White fabric, window light and three different looks were the starting points for this portrait and boudoir session with Cristina at Mint Room in Toronto. The draped fabric gave the room a soft backdrop, and I built a moodboard to bring the setting, clothes, poses and expressions into the same conversation.
A room with a soft backdrop
The white fabric was part of what drew me to the space. It gave us a setting that suited the softer, elegant direction of the shoot, while leaving room for changes in styling and expression.
For a new session, the room and its setup need to be checked for the chosen date. You can see the current spaces and decor on Mint Room’s official website.
The moodboard before the camera
I used the moodboard to collect the look and feel of the session, including references for poses and expressions. It gave us a shared direction before we started photographing. The board below is from this shoot.
My moodboard for this photoshoot
Three looks for Cristina
We chose three outfits with different directions: one more poised and assertive, one softer and more romantic, and one with a casual, intimate feel. They gave us ways to vary the series within the same overall setting.
For wardrobe planning, I look at how colours and textures sit against the background as well as how comfortable the clothes feel. An outfit needs to work when the person moves and changes position, too.
Window light and a team on set
We worked with natural light coming through the windows. Victoria, our hair and makeup artist, helped keep the looks ready as we moved through the outfits.
The session shifted from more direct, poised portraits to softer and more playful frames. The backstage video below shows part of that process with Cristina in the studio.
Backstage video of my portrait photoshoot with Cristina in Mint room studio in Toronto
From the plan to the finished series
The moodboard gave the session a direction; the changes in outfit, pose and expression gave the photographs variety. The white fabric and window light tied those different looks to the same space.
The gallery below brings the finished selection together. Alongside the moodboard and backstage video, it shows the choices at different stages of the shoot: the references, the work in the room and the resulting portraits.
If you have an idea for a studio session, we can start with the mood, styling and kind of photographs you want to make. Explore my personal photoshoots or tell me about your idea.
