Sølve Sundsbø draping bodies with light
Photography could be defined as capturing light and shadows. In our eyes, few do it as well as Sølve Sundsbø, a Norwegian fashion photographer and filmmaker based in London.
In his 2008 series for Numero magazine: “Points à la ligne”, he plays with contrasting geometric patterns.
The model Edita Vilkeviciute, although completely naked, appears to be dressed in lace of light and shadows.
This effect was created on set. Her skin was painted in pale white and she was positioned in a pitch-black setting. Then, a series of shadow stripes or dots were cast onto her body to create the illusion of an ethereal veil.
The patterns follow the body volumes and highlight their shape as parts of them disappear in the dark. The altered perception of the silhouette creates a dramatic and surreal composition.
Thinking of analogue process, we immediately remember the effects used in the 1954 never finished film “L’enfer” by Henri Georges Clouzot where the director experimented with different light effects on actress Romy Schneider producing psychedelic and surreal sequences.
Sølve Sundsbø has since reused this process during other photoshoots.
In a 2013 series of Martha Hunt for Lui magazine, he casts stripes on the model again, but this time they overlap with fishnet accessories, the superposition of patterns adding a sense of mystery to the hidden body parts.
When photographing Noomi Rapace for Dazed Digital, he casts a grid of light that created patterns on the clothes. On another, the grid combines with the striped garment, highlighting, in contrast, the actress’s face and brings the focus to her eyes with a well-positioned stripe of light.
Although evolving in the fast-paced fashion industry, and after being created over a decade ago, Sølve Sundsbø’s series remains timeless.
Needless to say that these photos and technique ignite our imagination and will surely inspire a future photoshoot with our watches.
visit Sølve Sundsbø’s website