The ‘Liminal Space’ series was created as the final part of my BA (Hons) Commercial Photography degree at Arts University Plymouth. The series is led by fashion, and explores how costumes, props and set design can be used to discuss themes of desire and deception. I wanted the images to speak for themselves, and to include things that are not only professional but also personal to me. I started this project by writing different things that were symbolic of my childhood and I used this as an identity to inform my story and my writings, exaggerating the idea of ​​a liminal place – a place, or state of mind, at the time of change – and wishing for a higher degree and very special.
This work was inspired by the desire I felt at the time to get back and heal my inner child. I was going through personal problems, and I felt humiliated. This made me remember a happy and simple time: that inspired me to express through my fashion pictures the inner feelings I was experiencing, of two conflicting thoughts. If you look at the expressions on the faces of my models and compare them to the interesting sets, you can feel the tension between two ideas: this adds an unpleasant tone, while it connects with the idea of ​​space.
From concept to reality
The location and set design played a major role in the production of the images. When I’m in the studio, I focus on giving illusions, using tools like stripping the canvas. Sometimes I can create a new set: this involves me painting non-repetitive things, like clouds or banners, to support the story.
For places, I chose places or events that reminded me of my childhood, such as the entrance to the fun house I used to go to when I was a child, inside the playground, and the playground near my home.
For most of my paintings, I had a clear vision of what I wanted to achieve that stems from childhood memories. However, on some shoots, I had a very difficult time deciding when I was satisfied with the results. ‘Doll’s House’, which won the People’s Choice award in the Fashion category at the 2023 British Photography Awards, initially took me three trial runs. I used different techniques, such as blocking colors and panels on the set, showing clouds in the background, and using a different color with all the costumes. It was through letting the mind roll from shot to shot that I developed my images.
I shot ‘Liminal Space’ with a Nikon D850 and Nikkor AF-S 24-70mm f/2.8 lens. This combination allowed me to capture close ups and details of the clothing, while still allowing me to mount and capture the entire scene.
The thing I found the most difficult was the general principle of ‘less is more’. My mind is always swimming with ideas. In order to stay on topic, I sometimes have to step back, and narrow my thoughts on the choices that bring the point across in a clear and sweet way.
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Art University Plymouth
BA (Hons) Commercial Photography at Arts University Plymouth is a skills-based course that prepares artists to create everything from professional illustrations to unique branding for advertising campaigns.