the nude
For most model photographers starting out, shooting nudes is their first stop. Everyone has their own reasons for shooting nudes; some for the truly artistic reasoning, others for the eroticism of it and yet others, because they wanna see t&a.
I could be way off base here, but I think most red blooded males that get into model photography, START it for the pure t&a factor. There's a guy I know, I had to end my relationship with him because not only was he a user, but because he enjoyed a little too much, shooting nudes. I explained before how he set a model up to come to my studio and when I ended the shoot cause of her tool boyfriend, not less than three minutes of announcing that I was wrapping up the shoot, he had her nude and was firing off shots as if his life depended on his ability to shoot as many images as he can, in as little time possible. I don't blame the guy, but I do blame his actions.
He's been shooting for several years and I just found out that he is STILL the same way! He lines up models that shouldn't be doing nudes, and shoots them nude for the sake of seeing t&a. I'm NOT against shooting nudes, not at all! Even though it's been a good six or seven months since I've shot some, I don't feel it is the end all, be all of model photography. I know I didn't feel this way overnight, but now, I feel as if you're going to shoot them, make it worth both the model AND your time. Don't shoot t&a because it's there. Look to do something different, unique. HOT and something you'll look back on years later and be PROUD that you took it!
I went to Kansas last year to teach a workshop. At the end, I had a nude model come in just to show what can be done with two lights and a naked body. Everyone loves this image, although you don't get to see anything!
One
Hey guys,
In keeping up with my posting tradition, I'm posting one photo of the before and one of the after. I think now that I have more time available to me, I'm going to start offering photo retouching!
The before:
The image I delivered to the models:
Sticking with the outdoor theme..
Today's post is staying true to the outdoor theme that I've been in all summer lol.
I used to hate shooting outdoors, but the more of a "name" I made, the more people wanted outdoor and other types of photos. I ended up HAVING to learn how to shoot.
Here's one of a client. To me, I think she looks like Brittany Spears. Last photo was her being goofy and doubting I could catch her in mid act. Second was her working the lens. A few photog friends have asked me where this location is and gets angry cause I won't tell them. I share shooting tips and tricks, lighting but NOT my locations lol. I spend about 10 hours per week mapping out locations, I'm not going to just GIVE them away lol.
Outdoors with a strobe!
Here's Alex. Alex is a BEAUTIFUL model who isn't as comfortable with herself as I'd like her to be. Bah, this is the breaks, right? Sometimes, I just want to grab the good ones and "control" them. I know a photographer who does that, actually, a few photographers who do that. They find a model and tell them who they can and can't shoot with. I would never do something like that, so I always turn down the models offer.
I brought a strobe outdoors to shoot Alex, a Photogenic Studio max AKB320 with portable battery pack.
24" silver beauty dish as modifier.
Outdoors….cheating ;)
As I said in my previous post, I don't usually bring anything outdoors with me. This is mostly a personal preference as I don't like to lug around reflectors and strobes and things of that nature. For these shots, I did bring a reflector with me and threw it up.
Outdoors!
Over my photographic career, I've learned a few things. The most important is:
One who says they hate shooting indoors using strobes, most likely don't know how. Those who say they hate shooting outdoors and prefer the strobe, most likely can't shoot/manage the sun.
I was one of the "I hate shooting outdoors" kind of guys. One day, I decided I was going to have a full week of shooting outdoors. This just happened to be during the winter months. So that following spring, I shot outdoors. Today, I LOVE shooting outdoors.
These were all shot outdoors
I love MANY strobes, but one light is just as powerful!
To continue on with my one light series, I have to say that I love strobes. Nothing makes me feel more warm and fuzzy inside! The way they pop, the way the images look. The more the merrier! The one thing that I sometimes forget; great images can happen with just one light! If I borrow from my post earlier in the week, one light is how I really got started. David Hickey told me years ago that "There is only one sun. The purpose of photography is to emulate it." After he said that, I shot for many years with one light. Then I started adding more and more. Now that I'm comfortable and am often told that I have a "recognizable" style, I want to change it up a bit.
IMHO, I've got the glamour thing down. I'm almost annoyed with it. I want to branch out and shoot more fashion and beauty. So I grabbed a model, she's not fashion height, but she's beautiful and shot some fashion lighting. I'm going to check with my buddy T, to see what he has to say. I hope I'm not too far off lol.
These were all shot with the following:
Canon EOS 5D
Photogenic PLR1250DR
Diffusion Panel
What do ya think?
More one light and some natural
These photos are a mix of one photogenic plr1250dr in a 24" white beauty dish and sunlight.
The ones with the strobe was set up high with a reflector down way low to lighten some of the shadow. The others were shot with a large reflector pointed at her face to bring some of the door light back in and fill in.
One light
I shoot mostly with one light. Why? cause it's fun, challenging and something different. It's been a while since i shot with one light, so I decided to go back and give it a try.
These photos were shot with one light, a photogenic PLR1250DR through a photogenic 24" beauty dish.
The closer crops are my revision, the full images are the model selection
Workshops/Shootouts..instructors Qualified..Unqualified?
Today’s blog entry is geared towards learning. Sorry, there won’t be any photo posts in this one, but it will address something that’s been on my mind for a while; shootouts and workshops.
Years ago when I got serious about model photography, I had decided that I didn’t want to be on the forefront, I didn’t want to teach workshops. I wanted to be the guy that put event’s on and had people out. A friend of mine named Nus, talked me into putting on a meet and greet. It was fun and we had about 6 photographers and about 12 models. Great turn out and we got some good images. Let’s fast forward six years and discuss today’s situation; the “do it for money†guys.