These are the shots I finally made after I used my brother as a stand-in for a few tests shots (see previous post). Roger is such a shy person and I was only allowed to photograph him whilst he was reading his newspaper ….
Roger
Roger
Portrait photos for profile image on social media
I have recently written a blog post about the quality of profile photographs for LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. You can find it here.
Recently I was contacted via the contact page of my website by …. my spouse! She asked me if she could make an appointment for a portrait session in order to get photographs for social media. Since my wife has access to my calender, she proposed a day and time I was available. So there was no possible escape for me … ! Photographing people who are close to you is even more difficult than photographing people who are not in your circle of relatives and friends …
Nonetheless, herewith a selection of images, shot on Nikon D3, 85mm 1.4 at f/4, 1/250. I used 3 flashes (Nikon SB900) using Nikon’s CLS system.
- Portrait and profile photograph for social network sites
- Portrait and profile photo for social media
- Portrait and profile photo for social media
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From workshop model to cover girl – it’s just a small flash away …
From model to cover, it sounds just like the title of a new workshop. Well, it was during a Strobist workshop – a workshop on flash photography with small, portably reportage flashes – that this image was created.
After the participants had asked me a lot about how to get a white background white, or how to get it black, I asked our model Shauni if she could pose for me for a few minutes.
I had placed 2 small flashes – Nikon SB900 – on either side of Shauni, using umbrellas and triggered boths flashes with Nikons CLS-system. The only thing I added to the creative mix was a silver reflector to throw the light back at Shauni, in order to create soft, beautiful light (which she deserves).
The result is as can be seen on the cover of Shoot magazine. In this particular issue, which is on-sale in Belgium from now on, I have written an article – together with Piet Van den Eynde, colleague and partner in crime for the flash workshops – about the Nikon CLS – system.
Anyhow, this is the result as it appears on the cover of the magazine.
- Cover for Shoot magazine, shot during a workshop on flash photography
And that’s how a model for a workshop can end up as a model of the cover of a photography magazine. Thanks Shauni!
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Real estate photographer in Belgium.
It’s a tough life for any real estate photographer in Belgium. Have you ever checked the photography on a Belgian real estate website already? Apalling, to say the least. That’s because people in Belgium don’t understand the importance of marketing and the power of images and photography. The general idea in Belgium is that you’d rather do it yourself and not spend any money on it. Consequently, the photography on the websites doesn’t show the full potential of the place you’re trying to sell, so you’re not getting the attention the place deserves and in doing so, you potentially loose a lot of money on the sale afterwards (which would make up for the cost of a photographer). Why people do this really beats me. I’ve written it down in this blogpost, where one sees the “before” and “after” of a house that went up for sale at at much higher price than initially planned – and was consequently sold at that price because it drew a large crowd of people coming to have a look at it.
Nevertheless, there are still people who see the value in real estate photography. Notary/solicitor De Jonghe from Ostend contacted me in order to photograph an Irish Pub with hotel right in the heart of the city. So I went down to the “Celtic Ireland” in the Langestraat in Ostend to photograph the interior of the pub and the hotel.
Amongst the most important parts of a pub the counter for sure is one. In this Irish pub the counter was a beautiful but humongous one that had to be lit in a professional way.
So, by just using available light, this is what showed up on my screen – an underexposed image with a few spots of light.
- vastgoedfotografie
By adapting my shutter speed I tried to draw-in more available light in order to establish my basic exposure.
- vastgoedfotografie
Lastly, I placed a few flashes (type Nikon SB900 speedlights), in order to open up the dark areas in the scene, thereby creating a warm atmosphere.
- vastgoedfotografie
The same technique was used to light a part of the pub with very little available light. The first (mainly backlit) shot shows a rather dull image.
- vastgoedfotografie
But with the use of carefully placed speedlights (there are 4 in this particular image) you can create a much more interesting photograph.
- vastgoedfotografie
All the above images have been made and post-processed without the use of Photoshop. But sometimes it just is too difficult to get the image right in one shot, especially when you’re working within time constraints and with limitations of gear. I usually carry about 4 to 5 flashes around, but for this particular shot it would have been very time consuming and technically not so easy to create the image in-camera. So I opted for the photoshop route. That meant that I had to shoot the overhead stained glass – which was much brighter than the interiour – seperately from the interor and then ultimately combine both images in photoshop to create the final image.
- vastgoedfotografie
- vastgoedfotografie
- vastgoedfotografie – finale foto
Lastly, I’m posting a few extra shots of the interior. If you’re interested, the place is up for sale and will be sold on the first of June 2011 in Ostend.
