The "Four Witches" Project

It`s been almost a year since the idea was born, and been growing and evolving ever since.

Final result: Four large prints, similar to these

This is a rough draft, an illustration of the idea. These photos are parts of images of other artists which I collected over the past year as reference images for the project.

I was finishing my 2-year Commercial Photography course at the International College of Professional Photography in Melbourne, Australia, and it was the time to start planning my Final Folio project. I decided not to follow my lazy inner voice which was suggesting that I should create an ordinary Fashion/Glamour Portraiture Portfolio, but to find a story which I would enjoy researching for and illustrating.

A series of strange occurrences, then "The Bell witch" book which I accidentally came across in the Melbourne City Library; my trip through California from the South to the North with more strange occurrences and conversations with interesting people; the "Paranormal Activity" movie which came out when I was in Colorado, the land of Ghost Towns, and while I was still reading "The Bell Witch" book - it all led me to the idea of the project.

I came back to Melbourne and went to see people who had more info on the subject - The SpellBox Shop in the Royal Arcade, and they did give me some direction: Water, Air, Earth, Fire; and North, South, East and West... There should be four of them!

More inspiration I got from other books I found in libraries:  

“Witches call to us from thresholds, crossroads, seashores, swamps, and mountain tops. Fairy-tale witches beckon from within wild forests. Urban witches mingle in stores stocked with candles, crystals, statues and mysterious books. Witches fly through the air and dig twisted roots from the ground.
Beautiful witches dance beneath the stars. Robed magicians chant in arcane tongues. Alluring witches ensorcell with the power of potions. Flower- and pentacle-bedecked witches celebrate the seasons…” 

~ Judika Illes ~

They should have different appearance, hair color, surroundings, but in the similar twilight-full-moon colors, mysterious, spooky locations, with "tools of the trade" in their hands, feathers, ribbons and braids in their hair.

A few weeks later I rented a random DVD, and it happened to be the freaky CHRIS CUNNINGHAM`s DVD - oh my, very, very freaky! - and there was Madonna`s "Frozen" video. I was thrilled to see how much the atmosphere in the video was similar to the one I had in mind for the project images.



Probably animals` presence in some of the images, and maybe a similar dark-blue tonality.

I have been collecting reference images, texts, videos ever since - everything what inspired me and helped me add more details to the project materials.

More info for props, costumes and location suggestions:
Native American Witchcraft
Native American Witchcraft
More reference images from Flickr
Wicca Witchcraft
Ghosts of Colorado