The Dark Side of the Moon is the key image from a self-portrait series I created on a summer night in 2020. Hidden inside a small forest lake, we waited for the last trace of dusk: dark enough for the scene to glow, but still alive with depth.
The concept was inspired by Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon: calm and intensity at once, courage and quiet in the same frame. I organized the shoot in a single day and secured approval from the local fire department to use smoke effects safely.
The look was created in-camera. A strong warm backlight defined my silhouette, while a subtle blue front light added contrast and a retro-futuristic mood. To create the “starfield” around me, I lifted and splashed the water, then held the pose as the droplets fell back through the light. We had only two short windows to shoot, two rounds of roughly 45 seconds, so every attempt was a small leap of faith.
Behind me, just out of frame, one of my assistants stood knee deep in the water holding the backlight by hand. There was no stand to rely on, only careful positioning, steady arms, and constant micro adjustments to keep the beam exactly where it needed to be. That human presence in the setup mattered: the light had to move with the scene, not against it, while another assistant handled the smoke at the right moment. It was a small choreography in the dark: quiet, precise, and surprisingly intense.
Color and contrast were refined in Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop, but the atmosphere you see, the glowing haze, the falling water, the cinematic separation, was already there that night. I’m proud of this image not only for the result, but for what it proves: with a clear idea, precise light, and a good team, you can create something powerful in almost no time. And sometimes luck really does show up to collaborate.
Lighting (overview): warm backlight behind the subject (NANLITE Pavotube 15C), cool blue front fill (Yongnuo LED), smoke bomb effect, night lake location.
Anyone interested in following my work and creative processes can find me on instagram: www.instagram.com/sabinefey
CONTACT me for print requests:
www.phoenixstudios.de/contact/
I’m a self portrait, photo artist & graphic designer living in Germany. Since 2008, I’ve been exploring creative ways to bring various photographic ideas to life through self-portraits and artistic portraits. I experiment a lot with body painting and blacklight colors, water, different lighting techniques, shadows and light, effects using projectors, fog machines, wind machines, smoke and the manipulation of various surfaces using oil, gel, water, and different types of paint.
My self-portraits are an expression of my inner world. I process my experiences and ideas and dreams and release them into something new. Each of my images is carefully crafted, requiring several hours of shooting and post-processing. Since I primarily create self-portraits, it requires a lot of effort and creativity to bring the ideas to life.
Equipment: Nikon D850 & D750, Sigma 50mm 1.4 HSM Art & Sigma 35mm 1.4 HSM Art