- vastgoedfotografie
- vastgoedfotografie
- vastgoedfotografie
- vastgoedfotografie
- vastgoedfotografie
Al images are made with Nikon D3s and a Nikon 24mm PC (Tilt-Shift) lens. The flashes (Nikon SB900) are used through the Nikon CLS system.
In a next blog post I will show the hotel rooms.
Fashion photography for Sonja Sonneville
Sonja Sonneville is a trendy fashion store in the vicinity of Leuven (Holsbeek).
Twice a year they need to have the new collection photographed (summer and winter). So, a while ago – on a wet and windy autumn day – we photographed their new summer collection, which is now available in the shop. So with summer approaching, it might be a good idea to go and have a look at their stunning collection.
We photographed the summer collection on location, in their shop. In order to do so we created a studio, complete with seemless white background, Elinchrom studio lights with beauty dish and striplights as well as small reportage flashes (type Nikon SB 900). Ans Brugmans was our make-up artist and the model of the day was Carla Sonneville.
The images were needed primarily for their website and small catalog that they publish. The images didn’t need to be cut out of the background, as the layout guy of the catalog would introduce backgrounds and colors himself.
You can see the images on their website here. And here are some of the 30 odd silhouettes that we photographed during the day ….
- modefotografie sonja sonneville
- modefotografie sonja sonneville
- modefotografie sonja sonneville
- modefotografie sonja sonneville
- modefotografie sonja sonneville
- modefotografie sonja sonneville
- modefotografie sonja sonneville
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Model photography – shoot with Sylviane Alliet – last setup
To end the shoot with Sylviane Alliet, a TFCD project in which we took a number of types of pictures we wanted to make but that we can not always do so when working for an assignment, we we decided to end the day with some images that had a rougher look.
Therefore we went to the “basement” – yes, I can say that I spent some time in the basement with Sylviane – to find a background that matched the character role that Sylviane was playing.
The “industrial background” is illuminated with a Nikon SB900 flash with a CTB filter (to get a cooler atmosphere), while Sylviane was lit by a Nikon SB900 through an umbrella. If I’m not mistaken, I even made it a little warmer with a quarter CTO. Sylviane is also lit from behind, to create some backlight. The result is shown below.
What have we finally learned from this and previous shoots.
1. that it is possible to use a backpack of equipment (Nikon D3s, 4 SB900 flashes, stands, umbrellas and gels) at a location and still get different setups that are fundamentally different
2. that working with a professional model is just fantastic
3.that you do not need much material to make different kind of images
4. that occasionally doing a TFCD is great fun in order to try a few things with or without great results
At the end of the day both Sylviane and I were ready for the scrap heap, but we were pretty happy with the cooperation and results. There are now plans to do something similar, but in an outdoor location …. and I am already looking forward to it!
- model fotografie – shoot met Sylviane
- model fotografie – shoot met Sylviane
- model fotografie – shoot met Sylviane
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A cover by surprise
Usually you know in advance that you can go shoot a cover. The editor would typically call with the question that photographers really love: “would you like to photograph X, Y or Z, preferably in a vertical format, as it is for the cover”.
Er, yes, even love to. I will even say more, you can call me every day with these kind of questions!
No, all joking aside, when I get this kind of questions I’m actually really happy, as it is an added bonus and a way of appreciation for the photographer.
When shooting the portrait below, however, I was not told that it would end up on the first page of the magazine. Not that it would have made any difference in the shooting, but I would certainly have been a little more nervous had I known that the photograph would have been for the cover.
And look, apparently the picture was good enough – to my great surprise and joy – to feature on the cover page!
Nevertheless, the picture was taken on a dark and rainy Wednesday night in a tiny house. The person is highlighted with a “flash through umbrella”, while the background is illuminated with a flash with CTO filter (you get the impression that there is a small lamp- light. There is also a light there, but that would never light enough on the photograph. hence the flash). D3s Nikon, Nikkor 85mm. Controlled flash with the Nikon CLS system.
- portret fotografie – cover voor OKRA
At the inside of the magazine, another shot out of that series was also used.
- portret fotografie – cover voor OKRA
And lastly, there was a shot of a farmer, which I took during a snow storm. I put him inside, in a tiny cold room, in order to get some of the texture of the wood.
- portret fotografie – cover voor OKRA
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Model photography – shooting with Sylviane Alliet part 3
Being able to shoot a professional model such as Sylviane is always a lot of fun for a photographer. By working with someone who knows how photography works and how to behave in front of the lens, the photographer shouldn’t ecnounter too many difficulties any more in order to make good images.
