I love going to thrift shops! It’s been almost a year since my visit to the Salvation Army and getting this dress for 3 bucks but I had not found the time to shoot it until now. I have a “je ne sais quoi” for old furniture/clothing and I have been wanting to do a vintage-looking portrait with a Victorian style meets Renaissance period, meets Edwardian… If I make any sense.

The Set Up
For this shoot I wanted a dark, moody look that reflected an old painting style with soft and warm tones and very dark contrasting shadows.
I used an Einstein E640, diffused by a 22″ beauty dish, a sock  and a reflector. The lamp bolt also gave a bit of a warm tone.
Hair and make up was very simple. My MUA just did a bit of blush and nothing more. She actually told me that it was prohibited for women to wear make up during that time—crazy stuff.
Everything was shot with a 50 mm at 3.4 and the strobe at minimum power. The light was placed mimicking the position of the sun for a more natural look.

The beauty & the dress—Why I love going to thrift shops

The final Images
At the end, I got the look and feel I was going for and finally, got to shoot my vintage dress

The beauty & the dress—Why I love going to thrift shops