Liminal Space

The place between places emptied of purpose, full of feeling

Liminal Space aesthetic photography reference
Referenceliminal space
Shoot Brief · Call Sheet● TC 00:00:00:00
AestheticLiminal Space
Roll031
Status0 / 5 Shot
LightPractical fluorescent or institutional lig
WardrobeInvisible if a person is present they shou

Shot list

Tap a frame to mark it shot — grease pencil, saved on this device

FR·01A
Wide shot of an empty pool, the painted surface visible, no water, no people, a single drain at center
FR·02A
Long corridor of a hotel or office building, the vanishing point dominant, no figures present
FR·03A
Interior of an abandoned shopping mall, the skylights still functioning, everything else stopped
FR·04A
Backrooms aesthetic shot: a yellow-carpeted room with drop ceiling and fluorescent panels, absolutely nothing else
FR·05A
Parking garage ramp at 3am, fluorescent overhead, no cars, the concrete sweeping to an unseen level
Roll
00 / 05
⌁ LightingPractical fluorescent or institutional lighting only the greenish cast of fluorescent is constitutive of the liminal space aesthetic; do not correct it with gels or in post

practical fluorescent or institutional lig ✦

⌁ WardrobeInvisible if a person is present they should be wearing something so ordinary as to be functionally absent; the space is the subject

invisible if a person is present they should be wearing something so ordinary as to be functionally absent; the space is the subject

Director noteRemove every personal object from the frame and shoot on a wide lens (21mm or 24mm) the uncanny quality of liminal space is produced by the combination of the familiar spatial typology and the total absence of human trace or personal expression

Locations

Dead mall or closed shopping centerHotel corridor during a weekday morningParking structure at minimum occupancyBackrooms-appropriate industrial or commercial interior

Explore the aesthetic

Style guide
Color palette

About this brief

How do I photograph the Liminal Space aesthetic?
The place between places emptied of purpose, full of feeling. Remove every personal object from the frame and shoot on a wide lens (21mm or 24mm) the uncanny quality of liminal space is produced by the combination of the familiar spatial typology and the total absence of human trace or personal expression
What shots should I get for a Liminal Space photo shoot?
Capture: Wide shot of an empty pool, the painted surface visible, no water, no people, a single drain at center; Long corridor of a hotel or office building, the vanishing point dominant, no figures present; Interior of an abandoned shopping mall, the skylights still functioning, everything else stopped; Backrooms aesthetic shot: a yellow-carpeted room with drop ceiling and fluorescent panels, absolutely nothing else; Parking garage ramp at 3am, fluorescent overhead, no cars, the concrete sweeping to an unseen level.
What lighting works for Liminal Space photography?
Practical fluorescent or institutional lighting only the greenish cast of fluorescent is constitutive of the liminal space aesthetic; do not correct it with gels or in post
Where should I shoot Liminal Space photography?
Good locations include: Dead mall or closed shopping center, Hotel corridor during a weekday morning, Parking structure at minimum occupancy, Backrooms-appropriate industrial or commercial interior.
What wardrobe works for Liminal Space photography?
Invisible if a person is present they should be wearing something so ordinary as to be functionally absent; the space is the subject

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