For the 2019 coming-of-age period drama film Little Women, photographer Wilson Webb created vintage portraits that are authentic to the style of pictures that would have been taken in the 1800s. To capture the characters in Greta Gerwig’s film adaptation of Little Women, Webb used the era-apt collodion process, also known as tintype or wet plate photography.
This process required actors Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Laura Dern, Bob Odenkirk and Timothée Chalamet to sit very still, as any movements would cause the photo to go out of focus. There were other challenges to capturing these images, as the clothing and backgrounds had to be carefully chosen because the method makes warm colors look dark and cool shades tend to show up lighter.
Image Credit: Wilson Webb
What Makes This Trend Stand Out
- Vintage Aesthetic
- Opportunity for fashion and home decor industries to embrace vintage design elements and create a sense of nostalgia in their products.
- Alternative Photography Techniques
- Opportunity for photography equipment manufacturers and photographers to explore alternative processes that provide unique aesthetic qualities to their work.
- Pre-production Creatives
- Opportunity for film and television production companies to embrace pre-production expertise and collaborate with artists to bring authenticity to their productions.
Sectors Adopting This
- Fashion
- Fashion industry can incorporate vintage design elements and aesthetics to create clothing lines that tap into a sense of nostalgia.
- Home Decor
- Home decor industry can incorporate vintage design elements and aesthetics to create a sense of warmth and nostalgia in their products.
- Film and Television
- Film and television production companies can collaborate with artists, such as photographers, to bring authenticity and a unique aesthetic to their productions.
