It has been such a long time since I was in a studio taking shots and thinking about creating artwork. So I was very pleased to see that the regular studio I use was available to hire!
You may have noticed in recent blog posts, that I have been using a new way of editing portraiture. I needed some fresh images to work on as I found I was always going back to older images. That isn’t a bad thing but new is always good and inspires new ideas. I contacted a few models and confirmed attendance and we were off. This time though I changed a couple of things.
The first was to have a video chat with each model/performer to introduce myself, I had briefly met all three in passing on other shows so it was a good idea to meet virtually first. This allowed us to go through my introductory web page for new visitors to the studio as well as answer any questions they had ahead of time. I will continue this web meet for future shoots.
The second was to use my Sony A73 with tethered shooting to Capture One. Each shot was copied across to the laptop in under a second, allowing us to see and adjust as we go. This also meant there was triple redundancy in case of the very low chance of both SD Cards failing.
The third was something I wanted to do for a while, I was going to bring some post-it notes to stick on the walls with 1, 2, and 3 marked on them. The model would be asked to make a pose and look towards each marker. This would keep a consistent eye line between each set of shots. This would have worked too if I had remembered the post-it notes…. I just asked the models to pick three points and stick to them. Next time I will bring a big pad of them with me!
Having shot in this studio before the set up was very quick and I was ready to shoot in minutes.
PAT ELLE
Pat Elle was first and we ran through a few standard portraits before Pat changed into a very colorful wrap. After a few poses, I asked Pat to spin the wrap around to create more movement. At no point was the paper roll harmed in the making of these shots, although it did at one point have my handprint on it. Must have been some left over hand sanitizer. Makes a change from finding glitter all over the camera.
Red, green, and black outfits were next! Again with lots of dance moves created some fantastic shots. I was worried that Photoshop would have trouble picking out the black and gold wrap from the background in post-production but as it turned out it did a very good job. As you will see later.
Pat Elle: Debuting last year, With acts hotter and spicier than a vindaloo, more colourful and vibrant than the Chandni Chowk Market in Delhi, and with more sparkle than a wedding sari.
Taking inspiration from risque Bollywood and Arabic movements, her style oozes Bollywood glamour with a touch of British cheek.
See more on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/pat__elle/
VIOLET DELIGHTS
Next up was Violet Delights who came complete with a space-age style corset. I initially thought the shiny material would play havoc with lights but turned out quite well. I used to use a green screen and that colour seems to coat any shiny surface. I had an idea for a background for these images while shooting and made a mental note to include the idea in the edited shots.
Next was a Sims inspired character which in turn inspired me to add some recognised iconography on the resulting shot. Violet also displayed some fantastic rubber glove balancing! This was only our second attempt to get both gloves to stand up and we nailed it.
Violet Delights: Violet Delights is a London based neo-burlesque performer. Prepare for silliness, sass, and a sizeable ass. Violet loves to turn feminine archetypes on their tits and dance the line between sexy and ridiculous.
See more on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/itsvioletdelights/
JAMBOREE JONES
I have seen Jamboree perform a couple of times, one such performance ended with a liberal amount of milk making an appearance all over the stage. I didn’t think it would be a good idea to spray a nutrient-rich dairy product around the studio when there was a lot of electrical equipment nearby! Jamboree had brought along a couple of fans instead. I do like fans and these were not large so they were perfect to frame Jamboree as she posed. Which again gave me an idea for one of the edited shots.
Following on from the fans we had a very regal outfit and cape which, like Pats wrap, I asked for it to be swished around to create depth and movement. Finally, Jamboree changed into a magicians outfit, think the trousers may have pulled a disappearing act… lol
Jamboree Jones:
See more on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/jamboree_jones_official/
It was so good to get back in the studio and I hope I get the chance to again soon. I spoke to the ladies and they were all having a tough time choosing their favourites, to me that just shows that we all did a good job in creating great shots.
I now have a lot of material to be getting on with but will be doing this again at the earliest opportunity.
You can see the edited shots here.
If you would like to shoot with me at the studio then please register your interest using the Contact page.
Thanks!