Photographer Research 5: Eugenio Recuenco

About this photographer:
Eugenio has worked for a range of different clients, from Nina Ricci perfume adverts to Vogue UK magazine covers and everything in between from Yves Saint Laurent, Diesel and Swarovsky. The fashion/portrait photography stands out to me because of his use of statuesque models, with facial features that almost replicate that of a doll's, giving his work an eery, fantastical element. Eugenio also uses a lot of larger-than-life props and settings, which makes his work seem unreal yet captivating.


Why have I picked this photographer?:
I have often seen Eugenio's work for Nina Ricci on TV, and every time I see the advert I often comment on how beautiful and magical they look. I like how Eugenio's work clearly has the Fantasy element within it, especially with the props and the costume, but it is not too over-the-top 'Disney-fied' and has a more grown up touch to it.

Evaluation:

This is one of the images taken from the TV advert of the Nina by Nina Ricci perfume. I love the use of colour - especially as the dress mimics the same soft colour within the paint on the walls, giving off a soft, elegant glow, whilst not over-doing the image. The ivory colours suggest sophistication, which works well with the grand photo frame that she steps over, and the colours contrast nicely with the pinkness in the perfume bottle she is holding, allowing us as the viewers to be drawn to it and making it stand out more.

I don't know what this image by Eugenio was used for, but I love the Gotham-City/BatWoman vibes that are given off from it. Whilst the use of dark colours and imagery that suggests something evil, such as the statue of the bird, the haziness of the clouds in the background and the twinkling lights give the image that element of Fantasy that I love. The composition of this image is really clever also as not too much focus is given on the background that we also get to look at the two characters at the same time and we can identify them easily as a superhero and a villain.

This image is again from the Nina by Nina Ricci perfume advert like the first image above. I like that the lighting is a lot brighter in this image compared to the first, suggesting elements of purity and beauty. The use of the snow in the background suggests an idea similar to the Disney fairytale Snow White whilst it contrast nicely with the red lips of the model's makeup. The use of the flying owl is also effective as along with the model, our eyes also follow the across the frame to where the owl is flying.

Whilst the above two images were subtly inspired by Snow White, this advertising image has been inspired by Cinderella, having the model sweep up all of the leaves whilst looking tired. The textures and patterns are key in this image as they all contribute to demonstrating the idea of the Renaissance period, adding drama and realism to the picture, whilst also combing with the fairytale story of Cinderella. Brighter colours could easily have been used in this image also to make it stand out better, but I actually quite like that these duller colours add to the idea of the characters' sad emotions.




Influence:
Whilst Eugenio's work has directly influenced me yet, I would love to be able to use his idea of a subtler colour scheme in my future work to emphasise on emotion and the elegance which is often associated with fairytale maidens. If my plan goes correctly, I should be able to get a young female model in for my exam, which I would like to experiment with by using soft materials as props and pale, innocent colours.

Summary:
I think that Eugenio's work is beautifully elegant and perfect for the adverts he has so far helped to construct and design. Interestingly, he is a modern-day photographer with a love for shooting models and props in a way that suggests a more traditional or antique design or time-period, which I think is really unique and beautiful, and I wish that more photographers operated in this way, considering that most modern photographers will try to add youth and elements of the future so often.