About technique and more.

Results from the glamour workshop with Claudia

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.

A quick tip about stacking filters

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.

Being creative with led tubes

It’s no secret I absolutely love to find creative ways to use my lighting.
One of the things I love to add in a scene is color, but also continuous lighting.

So when Nanlite asked me to take a look at their new Pavo Tube I knew I wanted to combine it with some Christmas lighting we bought recently for the studio (we always look for cool lighting solutions, it’s always fun to use them and it triggers your creativity).

Here are some of the results from the session we did with Nadine.
Using the TT artisan lens on my Sony A7RIV with the FotoDiox adaptor to use the lens as an auto focus lens, love those convertors, it really makes it so much fun using vintage lenses.

In the video I also explain the setups.

The perfect background to enhance smoke

Today I would love to show you how our schintz reclaimed background not only works great as a background but is also perfect for situations where you use smoke. As you can see in the following examples, the background really complements the smoke and makes it look great.

This is one of the most important things for a background for me personally. You should be able to use it in multiple ways. And the schintz reclaimed is really a textbook example of that.

As the main light here I use our rogue black umbrella with the sleeve. And accent lighting.

The nice thing about using a lightsource like the umbrella is that you’re able to control the lighting ratio between the model and the background really precise. Just change the angle very slightly and you’ll be surprised how much of a difference that makes.

Both the schintz reclaimed and umbrellas are in stock via frankdoorhof.com/shop