OmoroShoot briefRoll 024Ser.05
Ethereal aesthetic photography reference
RecTC 00:00:00:00

Ethereal

Put something between the lens and the subject, then light from behind

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ethereal
SET

The setup

01Light
Backlight first. A window, a low sun or one large soft source behind the subject, with haze, smoke or a sheer curtain to give the light something to land on. Expose for the highlights and let the shadows lift. Avoid hard fill from the front: it puts the weight back.
02Wardrobe
Sheer and layered: chiffon, tulle, organza, slip dresses, loose linen. Whites, pearl, lilac and pale blue. Nothing structured, nothing logoed, and no black unless it is the one anchor in the frame.
03Location / first setup
A room with tall windows and net curtains
04Palette
DIR

Director's note

Make the air visible. Haze, fabric, glass and water all give light a body, and that is the entire style. Shoot wide open and keep one thing sharp so the picture has an anchor. If it looks like a filter, it is wrong: the softness should come from what was in front of the lens, not from what was done afterwards.

All 151 director’s notes, printable: Director’s Briefs →
SEQ

Shot list

00 / 05

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A figure backlit in a doorway with haze in the air, only the outline sharpsetup50mmatmosphere
A face behind tulle or breathed-on glass, one eye in focussetup50mmthru glass
Fabric caught mid-movement against a bright windowsetup50mmthru glass
Hands and a single object in soft side light, everything else gonesetup50mm
A landscape at first light with mist sitting lowwide24mmatmosphere
Rolling
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LOC

Locations

04
A room with tall windows and net curtainsA field, shoreline or lake at dawnA greenhouse or conservatory with misted glassA bare studio with a haze machine and one large backlight
REF

Explore the aesthetic

Style guideColor palette
DOC

About this brief

How do I photograph the Ethereal aesthetic?

Put something between the lens and the subject, then light from behind.

Make the air visible. Haze, fabric, glass and water all give light a body, and that is the entire style. Shoot wide open and keep one thing sharp so the picture has an anchor. If it looks like a filter, it is wrong: the softness should come from what was in front of the lens, not from what was done afterwards.

Director's note

What shots should I get for a Ethereal photo shoot?

Leave with every frame on this list.

Shot list

  1. A figure backlit in a doorway with haze in the air, only the outline sharp
  2. A face behind tulle or breathed-on glass, one eye in focus
  3. Fabric caught mid-movement against a bright window
  4. Hands and a single object in soft side light, everything else gone
  5. A landscape at first light with mist sitting low
What lighting works for Ethereal photography?

Backlight first. A window, a low sun or one large soft source behind the subject, with haze, smoke or a sheer curtain to give the light something to land on. Expose for the highlights and let the shadows lift. Avoid hard fill from the front: it puts the weight back.

Light

Where should I shoot Ethereal photography?

Scout these before anything else.

Locations

  1. A room with tall windows and net curtains
  2. A field, shoreline or lake at dawn
  3. A greenhouse or conservatory with misted glass
  4. A bare studio with a haze machine and one large backlight
What wardrobe works for Ethereal photography?

Sheer and layered: chiffon, tulle, organza, slip dresses, loose linen. Whites, pearl, lilac and pale blue. Nothing structured, nothing logoed, and no black unless it is the one anchor in the frame.

Wardrobe

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