Steampunk Portrait African Style

April 21, 2017

People sometimes ask how I create my more unusual portraits.  First and foremost I strive to use real items - props, costumes, and sets - akin to what Hollywood refers to as "practical effects."  This Steampunk African Style I portrait is no exception in that all the items shown are real - I acquired the antique trunk in Denver and elements of the costume from various sellers including Seven Status.    

Digital effects can contribute to creating great portraits, especially when they originate with a real subject.  That is the case with steam engine 482 in this portrait.  In 2016, I photographed the locomotive when in Silverton, Colorado on a stop during an excursion on the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad.  (One passenger cheerfully remarked that I had to know what I was doing given the heavy professional equipment I was hauling.)  Applying some digital compositing effects resulted in the beautiful background you see here.  

- Juliet Miles


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