OmoroShoot briefRoll 024Ser.05
Ethereal aesthetic photography reference
RecTC 00:00:00:00

Ethereal

Put something between the lens and the subject, then light from behind

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ethereal
SET

The setup

Shoot briefHD[ethereal      ]00:00:00:00Stop ■
Brief Int(ethereal____.BRF)

Ethereal

01 LightBacklight first. A window, a low sun or one large soft source behind the subject, with haze, smoke or a sheer curtain to give the light something to land on. Expose for the highlights and let the shadows lift. Avoid hard fill from the front: it puts the weight back.
02 WardrobeSheer and layered: chiffon, tulle, organza, slip dresses, loose linen. Whites, pearl, lilac and pale blue. Nothing structured, nothing logoed, and no black unless it is the one anchor in the frame.
03 LocationA room with tall windows and net curtains
04 Palette
DIR

Director's note

Make the air visible. Haze, fabric, glass and water all give light a body, and that is the entire style. Shoot wide open and keep one thing sharp so the picture has an anchor. If it looks like a filter, it is wrong: the softness should come from what was in front of the lens, not from what was done afterwards.

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

Ethereal 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 seeSoft, farEye level
BackSeparation from the backgroundSoft, farHung high
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

A figure backlit in a doorway with haze in the air, only the outline sharpsetup50mmatmosphere
A face behind tulle or breathed-on glass, one eye in focussetup50mmthru glass
Fabric caught mid-movement against a bright windowsetup50mmthru glass
Hands and a single object in soft side light, everything else gonesetup50mm
A landscape at first light with mist sitting lowwide24mmatmosphere
Rolling
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LOC

Locations

04
A room with tall windows and net curtainsA field, shoreline or lake at dawnA greenhouse or conservatory with misted glassA bare studio with a haze machine and one large backlight
REF

Explore the aesthetic

Style guideColor palette
DOC

About this brief

How do I photograph the Ethereal aesthetic?

Put something between the lens and the subject, then light from behind.

Make the air visible. Haze, fabric, glass and water all give light a body, and that is the entire style. Shoot wide open and keep one thing sharp so the picture has an anchor. If it looks like a filter, it is wrong: the softness should come from what was in front of the lens, not from what was done afterwards.

Director's note

What shots should I get for a Ethereal photo shoot?

Leave with every frame on this list.

Shot list

  1. A figure backlit in a doorway with haze in the air, only the outline sharp
  2. A face behind tulle or breathed-on glass, one eye in focus
  3. Fabric caught mid-movement against a bright window
  4. Hands and a single object in soft side light, everything else gone
  5. A landscape at first light with mist sitting low
What lighting works for Ethereal photography?

Backlight first. A window, a low sun or one large soft source behind the subject, with haze, smoke or a sheer curtain to give the light something to land on. Expose for the highlights and let the shadows lift. Avoid hard fill from the front: it puts the weight back.

Light

Where should I shoot Ethereal photography?

Scout these before anything else.

Locations

  1. A room with tall windows and net curtains
  2. A field, shoreline or lake at dawn
  3. A greenhouse or conservatory with misted glass
  4. A bare studio with a haze machine and one large backlight
What wardrobe works for Ethereal photography?

Sheer and layered: chiffon, tulle, organza, slip dresses, loose linen. Whites, pearl, lilac and pale blue. Nothing structured, nothing logoed, and no black unless it is the one anchor in the frame.

Wardrobe

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