88 DigitalSLR PhotographyMa y 2019
aboutcapturinga moment– sheleavesthat
tolifestylephotographers– hertactasshe
describesis tophotograph"timelessportraits
thatcaptureeternity".“Ideliberatelytry
nottocapturea momentbuta lookthat
willlastforever,likea portraitina museum
- enhancedbythepainterlylighting.The
childrenaregoingtolookthesamein 20
years’time,justwithmorewrinklesaround
theeyes,”sheexplains.
“Therearelotsofphotographerswho
shootwitha similarstyle,particularly
inPolandandRussia– I greatlyadmire
theworkofSeanArcher,forinstance,
whohasa similarlooktominealthough
photographswomennotchildren."The
Renaissancemovementwasrootedin
realismandpresentingpeopleintheirtruest
form,withthepeopleposedfortheartist
andasthecentreofattentioninfrontof
plainbackgrounds,andthisis whatPaulina
recreates."It'sa styleofimagerythathas
beenwithusformorethan 300 years–
it’s Vermeer, Rembrandt and Goya.”
It ’s a styleofimagery
thathasbeenwithus
formorethan 300 years.
It’s Vermeer,
Rembrandt and Goya
AlthoughinthenatureofherRenaissance
influenceclientslookcarefullyposedand
poisedPaulinastillhastoconcentrateon
relaxingherclientsforthecamera.“Imake
themfocusedandrelaxed,helpthemtofloat
awayasopposedtoreactingorsmilingfor
me.I letthembe.SomefamilyportraitsI do
havesmilingsubjectsbutthat’sbecauseit’s
naturalandthechildrenarehappytobewith
theirparents– insituationslikethat,I’mnot
goingtotellthemtostopsmilingbutI’ll
nevertellthemtosmile.Oftenclients
naturallystareatmetoosoI don’tneedto do
anything to grab their attention – thesessionsareveryrelaxedandnotpushyatall.
"Posingis veryimportantandtakes
practice,butI thinkI musthavea goodvisual
memoryforit.I scrollthroughPinterest,look
atmagazines,movies,musicvideos–
anythingvisual– andwhenI seea posethat
clicks,I memoriseit anduseit whenthetime
is right.It’salsoimportanttoreadbody
languagetoknowwhentheclientis
uncomfortableina posesoyouknowhow
faryoucanpushit;withpracticeyoulearn
whatlooksthebestoncameratoo.
“Whatalsohelpsis knowingeverything
beforea shoot.I knowwhatpicturesI’m
goingtotake,whatcoloursandaccessories
they’regoingtowear,howthefamily
coordinatesorwhatdressesI’llbeputting
theminfrommystudio’scollection.
Everythingis decidedbeforehand– nothing
is leftuntilthesession,”shereveals.
QuitequicklyPaulina’sworkhasgained
tractioninonlinephotographycommunities
andshe'sdevelopeda followingcomprising
photographers who want to learn from her