About the Image

A beautiful fashion image of a confident young woman leaning against a textured urban wall, styled in a sleek black outfit with colorful accessories. Her piercing gaze and natural elegance shows modern beauty and confidence, perfect for high-end fashion campaigns or editorial features.

This image tells the story of strength through vibrant color, background texture, and the presence of the model. This image merges artistic direction with commercial clarity, creating visuals that speak to brands looking for bold narratives and high-end style.

The emotions captured in this image reflect a blend of confidence, poise, and intensity. The woman's direct gaze and relaxed yet assertive posture convey a sense of self-assurance and empowerment. Her subtle expression has a calm demeanor that radiates inner strength and bold elegance. The colorful accessories and the gritty, rural backdrop contrast beautifully with her composed look, adding depth and edge to the emotional tone of the photo.

How I Shot It

This was shot mid-afternoon and was a bright day, the model is in open shade, so, I only used a Pro sized Sunbounce reflector using the white side to add a little sparkle in the eyes.

I used a telephoto lens (200mm) and shot wide open (f2) to give the image a very limited depth of field. Depth of field refers to how much of the photo is in acceptable focus. As you can see, this is a very limited depth of field as everything close to the camera and every beyond the model's face is well out of focus. This is how most fashion images are shot at if the client wants the garment to be featured.

Our eyes will automatically find the brightest and sharpest "Thing" is in any given photo or video. The reason is the brightest and sharpest has the most useful information contained in the image for the brain to process. This is what helps keep us alive, clear vision. In this photo it helps the client sell product.

Feel free to share, this is the shortcut link: stpvd.com/25/21

The Rest of the Story

The farm has been allowed to lay fallow after the owner died. The late owner, Angelo Galbiati, born 1906, loved Americans and named his property "Acquabella Farm" as an homage to the Americans. Farm of course is not an Italian word, the translation for farm to Italian is azienda agricola.

I’ve been visiting this location for many years, and it’s been fascinating - and a little bittersweet - to witness how much it has changed over the past decade. Nature has gradually taken over, with wild vegetation creeping in, and sadly, some of the buildings have collapsed.
I actually stumbled upon this spot by chance while heading to Linate airport to rent a car for the following day’s production. Emiliano, my lead assistant in Europe, spotted an old roof in the distance and, knowing my love for textured, timeworn backdrops, suggested we investigate.

A short detour later, we found ourselves in front of what was clearly no longer a functioning farm. We spent about ten minutes wandering the grounds before returning to our car, which was parked outside a locked gate. That’s when an elderly gentleman approached us, curious about our presence. We explained we were photographers, drawn by the atmosphere of the place and its potential as a location. He told us a family member visits the farm daily around 5 p.m. to feed the pigeons and cats. I told Emiliano that if she did not feed the cats, there would not be any pigeons! Grateful for the tip, we thanked him and continued on our way.

Three days later, after wrapping our shoot, we returned. This time, we met Elena - the woman who cares for the property. She greeted us warmly and generously invited us to visit anytime we liked. It was Angelo, her late uncle, who owned the farm and she had many fond memories of being on the farm as a child.

There's a quiet sadness in knowing that this beloved place may not be around much longer. Whether it eventually collapses under the weight of time or is cleared to make way for new developments... warehouses or apartment blocks, its future feels uncertain.

Over time, many of its unique details have disappeared, including the hand bent and-hammered steel window frames in the barn, likely stolen. I miss those frames as they were extraordinary. Their absence brings with it a deep sense of nostalgia and a longing for what once was.

For Photographers

The Gear:
Canon camera set to 1/640 second shutter speed, 320 ISO and a Canon 200mm lens set to f2.

The Light:
The main light is open shade with a Sunbounce Pro reflector using the white side.

I see things differently, which is an advantage to my clients. Being inspired by the beauty of light, motion, and atmosphere... my work reflects the same creativity and attention to detail I bring to every client project, commercial or editorial. Whether you're looking to elevate your brand visuals, tell a compelling story, or capture unforgettable moments with impact, let's create something visually extraordinary together, stills, motion or both. Get in touch to discuss your vision today. E-mail is by far the best way to contact us as we are traveling on average 175 days a year and sometimes well out of cell phone range.

We are based in Los Angeles, California, Atlanta, Georgia, both in the USA & Milan, Italy, and serve the nation and travel worldwide for projects, both video and stills. On average we travel 175 days a year from all over the USA, to Singapore to Japan, Europe and the Middle East. We are normally in Europe 2 or 3 times a year, mostly Italy and Germany, shooting for clients there.

If you would like to use this image, or any of my images for mock or comp use, please just ask. There is never a charge for this service. Educational use is permitted without charge, unless published, but please ask first. All commercial use is available only with a limited copyright release prior to use from the copyright holder, Steve Thornton. Thanks for looking!