OmoroShoot briefRoll 023Ser.05
Distorted Portraits aesthetic photography reference
RecTC 00:00:00:00

Distorted Portraits

Identity under pressure: the human face stretched, compressed, and made strange

Roll 0235 frames0 / 5 shot
Frames00/05
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distorted portraits
SET

The setup

Shoot briefHD[distorted port]00:00:00:00Stop ■
Brief Int(distorted-po.BRF)

Distorted Portraits

01 LightHard directional light that maximizes the appearance of distortion the edge definition created by hard light makes distorted features more legible than soft light, which blurs the very information the distortion depends on
02 WardrobeMinimal, skin-tone adjacent, or plain black the face and its distortion are the entire content
03 LocationHall of mirrors or fairground mirror installation
04 Palette
DIR

Director's note

Use a 15mm or 14mm rectilinear ultra-wide at a distance of 20–30cm from the subject the facial proportional distortion at this proximity and focal length is dramatic, controllable, and optical rather than digital

All 151 director’s notes, printable: Director’s Briefs, $8 →
VF

Viewfinder

Live

Four controls on the brief's own plate · the meter is real, so you can blow a frame

Distorted Portraits reference frame
Standby50mmf/5.6 · 1/125 · ISO 400

Running the list sets the camera for every shot in turn. Load your own photo to light and expose a frame you actually shot.

LGT

Light the set

3 lamps

Drag a lamp and watch the frame above change. The brief's own note is the preset

KeyThe light that makes the pictureMediumEye level
FillHow far into shadow you can seeMediumEye level
BackRound at the front, where it is just another fillOffEye level
On the brief
CS

Contact sheet

00 / 12

Nothing on the sheet yet. Set the camera, then take a frame.

SEQ

Shot list

00 / 05

Tap a pad to mark the frame shot · saved on this device

Portrait reflected and distorted in the convex surface of a chrome sphere or car mirrorportrait85mmthru glass
Face photographed through thick poured glass or a lens-corrective element that distorts without abstractingsetup50mmthru glass
Long-exposure portrait with subject moving head horizontally the features smeared into a horizontal blurportrait85mmsoft focus
Portrait photographed from unusual proximity with a wide-angle lens, the proportional distortion reading as intentionalportrait85mm
Subject's face reflected in multiple mirrors at competing angles simultaneouslysetup50mmthru glass
Rolling
Take it to set: all 151 briefs as one PDF · $8
LOC

Locations

04
Hall of mirrors or fairground mirror installationSculpture studio with reflective formsPhotography studio with specialist glass or lens equipmentCar park or garage with convex safety mirrors
REF

Explore the aesthetic

Style guideColor palette
DOC

About this brief

How do I photograph the Distorted Portraits aesthetic?

Identity under pressure: the human face stretched, compressed, and made strange.

Use a 15mm or 14mm rectilinear ultra-wide at a distance of 20–30cm from the subject the facial proportional distortion at this proximity and focal length is dramatic, controllable, and optical rather than digital

Director's note

What shots should I get for a Distorted Portraits photo shoot?

Leave with every frame on this list.

Shot list

  1. Portrait reflected and distorted in the convex surface of a chrome sphere or car mirror
  2. Face photographed through thick poured glass or a lens-corrective element that distorts without abstracting
  3. Long-exposure portrait with subject moving head horizontally the features smeared into a horizontal blur
  4. Portrait photographed from unusual proximity with a wide-angle lens, the proportional distortion reading as intentional
  5. Subject's face reflected in multiple mirrors at competing angles simultaneously
What lighting works for Distorted Portraits photography?

Hard directional light that maximizes the appearance of distortion the edge definition created by hard light makes distorted features more legible than soft light, which blurs the very information the distortion depends on

Light

Where should I shoot Distorted Portraits photography?

Scout these before anything else.

Locations

  1. Hall of mirrors or fairground mirror installation
  2. Sculpture studio with reflective forms
  3. Photography studio with specialist glass or lens equipment
  4. Car park or garage with convex safety mirrors
What wardrobe works for Distorted Portraits photography?

Minimal, skin-tone adjacent, or plain black the face and its distortion are the entire content

Wardrobe

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