones and whatever’s behind it.
And once color’s in the mix, everything shifts a bit. Warm backgrounds—yellows, reds—start to heat things up. Blues and greens cool it down. It’s still a studio, still controlled, but there’s a nod to something more atmospheric, almost theatrical. The body doesn’t just sit in space anymore—it starts to feel like it’s in a mood.
I don’t know that I like these more than the black and white work, but they do something different. You notice complexion, hair, eyes in a new way. It edges closer to painting, honestly—less about pure form, more about feeling. Just another turn of the dial as this whole thing keeps evolving.
Colors certainly evoke a mood. I think hard colors date studio work. As I said before I prefer a white or grey backdrop... but the blue is not a deal breaker.
ReplyDeleteHaha! Deal breaker! Love it. The blue leans closest to gray I suppose. The others are definitely more assertive. bns
DeleteThis has been so interesting and giving thought to the colour of background does change one's reaction to the photo. Some of these stand out better than others, but the display was excellent! Bravo!
ReplyDeleteThanks, friend! bns
DeleteBilly Lee Barnes and Marcus Cobb are favourites. Poor Buck Hayes should have stuck to being a model instead of getting into hardcore. Matt Sterling said he was one of the worst ever, they always had to use a "stunt man" due to his difficulties in "performing" Ouch!
ReplyDeleteGreat choices. Didn’t know that about Hayes. Not surprising though. Can’t have it all. bns
DeleteI prefer the cooler or more neutral colors for the background. makes the warm flesh stand out better!!!
ReplyDeleteThank you. I agree, blues especially work well but greens and purples can look a little off to me…like Wicked or the Joker maybe. bns
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