My blog, although I don’t see myself as a blogger but as a Photographer I will try to blog some interesting material during the weeks.
Expect at least 2 updates a week.
We all know how hard it can be to get the perfect expression from a model. And don’t even start about laughing… terrible.
But with this little trick it might surprise you how easy it becomes to get some stunning and fitting results… just be careful your model doesn’t die from laughing….
Today it’s time for some results from the Glamour workshop with our model Claudia.
During the workshops I of course give a lot of attention to lighting techniques, but I also feel that styling, pose/expression and styling are all part of a successful photo.
So for the first results I’m using the Lindsay Adler Westcott projector with the blades to create the triangle effect. This is an awesome light modifier with almost limitless options. For fill I’m using a blue gel because otherwise the sides would be totally black which I don’t think helps the image 😀
While shooting it’s important to not be fixated on one location or angle, as you can see in the results, the lower angle shots are clearly giving a totally different look to the the image. In my opinion a much stronger result. But the straight on results are also not bad, so always shoot both, sometimes the client will totally fall in love with one set and the next the other, so make sure you shoot both 😀
Also for the next setup I’m switching locations.
Make sure you setup your lighting so that it’s easy to walk around the model and you are able to shoot from different angles without having to move the light.
For me the red really adds to the image, so I wanted to make sure the color really jumped out. By using a smaller light source and a reflective material the colors really jumped.
The first images where shot from slighty above the floor.
For the images from above we used a simple kitchen ladder. (one of the best studio props)
For the next setup we played around with lens flares and how one color can totally change the image.
I’m using our Clickpropsbackdrops here with a blue undertone, by adding red it creates a beautiful combinatie.
For the final setup we used our Red Metal backdrop which for me fitted the outfit perfectly.
Lighting was one Hensel striplight from the side.
For me personally lighting is very important, but you can have the best lighting in the world, if the model doesn’t look the part, or the background is not fitting for the shot it all fails and you end up with an beautifully lit image that isn’t pleasing to look at.
For me a successful image is a combination of the lighting, the color scheme and of course the styling/pose/expression of the model… If we look the last image for example, the background really makes the image look the way it does now, but imagine just a white background behind the model, or a forrest….. so always make sure you don’t just pay attention to the model and lighting but also for the backgrounds and the colors the model is wearing.
In todays blogpost a quick tip about stacking filters.
I’m using the Frank Doorhof K&F Concept kit which contains the 1/4 and 1/8 Black Diffusion filters with a magnetic connector for super fast and easy switching, but you can of course also…. well combine filters this way, so let’s take a look at how that looks.
you can order the kit from frankdoorhof.com/shop or in your favourite camera store that sells K&F concept.
In todays post some images I shot with our model Claudia testing out the new Rogue snoot on Nissin speedlights.
On these images I used the Rogue snoot bare, so without the diffusion panel in the gel holder.
When you use the snoot on a speedlight you actually have 8 different ways to use the snoot.
The first 4 are of course the different settings for the size of the area covered with the snoot, but the other 4 are actually when you don’t use the diffusion material in the gel holder. With speedlights you “need” the diffusion material to create a round bundle of light, but when you take it off you actually see the rectangular size of the strobe, which gives some interesting effects 😀
In this image I’m using just the snoot. As you can see the model really jumps out, but the shadows are really dark and hardly any detail is visible. So for the next image I’m using a second strobe with the omnidirectional dome from the magnetic system and a blue gel to open up the shadows. This is super easy to do. Just make sure the dome is placed somewhere in the line of the main light source and meter it a few stops below the main light source. Or use the flash exposure compensation when you really dare to shoot ETTL in these setups 😀
It’s actually placed just outside the frame and thanks to the dome you can light both the front of the model, the background and get a nice lens flare. The dome is without a doubt one of my favourite modifiers for the speedlight when using creative lighting setups (or for beauty portraits).
Now of course we would like a bit more lens flare.
Here I moved the position and aimed it slightly more forward.
After this it was just a matter of walking around the model to get some stunning effects.
I’m always amazed by how easy it is to use speedlights in these kind of more creative setups.
With our Hensel studio strobes it’s all expected to work easily, but thanks to the right light shapers it’s now possible to really create what you want without any limitations.
The Rogue products can be bought via www.frankdoorhof.com/shop or in your favourite camera store selling Rogue.
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