Pascal Baetens. Nude Photography. The Art and The Craft. 2007

11:44

11:30

11:46

11:55

behind the scenes

My inspiration for the shoot was a Chinese legend about a

girl who couldn’t marry the man she loved and whose hair

turned white from her emotional suffering; even though I

was taking a nude photograph, I wanted the model to have

a character rather than just being a body. To add dramatic

effect, I decided her hair should be down to her heels, so

the makeup artist commissioned a long white wig. As this

was strong enough to act as a prop in itself, I kept the

background simple—just a big piece of black velvet that

would provide contrast with the naked body and the wig.

182 PHOTOGrAPHers’ GALLery

11:30 My assistant sets up the lights and a black

velvet backdrop.

11:44 Alana, my model, has her makeup carefully

prepared for the shoot.

11:46 I show Alana my sketch to explain the idea

I am trying to achieve.

11:55 The makeup artist, my assistants, and

I prepare for the shoot.