What Mischief Can I Get Into Today?
Oct, 2017Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
This was taken at one of the many "Glamour 101" workshops I attended at a now-defunct studio in Metuchen, NJ. At my very first such workshop, this model (Sativa Verte) caught me eye: unlike the majority of the models circa 2005 (boob jobs, tramp stamps, tons of makeup), Sativa was a self-proclaimed "all natural model" who also didn't take the gig with deadly seriousness. There was always a sense of play - and yes, mischief! - when we shot together. And despite her rep for nude photography, she also adored playing "dress-up" - everything from a sleek femme fatale to a high-kicking cancan dancer.Time
Afternoon.Lighting
The studio had a number of different rooms/zones to work in, but this was my all-time favorite: Studio A, with a white cyc background. This made the lighting dead easy: two background flashes to blow out the cyc, plus two foreground fills a stop or two down. I put an wireless trigger on one of the lights, and relied on the optical sensors in the remaining flashes.Equipment
Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi, with a 24-70mm f/2.8 L-class zoom.Inspiration
No inspiration - just a happy moment captured.Editing
I always shoot in RAW mode, and use Adobe Bridge to adjust white balance and cropping. From there, I ran it though a Photoshop action that applied some smart sharpening, a skin-smoothing plug-in, and then dropped my photo credit in the corner before spitting out a JPEG.In my camera bag
Canon digital full-frame DSLR, Speedlight flash, medium- and telephoto zoom lenses with the best glass I can afford. Also? Lots and LOTS of memory cards.Feedback
Photo workshops like this one are great chances to try out a studio environment for a modest outlay of cash - AND learn how to work with live models. Even if you're a little uncomfortable with directing a live model, these ladies can give you all the poses (and spontaneous moments) you need to build up a portfolio. (Also? If a model feels comfortable with you in a workshop setting, she'll trust you more if you book her for your own projects...)
