Something I've been working on....

© Sybille Sterk licensing through www.arcangel.com

From my recent shoot with the lovely Vaida. 

Do not copy or publish this in any way, shape or form without my written permission.— with Vaida Bliujūtė.

Just so you know what I've been up to. :-) Lots of new photographs. :-)

Ida's Flowers

MCN: CMREE-KKPJ8-9KDMV

Another illustration in my new fairy tale series. This one is about Little Ida's Flowers, another of Andersen's fairy tales. The flowers are freesias and anemones.

Part of my new series of images for licensing on Arcangel-Images - use this code: SYST-0189

Created with my own photographs in Photoshop, no stock used.

The Little Match Stick Girl

MCN: C2SF4-JQTMC-YF4TD

I've always loved Andersen fairy tales, and this one is no exception, although it's one of the saddest ones (amongst a whole lot of tragedies). The Little Match Stick Girl is about the preventable death of a little girl and still as valid today as it probably was then, what with all the runaways and homeless people on the streets everywhere. I tried to tell the story with the minimal amount of symbols, using nothing but a box of matches in front of a grubby wall and a picture of snow I took a while ago. It's one of my favourite images I took this year so far. I love the simplicity and singular message in it.

Part of my new series of images for licensing on Arcangel-Images - use this code: SYST-0191

Created with my own photographs in Photoshop, no stock used.

Cinderella

MCN: CXYQ3-QH4AV-EQK92

From my very first photo shoot. The model is the beautiful Francesca.

I always felt ambiguous about Cinderella; on the one hand I love the romance of it and the hope, on the other I detest the fact that her happiness relies on others - the Fairy Godmother and Prince Charming... I've always preferred the Czech film version, Three Wishes for Cinderella, I watched as a child. In this Cinderella takes and active role and is the driving force in getting her life sorted and getting what she wants, and the prince isn't it, at least not in the beginning. LOL :-)

This shot depicts that one perfect moment we all hope for....

Part of my new series of images for licensing on Arcangel-Images - use this code: SYST-0182

Created with my own photographs in Photoshop, no stock used.

Mermaid

MCN: CCCN9-4NE7G-B2DEU

Model: the beautiful Francesca again. :-)

From my very first photoshoot.

I've always loved Andersen fairy tales, although, most of them are very sad much more so than most of the other ones you find from this time. The Mermaid is one of the most tragic ones. The mermaid is so brave to leave her world behind for love and it makes it so much more tragic when she's then betrayed by her love and returns to the sea. I am not sure what the message is... I think it depends on your experiences what you take away from it. I tried to show the dual nature of the mermaid as a woman and her nature as a fantastical being, her sadness and her 'other'-ness.

Created with my own photographs in Photoshop, no stock used.

Rapunzel

MCN: CJHT2-F3QA5-MWL7U

This is another shot from my first photo shoot. It's my favourite because of the amount of emotion that comes through. I always liked Rapunzel; children always seem to pay for their parents' mistakes and in that way the tale is quite realistic. Depending on the version of the tale you read Rapunzel does quite a lot to free herself, other than most of the other princesses, which only seem to hang around, often asleep or otherwise incapacitated, waiting to be rescued. ;-) I am still waiting for a gung-ho princess, although, saying that Fhiona from Shrek was a good start....

Part of my new series of images for licensing on Arcangel-Images - use this code: SYST-0186

Created with my own photographs in Photoshop, no stock used.

Sleeping Beauty

MCN: CB5LW-CY59S-X869K

From my very first photo shoot. The model is the beautiful Francesca.

I always wondered about Sleeping Beauty, what better way to escape all the frogs than to sleep for a hundred years and be woken up by Prince Charming? :-)

Part of my new series of images for licensing on Arcangel-Images - use this code: SYST-0187

Created with my own photographs in Photoshop, no stock used.

Cut Me

MCN: CYRGA-TE9U3-XWLF5

This one is an interpretation of Rapunzel, still going with the fairytale theme here.... Made me think about hair and how the power is 'ours' as long as we cut it, but not when someone else cuts it, then it diminishes us (i.e. what they used to do to women to 'mark' them as prostitutes). I remember some fairytales I read a long time ago, where the only way to 'cure' a witch was by cutting off her hair, she'd become a normal woman then. There is power in hair and the length of it...

Part of my new series of images for licensing on Arcangel-Images - use this code: SYST-0176

Created with my own photographs in Photoshop, no stock used.