Photographer Creates Superhero Portraits by Splashing Milk on Naked Models (NSFW)

Jaroslav Wieczorkiewicz made quite a splash with his Milky Pin-Ups, and following that success he decided to create another series called Splash Heroes.

Using the same techniques of high-speed photography and expertly splashed milk, Jaroslav created an outstanding series of photos which he used to make a calendar (sold out in days).

Jaroslav was kind enough to share a lot of information regarding this project, including his gear, lighting setup, work process and plenty of behind-the-scenes footage.

Inspired by a series of action shots where he used blue and red colored milk, Jaroslav decided to continue exploring colors in liquids. The milk-splashing guru took the dairy clothing in this project a step further by using food coloring to obtain a variety of colors.

“This time we wanted to make a very relaxed and colourful series… simply, something really cool!”, said Jaroslav, and I’d say they definitely succeeded.

Jaroslav explains how he came up with the heroes concept and why he didn’t use celebrities in his photos:

“We often hear from people that if you have a great idea you should try to get celebrities on set to make it really special…

I remembered that advice soon after the Bamboo Forest shoot when I was giving a seminar in California. Afterwards we met with our producers actor friends in Hollywood and we were visiting their place, we entered a special room with a great display wall full of fantastic action figures.
When he was showing them to us, I saw what passion he had and in that instant moment it was clear to me what we would do for our next project.

And as you probably know… you don’t need celebrities in your work… go for concepts that people are passionate about including these well known!

So this year’s calendar is our personal tribute and a milky parody of the heroes genre!”

Each photo was created by splashing specially colored milk on different areas of the model’s body, in order to create specific shapes required for the illustrations. Once Jaroslav had the needed splashes, sometimes requiring up to 1,000 photos per model, he combined hundreds of layers in post-processing to create the perfect costumes seen in the final images.

The messy project took five intensive days to photograph with accomplishing specific shapes being the biggest challenge. In one of the videos below you will see how getting a naked model to stay still as you splash cold milk on her can also be quite challenging.

Gear wise Jaroslav and his team used the following:

• Nikon D800
• 50mm f/1.8
• Phase One IQ280
• Phase One IQ240
• Einstein E640 flashes
• Rotalux Deep Octa 100cm
• Manfrotto 405 Geared Head
• Gitzo GT-5561SGT 6X Tripod
• Manfrotto 131DDB Cross Bar
• Lastolite Skylite Rapid Medium 0.75 stop diffuser and Black/White Bounced Light panels

You can see the exact setup in the lighting and setup diagrams below:

For more info regarding the setup and lighting, including an animated diagram, watch this video:

For an even more in-depth look at how these photos were captured and processed make sure you watch the second video as well. This BTS video was filmed for a German TV show and reveals some of Jaroslav’s tricks and techniques as well as shares a lot of valuable information about the shoot.

In it Jaroslav explains why he prefers colored milk over paint, why the milk has to be cold and why he does the splashing himslef while his assistant takes the photos. The video also clearly shows the advantages of working with an experienced model and how this can make or break your shoot. By the end of it you will understand why a single signed print sells for almost $3,000.

As mentioned the calendar is already sold out, but Jaroslav told DIYP they will be bringing the Splash Heroes back in large poster prints in a couple of weeks. They will be available at this link.

Jaroslav and his team will also be touring the USA with the AurumLight Milk Workshop this autumn.

You can keep track of Jaroslav and his work on his website, Facebook page or Twitter.