photographer feature: katya de grunwald

i have seen some of katya de grunwald's breathtaking portrait photos floating around on tumblr with no credit and always wondered who the mystery photographer was. today i found out, browsed her website and was very happy with what i found.

why i love this photo: snow queen | ice queen photoshoot inspiration board

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i already knew i wanted some lace involved some lace involved with this photoshoot. i know it doesn't really have anything to do with snow or ice necessarily, but it is white and it is beautiful plus the model said that she wanted it to be somewhat lady gaga inspired and i think adding weird textures such as lace to lips would fall into that category. i'm also a huge fan lately of photos that don't show the entirety of someone's face, i think it makes the photo easier for a variety of people to relate to since the model could be anyone really.

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i know, once again, there is no snow or ice in this photo, i think the feathers make for a nice snow substitute though. the model won't get so cold, the feathers won't melt and ruin hair or makeup, and no matter how much the snow on the ground has frozen up the feathers would still be versatile enough to blow around like snow, but look a little more feminine.

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i love this photo so much, maybe just the pose, how feminine it is, and once again with the hint of anonymity. a bit overexposed making the skin look flawless.

i love this mask, it looks to me like it could be easily reproduced with very little effort, i found this free printable mask template and i think that if i cut out a layer of silk in the shape of a combination of the first and middle mask, then roughly the same thing for a layer of lace to go over it that i could make something similar for the photoshoot. i also love her makeup, but i think we want to do something a little more outlandish.

this is from the chanel spring/summer 2010 runway show where chanel had temporary tattoos. i like whole pearls without wearing pearls idea because sometimes pearls usually don't look very modern, at least not modern enough for what i want to do with this shoot.

[image via natalie shau | "alkonost"]

this piece by natalie shau inspired me more with the pearly look. it made me think that maybe i could get halves of pearls to stick on the model's neck instead of actually trying to find someone who could draw them on and make them look realistic. i also love the hair.

this is some of what i have in mind for the makeup, really cold and metallic and only across the eyes, down the nose, and the mouth.

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mainly i love the mohawk... i think what they did with the branches behind her is also very interesting as well as the negative effect. the clothes are amazing, but not really what i had in mind for this particular project.

[image via ultramaryna]

i mainly just like the pose/what she is doing in the picture. it looks like they might have used little bits of styrofoam for this photo. i still want to stick to feathers though i think.

i love the star on her forehead. maybe it wouldn't have to be a star, but i would like to do something similar with the makeup. i love that you can still see the powdery texture of the makeup around the star.

more lace/mask. i have a pretty big piece of lace at the house so i could probably do a couple of variations of masks, lips, and still hopefully have enough for something like the next photo...

so feminine and beautiful

mirrors, broken mirrors, things that shine, pastel colors, poofy hair. it looks really vintage. extended exposure time to get the movement of her dress, possible double exposure. really desaturated and beautiful.

more feathers... nice parasol, hair, and jewelry, but i hate the eyebrows.