Welcome to the first in a series I’m calling Photo Stories. My goal with these posts is to take you behind the scenes of a carefully set-up photograph—or series of photographs—whether shot in the studio or on location, each with a specific concept and intent.

One afternoon, a couple of friends and I decided to try our hand at a film noir–inspired photoshoot. I had the idea to tell an entire story in three images—a triptych—that would need no captions or written explanation. Naturally, since it was film noir, there were a few essential ingredients: a dangerous dame, an unsuspecting victim, dramatic and controlled lighting, and of course, black and white photography.

My friend John created a pane of glass lettered to mimic an office door window. We clamped it to a light stand and fired a snooted light—a narrow beam—through it to create the effect of a hallway light shining through the “door.” The rest of the scene was lit with multiple small, precisely aimed lights: one for our friend Leah’s face and chest, one for her legs, and one for my friend Jeff’s face—he played the victim perfectly. Leah, meanwhile, absolutely nailed the role of the femme fatale.

Image 1: The Beauty Arrives

For this shot, I positioned a stand-in just off to the right to cast a menacing shadow. Leah held up a glass of whiskey, matching the pose I had in mind. This was our first clue that she wasn’t the helpless damsel she claimed to be.

Femme Fatale #3 (Fatal Beauty)Femme Fatale #3 (Fatal Beauty) from my Film Noir series. Prints available, click the image.

Image 2: The Beauty Acts

Here, our poor private eye has been completely duped. The lighting was carefully aimed to highlight her legs, the gun, and the lifeless body.

                      Femme Fatale #4Femme Fatale #4 from my Film Noir series. Prints available, click the image.

Image 3: The beauty wins

In the final frame, the femme fatale enjoys her whiskey—having dispatched her victim.

Femme Fatale #5Femme Fatale #5 from my Film Noir series. Prints available, click the image.

If you’d like to own one or more of these noir-inspired images, prints are available—click on any of the photographs to explore purchase options.