A portrait series about existing somewhere between the real and the imagined.
Some days you feel fully present. Other days, part of you is somewhere else: in a memory, a daydream, a feeling you can't quite name. I wanted to photograph that in-between state. The concept became "half here, half dream."
Building the dream
Everything in the shoot was chosen to feel soft and weightless: a pale slip dress, loose waves in her hair, delicate baby's breath, and white fabric everywhere. I shot in black and white with a hazy, diffused light, so edges blur and nothing feels fully solid. The film-like grain adds to the sense of a memory rather than a moment.
Frame one: here
The series begins close. Baby's breath fills the foreground, so out of focus it becomes almost like smoke. But her eyes are completely sharp, looking straight into the lens. This is the "here," the part of her that's present, meeting you directly.
Frame two: in between
In the second frame, I stepped back. She kneels on the white fabric, flowers resting in her hands, and the haze begins to wrap around her. Her face is still clear, but the edges of her body are softening into the background.
Frame three: dream
In the final frame, she stands, holding the flowers loosely at her side. Her dress fades into the mist, and her feet almost disappear into light. She's nearly part of the dream now, but her gaze still holds steady, even here.
The thread that holds it together
Across all three images, one thing never changes: her eyes. As everything around her drifts and dissolves, they stay sharp and present. That's what keeps her half here. Everything else belongs to the dream.
What I took from it
A strong concept isn't just one image. It's an idea carried through a whole series, where each frame moves the story a little further. Here, that meant letting her fade, one step at a time, while never letting go of her completely.
Interested in a portrait session or conceptual project? Get in touch.