Gangster

For our modern-day mug shots, one thing that cannot be compromised on is that side profile angle needing to be pin-sharp.

That sharpness also means that when printed and framed in the large sizes I use, you can see every pore and detail of the model's skin up close. I'm usually shooting at around 25 million pixels which nowadays isn't that much, but it can certainly make models aware of the detail that gets captured.

I think it adds enormously to the depth of an image as opposed to skin covered with a layer of foundation. The skin detail is almost mesmerizing as you would normally not see people in such close up. In short, I think it works.

When I set the shot up, the movie and color tone I had in mind was the Boston Strangler with Keira Knightley. The way the light hit both her back and face in this back turn was perfect. There was an immediate kick to it. I knew I had the shot. There's a hint of movement, she knows she's being photographed by the journalists and hopefully guilty of something.

It was then a matter of designing the tattoo which proved to be a challenge since with this pose it needed to wrap around the neck and onto her back.

You can almost feel she's the wife of a 20's Chicago gangster or perhaps even a modern-day Yakuza.

A wanted criminal photograph with impact.

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