Red Ruffled Dress in the Nighttime City Lights

Theme:
Looking back at the city lights

Subject:
An adult woman in her twenties standing on a city street with pedestrian traffic at night. Her torso faces toward the right of the frame in a diagonal rear view, and only her face turns back toward the camera over the nearer shoulder.

Person and expression:
Horizontally elongated gray-brown eyes, a small nose, and a facial outline tapering to a short chin. Glossy pink lips slightly parted. Brown hair loosely curled and gathered low at the back, with wispy bangs and fine strands falling beside the ears and onto the neck. Light cream-colored skin with pink tones. The face has soft, white brightness, with warm rim light on the left side of the hair and shoulder.

Clothing and pose:
A red halter-neck ruffled dress. Thin tied cords across the widely open back, with a bow and long hanging fabric at the back of the waist. Overlapping ruffles continue to the lower edge, and part of the upper thigh is visible through the side opening at the lower right of the frame. Slender gold dangling earrings. The nearer arm extends naturally downward, with the hand cropped at the lower-right edge. The opposite arm is hidden by the torso.

Background and light:
Tall buildings and glowing red, white, and blue signs behind her. Nearby pedestrians on the left and right appear as large streaks of lateral motion blur, partially obscuring the sides of the subject. Blur the bright points of city light, while keeping the main subject’s face sharp and softly bright.

Composition and camera:
Vertical 2:3 composition. A close view from diagonally behind, near eye level. Leave space for signs above her head, and include her face, open back, and down to her upper thighs. Layer large blurs of moving people in the foreground on both sides.

Texture and style:
Contrast a nighttime photograph with the sense of motion around her. The red ruffles and thin cords, and the contours of hair and skin, are sharp; the surroundings streak with motion.