Posts filed under 'Flash'

Uban Portraits workshop in Bristol ~ Charlotte Roest-Ellis & X-Pro1

2 comments May 16th, 2012

01. I lit Charlotte with a single bare faced Speedlight. Shot using the fantastic 60mm f/2.4 lens on my Fujifilm X-Pro1 camera.

This was my first street workshop with Charlotte and the first street workshop with my Fuji X-Pro1 kit. To be quite honest both performed remarkably well. Haha. Charlotte put up with the rain and was as delightful as ever throughout the day. When I’m teaching I like to work with models who are kind, patient and gorgeous too. Here are 20 of my shots from this challenging but rewarding workshop…

02. I used the 18mm lens and a single Speedlight triggered in manual mode to capture these two frames of Charlotte. I encourage my delegates to shoot from different angles and to really explore the opportunities open to them.

03. More of our work was lit with a Speedlight than usual on this workshop because the light was particularly flat and the rain showers were frequent. I have various locations on my route that can be used in wet conditions and allow us to stay dry like under this canopy in front of a vacant office building.

04. Another dry zone shot this time taken with available light. 60mm lens at f/2.8, X-Pro1.

05. I showed the delegates how to easily set the ambient exposure and the contrast ratio as desired. I used a four stop shadow depth for this shot. 18mm lens, X-Pro1.

06. A simple closeup shot with a two stop shadow depth. 60mm lens, X-Pro1.

07. We took shelter from the rain in this entrance to an underground car park. 35mm lens, X-Pro1.

08. We set out to shoot the available light in such a way as it looked vaguely sunny when in fact it was dark and dingy. 60mm lens at f/2.4.

09. We spent time playing with reflections too. 60mm lens at f/2.8

10. I love the grey paint and the drain pipe in this shot lit with a barefaced Speedlight. 35mm lens.

11. Here is the same scene with the 18mm lens and a low view point. You can see we were in the dry bit for the shoot.

12. I showed how to shoot fashionable portraits with stormy skies and a Speedlight. My one Speedlight was used bare faced all day and triggered with simple Ebay radio triggers. I base this workshop on the use of simple kit in a creative way. I teach my systems of working in a manner that is easy to remember and to reproduce. 60mm lens.

13. I particularly like including the world around us too. The dark and low contrast scene makes a great background. 60mm lens.

14. We picked out details to shoot along the route. 60mm lens and a Speedlight.

15. A favourite background of mine looking punchy with the Fuji Velvia setting on my X-Pro1. Captured with the 35mm lens.

16. 60mm lens at f/2.8

17. 60mm lens at f/16. I'm really getting to grips with the characteristics of the Fuji prime lenses now. I'm having to learn three new lenses at the same time and it's not easy.

18. It was still raining here but I wanted to show the group how to create a sunset type image using a Speedlight on a wet, grey, overcast day.

19. A simple interior portrait taken with the 60mm lens wide open using ISO 640 and 1/125th second.

20. We finished the day in a Bristol waterfront bar shooting with the available light. It was then time for a round of drinks and a debrief :)

Question: Is the X-Pro1 as capable as an SLR on the street using ambient light or flash?  My Answer: Yes. One point of note however is my X-Pro1 was optimistic with it’s sensitivity. I was nearly one stop more open than the Canon and Nikon DSLRs in order to get the same exposure. This was more noticeable on the flash shots. I assume it is a calibration issue and the next firmware update will address the issue.

My next Urban Portraits workshop is in Manchester on the 18th June. Details are here.

Please feel free to comment on these pictures or your shooting experience if you were lucky enough to with us on the day.

 

A few shots by Martin Hill from the recent ‘Into The Light’ workshop

1 comment May 16th, 2012

01. Martin used Elinchrom Quadra and Speedlights triggered with basic Ebay radio triggers throughout his session.

At times the group was forced under cover because of the rain but Martin delivered the information and generated the pictures all the same…Location: Kingscotte House and gardens near Tetbury.

Model: Nikki Chislet

Make up: Vicki Waghorn

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My thanks go to Martin for his dedication, patience, enthusiasm and above all friendship on these ‘Into The Light’ workshops. Our next scheduled workshop together is ‘The Big Picture‘ in Fuerteventura in February.

The other half of this workshop was given by me and my shots are here. Please feel free to comment on these pictures.

