Gray Is a Beautiful Color — Marcelina (Patreon)

For this set, we kept the studio almost completely bare: a wall, a wooden stool, and Marcelina in black lace and floral tights. I love shoots like this because every little change matters. The way she leans against the stool, turns toward the camera, or lets her hair fall across her face can give a frame an entirely different feeling.

Black and white brings out details I might have missed in color. The flowers in the tights play against the tattoos on her arms; the lace, her hair, and the shadows each bring their own texture. There’s plenty of empty space around her, but the photographs never feel empty.

Some of these portraits are quiet and direct. Others have a more playful, sensual energy. Marcelina moves between the two so naturally that I kept shooting long after I felt we had the photo. Gray turned out to be a beautiful color for her.