Animalidad humana: nuestro físico y sus capacidades según el punto de vista.

Extraemos de MEDIUM una entrada dedicada al trabajo de Benjamin Von Wong en un proyecto que sabe mezclar lo comercial, lo vendible al público ordinario que ocasionalmente requiera de los servicios de la fotografía de estudio, con lo conceptual, artístico e incluso socialmente crítico.

En unos tiempos en los que la imagen digital y la fotografía se confunden, Photoshop ha alterado la percepción de la realidad y de la realidad virtual on line. La imagen que se proyecta socialmente está maquillada digitalmente para ofrecer, supuestamente, lo mejor de nosotros mismos en consonancia con las exigencias de las modas y los cambiantes cánones físicos y estéticos.
El equipo de trabajo del estudio fotográfico de Von Wong se ha planteado el reto de ofrecer a sus clientes la posibilidad de ser parte de un proyecto fotográfico en el que, sin retoque digital alguno, sin necesidad de recurrir a Photoshop, los recursos de la fotografía de estudio, el estilismo y la pericia del fotógrafo sean suficientes para imitar la estética de la fotografía deportiva de carácter comercial y/o publicitario. De este modo, la gente común se muestra bajo los presupuestos o cánones estéticos de Hollywood o de la prensa deportiva y de moda (todos confundidos en el mundo del papel couché y de las páginas de tendencias en internet).

https://medium.com/@vonwong/ordinary-people-hollywood-budgets-224bd7c3b749

Ordinary people, Hollywood budgets

Transformed into super athletes, without Photoshop

They may look like fitness models, but they aren’t.

They’re everyday people — office workers, programmers and mothers who took the chance to try something they had never done before.

Liz, Mother of 3

“When people saw the photos it was a lot of shock and awe. I didn’t even think I looked like that.” — Stephanie

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People often look up to the superstars in magazines, marveling at how amazing they look without realizing that they too can look the same.

Armed with $20,000 of lighting equipment and a homemade rain machine, I wanted to prove to them how amazing they looked, straight out of camera.

Chris, 61 year old grandfather of 12

Great Lighting. No Photoshop.

“Hollywood-level lighting” makes a huge difference.

Once set up properly, anyone can look absolutely phenomenal straight out of camera. Muscles beautifully defined, faces perfectly lit.

No tummy tucking or Photoshop funny business needed, only the small tweaks: light, contrast & colour.

Stephanie, 24 year old Front Office Executive

Hours of Trial and Error

Great results take time. And time is money.

We took 2000 shots in a single day in order to produce fewer than 20 final photographs. Each person had to try out a variety of different poses before even beginning to perfect the one that worked.

Shandrew, 37 year old — Director of operations

It starts with believing in yourself

Good lighting and great equipment is only a small part of making people look their best.

Getting them to believe how amazing they looked, was the true magic ingredient behind the creation of these shots.

Watch them transform in front of your eyes:

“I’m a 62 year old grandma. And still, somehow, he manages to make me look great!” — Toni

Toni, 62 year old grandma

This year, give yourself the gift of self-confidence.

Happy 2015 ❤ — Benjamin Von Wong

Credits:

• Photographer: Benjamin Von Wong
• Video: Chris MacAskill, Michael Bonocore
• Digital Tech: Digital Jess
• Assistant: Cameron Liu
• Produced by SmugMug

Web media requests:

Help yourself to more images and the full series by clicking here
Read more about this shoot on my blog for more technical details

For all commercial requests, please reach out to: suzy@suzyjohnston.com