Interior portraits with just Speedlights or natural light ~ X-Pro1

3 comments May 12th, 2012

01. Chloe F lit with magical daylight. Shot using a Fuji X-Pro1 with the standard 35mm f/1.4 lens. Click the picture to see the original unaltered camera jpeg file with full exif. (I shot monochrome in camera). When RAW support comes from Adobe life with the Fuji X-Pro1 will be transformed. I set the camera to -2 noise reduction, -1 sharpness and -1 highlight tone with B&Wg (simulated green filter) as my picture style.

The event was my last ever Illuminating Portraits workshop held at the fabulous and opulent Maunsel House in Somerset. I will be taking this workshop on the road as the demand for simple, stylish interior portrait lighting using just Speedlights is as big as ever. Make up and hair was by the super talented Vicki Waghorn. Our model was Chloe F from Alpha agency. Here are a few of my shots, enjoy

02. I used three Speedlights in a classic Lovegrove formation for this opening portrait. I also showed the delegates how to light big wedding groups inside using the Lovegrove Gemini flash bracket and a couple of Speedlights.

 

03. A one Speedlight portrait with a punchy yet soft look. Perfect for editorials.

04. A three Speedlight portrait. The key is to decide on how hard each light source needs to be and at what distance. Then an exposure is set for the ambient before adjusting the power of the Speedlights to taste.

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06. Once we had shot some high key, bright images it was time for some lighting drama. I used a Lastolite Ezybox with a single SB 900 Speedlight for this shot of Chloe.

07. Then onto another sofa for some more lighting magic. Being able to vary your lighting style to suit the mood of the moment is a craft skill. Having the vision to conceptualise the portrait is the art bit.

 

08. Having the courage to let the highlights go when shooting jpeg is something I've not experienced for a few years.

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10. A favourite shot of mine. It reminds me of a look that I used to shoot with Chloe Jasmine. Chloe F and Chloe Jasmine are very good friends so maybe there is a Chloe and Chloe shoot to be done at some point.

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12. I like to shoot several images with each lighting set up.

13. After lunch we were moving on to more complicated set ups. This shot involved three Speedlights. Two of them were in the next room. My £12/ set Ebay triggers worked a treat.

14. I lit this intimate portrait of Chloe with a single Speedlight in a beauty dish. In order to cut all the ambient light I decided to expose to f/11, 1/125th using ISO 200. But because I wanted to shoot my 60mm macro portrait lens with an f/2.8 aperture I shot through a 4 stop ND filter. Click the picture for the original un-retouched camera file.

15. I used just one Speedlight and my magic water reflector for this shot taken with the 18mm wide angle lens. Click the picture to see the original camera file.

16. The workshop maximum of four Speedlights were used to illuminate this table top portrait of Chloe.

 

 

 

 

Fujifilm X-Pro1 First findings

36 comments May 7th, 2012

No mirror, a revolutionary sensor design, a new lens mount and distinctive styling sets the Fuji X-Pro1 apart from the competition. Is this camera an SLR beater? Read on to find out.

I’m one month in with my Fujifilm X-Pro1 ownership. It’s been an interesting journey so far and here are my findings.

Being an early adopter of the Fuji XP1 camera system has had one advantage and many disadvantages. This is not just a new camera body but a completely new system designed from the ground up. A revolutionary 16mp sensor without an anti aliasing filter, a new lens mount with a tiny back focus, a new camera body borrowing heavily on the X100 but entirely new none the less and a range of three lenses with many more to follow in the months ahead.

My X100 with its Gariz half leather case beside the X-Pro1 with the 18mm lens.

The Fuji X-Pro1 with the three Fuji lenses available at launch. 18mm, 35mm, and 60mm.

My one advantage of ‘in from the start’ ownership of the XP1 has been shooting with this lightweight super sharp camera before the mainstream pros get hold of it. I’m becoming quite proficient with it now and it has all but replaced my Canon 5DMk2 with it’s 3 primes for my day to day work. I remember when I sold my 70-200 f/2.8L IS zoom and replaced it with the super light 100mm f/2.8L IS. My life was instantly better. No more lugging around the monster and as a bonus my pictures were much sharper too. I could use f/2.8 and get wonderful image quality even hand held at 1/30th. Well the same has happened again. My old Canon DSLR system seems cumbersome heavy and unwieldy in comparison to the Fuji XP1. Some testers have complained the Fuji is too light, I suppose they can always wear wrist weights (the type fitness people use) if they want that familiar knackered feeling at the end of the day. For me, the camera is a perfect weight.

