So last weekend I’m scrolling through Instagram when I see this crazy cool photo style – moody lighting, sharp contrasts, people looking like statues almost. Hit me hard. Found out it’s by some photographer named Gabriel Moses. Never heard of him before but damn.
Got obsessed immediately. Spent three straight hours digging up his work on my phone. Realized he shoots mostly on film, which made me nervous. I only use my digital Canon DSLR. But thought – why not try recreating that heavy shadow look?
The Frustrating Setup
Grabbed my sister as model. She got annoyed ’cause I made her wear my dad’s thick wool coat in summer. Too bad – needed texture for that Moses feel.
First fail: Background sucked. His photos always feel like empty spaces but interesting. My cluttered garage wasn’t gonna cut it. Dragged sister out to abandoned railroad tracks instead. Almost twisted my ankle carrying lights.
- Used one cheap LED panel I bought on sale
- Stuffed cardboard sheets around it to narrow the light beam
- Stole Mom’s old silk scarf as diffuser
- DSLR settings? Maxed out ISO till it looked like TV static
Absolute Chaos Shooting
Sis was sweating in that coat. I kept yelling “STILL! Be like marble!” Made her hold weird poses. She threatened to leave after 20 minutes.
Biggest screw-up: Forgot extra batteries. Died mid-shoot. Had to run home cursing. Came back – golden hour gone. Artificial light looked harsh as police interrogation. Wasted two hours fighting flickering LEDs.
Editing…Sorta
Got 50 blurry shots. Chose three least-terrible ones. Slapped black & white filter on Lightroom mobile.
- Cranked contrast till shadows swallowed her shoulders
- Faded highlights like old newspaper
- Added weird purple tint ’cause Moses does it sometimes
Result? Looked like goth cousin’s funeral selfie. Zero Moses magic.
What Actually Worked
Gave up trying to copy. Took simpler approach next morning:
- Found cleaner concrete wall behind my apartment
- Made sister stand sideways in morning light
- No fancy lights – just shadows falling naturally
Cropped tight on her face/chin. Edited in monochrome with SOFT shadows this time. Not Moses but…had feeling. Like accidently discovering your own thing while copying someone else’s homework.
Big takeaway: Trying to clone genius makes you feel stupid. Borrow ingredients instead. Still got respect for Moses lighting skills though – gonna steal just the shadow techniques next time.
