cover « Jurgen Doom

From workshop model to cover girl – it’s just a small flash away …

6 September 2011 om 10:57 door Jürgen geplaatst in de categorie cover,fashion,fashion photography,Flashlight,fotografie,photographer,Photography,strobist,workshop,workshop fotografie

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!

 

A cover photograph, aka the Christmas cover

7 December 2010 om 13:02 door Jürgen geplaatst in de categorie advertising,Flashlight,Photography,Portrait

As a photographer, freelancing for magazines and art-directors, you have to be both very adaptable and flexible.  Take this cover photograph for OKRA as an example.  The art-director wanted a photograph for the december issue, which had to have a connection with Christmas, but the image shouldn’t be an obvious christmas photograph either (tree, lights & presents). Fine with me.

In addition to that, they suggested a photograph of a mother with baby (you see the Christmas link here) in a Christmas atmosphere.  So, they said, the photograph should have some connection with the time of the year, yet don’t go all the way ….

OK, fine, I’m up for a challenge.  Photography in itself is a challenge, so why not make it more challenging.  Anyway, I set out with my gear, but I had additionally taken some christmas lights as well, hoping to incorporate it somehow in the photograph to have a visual link with Christmas.

The location where we set up the photograph was a simple home living.  I asked to close a dark brown curtain (wouldn’t you want more light, sir? No, thanks), which I would use as my background.  With the help of a few clams I attached the christmas lights to the curtain and switched them on.

Then I had to position the mother and baby in such a way that they were nicely framed by the curtain and Christmas lights, in order to have a balanced photograph.

Next thing I did was to set up 2 Nikon SB900 speedlights, main light coming from camera left and softened by an umbrella, and one coming from behind mother and baby, directly aimed at them (for separation).

The most difficult part of this whole exercise however was to balance the flash light with the Christmas lights.  Too much flaslight would kill all ambiant light, including the Christmas lights at the back.  Too little light would have meant that the ambiant light would overpower the strobes, whereby the dark background would have become light.

So after this execirse, I could freely photography my subject, with this as a result.  The image looks like it was lit through a big window (which it was not).

Thanks to the people at OKRA for such a wonderful response to this image!

OKRA Christmas cover photograph

OKRA Christmas cover photograph.

Portret: cover foto

18 August 2010 om 08:54 door Jürgen geplaatst in de categorie Commercial,Gear,Photography,Portrait

Onderstaande foto werd gemaakt voor de cover van Visie ter gelegenheid van het afscheid van ACW-voorzitter Jan Renders.

Het beeld werd gemaakt op locatie – in de kantoren van het ACW – mbv 3 Nikon SB900 speedlights, met gebruik van het Nikon CLS (Creative Lighting System), waarbij 1 flits als “commander” op de camera gebruikt werd en die 2 andere flitsen aanstuurde.  Beeld gemaakt op Nikon D3s, ISO 400, 120mm, F/4.5, 1/200 sec.

Bij het fotograferen moest rekening gehouden worden met de layout van het magazine, waar rechts de naam van het tijdschrift vermeld moet worden (zie beeld onderaan).  Een verkeerde plaatsing van de geportretteerde en de foto zou onbruikbaar geweest zijn.

Jan Renders, voorzitter ACV, voor Visie.

Jan Renders, voorzitter ACV, voor Visie.

Uiteindelijk werd voor een beeld gekozen waar Jan Renders zit.

Jan Renders, cover voor Visie

Jan Renders, cover voor Visie

Brico Cover – Pirate meets Princess meets Photographer

2 August 2010 om 14:49 door Jürgen geplaatst in de categorie Camera,Commercial,Photography,Uncategorized

Photography is an expensive occupation.  Children are expensive too.  A combination of being a “photographer with children” is hugely expensive ….

But sometimes the two come together and work well for each other.  Like that one time when I had to photograph the cover of Brico magazine, a 3-monthly that DIY-hardware store Brico publishes.

The ad-agency asked me if I could help finding children between 5 and 8 for an article about a grandfather who had build a “hut” up in a tree for his grand childrren.  Ideally they would be dressed like a pirate, a princess, a “what-have-you” “you-name-it” ….

Myrte, my daughter of 7, just loves getting dressed as a princess and for Johannes, my 5 year old boy, being a pirate comes second nature to him.

And so it happened that they finally figured on the cover of a magazine. Mind you, for Johannes it was already his second appearance on the cover of a magazine.  The first time was when he was about 3 months old.  But the money I made with that cover has long been blown on nappies, etc …. So it was time to top up on some “money credits” ….

Cover of Brico magazine, featuring my two kids.

Cover of Brico magazine, featuring my two kids.

This image was photographed on a Nikon D3x and a 24-70mm 2.8, ISO200, F5.6 at 1/100.  We used one SB900 speedlight (which we litteraly had to hang in a tree in order to get the right angle), gelled with a full cut CTO gel and complemented the lighting with a golden reflector.  The flash was triggered through Nikon’s CLS system.

This image is half of a double spread that ran in the inner pages of the magazine.

This image is half of a double spread that ran in the inner pages of the magazine.

So finally I’ve been able to use them to make me some money, instead of costing me money.  But hey, that money has already been spent …. on a new princess and pirate outfit!

Cover shoot for Brico Magazine

12 August 2009 om 19:20 door Jürgen geplaatst in de categorie Commercial,Portrait

As a freelance photographer you need to be able to do all kind of assignments.  This time I had to shoot a cover for a magazine for a Leuven based advertising agency (Head Office).

They wanted a shot that showed a wendy house in the back, a lovely woman in the front and ample space around it for the header as well as for the text on the cover page.

Although it was a very bright day I used a Nikon SB900 with a 1/2 CTO gel, shot through an umbrella and triggered by pocket wizards.  By doing so I was able to put a

bit of extra warmth into the subject as well as give a catchlight in her glasses, which adds a bit of a spark to the image.  We shot her in different setups using mainly a long lens (70 – 210). This particular shot I used a 125mm focal length at 1/125 at f/8.

covershot of a magazine, photography

covershot of a magazine, photography