Noir Reverie
Noir Reverie
This photographic project, I wanted to explore how costume could enhance storytelling, using styling as a visual cue to develop the characters and deepen the narrative. Drawing inspiration from Wong Kar-wai's Fallen Angels, I incorporated dramatic lighting, high contrast, and off-kilter compositions to evoke a sense of cinematic isolation and intimacy. The use of deep shadows and neon-like highlights created an atmosphere of mystery, much like Wong's signature aesthetic, where characters exist in fragmented, melancholic spaces. Additionally, I was influenced by the raw authenticity of photojournalism, particularly the work of Mary Ellen Mark, whose ability to capture the depth of human emotions through black-and-white imagery resonated with me. Like her, I aimed to document a moment that felt real, despite being staged, blurring the line between fiction and reality. The outcome of this project was a carefully curated photo book, allowing the photographs to be presented in a sequential format that mimics a cinematic narrative, reinforcing the project's themes of storytelling, isolation, and visual poetry.
Noir Reverie
This photoshoot was noir- inspired reminiscent of Wong Kar-wai’s Fallen Angels (1995). His signature use of wide-angle lenses, dramatic lighting, and intimate framing creates a sense of emotional detachment and longing, much like the dynamic between your femme fatale characters. The blurred focus on the foreground figure, combined with the stark contrast of black-and-white, evokes Wong’s exploration of isolation and desire in urban settings. The diner setting, much like the late-night eateries in Fallen Angels, becomes a liminal space where secrets unfold and unspoken tensions simmer beneath the surface, enhancing the film-noir aesthetic these photographs.
Noir Reverie
Story Board:
Young woman walks through a dimly lit alley, glancing back as if someone is following her. Shadows stretch across the brick walls as she navigates the space, tension in her posture.
She enters a retro diner, where another woman is already seated, waiting. The atmosphere is thick with unspoken words. They exchange cautious glances, their hands fidgeting with delicate gloves and strands of pearls-objects that seem to carry significance.
A conversation unfolds between them, subtle yet intense. The diner's fluorescent lights cast harsh reflections on the glossy tables, emphasising their guarded expressions. The energy shifts. One leans in while the other pulls away. Their movements are calculated, almost rehearsed. The weight of their exchange lingers as the tension builds.
In the final moments, an object-perhaps the pearls change hands. One woman stares down at the table, the other at the exit. A quiet decision has been made, but the nature of it remains unknown
Young woman walks through a dimly lit alley, glancing back as if someone is following her. Shadows stretch across the brick walls as she navigates the space, tension in her posture.
She enters a retro diner, where another woman is already seated, waiting. The atmosphere is thick with unspoken words. They exchange cautious glances, their hands fidgeting with delicate gloves and strands of pearls-objects that seem to carry significance.
A conversation unfolds between them, subtle yet intense. The diner's fluorescent lights cast harsh reflections on the glossy tables, emphasising their guarded expressions. The energy shifts. One leans in while the other pulls away. Their movements are calculated, almost rehearsed. The weight of their exchange lingers as the tension builds.
In the final moments, an object-perhaps the pearls change hands. One woman stares down at the table, the other at the exit. A quiet decision has been made, but the nature of it remains unknown
