The Cruel Prince

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In 2019 I read The Folk of the Air series by Holly Black as recommend by a friend, not having read much fiction since my teen years I bought the first book and devoured it in two days (which for a slow reader was no small feat). I loved the main character Jude Duarte, with her ability to survive and thrive in a world world actively working against her while being completely oblivious to the level at which she draws people in.

I had a vision for a photo series that took a year to execute, first gathering rotten apples from the ground of a local orchard and storing them in the freezer, then scouring secondhand shops for just the right props. A chalice, small glass mithridatism vessel, curtains, twisted candles, etc. The dagger was bought new and an acorn painted gold. The next October when a wind storm deposited some beautiful oak branches in the road, I knew it was time to bring it all together.

This set was built in my bedroom, furniture pushed to the wall, and dappled light filtering just right through the sheer curtains. I'm really proud of this set of photos because not only does all the hard work and preparation I put into it come through, but it looks as I envisioned it in my mind, which isn't always the case.

I hope anyone else who enjoyed this series enjoys my photos, I'd love to do more book inspired photo sets in the future.