The sixth of the Greek Goddess challenge. All Greek Goddess Posts: Pheme, Aphrodite, Iris, Peitho, Nike, Terpsichore, & Gaia.
Peitho: Goddess of Persuasion & Seduction
Being behind schedule impacts every aspect of photoshoot planning and I have been behind since 4th of July. We drove from Maryland to New York and then a day later headed to Quebec City. It was a lot of fun, but I am still feeling the aftermath. Not only am I behind in my personal to do list, but I started a new job this Monday. Trying to coordinate photoshoots, with abnormal makeup, and video calls has been an added layer of complexity.
Thank goodness the Peitho makeup was not too over the top or I never would have taken these shots. Without the lipstick and an addition of glasses, this makeup looks slightly overdressed for work, but not unprofessional. Admittedly, I did take a meeting like that.
Trying to emulate persuasion and seduction was tricky for me. I liked the concept of there being different perspectives or the “girl whispering in your ear”. I think this photoshoot morphed into something slightly unexpected and unintentional, but I am happy with the results. Definitely feel more proud of Peitho than I did with Terpsichore.
Makeup Inspiration:
I am a huge fan of this eyeliner trend. It is one of the first ones I have tried for a photoshoot that I would wear out in public on a casual Saturday night. I do not usually like heavy eyeliner, so I tried this trend purely in eyeshadow with an angled brush. Once I liked the thickness, I went back with a blending brush to make it feel a little smoother and more soft. The eyeshadow shade I used is called “Willow” which is a deep purple. This look could be easily recreated with a dark brown or a brighter shade for a better pop of color.
Hair Inspiration:
From her outfits to her dance style, J.Lo is a master of seduction. I was inspired by J.Lo’s wet hair look, but I did not use any of the same products. Instead of buying new products each week, I try to use products that I already own. I ended up using my old mousse and gel from the middle school scrunching days. My curls were definitely crunchier than my hair routine today, but they don’t necessarily look wet. You tell me, do you agree?
Pose Inspiration:
I am starting to sense a trend that mirroring (no pun intended) poses from others is something I need to work on. It is almost always the hardest part for me. I chose to include Peitho in my Greek Goddess challenge because of the inspiration photo below. I loved the idea of the reflection showing a different pose.
To successfully shoot a picture like this, you need a good mirror, a lot of space, and a cool background. I did not have any of those. My mirror options were in my parents’ kitchen, facing each other. I tried to take pictures on the ground like this, but the images of the pose without the reflection, cut off my face. I needed to adjust the angle and there wasn’t room to do it.
In the end, I took the concept of the reflection being different in another direction. I opened the mirror door and used the corner to create more space. Also, I took the pictures standing instead of sitting to make sure my face was included in the frame. When taking these pictures, it is important to take a picture of the space without you in it for photo editing. Sometimes, the images don’t line up perfectly and you will need to use your blank image to clean up any mishaps.
I liked this challenge because it not only captured a Greek Goddess and a difficult pose, but also forced me to work on my editing skills.
Outfit Inspiration:
Another trend I am noticing is the need for an outfit change, mid-photoshoot. I did not have a dress like the image above and my flowy dresses were too short to do a sitting pose. I wanted to try a top with an open back, so there would still be a different element in the second image. Unfortunately, this outfit ended up being too tight for this pose and looked weird when I was standing.
Ultimately, I switched to this classic red Marilyn Monroe style dress. I was trying to avoid this dress because I used it in my lust photoshoot and it seemed like the obvious choice. Well, it was obvious for a reason. This dress is definitely a symbol of seduction.
From now on, I am going to think through two different outfit options in advance. One that is the obvious choice and one that is a little more of a creative risk. Maybe if it is part of the plan, it will help relieve some of the pressure that my idea is failing.
Challenge:
Try to master the art of adapting. It is important to constantly remind ourselves that goals are aspirations. They can bend and shift and morph into something even better than we could have imagined. As a very organized person (some would argue too organized), I graduated college with a very specific life plan. Now, I am trying to expand my criteria to let in other potential wonderful experiences and learning opportunities.
So far, the reward has been high and the stress has been low.
