The wonderful local model Melissa asked me to do a baby bump shoot with her recently in the studio. It is not often I do a maternity type shoot, but we had a great time and created a strong set of images with different lighting setups. I used the session to try out the Fuji X-Pro1 in the studio with the 35mm lens – a great combination. Lit with Bowens flashheads with Octabox softbox, Beauty dish and strip light mods.
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 put out a last minute call for a model to help me with a test shoot to try out some new lighting setups in the studio. Shoot was scheduled for a Monday so I knew the chances of getting a model arranged was pretty slim, but Melissa came to my rescue and was a star !
I have never worked with Melissa before, but she was a true professional and we managed to create a set of great images for both our portfolios. And it means I have additional lighting setups in my arsenal, tried and tested and ready to use in the studio.
It is great to be in the studio during the Winter season, escaping the poor and unpredictable weather. The studio allows you space and time to build a careful lighting setup that will meet your vision of the photoshoot.
Below are 3 examples from a recent photoshoot with an up and coming model to help build her portfolio to take to agencies. We did a handful of lighting setup changes throughout the shoot, along with outfit changes, to get a nice selection of images for the portfolio. A mix of Octabox, strip box, gridded beauty dish and reflectors helped create strong images showing the model’s potential.
I think I have probably completed my last urban shoot of the year now the weather is decidely more Autumnal. Cold, rain and wind are not a pleasant mix for a photoshoot. This was the first time I hve worked with Danielle, and we managed to find a small backstreet in Leicester which I had never used before. A quick bit of research on Google’s Street View helped me pick the location, as it appeared to have a few areas for possible backdrops within very short walking distance.
As it happens we were spoilt for choice and ran out of time before we ran out of street.
The image above is one of a set made during a model photoshoot in the Leicester studio. Gridded beauty dish and telephoto lens, plus another gridded light for 3/4 backlight. I have worked with Sara before, so we were able to hit the ground running and captured some lovely images from the session.
Here are a small selection of images from a recent model shoot in the backstreets of inner city Birmingham with the fantastic model Emily.
I love using run down inner city urban areas for fashion photoshoots. Theses areas are bursting with great colourful and textured backdrops – old walls, doorways, graffiti covered billboards and derelict buildings. And because of inner city regeneration projects, these areas are commonly now neighbours to new office blocks with modern architecture to create a great mix of old with new.
With the added advantage of these areas being relatively quiet, away from the main shopping areas of a city centre, makes a great location shoot with plenty of artistic options within a small area. It can be a challenge sometimes to see the opportunities within a rundown area, but it is great fun to get out of the studio and see what happens. These set of images were taken during a 4 hour photoshoot in just one individual street in Birmingham, just a 5 min walk from the Bullring.
The picture above was one of the first shots of the day, taken against a blue painted street wall using 2 x gridded Bowens Gemini flashes powered by Bowens TravelPaks.
Another brick wall, the other side of the street. Quick change of clothes to get a different look, adding variety to a portfolio.
A boarded up public house is an all too common scene in every town and city in the UK, but can be used as a great backdrop for street fashion images with the help of a couple of powerful lights.
I spotted this ‘Weekend Offender’ sign painted on the wall of a very large archway as I did my initial walkaround of the area before the model arrived. I made a mental note of the exact location ready to use when the time came. Another 2 x gridded Bowen light setup – one on the sign, the second positioned across the archway lighting Emily.
There is always a graffiti covered wall to be had in an inner city area, and this wall was just a few feet further on down the street.
More graffiti found in an old factory doorway with the ‘Weekend Offender’ sign making another appearance. Doorway was lit with a gridded Bowens and Emily was lit with a gridded beauty dish hand held just above Emily.
Final change of outfit, using the natural soft light in the shadow of a building on the opposite side of the street, shot with a Nikkor 70-200 f2.8.
I hope you enjoy these images as much as I enjoyed the afternoon capturing them. Contact me if you are interested in a street fashion photoshoot to build your portfolio or just for a different experience.
I did my second shoot with model Grace this week, trying out a few new lighting setups in the Leicester studio. Image above was shot against a bright red brick background which looked much better in black and white for this particular shot. Lit with a single Bowens head through a gridded beauty dish, my favourite lighting accessory.