Ever since I started photography I have loved simplicity. Heck, even when I was in film school I would always think to myself: Can’t we just use natural light? And so when I discovered I had full control over my camera and what I produced with it, I ditched the lights and the confusion in favor of simplicity. I have always loved photographing against a blank white wall, and still crave shoots like that. I used to spend hours brainstorming what I could put in front of a white wall that I haven’t done before.

A little while ago I found a big black feather and took it home with me, hoping to use it for a photo. I promptly forgot about it until it suddenly appeared in my car, and I decided to put it to use. I love the way that the human form can be so evocative, expressing emotion much the same way as our faces. Contorting a certain way, lighting a certain way, and through editing we are able to create atmosphere with almost no help from outside elements. In this case I wore an ace bandage and made sure the lighting was more severe than I normally utilize.

I chose to pose against a wall that had only one light source: a window coming from the left. After that, it became simple to find a pose that felt right, and the shoot was over quickly.

How often do you use a white wall or blank canvas to create your art? Share it if you’ve shot it!