Tag Archive for: glamour

Using a gobo projector in a pregnancy shoot

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When your model is pregnant it’s time for some extra shots

Every pregnancy is unique, and when we shoot a pregnancy I always try to find something that is fitting for the model.
We all know Nadine I think and with Nadine it’s not possible to just shoot some images of her belly. So during a recent workshop we decided to shoot different setups all aimed at a part of Nadines character and of course my input 😀

it was a load of fun, Nadine got several totally different pregnancy shots and well… we got some cool behind the scenes videos.

Today the video about this shot.

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In the video I explain the lighting setup and the idea behind the shots.
I always appreciate a like and subscribe to our YouTube channel, it really helps us out.

model photography tips: Angles, lighting and guitars

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It’s about the leading lines

Today it’s about one of those things that really can make or break a shot and other model photography tips. Let’s start with the angle.
When we talk about the angle of a shot we often immediately think about shooting from eye level, ants perspective, or the giant perspective.

The angle

We change the angle of a shot to get a different “vibe” in our shots. But also to create a more or less powerful character because it looks funky and great. Angles will really change the complete narrative of a shot. And don’t think it’s just with model photography, try putting your camera really low with landscape photography, maybe hover it over the water and you get some amazing shots. But there is more.

 

One of the things that always fascinated me was the creativity you could get from just choosing different lenses, apertures, and most of all the length of the lens when I started  with photography.

My start of model photography

When I started taking photography more seriously I wanted to invest in good lenses.
Because almost everyone was using 70-200 f2.8 or longer primes (85-135) for model photography…. well that was my choice.
I also used a 24-70 f2.8, mostly for street and casual photography.
Till my 70-200 broke and I was “forced” to use my 24-70 much more. And to be fair, I’m glad that happened because my 70-200 f2.8 hasn’t been used a lot after it was returned.

“why?” you might ask.
Well it’s actually very simple.

When you shoot with a 70-200 you’re always using a rather heavy form of compression. This is great for getting out-of-focus backdrops and fitting a model on a not-so-wide background (the field of view is narrower with a longer lens). But you will quickly find out that when you start using angles to shoot your models there is a difference but it isn’t “WOW”. Another model photography tip is.

To get the WOW effect we need distortion

 

And no, I’m not talking about a blaring Marshall with a tube screamer….
When we use wider angles you will find out one very important thing.

The camera doesn’t see “depth”. It just renders objects closer to the lens as larger and further away as smaller.
When we use a wider angle this means that this effect is exaggerated, you can get some really cool effects with this.

For example, make a model point towards the camera and shoot it at a wide angle setting.
But for today’s blogpost, we take a look at another example.

A model and a guitar

During the workshops, I often try to bring cool props and create together with the attendees “fake” ads, or artist shots.
In this case, we use a beautiful Epiphone guitar, and our model Felisa is seated on the stage in our studio.

Lighting wise I’m using the Geekoto Quicky softbox on a Geekoto GT400 as my main light source.
I’m using the Quicky because it focuses the light on my subject without having the softbox really close to the model.
For the red I’m using one Geekoto GT200 with a red gel from our Rogue magnetic system.

 

Flow in my image

To get a nice “flow” in the image I’m shooting from a lower angle and using the 24-70 on a setting between 24-40mm.
It’s always wise to take several shots with different lengths. Sometimes a client will love the wider angles during the session, but later decide they might be a bit “too much”. This is why it’s always a good decision to shoot from different angles and different lengths. This way the client can always choose.

Same with smoke by the way.
So the first image as you can see here is without the smoke.

But there are more model photography tips

By choosing the lower angle the model looks taller and more powerful.
I sometimes call this “the hero angle”.
But by adding the wider angle the distortion gives the images a very cool and powerful look.
Now that the base is done, let’s add some smoke.

Model photography tips

I did change the light slightly for this one to create a bit more “mood”.
And compliments to Felisa for nailing the same pose almost exactly.

When we did the first setup, I narrowed the light a bit more and moved the right strobe slightly to get a much more contrasty look.

Model photography tips

As you can see I’m now also including the red gel in the shot.
The problem with this shot is that it’s “very red”.

 

Same lights, different effect

By moving the red strobe you have total control over this effect.
For the next shots, we moved the red strobe a bit more back and this is the final look I went for.
However, that doesn’t mean someone will probably like the previous ones more. So always select maybe also some images when you are still experimenting. sometimes those shots are a lot more funky/creative or unique.

