August 26th we did another broadcast in our “Digital classroom” series.
In case you missed it, here is another chance to watch it 😀
Please spread the link and make sure everyone joins us for the next broadcast on September 23, this time with Nadine.
Many thanks to :
BenQ and Rogue/Expo imaging as main sponsors of the Digital classroom and LedGo for the lighting.
When I switched from Canon to Sony at the release of the A99 I did a small prediction…. “In 10 years Sony could be the new number 1, if they keep doing what they are doing”, little did I know about what would happen in only 2 years.
At the moment you must be living under a rock to not take Sony serious.
In Medium format they are the “unknown” number 1, meaning every manufacturer is now using their sensor from Hasselblad, Phase One, Mamiya/Leaf to Pentax and to be honest, I tested the Credo50 just before release and it was breathtaking what the Sony sensor does. But also Nikon uses a lot of their sensors. The reason is very simple, their sensors are just the best in dynamic range, color and noise performance, I actually hoped that also Canon would switch to Sony sensors (I still love Canon).
We all know the so called “posing stools”, “how to pose books” well don’t get me wrong… they all have a market, but for me they often don’t work.
Every model is different, every lighting situation is different but most of all every scene is different.
I love to “sync” the pose to the models clothing, the model, the scene etc. etc. there are so many variables it’s almost limitless, so to have one pose that fits all…. doesn’t really work for me.
To help with posing and to let the model get a bit more relaxed in front of the camera it can help if you give him or her something to “play” with, or a better turn something to pose with. And that doesn’t have to be an expensive posing stool or whatever, you can only spend your money once so make sure you spend it on things you can re-use, re-sell etc. And spending 100.00 or more on one stool just is a waste of money in my opinion, although if you shoot a lot of families or the same portraits over and over again it will probably work just fine (otherwise they wouldn’t be on the market right?)
This prop I got from a friend of mine who owns a toy store in Emmeloord and he didn’t use it anymore, we actually got three in different lengths, you might recognize it as something to hang lights on in a store or a stage, and you’re (probably) right, but I love to use it to let my models play with during the shoot as you can see in these images with Nadine.
As you can see it’s a different way to pose than without any props, these kind of things will really boost your (and your models) creativity and make sure you keep shooting with fun and don’t end up doing the same thing over and over again, because let’s be honest…. we are in a creative business so repeating the same things over and over… well that’s just boring.
Now how do you get the cheap posing things?
Just go out to second hand stores, dumpsters, stage companies etc. and just ask for the “junk” it doesn’t have to new or good looking, in fact the more damaged it is the better it often works for a shoot.
Good luck and good hunting for those amazing props 😀
If you want to learn more about this and more model photography, you can buy our book on Amazon called Mastering the Model Shoot. Or visit one of our workshops, see www.photography-workshops.eu
Or join KelbyONE for classes about model photography, see our youtube page for backstage videos, our short photography tips on “Quite Frankly” and our interview shows on “The DOORhof is always open”.
Locations are important for a successful photoshoot of course, but these locations shouldn’t always be castles, abbeys or stunning xxxxxx, they can be pretty simple but thanks to the lighting, storytelling, styling etc. come to life.
During our trip through Scotland we found several areas of woods where it looked a bomb went off and left the area in a post apocolyptic state, most of these sites were however not easily accessible… until we found this one. We did have to climb a bit but I think the end results are worth the climb.
Lighting : Elinchrom Quadra ELB400
Camera : Sony A7r with 24-70
So the next time you look for a location, don’t just think about the “beauty” of the location, but think about the story, the styling etc. and you will find out that even the most simple locations can look great.
