by Editor Michel Romaggi in collaboration with the author, Takeshi Fujibayashi - Takeborn299 
Edited and published by Yvette Depaepe, the 15th of November 2023

Takeshi’s portraits all are of great sweetness. Among them, I picked out 'Cat eyes' whose aesthetics I find particularly interesting. Takeshi was kind enough to explain how he creates his exquisite images. 

I really love 'Cat eyes' and a lot of members like it too!!!  
Can you explain why you chose this soft and beautiful processing?

I don't personally think this work is exceptionally good, but strangely, it has received positive reviews from international judging media. The model in this work is still young and doesn't have the background in acting or similar areas that I mentioned earlier, but she has a unique fashion sense and expression, and I see her growing with every shoot. I was drawn to her poses and expressions, which inspired this work.

'Cat eyes'

What were the different steps that led you to this result (situation, equipment, settings, post-process...)

I commissioned the model for this work in a Japanese studio. It was shot on a white bed with no particular features. The white part draped diagonally over the model's head is a veil from the bed. I emphasize post-processing to complete the image, and this work is one of those pieces.
The camera used was the SONY A7R5, and the lens was the Sigma 35mm f1.2 art. I didn't use special lighting, and I shot at 1/125 shutter speed, f2.8, and ISO 1250.
As the first step, I converted the image to black and white to highlight the model's striking make-up and gaze. I then edited it in Lightroom Classic with the tone curve to make it stand out.
The next step involved using Photoshop as a plug-in. I used techniques like high-pass filtering and Gaussian blur to slightly soften the edges while sharpening details like the eyes. I also adjusted colours to create a slightly seductive overall atmosphere and added a touch of complementary-coloured light to the right eye using brushes.
Finally, I wanted a bit more overall accent in the image. I added fine particles in Lightroom Classic and then moved to Photoshop, where I applied vertical motion blur with a suitable angle. By doing this, I felt that a subtle sense of movement spread across the entire image, resulting in an impressive piece.
That's all.

Tell us some more about your photographic background, Takeshi?

I mainly take photos as a hobby on weekends. Photography has been a light hobby for me for a long time. I started taking portraits seriously about three and a half years ago. I sometimes directly approach models to take photos, but in Japan, there are popular events called "photo sessions" where you pair up with a model for a set period of time and shoot in a studio or on location.

'Rua'

Are you shooting exclusively portraits?

In the past, I used to shoot various subjects, like street photography, but now I almost exclusively focus on portraits.

'Longing.'

Your portraits are elegant and full of sweetness. How do you choose your models?

Thank you very much. When I choose models, the most important aspect for me is their expressiveness. I tend to prefer models with a background in acting, dancing, or beauty modelling. Additionally, even among Japanese people, I find that models with well-defined and three-dimensional facial features seem to complement my style well.

Thank you for reading!

'Silent'

Thanks for sharing with the 1x community, Takeshi.