Model photography tips

By changing the angle of the head you can easily change the “flow” in your shot.
This is not a matter of good or wrong. Although in most cases I like the so-called S-curve in a photo.
However, in these images, we already have really strong guides by the legs and guitar neck,. So here the position of the head is more of a way to change the mood.

So if you’re still shooting with longer lenses…. maybe also try a wide angle sometimes 😀

 

Workshops are always fun

Most of the blog posts and videos you see online are created with material shot during the workshops.
I’ve been teaching them for over 15 years and in every workshop I try to create something unique for my own portfolio. But also for the attendees of course.
If you also want to visit a workshop visit www.fotografie-workshops.nl for the agenda and more information.
We can also teach the workshops online if you are not based in the Netherlands.

I hope you like these model photography tips. And if you have any questions, feel free to reach out on social media or e-mail.

 

 

 

So much fun with cheap materials and lights

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It doesn’t have to be expensive

There is often a discussion about what you need to get a great image. And often it boils down to “I can’t do it because I don’t have any budget”. Well, it might surprise you but 99% of the images I post are shot during workshops, events, and trade shows. So not really situations where I have time or even a budget to really use large sets. Today a blog post about model photography with cheap materials and lights. In our studio, we do use the ClickBackdrops backgrounds of course 😀

Experiment with cheap materials and lights

One of the things I love to experiment with ar cheap lighting solutions.
This can be a string of fairy lights, Christmas lighting, or a magic lantern.
With modern cameras and great noise reduction in Lightroom or Topaz, you can really push the creative limits.

One of the biggest advantages of the strobes (Geekoto) I’m using now is that they can be adjusted to output a very slight amount of light.
Because most of these light sources are very faint it’s great that I’m now able to mix strobes and continuous lighting much easier.

 

Setup

For this setup, we used wings with small lights inside. To make sure the lights show up you have to be able to capture enough light.
This can be done with a higher ISO or a longer shutter speed.
What I normally do is use the EVF of the camera in emulation mode. This way you can see what your setup in your camera looks like.
I would advise to set up with an option to lower the shutter speed. Often when you start adding the strobes you will find that you need a bit more light from the continuous light source. Especially when a model is uncomfortable it’s nice that you can quickly change the setup by just lowering the shutter speed.

Now that you have the perfect setup just use a light meter to set the strobe up to the ISO and Aperture you chose. And you’re ready to shoot *and probably lower the shutter speed.

Background

A nice dark background is ideal with see-through materials and lights.
But it’s vital for these kinds of shots you use a focused light source, in other word,s make sure you only hit the subject with strobes where you need it. This way the continuous lighting will have a nice dark background to show up and show their color and brightness much better.

I’m using the Geekoto GT400 with a Geekoto Quicky softbox with a grid.
The Quicky is a smaller softbox that has a very straight light beam and is great for focussing light on your subject, even from a slight distance.

Model photography with cheap materials and lights, I like it!

Model photography with cheap materials and lights Model photography with cheap materials and lights Model photography with cheap materials and lights

Check out this video about being creative with 2 models dressed up as Barbie

You can rent our studio and get creative too 

A special Christmas scene with a beautiful background

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Christmas is a special time of the year

It’s a time where I hope we all find some time off, warmth or comfort.
It’s a time where it sometimes seems the world is just a bit more quiet.
And of course it’s a time of joy and celebration.

For me when I think of Christmas I always see a Charles Dicksens like scene, but with more warm tints and of course glowing lights. Let’s say a bit Fashion vs Charles Dickens.
During a recent session in our studio I joined the group for the last setup in building a small set with a Christmas tree.
We used our new scenic ClickBackdrops background, to get some some extra warmth I’m using a red gel from the left side aiming down from a high angle, this way it gave our model a nice accent and also side lit the tree a bit.

As main light I’m using the small Quicky softbox from Geekoto, this softbox it great for aiming your light to a smaller area than a conventional softbox and it worked great for this shot of Felisa.

I used Photoshop AI to extend the background and add a slight part to the Christmas tree and fill up the an area that was empty.
Boris FX was used to add 3 extra lights in the tree, making it all fit together.

When you try to get the image 100% right in camera, it’s often very easy to add what’s needed (if anything).
Using Photoshop AI this way is a great update and will really push the limits of what we can do creativity with photography.
Personally I’m not a big fan of text to image claiming as art, but using it to add to your photography where you build the set, setup the lighting, styling, makeup etc. I think it’s a great tool to make it possible create images much closer to our vision than ever before.