Tag Archive for: strobes

Same set different looks and messages

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It’s very important

as a photographer to be able to get images that are fitting the client y0ur shooting for.
This can be a product, a model, musician, landscape, building etc.

One of the coolest things about photography is that besides just taking a picture we can do so much more.
I remember Peter Hurley telling me that a good headshot photographer will determine if someone walks the red carpet or ends up at at fast food chain, and in all honesty, he is right for a great part.

When we hired personal we always looked at the photos.
When our son Brian wanted to get a job I had to drag him into the studio to create a cool shot with some lens flare, low angle, arms crossed, rolled up sleeves etc.
He got the job right away.
The trick is very simple.
People get a lot of applications and some will jump out and some not, and no body wants to spend too much time for a lower position so having a photo that really jumps out and showed he was tall, ready to work. And by adding the red color I knew for sure the image would jump out.

Now this is not something I would shoot for a manager wanting to get a job in the higher management sector.

In other words

Always dive into what you shoot

For me it’s always a challenge to get images that are 100% the “soul” of a company, the “character” of a person or the “mood” my client wants for a product.
Photography for me is only a small part of an assignement, talking and of course getting people at ease is a vital part.

During the workshops I always try to experiment with different lighting setups, props etc. But I also give a lot of attention to topics that are important to get the mood your client wants. And because I love using my own guitars in workshops sometimes I thought it was a great exercise to see what you can do with the same setup, same lighting, same model etc.

Of course we have some limitations.
First off all it’s all the same setup and model. But still I think you will be able to get a different vibe with these shots.
Some are aimed at more rock, some are more metal and maybe you spot the nu metal and progressive version.
The only thing that was changed is the pose of the model, the angle under which I shoot and of course the length of the lens. A wide angle will render a scene completely different than a longer lens that will compress the scene.

In the retouching I did try to keep the looks pretty similar, with small changes (except for one).
It’s a fun exercise and something you can easily try yourself.

Here are my versions.

 

Using a gobo projector with different colors

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Its fun

To experiment with different solutions to get cool looks.
As you probably know I’m a big fan of focussed light sources, and the gobo projector is of course an awesome light shaper that does this and so much more.
The Gobo projector I’m using is the Westcott Lindsay Adler version.


Standard it’s delivered with a 135mm lens but I’m mostly using a 50mm 1.8 lens on it to get the light spread out more over a larger area.

With this Gobo projector you can choose to just use the blades to create shapes and really focus the light with one small beam on your model, or you can use the gobos themselves, small metal plates with patterns that you place between the lens and your lightsource. The cool thing about a gobo projector is that with the lens you can focus the patterns on y0ur subject or background.

Adding some colors

Normally you use the gobos as they are, but during the workshops I love to experiment so for this setup I’m using two gels I put on the gobo.
As you can see it still needs some work, but the effect is very cool
You do have to take into account that this will REALLY eat your light, a gobo projector is not very bright, but when adding gels into the game means that in this case I’m shooting at slightly higher ISO’s than I would normally use with strobes. Luckily the Geekoto strobes I’m using can also be turned down to a really low output, meaning they mix perfectly with the projector.

Model : Felisa

Adding some smoke made the image complete for me.
But also always walk around your model and try different positions, it has happend countless times during workshops, events and commercial jobs, me and the client think one angle or position is best, and I always try to include some different positions at the end of the session, and in some cases I actually prefer the alternatives. So always make sure you shoot from as many different positions and angles as time and space allows.

 

 

 

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.