Frank Doorhof

Sharon in a small space

January 21, 2016/in blog, Visions and technique/by Frank Doorhof

One of the workshops I teach is actually called “Small spaces”
Loads of photographers “complain” about their studio being too small, and of course this is possible, but in my opinion there is always an interesting shot to get.

You might not be able to make a model jump (although that could be funny, and painful) but there is always a option. So this workshop is all about working in tight spaces and this means smaller modifiers (often just a beauty dish) with grids to make sure the light hits only the places you want it to, and of course we have to adjust the models poses a bit.
Remember also that tight/small spaces can actually be incredibly cool if you let your model pose with them, for example lean in between two walls, make her look “locked up” etc. when you come to think about it shooting in small spaces can be much more interesting than shooting in wide open spaces 😀

Today some images from this workshop with Sharon.

As you can see sometimes you have to think outside the box… but in the case of small spaces it can help to think inside the box 😀

If you like these kind of tips make sure to check out my book “Mastering the model shoot” or get one of the instructional videos from this website.

MTM goes New York

January 8, 2016/in blog, News etc/by Frank Doorhof

On February 13th I’ll be teaching a full day (small group) workshop in New York… the city that never sleeps.
And trust me… after this workshop you won’t sleep for a week…. it’s jam-packed with information on shooting models, understanding light, mixing light sources, shooting with advanced light setups and the bare basics (just natural light) and much more. The unique approach of the workshops is always that we start with a Q&A in which the participants can ask whatever they want and part of the questions will be answered right away and the other part will be incorporated into the workshop it self, this way the attendees always learn exactly what they want.

For this workshop we have some amazing dresses from our friend Lindsay Adler (they are stunning) plus the workshop itself is taught in a great studio with both day light and studio options so it’s possible to cover literally every aspect you can encounter, meaning you will get a very complete overview of techniques for both natural light and strobes (and mixing them of course).

During the workshop you will also get the chance to shoot with the brand new 100MP Phase One digital camera/back so you will be going home not only with stunning images… but also some very high resolution ones 😀

As an added bonus you will also see the whole retouch process from selection to finish with many tips in Photoshop and Capture One.
By the way… ALL participants will receive a free copy of Capture One 9 (valued at 299.00)

Topics will be :
Understanding/Manipulating/metering light
Using the light meter in incident and reflective mode
Mixing light sources
Coaching the model and working to a great shoot
Adding motion for that WOW effect
Advanced techniques for location shoots
Maximizing the location
The right gear
The complete workflow for model photography
Color managed workflows
Using Capture one during and after the shoot
Retouching and selecting images
And MUCH MUCH more…….

Retouching topics will be :
Skin retouching without spending hours behind the computer
Adding an unique look within seconds without plugins
Tinting your images
Body shaping within Photoshop
Using BW convertors for stunning color enhancements
Adding skin detail back if necessary (this can save your shot)
Manipulating light
Adding atmospherical lighting to a shot
Enhancing the look of the scene
And MUCH MUCH more…..

Sounds good?
I think so, so head on over to https://frankdoorhof.com/web/tours/new-york-workshop-february-13th-2016/ and read more about this workshop and register.
CU in the big Apple 😀

Small spaces are limiting? … nah

January 7, 2016/in Visions and technique/by Frank Doorhof

One of the most heard excuses is “my space is too small for a good shot”.
Well you might not be able to shoot a model in front of a white seamless, or fit in a whole family, or make a model jump (although that could be funny… for the photographer, not the model,….. nah don’t do it), but in essence EVERY location has potential as long as you use it to the max.

In this case we used a small staircase that is located at the back end of our studio and leads up to the “stage”. Our building is actually and old “church” and this was where the preacher was standing, it’s a tight space but for me it’s always fun to shoot there.

As you can see in the following shots I used some smoke to give the scene a bit more of an edge, but I also used my lighting to the max by moving around my model. Now always remember that smoke acts as both a diffuser and reflector so the more smoke you get… well let me put it this way, it’s always different. Also remember that as soon as the smoke gets in between the model and the front light source “all bets are off” smoke will start to act as a reflector and it will be one big white out.

We used one Elinchrom beauty dish with grid from the front and one gridded (and later open) reflector from the back with a blue gel.
Styling and model : Nadine

For the next one I left in a bit more red.

But you don’t always have to use the same pose of course…..
Why not shoot one from the back for example.

And while you’re at it. Why not move around your model and get a completely different look?

As you can see with the same light setup and the same very tight space you can create something really cool… just think outside the box… or in these kind of cases probably inside the box 😀

Good luck.

When something goes wrong

November 18, 2015/in Visions and technique/by Frank Doorhof

You of course always want that everything works as planned, especially that your strobes fire when you want them to.
But sometimes the effects can be interested. Now I’ve shot images like this before but I loved the responses of the group when only my backlight fired…. to make a long story short, we ended up doing some more of these……

So make sure that you always experiment with your light setups, don’t always fire all strobes, but intentionally sometimes just fire a few or only one, you might be surprised.

Tag Archive for: light

Sharon in a small space

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MTM goes New York

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Small spaces are limiting? … nah

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When something goes wrong

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