Dana in ICON Studio’s seasonal flower-pool installation.
A dark pool, moss islands and flowers, all inside a Toronto studio. ICON’s limited-time flower-pool installation supplied a whole setting for this May session with Dana. Credit for the set belongs to the studio team; my part was to shape the light, direct the posing and work three outfits into the scene.
There was one immediate complication: Toronto had given us a very sunny day. The window light was brighter than I expected, while the photographs I had in mind called for something closer to dusk beside a pond.
Balancing the window with continuous light
I kept the window light as a base and used a focused continuous source to shape highlights across Dana’s face and shoulders. Flags at the windows and some negative fill helped control the brightness. Adjusting the beam and Dana’s position brought the catchlight into her eyes.
The space around the water was tight. Rather than relying on large movements, we worked with smaller changes: fingertips, the angle of the chin, the turn of a wrist and where the fabric fell. A small adjustment could change the photograph without moving to another part of the set.
The white gown and the dark water
We began with a long white dress. Against the dark surface, its fabric gave the composition a clear shape. Dana reclined at the edge of the pool, and I used the folds of the gown, her profile and the reflection to build the frame.
Flowers close to the camera added a softer foreground. Bringing a lily towards her face gave us another gesture within the same setting. The contrast between the white dress and the darker water held this first look together.
Closer portraits in the pink dress
For the second look, Dana drew her knees in and brought her arms around them, with her hair falling forward. I moved closer for portraits that gave less of the frame to the room.
The continuous light shaped her cheekbones, while the water reflected some of the flowers. Changing the distance and framing gave us a more contained composition without changing the whole set.
Mint-blue lace on the moss island
We finished in the mint-blue outfit on one of the moss islands. With little room to move, the details carried the pose: a wrist turned through the light, a longer line of leg between the flowers or a small head tilt.
I alternated wider views with closer portraits. One showed how Dana sat within the installation; the other brought attention back to her face and expression. That variation helped the third look have its own place in the series.
Planning around a set like this
A set with water and limited space needs a plan for the outfits and positions. Seated, leaning and reclining poses gave us options here. Flowing fabric, cream, pastels and softer prints were useful starting points for the setting; the clothes still needed to fit the person and the intended mood.
I guide hands, chin, shoulders and fabric during the session. You do not need to arrive knowing how to pose. We can discuss clothing, coverage and comfort while planning, alongside the room and time available.
The photographs show a seasonal installation from that session. Check ICON’s current rooms and sets before planning around this particular pool. If it is no longer installed, we can develop another concept around the elements you like, such as flowers, flowing fabric or more dramatic light.
Browse my personal portrait sessions and the Toronto studio guide, or send me your idea and approximate timing. We can choose a current space that supports it.
