The Girl with the Bags: A Narrative Character Portrait by Celine Do (2015)

My character is a girl who lives a very affluent life. Many people see her as a spoiled brat, but under the surface she is soft and very understanding. She is holding an abundance of shopping bags because it shows that she can afford anything she wants. Even though she portrays a snotty rich girl, she is also a friendly and intelligent person. The scene I have captured is her walking out of the clothing store and making her way to the next boutique.

I captured the shot by dressing my model in expensive looking clothing and had her hold several shopping bags. This conveys the message that she is wealthy and is willing to show off her wealth. I used a black background to make my model stand out more because her character is typically the center of attention. My most challenging problem was figuring out how to adjust the multiple lights, I did not know if I wanted the lighting to shine on her left or right side or if I wanted a soft light or a harsher light. In the end I decided to shine the light from a certain angle that flattered my model more. Another problem was how to dress my model, I told her to dress as pretentiously as possible. She attempted to embody my character but I had to direct her clothing and makeup choices. The final product was fantastic and my model did a great job of posing and embodying my snotty and spoiled character.