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Mirror Portrait by Vitor Lopes

Following the wonderful experience at the London photo show, I made the choice to enter a few of my photos to three different art photography competitions. I was thrilled to get an email a couple of months later informing me that one of my portraits had been awarded an honourable mention at the 2023 Tokyo International Photo Awards! It was the perfect conclusion to the surfskater portraits of Concrete Waves London project.

About the portrait

As I skated one day, I could not resist admiring the beautiful clear blue sky contrasting with the concrete and graffiti. It was truly captivating, and that image stayed in my mind. Later in the week, I went back with a friend to test it out, but despite everything being in place, the resulting images did not have the wow factor. I needed something extra, that is when I came up with the idea to incorporate another visual element into the scene- a mirror.

Unfortunately, days later the spot had already been tagged with another graffiti. For the next month, I kept going back, hoping someone would paint over it with colours befiting the vision I had. I tried other skateparks, however that specific spot had all the special features I wanted. I was wishing for shades of red, purple, or pink to stand out against the blue sky and the grey concrete.

Finally, one beautiful evening, a fresh graffiti appeared, I quickly looked up the weather forecast and was thrilled to discover London would have clear skies for the next 3 days. I then phoned my friend Isac, a stylish surfer and surfskater for a morning photo shoot.

Photography is Art

I used a polariser filter, to cut glare and make the sky and the graffiti colours pop! Additionally, I used a portable monolight on low power setting, on a stand raised to match the models height, and a deep white umbrella with a diffusion cover. To create a harmonious visual composition, I deliberately played with colour and texture in the image- the shirt worn by Isac has patterns that mimic the graffiti, the black beanie matches his black trainers and the green trousers blend well with the concrete.

I was mindful of keeping him facing a particular direction with the sun either on his right side or occasionally behind him, I would then move the umbrella accordingly. We experimented with various poses for approximately 20 minutes. I am positioned on the floor below him, just out of frame.

If you pay close attention, you will notice the tripod legs peeking out from behind the mirror, keeping it upright. All the mirror images were created using an actual mirror and minimal editing was done for mostly colour correction. I prefer to create my artwork in camera with real elements in the scene and not rely on heavy editing or artificial intelligence.

Nostalgia

Whenever I visit the skatepark, I cannot help but be captivated by that spot. It's fascinating to see the graffiti constantly changing and being painted over, adding a hint of bittersweet nostalgia to the images I created.

Tokyo International Foto Awards

The primary objective of the Tokyo International Photo Awards is to celebrate and acknowledge skilled photographers worldwide, building relationships within the artistic community in Tokyo. Photographers from various backgrounds are urged to share their portfolios for a chance to gain more visibility on a global scale and explore new opportunities.

 https://www.tokyofotoawards.jp/