About the Image

This dynamic advertising fashion image, captures a stylish woman walking along a desert road during twilight. She has Western charm in a tailored suede fringe jacket, fitted beige top, and classic blue jeans, accessorized with a wide-brimmed cowboy hat.

The vivid blue and magenta hues of the sky contrast with the earth tones of her outfit, emphasizing the textures and elegance of the ensemble. The model’s happy expression and casual stride add motion and energy, while the desert landscape enhances the narrative of freedom and modern Western flair.

This image was shot for the highly respected western designer Patricia Wolf. I loved just about everything she designed and it was so easy to shoot her great fashion. They would ship the garments out of Texas to a friend of mine's address in Rio Verde, AZ, just out of Phoenix, and opening the boxes was almost like Christmas. I had no idea what was in the box, but I was pretty sure I was going to like it. Every fashion photographer I know loves to have great wardrobe to shoot, it makes it easy, thanks Pat!

This image shows where the term "Blue Hour" comes from.

Feel free to share, this is the shortcut link: stpvd.com/25/18

How I Shot It

This image was shot on film. I asked Micheline to walk at a brisk pace and I walked at the same speed ahead of her holding the camera vertically and low by my leg, roughly estimating the framing. The goal was to keep the camera as steady as possible while moving, pressing and holding the shutter release as I walked. Shooting with a very wide angle lens on the camera and making sure I had a lot of extra image around the edges allowed for some framing mis-alignment.

I kept shooting until the camera signaled the end of the roll by rewinding the film back into the cassette, which stops the ability to shoot more images. I normally got 37 to 38, and every once in a while 39, images per roll of film.

It took a few seconds to rewind the roll and I’d quickly load a new roll, take a quick light meter reading to confirm exposure, and resume shooting. In about 7½ seconds of continuous shooting the new roll was full. Then stop, reload, check the light level with the meter, shoot another 7½ seconds. By the end of that rapid-fire sequence, I knew I’d likely have at least one, maybe two solid frames out of roughly 112 exposures. This entire process took about 30 seconds... just enough time before the perfect light disappeared.

And yes, because I was shooting the image with the camera in the vertical position, the original image was vertical, see below. I used Photoshop's generative fill feature that works... sort of. It still required about an hour's of retouching in Photoshop.

For Photographers

The Gear:
Canon camera set to 1/30 second shutter speed, 100 ISO and a Canon 20-35mm zoom lens OR the 17-35mm lens (I can't remember which because I owned both of them) set to either 20mm or 17mm using f2.8.

The Light:
The very last light of sunset.

I see things differently, which is an advantage to my clients. Being inspired by the beauty of light, motion, and atmosphere... my work reflects the same creativity and attention to detail I bring to every client project, commercial or editorial. Whether you're looking to elevate your brand visuals, tell a compelling story, or capture unforgettable moments with impact, let's create something visually extraordinary together, stills, motion or both. Get in touch to discuss your vision today. E-mail is by far the best way to contact us as we are traveling on average 175 days a year and sometimes well out of cell phone range.

We are based in Los Angeles, California, Atlanta, Georgia, both in the USA & Milan, Italy, and serve the nation and travel worldwide for projects, both video and stills. On average we travel 175 days a year from all over the USA, to Singapore to Japan, Europe and the Middle East. We are normally in Europe 2 or 3 times a year, mostly Italy and Germany, shooting for clients there.

If you would like to use this image, or any of my images for mock or comp use, please just ask. There is never a charge for this service. Educational use is permitted without charge, unless published, but please ask first. All commercial use is available only with a limited copyright release prior to use from the copyright holder, Steve Thornton. Thanks for looking!