The artist that I chose to study is Jovana Rikalo, the photographer who captures her subjects with a fairytale-like style and creates an ethereal feeling in her works. Her work involves the intentional use of props and composition – especially in her fine arts works. This is in line with the type of feeling I want to create in my photos, as although the mood will be darker, the otherworldly feeling is still there. I also want to try and create an almost painting-like composition in some of my photos, the way Rikalo does in hers. The props help enhance the fantasy aspect of the photos, as Rikalo commonly uses elements of nature as her props (such as flowers or feathers), which makes the subject seem more magical and connected to nature.

Here are some examples of her work:

In this image, the subject is framed in the center of the photo by the different props, looking up at a light shining from the top right. The body language of the model gives the image more emotion, and the darker, dimmer colors set an almost bleak tone for the photograph. However, this is contrasted by the warm colors of the trees and the model themselves, drawing the focus to the model. The mist in the light also adds another pop of color to an otherwise duller scene, and the image seems to convey the message of finding a light in the dark (emphasized by how the model is also kneeling on the ground and looking up to the light, like they are about to get up and reach for it.)

In this image, the model is staring directly at the camera, creating a sense of connection with the audience. In contrast to the previous photo, this one places a much larger emphasis on the model than the environment surrounding them. The costume of the model is what mainly contributes to the fairytale feeling in this photo – the soft silk matches the texture of their hair and the color of their eyes, and the intricate golden headdress radiates outwards like beams of sunlight. Overall, these things make the audience feel as if they have caught the gaze of some supernatural, perhaps divine being. The composition of the photo also places an emphasis on the model’s face like a traditional portrait, with the radiating lines of the headdress, the model’s hands, and the model’s flowing hair all leading towards their face. The soft colors, composition, and the fairytale-like aesthetic all make this image feel like it could be a painting.

This image is again placing more emphasis on the model’s surroundings like the first image, and the small size of the model in comparison to the other elements in the image adds a lot of atmosphere to the image, which is this image’s main fairytale style influence. The warm yellows and greens are very cohesive together and mixed with the bit of blue in the background, it gives the photo the feeling of summer sunlight. The sunflowers, the model’s carefree pose, and the model’s floaty yellow dress also help with this effect. In particular, I think that the composition of this image is very interesting, with the plants forming a circular frame around the model in a way that reminds me of some sort of painting instead of a photo. This is something that Rikalo does very well in her compositions, as although she is taking photos, the images themselves look like deliberate illustrations. Although I will not be able to utilize background elements as much as Rikalo in my portraits, I want to try and use the lighting, composition and posing to take more intentional photographs.

This image is intriguing because of the use of smoke and mist. It fills the frame and obscures the face of the model, which is something that I could potentially use to fit into the narrative I want to tell with my portrait photos as well. The smoke adds color to the parts of the photo that normally might not have color, and it also creates an interesting hazy effect that mixes really well with the color palette – I’m kind of reminded of a red sand desert. The masking of the model’s face is also really interesting, The bold red tones of the image mixes well with the overall darker colors, and the light in the smoke provides some color contrast.