This is of course partly true, because for the setup for our third part of the shooting session I was still a looking for atmosphere, lighting, composition and artistic interpretation. The “Yogaposes” that we had in mind were not so simple to implement, and many artistic and technical constraints made this – certainly for me – the hardest of the four setups that we’ve done.
The images were created with 3 or 4 flashes (in Sylviane’s living room), which in our first series of images were positioned so that I wanted to create a a dark and intimate atmosphere. But as Roeland on his blog a while back so well put it, the result was ultimately not entirely as I wanted and I did not immediately see many solutions to quickly improve things. Frustrating!
- yoga, wellness & zenn
Therefore we decided to change the whole look and feel of the image by turning everything around (angle, orientation, lightin, mood, etc ….). Hey, it’s our party and we cry if we want to!
- yoga, wellness & zenn
- yoga, wellness & zenn
- yoga, wellness & zenn
- yoga, wellness & zenn
The result was much more pleasing and we ultimately got some interesting and good shots out of it.
But watch this space, for our last series of shots we’ll go “down and dirty”!
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Photographers, are they perverts or hard workers?
I get the next question or comment every now and then:
“Wow, being a photographer is really cool. All those handsome models to take a photograph from. All these naked women in front of your lens. All those photographs of nude models …. Have you ever ever felt the urge to uh, to uh …. .. And what does your wife think of this, all that female beauty, within your reach? “.
Well, what does my wife think of that?
Well, firstly, being a photographer is indeed really cool. For years I worked hard (I repeat, “years of hard work”) – after years of study in addition – to get where I am now, a professional photographer who was initially interested in photography and who has finally been able to make a living out of being a professional freelance photographer (and in the process lost a hobby, but that is more than made up by my interest in music, playing guitar and wine, but this whole aside).
Secondly, we, freelance photographers, photograph certainly not every day (professional) models – unless it is your specialization and shoot nothing else but fashion and models. But there are not many photographers who do that.
In my line of work I photograph just about everyone, young and old, beautiful and ugly (whatever “beautiful” and “ugly” may mean), thick and thin, sympathetic and downright boring or annoying.
Thirdly, you will not believe it, but if I had a supposedly “smart” model to photograph (with or without a little or no fabric to the body), or if I have to take pictures of a series of potted plants, or pack shots of cosmetics or construction workers on a wharf, or architectural photographs in a modern building, or ….. in a way that remains more or less all the same to me. The same, you say? Indeed, the same, namely “how do I compose my image “, “how do I adjust my exposure’, “how do I guide the model”, “what background I choose”, “what angle do I choose,” “what does my customer want”, etc, etc …. As a photographer you are busy thinking about all those things at once, leaving very little brain activity remaining for pervert thoughts or comments, in order to get your subject between the sheets.
And that’s often the tone of the comments or questions from people when they talk about fashion photography and model photography.
Really, people. As a photographer, we are really busy with our profession. We work really hard to make images for customers with the intention that customers use the images to their case forward.
And the last thing we think about is to get the model in to our bed.
And my wife’s happy with that!
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Model photography – model shoot with Sylviane Alliet part 2.1
In the previous blog post about the shoot with Sylviane Alliet, I talked about the images we made in the doctor / dentist / assistant / medical sphere.
Because we don’t take pictures with a model and the right attributes every day to (especially in the medical field), we decided to quickly do a few shots of Sylviane against a different background. That way we could get some extra mileage out of the attributes. We did this by simply moving the flashlights to another location (right around the corner from our previous shots), with as a result a set of pictures which breathed a totally different atmosphere.
The pictures were taken with 2 Nikon SB900 flashes in slave mode, triggered by a Nikon SB900 on camera – the Nikon CLS system. One flash was standing outside, behind the door, the other stood between between the photographer and Sylviane, but aimed at a corner in the room. In other words, the light was “bounced” or reflected by the white walls and ceiling, so to get an even lighting over Sylviane.
All photos were taken with a Nikon 85mm prime on f2 (because I simply liked to workon f2. Nah).
The result looks like this (images post-processed in Lightroom 3.3).
Shoot with Sylviane - medical theme
Shoot with Sylviane - medical theme
From here on I added some warmth to the image by placing a full cut CTO gel over the outside flash. Hence the impression of sunlight coming through the door and the warm atmosphere.
Shoot with Sylviane - medical theme
Shoot with Sylviane - medical theme
Shoot with Sylviane - medical theme
Next blog post will be much more “zen” … promised!