An Approach to Gothic Photography
Photo Feature by Ernesto González Díaz
HAVANA TIMES — Gothic is an artistic movement that spans different forms of expression such as architecture, music, film, literature, photography, among others. Gothic photography goes far beyond simple dark images. It is a visual exploration of melancholy, the sublime, the decadent, and the mysterious. Among its main characteristics are the play of light and shadow, desaturated colors, monochrome, and when there is color it tends to appear as warm accents (blood reds, browns, golds).
The main locations used to create these photographs tend to be cemeteries, ruined buildings, dense and misty forests, abandoned mansions, decadent interiors, etc. Old clocks, worn books, candelabras, and religious or occult symbols are also commonly employed.
As for human models, they should have an introspective or distant gaze, and clothing — fundamentally black — inspired by Gothic or Victorian fashion (corsets, lace, etc.).
Gothic photography is, in essence, the search for a profound beauty in what is conventionally considered dark, melancholic, or bygone. It is a dialogue with what remains, what fades, and with the shadow we all carry within.