I had the opportunity to experiment with a dreamy, fairy-angel aesthetic for this recent personal session, which was greatly influenced by images from Pinterest. I wanted to combine innocence with an element of drama, the kind of appearance that seemed gentle at first but grows stronger the longer you look at it.
This session turned out to be a true creative exercise because of the little space, short time, and three looks that needed to be finished.We will see what sort of challenges i faced and a detailed explanation of the idea, lighting, and how I used post-production to turn the photographs from straightforward to cinematic.
Concept & Inspiration
One of my female model friend came up with this idea of the shoot with a clear theme in mind: white, ethereal, fairy–angel energy.
- Soft white fabrics
- Glow-like highlights
- Subtle wings and angelic posing
- Airy textures
- Pinterest-style editorial references
The goal was to create a clean, heavenly look but with enough structure and contrast to feel editorial rather than overly cute.
Gear & Technical Setup
For this shoot, I kept my setup simple and reliable:
- Camera: Sony A7M3
- Lens: 24–70mm f/2.8
- Lighting: Two strobe lights
This setup gave me flexibility to shoot wide or tight and adapt quickly between the three looks.
The Reality
This shoot came with a few constraints:
- Small studio space meant limited movement and fewer angles.This was my learning from this shoot to always get a studio tour beforehand or at least get information from people who have shot earlier there.
- Less time– I arrived 30 min late on the shoot due to traffic, Even then we managed to do 3 looks in very less number of hours. I think experience plays a major role in this kind of situation where you have to balance what i want to achieve and what can be achieved in this situation and to take right instinctive decisions not impulsive you need to have some experience and confidence in yourself.
- Three looks in one session demanded fast lighting and styling transitions
When “Good” Isn’t Enough
Although the raw images looked good, I wasn’t fully satisfied.
Something was missing the depth, drama, and emotion I had envisioned.
So in post-production, I made a bold direction change:
- From light & cool to
- dark, warm, and cinematic
This shift added:
- Mood
- Depth
- Rich contrast
- A more mysterious, dramatic feel
Suddenly, the images transformed from “pretty” to powerful.
This was the moment the shoot truly came alive for me.
What I Learned
- Even a small space can produce big results with smart lighting
- Not every shoot reveals its true potential straight from the camera
- Creative pivots in editing can elevate a concept to a new level
- Trusting your artistic instincts pays off even if it means changing direction later
This shoot reminded me that creativity doesn’t always follow the plan and that’s exactly what makes personal work exciting.