I’ve been wanting to play with pinup photography for a long time. In my mind, Pinup is a combination of playing dress-up and make-believe. Tatyanna has been wanting me to photograph her for a while, and this is the concept we came up with together. We started the day with hair and makeup – a classic pony tail, lots of liquid liner, false lashes, and sexy red lips – very reminiscent of Audrey Hepburn. She felt like a movie star, which is exactly what I wanted. We want to give our clients more than just photos – we want to give an amazing experience they will never forget.
There are several types of pinup photography, ranging from in-studio cheesecake (think exaggerated poses, vintage telephones, and a bear-skin rug) to nearly nude boudoir. The cheesecake style of pinup photography isn’t for me because I’m not a fan of shooting in a studio. I’d much rather be on location at a cool building or outdoors. Pinup isn’t about location or props – it’s about empowering women and giving them a creative way to feel beautiful and confident. That is why I love pinup photography so much.
Of course I wanted to make this Pinup shoot as authentic as possible while still being true to my style of photography. I shot this with film, as I do 95% of the time. I even used my vintage Agfa Isolette camera from the 1950’s! I have to admit, while using it, I gained MUCH respect for pre-1970 photographers. Wow, was it a lot of work to use this camera. Setting exposure and advancing film with this type of vintage camera is hard enough, but this particular model has no through-the-lens focusing. We used a tape measure to see how many meters away I was from Tatyanna, then set the lens accordingly and prayed it would come out. I got ONE great photo (out of 10), and here it is! Pretty cool, ha? *Pats myself on back*
Check out the behind-the-scenes photos of me fumbling with this ancient camera HERE.
The sunglasses and gloves are vintage from the 50’s, as are the luggage, picnic blanket, basket, bowls, coffee pot, and cups. Tatyanna was a natural model. She was sassy, confident, and sweet, and fell right into the poses. She had a fantastic time and we made some beautiful images. Enjoy!
