Gold + Shadow Body-Painting Session
Some shoots are about precision; this one was about experimenting with darkness, texture, and a few hundred flecks of gold.
The idea
I wanted a portrait series that felt raw, interesting, and focused on a small body area… something that celebrated the lines of the body without falling back on soft-focus clichés. We landed on a simple concept: graphite/clay-toned skin, deep shadows, and hand-applied gold leaf. No props, no wardrobe, just form and contrast.
Prep & body-painting
- Base layer – We used two types, graphite, which has enough sheen to catch light, and watery clay with pigment for colour.
- Gold leaf – Loose flakes, gently pressed on. Imperfect edges were the goal; the breaks make the metal look like cracks of light rather than wallpaper.
- Skin safety – All products were patch tested for skin reaction, staining/washability, and to test the amounts of material needed.
Lighting
- Key – One 65 cm gridded Octabox, feathered across the subject.
- Fill – Zero. Let the fall-off carve the shape.
- Background – Unlit.
The result: a black-on-black palette where gold becomes its own light source.
Posing & direction
Because the paint masked traditional skin tone cues, hands became the storytelling anchors. We worked through three poses:
- Guarded – Hands over the chest, fingers digging lightly in.
- Release – Open hand or hands.
- Self-embrace – Hands tracing collarbone and rib line, shoulders angled into the key light.
Each set focused on tension versus ease—the subtle shift when a breath leaves the body.
A behind the scenes clip showing the motion and movement behind the photos
Client experience
Boudoir-adjacent shoots can feel vulnerable at the best of times; add paint, and anything can happen. The room was warm and I normally like to have a playlist but forgot this time (oops). I shot in short bursts to give feedback to the model, April. She was choreographing her own movements, gold flake showering the floor like confetti, and had to sweeped up later.
Why body-painting?
- Shape without distraction – Removing skin colour forces the eye to read muscle, curve, and gesture first.
- Symbolism – Gold against black/metalic skin hits a cinematic nerve. Statuesque, you recognise you are looking at a person, but abstract.
- Timelessness – These frames could sit as prints in a gallery and hold their ground.
Model: April
Gear list: Sony A74, 55 mm f/1.8, Godox FV200/S65.
Credits: Body-painting materials, Bunnings, Gordon Harris.
Thinking of booking something similar?
- All body types welcome – The paint highlights silhouette, not size.
- Privacy is sacrosanct – Closed set; images released only with consent.
- Turnaround – Proof gallery in 2 days, final retouched images in one week.
If you’re drawn to work that’s equal parts sculpture and portrait, let’s talk. Send a message in the form below with “Body-painting” in the subject line and we’ll start sketching ideas.
