Boudoir photography: Couples boudoir - gesture and connection
With portraits of a couple, the way they connect with each other is often the main factor whether the image is compelling. It could be through gesture and touch. The gesture might even be subtle - if a couple snuggles in, they don't have to look at each other - it's entirely possible to give that sense of connectedness, even with a downward glance. As long a it looks like they are concentrating on each other or responding to each other, it works.
With the image at the top, Olena and Austin are directly looking at each Read more inside...
Finding interesting available light & White Balance options
It's always a feel-good moment to discover interesting available light while out on a photo shoot. Something unusual to add a new flavor to a different sequence of images.
While photographing a model with Tilo Gockel and Mike Silberreis (both from Germany on a visit to NYC), we started off with off-camera flash to help with the strong sunlight. (You might remember Tilo from a recent guest article on product photography on a budget.)
Then, while positioning Olena, I saw part of her dress had a patch of bright light Read more inside...
Lighting a vintage styled boudoir photo session, using LED fresnel lights
Working with the ever-delightful Olena in my studio, we went for a mix of outfits and looks. We started off the photo session with straight-forward headshots, but then when Olena showed me this outfit, it just begged for something with a more vintage feel in lighting. So, drawing on the classic Hollywood glamor lighting for inspiration, I used the Litepanels Sola 4 LED Fresnel Lights (B&H / Amazon), to create that dramatic light on her, and on the background.
I've used the same lights before Read more inside...
Exposure metering for a backlit subject, using the histogram
When our subject is backlit, we have a number of options:
expose for the background, and then either:
-- go for a (semi) silhouette,
-- add light to your subject to balance their exposure with that of the background.
expose carefully for our subject, and let the background blow out. This is the "ambient-light-only" option.
anything somewhere inbetween those two choices, where *we* decide how we want to balance the exposure between our subject and background.
Exposing for our subject, very often gives us this Read more inside...
With this background, I liked the way the dots were repeated in Olena's dress in reverse - white dots on black, instead of black dots / holds on silver. I liked the repetition, and decided to work with the composition of this photograph a bit. For the final sequence of images - of which the image at the top is one - I asked Olena to really exaggerate the curve of her body to create an S-shaped, which in turn contrasted boldly with the rigid pattern of the background.
This article's original title was going to be: Off-camera flash vs the Read more inside...
During this same photo session with Olena - the first in my new photography studio space - we also worked with just the studio flashes. Actually, this part of the photo session was first. An easy setup just to get things rolling.
We used two lights here - the main light was a Profoto D1 head in the massive Westcott 7' Parabolic Umbrella (B&H / Amazon). It's an easy light modifier to use, since it gives a wrap-around light that is very forgiving. Forgiving to how the photographer places the light, and also forgiving to the Read more inside...
Lingerie photo session: Video light & Studio flash
Olena is a wonderful model that I love working with because of her natural instinct for posing. So for a test shoot in my new studio space, she was an easy choice. (Here is Olena's model mayhem portfolio.) We shot several outfits, using different lighting setups. This one is interesting because of the simplicity of the setup - using a gridded Profoto RFi 1’×4? softbox (affiliate) to control the light, and a Lowel ID-Light (affiliate) as a back-light to give that warm glow to her hair. It really helped enhance Read more inside...
photography: how good / sharp do your lenses need to be?
Olena, who I photographed during a recent personal photography workshop in New York.
camera settings: 1/320 @ f/3.5 @ 800 ISO (available light)
I was trying out the new Tamron SP 24-70mm f/2.8 VC (B&H) for the images I shot during this workshop. (It comes in a Canon version too.) It appears to be a fantastic lens. Build quality is good. The feel of it is good. The zoom ring has a nice throw. And it features stabilization! Nice touch.
However, shooting other images at wide open aperture, I wasn't sure I was happy Read more inside...
