Francesca Woodman was an American photographer known for her haunting black-and-white images that often feature ethereal, ghostly figures in enigmatic environments. Born in 1958, she began experimenting with photography as a teenager and developed a unique style that combined elements of surrealism and conceptual art.

One of the distinctive aspects of Woodman’s work is her innovative use of shutter speed. She frequently employed long exposures, which allowed her to create a sense of movement and fluidity in her images. This technique often resulted in blurred figures or partial representations of the human form, contributing to an atmosphere of mystery and introspection. The long exposure times also emphasized the interplay between light and shadow, enhancing the emotional depth of her photographs.

Woodman’s images often explore themes of identity, femininity, and the body, reflecting her own struggles with self-image and mental health. Her work is deeply personal, often featuring herself or other women in intimate, vulnerable poses, surrounded by decaying interiors or natural settings.

Though Woodman’s career was tragically cut short when she died at 22, her work has had a lasting impact on contemporary photography, influencing many artists who seek to convey emotion and narrative through visual experimentation. Her legacy continues to resonate, with exhibitions and publications keeping her vision alive in the art world.

Some of my pieces inspired by Woodman’s work

– Last Photo taken by Ollie Fus

To achieve these blurry images, we needed to use a very low shutter speed which in doing, means that the shutter is open for a longer period of time, so it lets more light in and when an subject is moving in the frame with a low shutter speed set, the images appears blurry. This is because if the shutter speed is set to one second, and the subject is moving during the whole time period, the camera tries to capture that whole sequence into once single image, therefore it shows all the motion – hence the motion blur.

– All images shot between 1″ – 5″ second shutter speed

Photos inspired by Francesca Woodman – using the studio