A frame from my first commercial commission shot using the Fuji X-Pro1. I lit this frame of David and Alex in the news room at BBC Bristol with a Lupolux 1200 spotlight from the rear right and a Lupolux Quad from just to the right of the camera. 35mm lens at f/1.8

The disadvantages of being an early adopter…
1. Adobe have yet to provide RAW processing capability for the XP1. This is in the pipeline and I for one hope they get it right before releasing it. The Jpegs produced in camera are fantastic (once a few settings have been tweaked).

2. The perfect lens combination doesn’t exist yet. I would like 14mm, 23mm, 35mm and 60mm macro. I have the last two but I’ll have to wait several months for the first two. In the mean time I’ll use my Fuji 18mm as a wide angle and my beloved Fuji X100 with it’s 23mm lens as a moderate wide. Both the XP1 and the X100 have APSC sized sensors with a 1.5 x factor. So my current Fuji lens line up in 35mm or full frame terms is 27mm f/2, 52mm f/1.4, & 90mm macro f/2.4

3. I believe Fuji are still two firmware upgrades away from reaching the camera’s full potential. Auto ISO settings need more options, autofocus speed needs the same boost they gave the X100 in a firmware upgrade, the jpeg image quality on default settings falls way short of what is achieved with some basic adjustments, and various other menu items need updating. The first firmware update a week or so ago silenced the chattering iris blade syndrome reported by some reviewers so Fuji are listening and better still they are taking action. I have total trust in their commitment to improvement by firmware. My X100 is a far better camera now than when I bought it and I was happy with it then.

The BBC TV studios are lit to a fraction of the level that they were when I worked for aunty Beeb in the 1980s and 1990s. 18mm lens at f/2.8, 1/40th second ISO 1600

Flash
I don’t own a Fuji Speedlight so I have not used TTL with it yet but I’ve used my Canon and Nikon Speedlights triggered with both Pocket Wizard and Ebay radio triggers. I’ve used my Elinchrom studio flash and the Quadra Ranger triggered with the Skyport system too. The Fuji XP1 has an advertised ‘X’ sync of 1/180th although I can only seem to set 1/160th. It’s one of many firmware tweaks still needed.

I hand held this shot with the camera above my head. I could clearly see the live view on the rear screen. All my BBC studio shots were at ISO 1600. This frame was shot with the 60mm lens at f/2.8. Focussing the X-Pro1 is precise and accurate.

Lenses
The lenses are light, well made, compact and sharp. They have come in for stick from some pixel peepers but I’ve yet to see any lens outperform the Fuji glass on this camera. I’ve seen many reviews and comparisons with Leica optics but the Fuji lens has always proved hard to beat. There are a few rogue copies around as I’ve seen examples of CA on some forum users shots taken with the 18mm. I’m happy to say I don’t have that problem. No doubt Adobe will map the lenses and provide correction profiles in Lightroom in due course. Once full lens and RAW file support is available from Adobe I’ll post 100% samples.

I used an Arri 150 as a back light, an Arri 300 as a key light and a Lupolux 400 to light the back studio wall. Taken with the compact 18mm f/2.8 lens. This lens is super sharp.

Speed
There are reports of the autofocus being slow but don’t let that put you off. I can take this camera from my bag and get a perfect shot way faster than I can with my Canon 5Dmk2. I’ve found both the Fuji X100 and the Fuji XP1 wonderfully responsive. By far the most time used in the taking of one of my portraits is by my visualisation and thought process. The time the camera takes to set accurate focus is just okay, it’s not really an issue for me. My Canon with it’s 50mm f/1.2 would confirm focus to me in about the same time as the Fuji does with the 35mm f/1.4 but the resulting Canon shot was as likely to be mis focussed as it was to be spot on. No such woes with the Fuji.

I used an Elinchrom Quadra to light my first portrait session with the XP1. This shot of Paul Clifford, a fashion portrait photographer was taken using the 35mm lens @ f/16

Focus tracking
I’ve heard the Fuji XP1 is rubbish at tracking moving subjects and I expect that claim is true. Focus tracking moving subjects is something I never do. When I was at the BBC all our tv cameras were manual focus and we learned to fix focus and walk backwards at the same pace as the people we were filming were walking forward. We thereby maintained the focus distance. I’ve used the same technique for over 400 walks down the aisle at weddings keeping the distance between the couple and myself constant. I’m used to adapting my shooting style to meet the limitations of the kit I use and using the Fuji is no exception.

