divine feminine glamour

This project explores close-up facial portraiture within a domestic and familial context, produced in response to an NHS facial study brief. The work consists of twelve portraits of my parents, photographed within their home. By using my mum and step-dad as subjects, I was able to work in an environment of trust and familiarity, which allowed for sustained observation of both facial structure and expression. 

 

A key focus of the study is the relationship between facial form, expression, and lighting. The portraits employ traditional lighting techniques:  Rembrandt, split  lighting and even casting shadows behind the subjects. These methods create distinct shadow patterns that emphasise bone structure, symmetry, and surface detail, while also influencing the emotional reading of each image. Across the series, facial expressions range from controlled and neutral to visibly emotional, including moments of tension, fear, and candid laughter. This variation highlights how expression interacts with lighting to affect perception, demonstrating how the same face can appear vulnerable, authoritative, or intimate depending on both emotional state and illumination.

 

The lighting for the project was intentionally kept simple and mobile. A handheld light source was used rather than a fixed studio setup, allowing me to move freely around the subject and respond intuitively to changes in expression. This flexibility enabled subtle adjustments in light direction and distance, producing nuanced shifts in shadow and tone across each portrait. The handheld approach also introduced a sense of immediacy and responsiveness, reinforcing the observational nature of the study rather than a rigid or overly controlled aesthetic.

 

Photographing the subjects within their own home was a deliberate decision. The domestic setting removes the neutrality of the studio and introduces intimacy and authenticity. At the same time, the close framing isolates the face from its surroundings, encouraging careful attention to facial detail. 

 

While the portraits are technically structured, they resist theatricality in favour of directness and quiet observation. Through the combination of varied facial expressions, handheld lighting, and a trusted domestic environment, this project investigates how facial imagery can function as a tool for analytical, empathetic, and human-centred research. In the context of the NHS brief, the work foregrounds real, unidealised faces and emphasises the importance of sensitivity, accuracy, and ethical awareness in the visual study of the human face.