When I'm in need of inspiration, I look to the mythologies and magic of older civilizations. Maybe it's the history nerd in me, but that stuff never ceases to inspire. Greek mythology in particular is pretty fascinating to me, and it's the source of my inspiration for this Greek goddess costume session with a local Pensacola model. Here's how I put together a Greek goddess photoshoot:
Meet Eris, the Greek Goddess of Discord
The character I had in mind for this creative portrait session was Eris, the Greek Goddess of Discord. I chose Eris because she's not as well-known as other Greek mythological figures, like Aphrodite and Athena.
Eris is known as the Goddess of Discord, and one of her popular tales is how she essentially caused the Trojan War by starting a fight at the wedding of Peleus and Thetis. The story details how she allegedly started an argument between Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite by casting a golden apple inscribed with "to the fairest one" into the crowd. This resulted in a heated argument between the three goddesses about who the apple rightfully belonged to. Paris, prince of Troy was forced to decide which goddess the golden apple belonged to. The goddess attempted to sway Paris' decision with bribes and promises, and he ultimately awarded the golden apple to Aphrodite, as she promised him the most beautiful woman in the world - Helen of Troy - for choosing her. The story is really fascinating, and there's more to it that you can read here.
The Greek Goddess Costume DIY
Putting together the model's costume was one of the most challenging parts of this photoshoot. I wanted to achieve an authentic Greek-look without having to pay authentic Greek prices. Fortunately, I was able to take advantage of Amazon Prime to get 'try on' some outfits and then return them afterward. This is a good way for photographers on a budget to get ahold of some outfits for their themed photoshoots, just be careful not to damage them before you return them.
For our shoot, we needed some Greek-looking jewelry and circlets, which was easily available on Amazon. Next came the golden apple that we would absolutely need, as it's so crucial to the story of Eris. The shoes were nothing special, and the dresses were a modern fit I found that appeared to match the aesthetic of our shoot. We decided to shoot with red and black colors for the drama and contrast with our scenery. Surprisingly, the hardest prop to find was the fabric 'belt' with the Greek Key Pattern.
The Greek Goddess Photos
Our session took place on a nature trail in Gulf Breeze, Florida. It would have been ideal to have shot on a location that featured some Greco-Roman architecture, but there wasn't really any good places within range of me. A nature trail was an acceptable alternative.
We meandered down the trail, stopping at certain points to shoot. We found a fallen tree that just had this incredible composition and I captured one of my favorite images from the session there. Towards sunset, we ended up at the beach and captured some stunning photos of the model coming out of the ocean towards the camera.
While photography is my business, I believe it's important to keep your creativity alive by breaking the mold and creating images that inspire you. I definitely walked away from this session with a renewed creative vigor. If you have a creative portrait concept you want to try, I want to hear all about it. Let's create some unforgettable photos together.
Here's how the Goddess photos turned out:
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Austen Hunter Photography is a Pensacola, Florida photographer who specializes in senior picture photography, beach photography, fashion photography, graduation photography, military portrait photography and headshot photography in a bold, graphic style, from Destin and 30A Florida, to Pensacola to Orange Beach and Gulf Shores Alabama. Austen Hunter has been published internationally and is known for his bold, graphic, and clean photographic style. He uses a variety of both natural light and off-camera flash to capture images. People usually book Austen for outdoor portrait sessions or sessions conducted at his home studio.