My digital camera journey since March 2001…

Fujifilm S1 pro – 2 years (1.5 crop and jpeg only)
Fujifilm S2 pro – 2 years (1.5 crop and jpeg only)
Hasselblad H1/ Phase1 P25 – 3 years (twice full frame and RAW only)
Canon 5D mk1 – 2 years
Canon 5D mk2 – 3 years
Fujifilm X-Pro1 – ?

Am I going to stick with the Fuji and shoot with it for the next three years? I’m going to wait for RAW file processing before making my final decision. I’m in the envious position of owning a Canon 5Dmk2, a Nikon D700, and a brace of Fujifilm X cameras at the moment. I might just keep them all. The Canon mk3 is not a worthwhile upgrade for me and neither is the D800.

My camera changes are a bit like my car changes. I’ve just swapped a Nissan 350Z roadster for a Fiat 500 Roadster. That’s 3.5L V6 for a 0.9L twin, a gas guzzler for an Eco warrior. Speed and power for nippy fun. What’s the best car? They are both great but very different. I’m happy to adapt my shooting style and learn new ways of picture making.

The X-Pro1 with the 60mm lens fitted with my home made mask on the lens hood. This mask gives my 60mm shots a wonderful depth and contrast. There is no vignetting at any aperture or focus distance. Without the mask the lens is a little prone to flare.

Modifications
It’s a popular thing for Fujifilm X owners to pimp their cameras and bling them up a bit. Preferred accessories include leather half cases, soft release shutter buttons, custom lens hoods and thumb rests, etc. I have a Gariz leather half case on my X100, it was given to me by a good friend and fellow photographer and it makes the camera feel great in the hand. My X-Pro1 will have a Really Right Stuff L plate so I can use it on my monopod and I have modified the lens hood of the 60mm lens by adding a mask to minimise flare. I shoot into the light a lot and the difference in picture quality with my hood mask is remarkable.

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The Fuji XP1 with the 60mm f/2.4 macro lens and hood along side the Canon 5Dmk2 with the 100mm f/2.8 macro lens. The Fuji is a fraction of the weight and size.

The camera bag
I’ve been on the lookout for a smaller camera bag too. They say that photography is the endless quest to find the perfect bag. I think I agree with that statement to some extent. I used to use my Billingham 455 with my canon and its three f/2.8 zoom lenses. Then when I went to primes I didn’t need the bulk and space so I bought my wonderful Think Tank Retrospective 30 bag. Now that the Fuji kit is about half the size and weight of my Canon kit I’ve pre ordered the new Think Tank Retrospective 7 with iPad pouch. The great thing about the Think Tank Retrospective series in Pinestone is that they don’t scream camera bag and are far less nick-able than a Billingham Hadley.

My Fuji kit with my complete Canon kit.

What went wrong
My 60mm lens arrived with a contact fault and had to be swapped out for another one. The process took just a couple of days. I remember I had a similar fault with my Canon 100mm L lens and Warehouse Express (WEX) were equally efficient then. So far everything else has run smoothly.

What’s next?
I’m about to embark on a 3000 mile road trip across America with the X-Pro1 as I continue to explore the potential of this camera followed in June by a photography trip to Venice with my buddy Chris Hanley. Once I’ve got to grips with the RAW files from this camera I’ll be publishing my full 5,000? frame user review in What Digital Camera magazine. It’s pencilled in for the August edition. I’ll be using the Fuji X-Pro1 on my upcoming workshops too.

This shot was taken on my first shooting weddings workshop since I've owned the Fuji XP1. 60mm lens wide open at f/2.4. The 60mm lens is fabulously sharp wide open and that's how I'll use it.

A simple portrait shot taken with the 60mm lens at f/2.4

How good is the X-Pro1?
I expect the reports that the X-Pro1 is sharper and delivers more detail than a Canon 5D mk3 or a Canon 1DX are a bit far fetched but the X-Pro1 could easily be equal to either of those cameras from what I’ve seen from the jpegs. RAW processing of 16 bit files will tell the whole truth. I used the X-Pro1 for a corporate job at the BBC in my first week of ownership and I shot in the TV and Radio studios with just 300 lux of light using f/2.8 at ISO 1600 and the Fuji outperformed the Canon 5D MK2 at that ISO. So I ditched the Canon and shot with the Fuji for three days. The final pictures will be printed to A1 so it was important for me to capture the maximum detail. Would I shoot a wedding with it? Yes, once there is RAW file support.

