2008 was a terrific year, thanks to my great clients! Here are a few of my favorites from my fashion and senior shoots. Happy New Year!
(1) I took this shot of Carly in the bathroom of my studio with a 35mm lens. Lit with just the window light bouncing off a silver reflector held by my assistant. I added a little Kubota cross-processing.
(2) Although this was from a high school senior shoot - not a model shoot - given my subject (Taylor could be a model!) - I decided to treat it as such. The idea was to create an image with a very commercial look (think jeans ad). Taylor pulled it off perfectly in both her pose and expression. Lit with a single strobe in a large softbox. Adding a bunch of lights here would have destroyed the drama of the shot. The b&w conversion was done in Lightroom.
(3) This shot of Anton was from his model test shoot. Again, the idea was to create a very commercial look. No strobes, no reflectors. Lots of + exposure compensation, probably about +1.5ev.
(4) This one was from a boudoir shoot. Ladies, what would your new husband rather have for a wedding present - a gorgeous leather album with shots like this or that set of cufflinks you were thinking of getting him? Hmmm... Anyway, shot with all natural light. The late-afternoon sun was streaming through the window camera right. I simply diffused it by pulling down the sheer white drapes, and it worked perfectly - creating a large natural-light soft box. When shooting a 3/4 or full length shot, try shooting with the camera at about mid-torso level, which elongates your subject.
(5) This one was from a fitness shoot with Heather, a personal trainer. I like how the ring flash sculpted her muscles. The yellow seamless paper works well with this image. When using a ring flash, place your subject fairly close to the background if you want to see that unique, wrap-around shadow. Here Heather was only about a foot away from the paper.
(6) This one was from Laura's senior shoot. I like this one because it really says something about her. The drama was created by the pose and the lighting - it was lit with a single strobe with a 10 degree grid spot to simulate a spotlight. The background was a white wall. You can do anything with a white background - including turning it black - depending on how much light you allow to hit it.
(7) Another one from Anton's shoot. I was going for a surreal look here. Lit with a strobe camera left with a large umbrella. The sun provided the rim light on the right.
(8) Another from Taylor's senior shoot. I like her expression here. It took a while to get her hair in just the right position. Drama was added with the use of a grid spot. "Standard" head shot level is about nose-high, but I prefer to shoot about chin-high, which makes your subject (provided they aren't heavy) more elegant.
(9) From Janelle's senior shoot. This one's just a simple, clean high-key beauty shot. Seniors are not used to seeing such commercial-looking shots, except on magazine covers. It definitely can help separate you from your competition.
(10) Another from the same boudoir shoot as #4. I just like the playful pose. Note: ladies, don't worry. Boudoir images will not appear on this blog or any other website without your written permission.
(11) I love the look of ringflash on a gray paper background. Jennie really knew what to do with her eyes, which makes the shot.
(12) Another bridal fashion image from Carly's shoot. Simple lighting on gray seamless is just a timeless look that always looks great. I love Carly's pose here.
(13) From Wendy's senior shoot. Lit with window light + reflector. I love this shot because it shows the viewer who this girl really is. The clothes, hair, makeup, eyebrow-stud and pose tell us she is an indie rock chick, but her expression shows us that she's very sweet, too.
(14) From Laura's senior shoot. A very simple natural-light headshot. The ingredients: shoot it from above, wide open (f2.8 or larger) with a long lens (85mm or longer). Works every time. Mothers love shots like this!
(15) Okay, last one from Taylor's shoot - you can tell I really liked that shoot, eh? I really like Taylor's pose here, combined with the messy hair. This one was taken just moments after #2. Again, just a single softbox.
(16) From Naomi's headshot session (she's an actress). This is a simple natural-light photo. It almost looks like I'm using a strobe here, but the effect is from the hazy sunlight bouncing off a building. This shot is a good example of why I love my 70-200mm lens. Shot wide open @200mm, your subject will be tack sharp while the background turns into a gorgeous, creamy mush. I like how this shot almost looks as if it was shot in the studio with a painted backdrop.
Up next: year in review wedding details.
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