Joelle
Aug, 2016Views
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken at one of my favorite locations: it's an old mansion used as the administration building of Orange County Community College located in Middletown, NY. It has a wide wrap-around porch with a high roof on two sides that is stark white with pillars, tiled floor and wrought iron gates, perfect for portrait work. I've used it for years!Time
Early morning is my go to time for landscape photos but this time, because we were shooting in a western facing area, we chose to work in an abundance of beautiful afternoon light, which worked out perfectly.Lighting
Due to the building's stark white porch, walls and floor, reflective light was bouncing all over the place; a natural giant reflector. I never had to use flash. And since there are many large trees surrounding the building but at a good distance away, the harshness of direct sunlight filtering through the leaves wouldn't be a problem casting a green tint. Plus there wasn't any "squinty" light for the model to deal with. Everything was perfect for smooth sailing for both the model and myself.Equipment
The camera was a Nikon D70 using a 105mm f4 Nikkor lens mounted on a Gitzo tripod with a quick release head. Flash was not required in this setting. The camera has a small body, (especially compared to my Nikon D2x) so a big, heavy zoom lens would cause the lens to 'droop', so I opted for the comparably light 105 Nikkor. And because it has manual focus, having it on a tripod really helps in assuring sharpness.Inspiration
I had been working with Joelle for quite a while augmenting each of our portfolios; hers for her modeling career and mine for future photography work. We hadn't taken advantage of this location before, although I was very familiar with it and what with Joelle relying on me to scout locations to get optimum results for her pics, I suggested that she meet me there. A definite plus is that the building has a down stairs bathroom that she could use for changing outfits. I loved using this location for photographing models because of all the different structural elements that varied the backgrounds, all within a few feet of each other. I believe my photos in her portfolio helped her land the Pond's Facial Cream advertising account. At least that is what she told me! I'd say it was a win-win for both of us.Editing
Post-processing work was done with Adobe Photoshop to convert the original color photo to B&W, an invaluable tool to have in your arsenal. Adobe has strived to make converting to B&W as simple as possible. That's why subscribing to their Photoshop Program gives you automatic updates for their latest features. Can't recommend it enough.In my camera bag
Currently I'm using a Nikon D2x, which is my go to workhorse camera, along with an 18-70 Nikkor lens, a 70-180 macro zoom and a Nikkor 70-200 zoom with a fast f2.8 aperture which makes it ideal for early morning or low light situations. I also occasionally use a 500mm f8 mirror lens with a fixed f8 aperture.. It's not auto-focus but it's really sharp. I also have a Nikon SB 600 Speedlight flash, a 3 ft. circumference, collapsible silver reflector and a 10-stop neutral density filter with a Vello remote cable release for working in bright sunlight. Plus, I always have a slew of Zeiss lens wipes.Feedback
Firstly, a good digital camera coupled with a crisp, telephoto lens on a tripod is a must. A telephoto lens allows you to vary the background for a sharp or soft look to vary your images so that they don't all have a similar feel and a tripod allows you to concentrate on clearly seeing the image in the viewfinder from edge to edge to avoid unwanted distracting elements. Plus a tripod forces you to work more slowly but with much better control. Make sure the eyes are in tack-sharp focus at all times, especially when shooting at f4 or lower. That's where using a tripod helps considerably. Anything else can be soft, sometimes to good effect, but not the eyes. Very important. Always talk to your model and walk them through the process of what you're doing. After you've snapped a few good shots, share your compositions. That goes a long way to producing better work because your model becomes more and more relaxed as you go along and they always love to see their images. It gives the model confidence in what you're trying to accomplish. Assure them that they're only seeing the raw files and any blemishes, etcetera will be dealt with in post. I find it's important to gain the model's trust, especially with amateur models, so that they're comfortable working with you first especially if you'd like to venture into figure or boudoir photography. Often I'll concentrate on portraits first before suggesting anything else. Make sure the setting is private as possible for the model's comfort and with a changing room/area. And never, ever have any physical contact with any model, only make verbal posing suggestions. Be professional at all times. Good luck!
