Burgundy Fundoshi - Part Two

Here is the burgundy fundoshi once again. 

I think if I positioned myself further away from the backdrop, it would have been less in focus and would have looked a bit more ethereal. I will have to do some testing the next time I set up a shoot.

There are more close-ups in this group, and I know you all like those!

 

On to the rest of the shoot…..

White Fundoshi? Really???

Here is a strange aberration amongst my fundoshi….the ‘painted’ approach. This is on white gauze using calligraphy inks. I was hoping they would be permanent, as the colors are quite bright and lovely to behold.

Unfortunately, they do not remain as vivid……

The fundoshi is also noticeably stiffer than my other gauze fundoshi. This might be due to the ink, or the fact I never wear it as it is not one of my favorites. Since it is a bit stiff, wearing it under clothes doesn’t work too well, and lounging is not as comfortable as it should be. Perhaps I should continue to wash it to see if it softens up. 

For this shoot, I wanted a different vibe, so I did a few things a bit differently. First of all, I tied this fundoshi very high on my waist. I was looking at some pictures from festivals in Japan and noticed this approach, so I am trying it out. 

I then decided to pose with a sweater on. I haven’t done a ‘stripping’ shoot in a while, so adding a bit of clothing gave me a bit of fun. It was also about 5am and was cold, so the sweater came in handy! 

For the backdrop, I actually created some shadows for interest using tape and a mirror. I put strips of tape against the mirror, then focussed a light to bounce from the mirror to the backdrop. I like how this turned out. 

Since the fundoshi became muted during rinsing and washing, I went with that as a theme while processing the photos…..keeping it all a bit even in tone without high contrasts. 

fundoshi…..muted color by using inks

fabric...100% cotton gauze

photography...a new approach with the white backdrop

And now….we finish the set……

Purple Guaze Fundoshi - A Dark Interpretation

If you followed my Tumblr last month, you may have noticed today’s fundoshi in one of my hiking photos. It is now brought into the studio and given the full treatment!

This design is quite simple to do, and you can tell I have the fundoshi folded in half to create it by the triangular intersection in the middle. I used a brush to apply the solution and the cloth was slightly damp so the solution would run a bit. 

For the shoot, I set up 2 basic lights. There is a strong white light from above and to one side of my ‘focus’ area. The other light is a deep red that was focused directly onto the other side for contrast. I think the red worked well with the deep purple of the fundoshi. This setup is much dimmer than I normally use, but I like how it turned out. When I use dim lighting, I usually have a hard time with fuzzy focus, but this shoot worked well. 

fundoshi…purple with a simple stripe thoughout

fabric...100% cotton gauze…..you will get tired of this….or maybe not….

photography…dim lighting with a strong contrast using colored lights

Patterned Fundoshi in Black Gauze

I don’t think I need to speak any more of my affinity for gauze….it’s comfortable and cozy, especially in the cooler temperatures.

For this design, I went a bit wild and it took some time to get done. I think the photo says it all!

After setting up props for the Christmas shoots and the backdrop for the burgundy shoot, I kept the next few shoots simple with either the white of black muslin. Since this design is so stark, I decided to go with a simple, white natural light to show it off. 

To show off the design, I tied this fundoshi quite low on my body. I didn’t do much twisting either. I would probably not wear it this way under clothes, but I think it makes for an interesting look for this design. In the future, look for other changes in the way I tie the fundoshi…..got to keep it fresh somehow!

fundoshi…black and white patterned

fabric...100% cotton gauze

photography…White light, white backdrop….a simple, yet classic approach

On to more.....

Burgundy Fundoshi - Part One

Once again, 100% cotton gauze is being highlighted. This time in a rich, deep burgundy. As you can see, the discharge solution changes this to a pink. I think it would go all the way to white if left on longer, but I didn’t want to take it that far.

For the fundoshi design, I wanted to go with squares instead of circles. Once again, cookie cutters came in handy. After choosing an appropriate one to use, I would dip it into the solution, then stamp it onto the material. Once the discharge action started, I  filled in the blank space with a brush. Once I was complete, I noticed a few stray drips had found their way onto the fabric. Well, this just gave me the opportunity to make those drips part of the design and I deliberately added more in a rather random and haphazard fashion. I took a small brush, dipped it into the discharge solution and then splattered it over the fabric. I was channelling my inner Jackson Pollock!

The lighting for the shoot was kept simple. I set up a stronger light source from one side to create some slight shadows. I changed this for the close-up images so the focus would be crisp. For the backdrop, I started with the basic white muslin you have all seen before. I grabbed some thick plastic sheets that are used in construction to keep dust confined to specific areas. I built the sheet up to create texture that would reflect light. Some christmas lights were then put between the white muslin and the plastic. I was hoping the plastic would diffuse the lights a bit. 

I think I will try this again with the black muslin to see what type of difference that would make.

fundoshi...burgundy with a square pattern throughout

fabric...100% cotton gauze…..this feels so go in the slightly cooler temperatures of winter

photography...a new backdrop and a more natural approach to the lighting

And now....on to the rest of the group.....

I’m so Blue...and so is my Fundoshi...Part Two

Here we have part two of the blue series.  Actually, it is more like a take two, like I did for one of the pink fundoshi. This is the same shoot, just a different series of photos from beginning to end. 

If you followed my tumblr-only posts for the 25 Days of Naked Christmas, you will have probably guessed that this blue shoot was done before that one. 

If you compare the two, which are both basically silhouette shoots, you can see I do learn from my mistakes!

On to the rest of the photos....