Kosibah ~ The 20th anniversary bridal collection photographed by Damien Lovegrove

October 1st, 2011

Designer: Yemi Osunkoya
Photographer: Damien Lovegrove
Models: Rosemary Chileshe-Ellis, Lisette Mibo, Naomi Sharpe and Olivia Wood.
Make-up: Kemi Imevbore-Uwaga
Hair: Kasia Fortuna
Tiaras/Head pieces: Claire Ogden
Photgraphy Assistant/ second shooter Adam Dunn
Venue: Room 17 at the Hempel Hotel in London

1. I went for a mixed colour temperature look throughout the set but changed the setting and lighting design to provide variety whilst mainting a style strategy.

I lit the dresses with a pair of Lupos, daylight balanced HMI fresnel spotlights, one with a full CTO and the other barefaced. I lit the room with a pair of Elinchrom BX500Ri flash heads bounced off walls with various grades of CTO gel as required fot the particular shot. It was a dark day with persistent driving rain so all the light had to be created from scratch. Here is a small selection of the 170 or so pictures submitted to Yemi my client.

2. The 'sunlight' was created using an Elinchrom Ranger Quadra head in a 70cm Rotalux deep dish softbox in beauty dish mode rigged on a Lowel Grand Stand outside the windows. The Quadra was in full exposure of the driving rain and performed perfectly.

3. The Quadra comes with two batteries and we had one battery charging and one in use throughout the day. We never had a point where we were waiting on batteries even though the Quadra was working at over half power.

4. We had more than one client on the day and we were shooting hair, make up and tiarras too.

5. Kosibah dresses share this distinctive figure hugging style.

It was a pleasure and an honour to be commissioned for the bridal collection shoot. We started the rig at 9am and we were taking the first pictures by 10.30am. Adam and I managed to grab a bit of a lunch break and stumbled across some fabulous Polish Pilsner to enjoy with our sandwiches. Commercial shoots are tough, full on affairs with a team of creatives working flat out to create the look. The work rate reminded me of shooting weddings yet the opportunities to use fabulous light was amazing.

9. Some of these images were not in the chosen set and have not been edited beyond a few tweaks in Lightroom. I've added them to show the story or lighting design.

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23. A change of pose and view shows off the cut of this dress.

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31. I love to explore intimacy and detail with my 100mm lens.

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I am now taking commissions for fashion, editorial and beauty photography. Please contact Blaise my PA on 01275 853204. I am also looking to be represented in the UK, Europe and the US as a fashion and beauty photographer. My regular website is here. Please feel free to comment on these pictures.

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20 Comments Add your own

1. Geoff Reardon | October 1st, 2011 at 2:55 pm

Damn Mr Lovegrove you’re too good! Gorgeous images, lighting, models, dresses…the works!
Fine work as usual
2. Jeremy Gilson | October 1st, 2011 at 3:49 pm

Amazing light, great photos. I love the look you have created with the Quadra outside, another piece of kit on my wish list!
3. Chris Hanley | October 1st, 2011 at 5:11 pm

A masterclass on how to shoot gorgeous white dresses.
Beautiful images.
C
4. Rob ter Bekke | October 1st, 2011 at 6:20 pm

Hi Damien, these are truly excellent (as always). What do you mean with the octa in beauty dish mode?
5. Richard Mortimer | October 2nd, 2011 at 8:54 am

Great photos as always Damien. I really must use my Quadras more! Out of interest who chose the location, you or the client? I think that I would have looked at it and dismissed it as a location as being a little too boring. You have improved it dramatically though with that Quadra light and window frame shadows. It’s all about vision. Some of us have it and some of us don’t. Hope it’s something that you can teach me!
6. Brad | October 2nd, 2011 at 12:13 pm

Thanks Damien for sharing. Really like the light. Beautiful. Something to learn from these.
7. damien | October 2nd, 2011 at 1:04 pm

Thank you Geoff
8. damien | October 2nd, 2011 at 1:09 pm

Jeremy,

Thanks for your kind words. The Quadra realloy does pack a punch. I used it at level ’5.5′ (half power) all day and it was surprisingly robust considering the drenching it was getting. I needed to test the Quadra in adverse conditions as part of my long term appraisal of the kit. Feel free to borrow my kit at some point to test it for yourself. Cheers, Damien.
9. damien | October 2nd, 2011 at 1:14 pm

Thank you Chris.

Lupos and flash – a winning combination in this instance.

la battaglia ha inizio in Toscana!
10. damien | October 2nd, 2011 at 1:27 pm

Hi Rob,

All Rotalux softboxes have a hole that accesses thew umbrella tube holder of the head. This can be used to house the beauty dish dome and when used without the diffusers the softboxes act just like big beauty dishes We can supply this accessory for you.

Thanks for your kind words, Damien.
11. damien | October 2nd, 2011 at 1:38 pm

Hi Richard,

I suggested the Venue and Blaise my PA arranged for us to use it. Juylie and I have shot weddings at the Hemple many times before. I chose somewhere simple to not distract from the dresses. We didn’t want affluent, historic, old fashioned or shabby so we went for minimalist instead. It’s one up from a studio background because it has an element of reality about it.

I’d love the opportunity to teach you how to create striking pictures from simple beginings. Thanks for your compliments, Damien.
12. damien | October 2nd, 2011 at 1:38 pm

Thanks Brad.
13. Tim Palmer | October 3rd, 2011 at 10:15 pm

Hi Damien
what a fabulous set of images………sigh!
Tim
14. Rosemary Chileshe-Ellis | October 3rd, 2011 at 10:41 pm

WOW Damien, these images are FAB!! It was a pleasure working with you, Adam, Yemi & team:) GORGEOUS images:)
15. damien | October 4th, 2011 at 3:39 pm

Thank you Rosemary
16. damien | October 4th, 2011 at 3:39 pm

Thank you Tim. Stay creative
17. David Cooke | October 8th, 2011 at 6:55 pm

Wow, gorgeous dresses beautiful models superb lighting and a great setting must all go towards some very satified clients.

Wonderful images Damien
18. Howard Angus | October 19th, 2011 at 12:25 am

The lighting is sublime. Great dresses, models and some poses I’m tempted to steal . Saving hard for the next course!!
Thanks for sharing this shoot. Really lovely work.
19. damien | November 6th, 2011 at 11:53 pm

Thank you David for your kind words. This was the first of many bridal commissions I hope.

Regards,

Damien.
20. damien | November 7th, 2011 at 12:32 am

Thanks Howard,

Save hard and by all means steal the poses. I look forward to seeing you on another workshop soon

Kindest regards,

Damien.