Film Noir is a style of movie that came to prominence in the 1940s and 1950s and was heavily influenced by the German films of the 1920s, known as German Expressionism. I remember as a student first watching a VHS of The Cabinet of Dr Caligari and being struck by the crisp angular shadows and high , contrast that Film Noir became famous for.
I grew up with the films of the 1970s and 1980s, which meant that I was drama student before I really appreciated the Film Noir genre and just how many films there were. I was older still before I realised how influencial the genre had been on my own taste and visual style. Gritty, dark, high contrast, cities, urban industrial – all words that I would associate with my preference for images on TV, film or photographs.
As much as I am committed to documentary style photography for my work, I enjoy exploring film noir photography for fun.
Film Noir Photography Workshop to create a photo story
Last year I explored the idea of running a workshop to create a narrative that would form a visual photo story, along the lines of a comic strip.
It required finding a suitable studio space, gathering some simple props and finding some willing models to play the parts.
Combing the film noir ingredients of harsh light, dark shadows, femme fatale, heavy drinking and smoking PI, we collaborated to create a great story which can be seen below.
Hats, cigarettes and trench coats were simple, easy to find props that transformed the shapes of people against the glare of the lights and windows.
I had brought along something like six continuous lights, but found that one was suitable for most scenes.
Everyone had fun. The whole shoot took 4hrs from start to finish and we shot everything inside and just outside of one studio in east London.
If you are interested in Film Noir Photography and would like to take part in a film noir workshop to photograph your own film noir story, then please get in touch and let me know.
