Stel
(Updated 6/18/23 with additional photos)
A photographer friend of mine recently shared a mannequin photo she’d made, which prompted a discussion about creepy mannequin photos. We decided to get some mannequins and make some creepy pictures.
To start, my goals were to develop skills in portraying mood via simple gesture, and to make creepy, unfunny photographs. I’ve diverged from these goals somewhat as I go along in the project, partly because they’re hard goals, and partly because I follow my nose and it sometimes leads me to other types of images.
So far my photos seem to fall into two main camps: story-telling, and light studies.
Story Telling
Story telling is a big factor in my photography. I often think of the story concept ahead of time, then create the image to illustrate it, but sometimes the image creation builds the story.
These are untitled for now because I want viewers to figure the stories out on their own.
Light Studies
I’m always fascinated with shaping light, and mannequins are perfect models for experimenting with it because they’re endlessly patient and don’t mind holding a pose for hours at a time.
Working with mannequins is challenging and fun, so I’m not done photographing them. I’ll update this page as I create more mannequin photos.
And finally, for someone prone to anthropomorphism as I am, I can’t help but thank my mannequins for their help. A big thanks to Bob, Simone, Ziggy and Chad, without whose endless patience and willingness to experiment this project wouldn’t be possible.