I’ve always liked photographing hands. Perhaps more than any other body part they seem to be unique to the individual and hold a lot of character. Sometimes as photographers we default on a person’s eyes, or their face and smile, but I really believe hands can tell us a lot of things about someone.
When I was making this image I was a bit apprehensive about cutting off the model’s head. Often times beheading a model can be a recipe for disaster but here I think it works really nicely. It was the right decision to draw the eye directly into the hands and the shape of the body without distractions. If I had angled the camera just a little higher at the shoulders it wouldn’t have worked, but taking a bit of a chance paid off in spades.
This image is also a perfect example of why it is wonderful to be a photographer in the Pacific Northwest. Perfect even lighting without a single shadow to distract the eye or ruin the composition. The result is a situation that can be metered with ease and requires no special considerations to develop. I have to admit, there are times when I feel spoiled.