Jillian Iovino // Phoenix, AZ

A reoccurring theme in this project is the interplay between light and shadow. A favorite song of mine has a lyric that states The shadows prove the sunshine, and if I could make that my life theme I would. I am constantly searching for The Light, what makes my creative satisfaction tick. 

I remember this Sunday evening as being incredibly hot, over 106°F (41.1°C), and as we’re looking for places to shoot, we were really just looking for excuses to find shade. Right before this shot, I had asked Jillian to cross the street for a different shot in a parking garage, and when she crossed back, I noticed the interesting - and big - shadow she made on the wall. This sparked ideas in me, despite the fact that the sun was dropping quickly, and changing after each digital proof made. 

“I know this is going to sound weird, but imagine that you’re dancing with the shadows, imagine you’re the light and in a dance off with the shadows, who want to consume you.” Those were my only instructions to Jillian, and I think she nailed my vision perfectly. 

At this point in the project, I was still using a digital camera to proof photos for the ballerinas and help figure out exposure. Still fairly new to film photography, I didn’t comprehend entirely how using a digital camera to judge exposure can lead to negatives that are too dense (underexposed), which was the case this time. Although the tones shown on the digital camera looked great (exposing for the bright highlights), film registers light differently. Thankfully, film has a wide latitude, and retains detail in the shadows quite well. Now, I will expose using a Pentax Spot Meter and 18% grey card, ensuring that I get proper tones across the board. Expose for the shadows & develop for the highlights. 

July 14, 2019