In these shots you can see our model Anna Matthea between two walls……. you say what?
In our studio we use different kind of backgrounds, mostly the studio walls are painted in special structures and colors to function as backgrounds, but we also have several “movable” walls. In this shot we used two of these walls in a very steep angle and let Anna Matthea pose between them.
Lighting setup was very simple…. just a single 100W lightbulb, nothing more.
To spice up a shoot you don’t always have to go to a stunning location, sometimes you can bring the location to your studio…. well at least part of the location.
In this case we used an old window as a prop, the model is behind it and the light is falling through the window, I added some waterdrops to make the scene a bit more interesting…..
Now the first thing people ask me is “How do you get these props”
The answer is very very simple, just go to your local scrapyard, offer some posters in exchange or pay what they ask, often it’s very cheap because we actually go for the rundown (real scrap) material. You can also of course make a deal that you can bring stuff back and get new props.
One extra tip… DON’T LET THE MAID CLEAN THE WINDOW 🙂
You probably already saw it on social media, but I also want to give some attention to it on my blog of course.
This week saw the release of my brand new instructional video “Mastering the model shoot : the light meter”
A lot of people have asked me when I would make a new instructional video series in the style of the very populair “Light” series, my answer was always that I would make a new video as soon as I had a lot of information that I did not already share on other videos, because just like you I don’t like to spend money on something I already saw.
After the release of my book “Mastering the model shoot” and the workshops connected to the book I got so many ideas and I still got a lot of stuff that did not make the book (there is limit to the amount of pages :D) that I decided now would be the time to release a brand new series of instructional videos.
Everything is new.
We have a new approach to filming, we now film everything in 4K for extra quality (videos are presented in 1080P) and we use different camera angles, text will appear on screen to explain the more difficult parts, and all videos will cover different topics so you can buy the ones you like and are not forced to pay for something you don’t like (although I think they are all more than worth it of course).
The first video is called “Mastering the model shoot : the light meter”
In digital photography this is without a doubt one of the most talked about topics and to be honest you also hear a lot of stuff that is, now how to say this nicely, well….. not really helping (was that ok?).
In over 70 minutes I take you through everything you need to know about the light meter, topics include :
* reading the meter
* which meter to buy
* reflective vs incident
* where to aim the meter
* how to calibrate the meter
* working with strobes
* working with ambient
* mixing strobes and ambient
* working with white backgrounds and black
* how to keep detail in the blacks with a technique called light in light (and how to meter it)
* histogram vs the meter
* how to trigger the meter
* apps and film
* and much more……
I’m joined in the studio by our model Manon and next to the explanation on the meter we will also show you in easy to follow (and copy) examples. This is a very complete video on the light meter and I’m sure you will run out and buy one if you don’t already have one, or understand your meter beter if you already own one.
The video is priced at EU 29.95 (US app 35.00) and can be ordere via our webstore or via the direct link here :
https://frankdoorhof.com/web/shop-videos-etc/direct-video-downloads/
Styling is one of the most important parts in a successful photoshoot.
If you shoot a model in jeans and tanktop, you’d better be a lighting wizard because there is not much else going on…..
This is one of the quotes from my book “Mastering the modelshoot” (which recently got the label bestseller :D).
Now for some people the term styling already gives them a panic attack… styling is difficult, impossible to do yourself etc.
Well…. let’s be realistic, for a good styling project you will need a professional stylist, they really have “the eye” and know what goes together and will work in a photo, but don’t worry if you can’t afford one, there are some simple things you can do yourself.
1. Don’t overthink, but DO overthink
Sounds weird right?
Well it is.
What I mean is that sometimes people already think “I can never do it, so I won’t even start” and that’s the first overthink. The second one is much more important… when you start doing the styling for a shoot do it with care, make sure that everything goes together, match colors and match the styling to the model and the look of the set you’re gonna use, you really have to think about this over and over again, a styling idea can fall flat on it’s face by small mistakes.
2. It’s always personal
You can create the most amazing outfit and look, but always remember that as soon as you steer away from “standard” people will either like it or hate it, and the more extreme you go the more extreme the reactions will be, be prepared for some intense flaming online, especially from people who don’t do it themselves 🙂
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