What if I told you that in order to get the red/orange lighting, I used the lid off a tupperware container? The night I shot these photos with Livvy, I had to get creative. The gels I wanted to order off amazon would not arrive faster than our inspiration can strike. Like a true photographer, when the iron is hot, you must strike. This particular evening, Livvy was feeling timid - and a bit fickle. She told me quite simply - if we didn't shoot tonight, she felt like she wouldn't do it at all. I heard the call, and I took the oppurtunity to slow down with my XT-5 and a new, larger member to the arsenal: The Legendary Fuji GX680. A Medium Format Film Beast. A true heavyweight clocking in at nearly 12 pounds completely set up. In order to get it ready before this shoot, I had to 3D print and solder a custom battery pack nearly a month in advance. While I didn't initially plan to use it with this shoot in mind, I figured it would be an ample opportunity to slow down and practice for more editorial style or fine art content. I'll be sure to include the film photos in part two of this post!

Using environmental light sources is my bread and butter. So in addition to my cheap panel LED, I took full advantage of the thin RGB floor lamp in the corner of the room. I knew Livvy loved the color purple, but I actually loved the way the darker violet tones played with her complexion. The red light almost gave a bronze appearance to the highlights and midtones in the image. Using the violet as a rim light helped enhance the moody aesthetic for some of these images as well. 

While this isnt our best work, it was a promising experiment, and we are looking forward to a new shoot in the studio sometime soon. When she isn't posing like a stoney vixen in the boudoir, you can find Livvy running her sustainable and eco-friendly candle business, managing social media accounts, or walking around midtown markets with her puppy mascot "Lady". Did you enjoy our photos? Need a candle for your beau? Check out @manymumblingmice on instagram or @imlivwilliams for more content.
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