This session found us courting the ideal embodiment of environmental portraiture for my commercial portfolio...as well as some agency submission work. Fusing the divergent streams of expression, composition, lighting and color palette into a harmonious whole is the quest; and when it happens, when it's good, you'll see much revealed about your subject...as well as your artist.
It was definitely happening on this dreary spring day.
R
Hey..I thot that would be a fun title for a post! And it aptly describes the day...some Avril and some classic 80's rock for inspiration, clouds threatening rain beyond the windows and a lazy, mellow mood to indulge for all things artistic. A perfect way to wile away the day.
R
Okay...should have known we would have to do an encore post when I placed the first image of Anabelle on the blog yesterday. She would be the girl to be picked out of the crowd by blog perusers!
So, by popular demand, some inspiration from: old-school Hollywood glamor, new-school celebrity shooting and collaborating with Anabelle.
R
Photo People: This may be my last outing with C-41 process black and white films; I am missing the look of the hand/dip and dunk processed films. At least the Ilford XP2 Super shown here is better to print than the Kodak T400-CN. That stuff was a nightmare: on a hand enlarger, a 4&1/2 filter was too little contrast and a 5 was too much. The Ilford did very well with a 3&1/2 filter; nice looking. Still, I'm looking tforward again to printing a TMAX negative with no filter on the enlarger and have it come up beautiful and perfect right away...or scan it with little to no adjustments.
Brand new film work. Gotta love it.
When the expression and the light come together to formulate one congruous manifestation of the art, there are no words. It's very intense. You're just amped and going with it. And these are the kinds of results that you are rewarded with.
R
Okay film lovers, you know I write this stuff just for you. Ilford XP2 400 ISO shot on the RZ, 140 lens. What a refreshing break from the Digital SLR. You meter the shot, press the shutter and move on, knowing it will be perfect every time...no worrying about highlights blowing out, no readjusting of exposures, no constant analyzing of histograms. Now that's the way to shoot.
Ever try to run with a gymnast? How about running AND photographing at the same time?? A word to the wise: make sure you have been doing plenty of cardio training. And another thing to remember: they only have two settings: still and full speed!!
Gonna let Paige rock the house on our final post of the trilogy with a widely-varied portfolio of more mind-blowing images.
Rock the house, indeed.
R
There is an unmistakable drama to Paige's expressions; she can so call the magic to the surface every single time. It was the perfect match for the inherent power and impact of black and white. As you'll see in each image from this monochromatic portfolio, the absence of color highlights her strength, her sense of form, her dramatic sensibilities.
Even though I endeavor to create something extraordinary on every single shoot, I had set out on this session to create something beyond the norm, something unforgettable, something unabashedly iconic.
Score.
R
And something emerges in the quiet, the overwhelming hush that follows that leaping and prancing about the floor...or arching against the air high up on a solitary beam. Or twirling from one elevated horizontal bar to another, everything a blur of form and strength and grace, the propulsion of movement into the realm of magic, dreams taking flight.
That something manifests itself in those moments after, something breathtaking and beautiful that is there for the capturing, as if you can stretch that moment out for an eternity, preserving all of its nuances, so that you can relive it again and again, remembering the feel of the original magic...
R
Omigosh, I can't wait to share these images of Sam with you. This was such an amazing shoot. I just knew if we photographed Sam in her natural environment as a gymnast, we would come up with some extraordinary results. That is clear from this portfolio.
I am so proud of Sam. Each expression and pose was just spot on, every single time. That's an exceptional talent to possess at this age level...and on what is only your second shoot. Not only that, but it quickly became a collaborative process, so much so that Sam was coming up with ideas for shots almost faster than I could keep up with them. And the whole time, I'm lovin' it, of course. So,I have the distinct feeling this won't be the last gymnastics portfolio you see from us.
Check out Part One of Sam's Gymnastics Portfolio.
R
So...I've discovered that the way to keep a model and photographer content is not only through the love of art but the love of food!
The regimen is: enjoy a four course meal over the span of your shoot, one course per hour, as Had and I did! Start with a cheeseburger and Spanish rice, then move on after the first outfit change to one giant size Barbecued spare rib with mac and cheese plus applesauce, break later for gourmet buttered popcorn...and don't forget to end the shoot with a final spare rib helping.
Actually, I'm not sure Had's family will let me back in the house after this shoot...as they may be finding it too financially stressful to feed the photo crew in the manner to which we have grown accustomed!
R
P.S. Oh...and as the following images will suggest, don't forget lots of jammin' tunes to inspire you for work and, well...dinner music! Had prefers hip hop, I believe, whilst yours truly keeps changing the channel to the techno/dance format (trying to stay hip is such a never-ending effort...).
