Photographer Mae Duhnke is a Fashion Business Management major at the renowned Fashion Institute of Technology. A hobby of hers is photography and she is extremely talented in her skill. You may recognize the name as she has done some of my blog photoshoots before.
This week we are talking Women Empowerment and Femininity. There are some things that words cannot express so I’m going to leave it to Mae to show you phenomenal pieces of work she has created named Bloom. She had a vision and effortlessly brought it into existence.
Mae Duhnke Artist Statement:
“My original idea was to highlight women empowerment, strength and unity through diversity, however, once I started shooting it turned into something different. It became a beautiful narrative of female beauty and growth. I ended up focusing on the innocence and purity that women embody when they come together, specifically in nature. There is a unique glow that each girl had once they became more comfortable with themselves and the environment of the shoot. Above anything else I wanted to capture the raw beauty of a woman and show how when surrounded by nature, they seem to become a part of the earth. Woman bloom and grow just like flowers and adding that to my narrative through the nature that surrounds them in the photographs helps carry that idea to the viewer.
It took me a few shots to get into the groove of the shoot. When it came to the poses I wanted them to seem effortless and natural. I opted to have them sit in the grass and simply lean on one another or hold each other which exemplified the support women give so willingly to other women. I told each model to wear a white dress, some long and some short, to give interest to the images. I chose the color white, not only because it fit the color scheme and made the green background pop, but also because it made the girls blank canvases, allowing their individuality and diversity to shine through. I didn’t want the clothes to distract from the narrative of the shoot. I chose to have their makeup and hairstyles be minimal so their true beauty could shine through. I shot in the evening when the sun was lower in the sky, to my luck, it was overcast which created such a beautiful natural hue on the images. I decided to include wildflowers in some of the shots to show femininity and elegance.”
Enjoy, and of course, stay tuned for next weeks feature! Don’t forget to follow Mae on her social media and subscribe to her Youtube Channel!
Mae’s Instagram: @maesonduhnke
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYy1HMWAI7lX7XnPWO_PYqQ
