OmoroShoot briefRoll 026Ser.05
Grunge aesthetic photography reference
RecTC 00:00:00:00

Grunge

Authentic American discomfort: plaid, distortion, and the romance of feeling everything too much

Roll 0265 frames0 / 5 shot
Frames00/05
More in Dark & AtmosphericNew WaveCyberpunkGothic
grunge
SET

The setup

Shoot briefHD[grunge        ]00:00:00:00Stop ■
Brief Int(grunge______.BRF)

Grunge

01 LightAvailable window light in a domestic interior, supplemented by nothing; let the shadows fall where they fall and do not lift them
02 WardrobePlaid flannel, torn jeans, thermal underlayers, Converse or Doc Martens, unwashed-looking hair; the goal is lived-in, not costume
03 LocationSuburban garage or basement
04 Palette
DIR

Director's note

Process in Lightroom by reducing clarity to -20 and adding a slight green-brown color grade to the shadows the reduced clarity creates the analog softness of C-41 film processed in a community lab, which is the aesthetic's original medium

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

Grunge reference frame
Standby50mmMeteredf/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 pictureSoft, farEye level
FillHow far into shadow you can seeSoft, farEye 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 in a wood-paneled basement or garage, available light only, the subject in plaid and denimportrait85mm
Close portrait with film grain pushed to 3200 ISO, the face partially in shadow, direct but unposedportrait85mm
Environmental shot of a rehearsal space with instruments on stands, cables on the floor, posters on the wallsenvironment35mm
Full-length shot of subject against a concrete wall in flannel, jeans, and beat-up bootssetup50mm
Interior shot of a thrift store or garage sale, the subject among the objects, part of the landscapewide24mm
Rolling
Take it to set: all 151 briefs as one PDF · $8
LOC

Locations

04
Suburban garage or basementPacific Northwest forest exterior in overcast lightThrift shop or pawn storePractice room with low ceiling and band posters
REF

Explore the aesthetic

Part of the Nostalgia & Memory mood, alongside Vaporwave and Y2K. Began in the 1980s, on the style timeline.

Style guideColor palette
DOC

About this brief

How do I photograph the Grunge aesthetic?

Authentic American discomfort: plaid, distortion, and the romance of feeling everything too much.

Process in Lightroom by reducing clarity to -20 and adding a slight green-brown color grade to the shadows the reduced clarity creates the analog softness of C-41 film processed in a community lab, which is the aesthetic's original medium

Director's note

What shots should I get for a Grunge photo shoot?

Leave with every frame on this list.

Shot list

  1. Portrait in a wood-paneled basement or garage, available light only, the subject in plaid and denim
  2. Close portrait with film grain pushed to 3200 ISO, the face partially in shadow, direct but unposed
  3. Environmental shot of a rehearsal space with instruments on stands, cables on the floor, posters on the walls
  4. Full-length shot of subject against a concrete wall in flannel, jeans, and beat-up boots
  5. Interior shot of a thrift store or garage sale, the subject among the objects, part of the landscape
What lighting works for Grunge photography?

Available window light in a domestic interior, supplemented by nothing; let the shadows fall where they fall and do not lift them

Light

Where should I shoot Grunge photography?

Scout these before anything else.

Locations

  1. Suburban garage or basement
  2. Pacific Northwest forest exterior in overcast light
  3. Thrift shop or pawn store
  4. Practice room with low ceiling and band posters
What wardrobe works for Grunge photography?

Plaid flannel, torn jeans, thermal underlayers, Converse or Doc Martens, unwashed-looking hair; the goal is lived-in, not costume

Wardrobe

Omoro Studio · Creative System

Generate shoot references in the Grunge style

Omoro reads your visual references and generates images in your exact aesthetic. Build a mood board before the shoot or create composite references for your client.

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