I was fortunate to spend some time in the Leicester studio with local model Charlee recently, trying out some different lighting setups. Charlee has a great look and is a pleasure to work with.
All three images were shot on a white background, but controlling the amount of light falling on the background to keep the background as light or dark as required. The addition of coloured gels on a light helped create a different look to the same setup.
These two images are from a recent family photoshoot we did on the best day of the year so far. We started off with an Environmental shoot in a picturesque local park, and then moved into the studio for more formal shots. These were two quick images taken inbetween and at the end of the shoot. I try to use as much of the time in the studio as I can to capture images, even when waiting for other family members to change outfits.
I had a great opportunity recently to spend some time in the Leicester studio with a local Tae Kwon-Do sportsman to capture some portraits and actions shots using minimal lighting for that lovely moody style which I am always drawn to. We tried out a few different lighting setups and created a great set of images suitable for an editorial piece.
After the recent photoshoot with Kate in The Warehouse Gym in Leicester, we were both keen to get back in for a second photoshoot to try out some more ideas we did not have time to do in the first shoot.
It was a lot colder this time round so more of a challenge, especially for Kate, but we came away with a great set of images. The gym is literally in an old warehouse. It is full of character with lots of photo opportunities with the spray painted walls and a variety of gym equipment. And more importantly for me, lots of space to move around with my equipment.
I am not a frequenter of gyms – in fact I think the last time I had a gym session was over 20 years ago – but I was excited to spend a couple of hours at The Warehouse Gym in Leicester to shoot Kate for a commission.
There are plenty of photo opportunities around a gym, from the apparatus to textured walls and floors. We ended up only using a small part of the gym, and the time flew by, meaning that I would love to get back in there to try out some more ideas in other parts of the gym.
All images shot with the Fuji X-Pro1 and 35mm lens, using Bowens lighting powered with the TravelPak. Modifiers included a gridded beauty dish and stripbox.
I was recently commissioned by Gursharan to photograph her for a new website. Gursharan had reviewed my portfolio and wanted a similar style for some headshots of her. As only a relatively small amount of space is needed for a headshot photoshoot, we decided on setting up a portable studio at Gursharan’s home, giving us the flexiblility of time and outfit changes in the comfort of a home environment.
We tried a variety of lighting setups, including the use of coloured gels on the backdrop, but plain grey works well as a simple, unfussy and clean background, and it can go from white to black depending on how much light falls on any part of it.
It can take a little while for a sitter to relax during a photoshoot, as it is not something they do everyday, and interestingly my favourite images were taken at both ends of the photoshoot – Pic 1 and 4 at the end, Pic 2 and 3 at the beginning.
Contact me if you would like to arrange a photoshoot for use in your website, corporate marketing material or editorials.
My second photoshoot with the X-Pro1 was with local model Beth through Model Mayhem. First try out with the fantastic Fuji 35mm F1.4 lens, along with the wider Fuji 18mm F2.
We shot in the same area as my first street shoot of 2014, but using different buildings as backdrops. Even though the photo shoot was mid afternoon with bright sunshine, the use of off camera flash enabled us to create a night time look in some of the images for a dramatic effect.
The use of natural light and off camera flash on a 2 hour street shoot enables the set of images to include a mix of moody and dramatic images along with bright and sunny examples.
A street shoot is great fun for model and photographer, and is a great option for an editorial piece for a blog or magazine.
I took advantage of the start of Spring and the kinder weather to kick off my 2014 Street Shoot season with a photo shoot with local model Yasmin. I took along my new X-Pro1 camera, with its small design and fast sharp lenses being ideal for this type of shoot.
We met at a predesignated point in Leicester and used a handful of side streets in the same area for the photo shoot. This reduces the amount of walking to each area and maximises shoot time. A mix of natural light and off-camera flash gave us a great selection of images against different urban backdrops, ideal for model portfolios, editorial portraits or family portraits with a difference.
We battled with the wind somewhat but had a great time,and produced a fantastic set of images. The X-Pro1 performed brilliantly, and as I learn how to get the best out of it, will become my go to camera for portrait photography. It is very easy to carry around, and the quality is amazing. It worked flawlessly with my pair of Nikon SB-800s and Pocket Wizard Mini-TT1 trigger and TT5 receivers.
I shot a Burlesque portrait session recently with some fellow photographers, trying out a lighting setup using a smoke machine. Smoke machines can be tricky – too little smoke and you do not see any effect, too much smoke and it looks like the studio is on fire. But with backlighting the smoke, the effect can be really nice.
The model brought along some fantastic large feathers to use as props, which really brought the scene to life.