Taken with the 60mm lens at f/2.4. It exhibits sparkling clarity with a well controlled and beautiful bokeh.

Should you buy a Fujifilm X-Pro1?
Well, if you like your current DSLR then the answer is not yet. Wait for at least one more firmware update and Adobe to provide RAW file support. If you love the DSLR way of shooting then stick with it. The Fuji X-Pro1 needs an open mind and a bit of patience to develop a good shooting style. Comparing shooting a DSLR with the Fujifilm X-Pro1 is like comparing Alpine skiing with snowboarding. Both diciplines are spectacular when done well but being an expert of one does not make you an expert of the other. There’s lots for me still to learn about using the Fuji X-Pro1 before I can realise the true potential of this camera.

Please feel free to share your experiences with this camera if like me you are an early adopter.

On the streets with Colleen Deary and a Speedlight

13 comments May 3rd, 2012

1. Colour balance shifting in camera and a CTO gel on my 580EX2 gave this image a vibrant feel. The 'Saturday Night Fever' pose was all Colleen. Brilliant!.

On Monday, I was fortunate enough to spend time with a new 1:1 client that I had first met at the Hertfordshire Photovision roadshow last week. We started our training day at my Somerset studio with a revision session on balancing flash with ambient exposure. I then set out my core strategy for my all manual exposure system.

2. We started with a zoomed bare faced 580EX2 Speedlight triggered with an Ebay manual trigger system.

With a Speedlight, a Lovegrove Flash Bracket, a Lastolite stand and some cameras we journeyed to Bristol in my 350Z. We were due to meet Colleen at Costa Coffee at 11.15 for a creative shoot session around the Bristol Waterfront. The rain eased and the sun popped out from time to time to make the shoot challenging.

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We immersed ourselves all day in picture making. This has to be the best job in the world. A photographers life right now is a magical one. It’s not easy to be successful but with the right skills applied sensibly enough income can be earned to pay the bills and more besides. The creative rewards and dynamic lifestyle are amazing.

4. We just used a bare faced Speedlight for this sequence of shots.

5. These colours are 70's reborn. Morris Marinas came in shades like this.

6. I love the gathered waist and A line skirt of this dress. The simple scoop neckline adds a classic feel contrasted with Colleen's edgy hair style. Magic!

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8. Exposure aides were screaming at us but we held on to what I knew would deliver zingy results.

9. At my favourite blue wall we did a flash/ambient exposure control exercise over 6 stops.

10. I then showed how to shift shadows. Throughout the session we were exploring composition, balance and design.

11. My grey zone became our studio for five minutes as we created high key shots in a dark place.

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13. Simple fashion styling shot in camera.

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17. Rapport, respect and trust deliver results that connect.

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19. We joked about 'devil woman' but I love this shot taken just before we had lunch at the Pitcher and Piano.

20. Colleen can strike a pose and her classical training in dance shows here.

21. I love, love, love shooting in full sun.

22. We worked this area hard. A fusion of effort and commitment from everyone delivered striking portraits.

23. I felt like a student again lying on the pavement outside a night club. Haha.

24. Shapes excite me.

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26. Just how much negative space can a shot take?

27. Beautiful.

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29. The sun went in and I rigged a Speedlight to simulate a setting sun in our temporarily grey world.

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32. I'm in this shot.

33. We then turned the world blue for a few frames.

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36. A low composition with shallow diagonals.

37. A high composition with steep diagonals.

38. I needed to change the batteries in the Speedlight as it had worked hard and we went on to use the 580EX2 at full power for this shot.

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There you have it. A 1 to 1 session that re energised my passion for the Speedlight and brought me my first shoot with the amazing Colleen Deary represented by Shoot DHS models. I want to shoot with Colleen again soon and I’d like my team including the fab Vicki Waghorn to be part of the session.If you would like to unleash the potential of your Speedlight or indeed fine tune your shooting system please do contact Blaise my PA. Blaise can work miracles and make things happen.

Please feel free to comment on these shots.

Stina Sanders on location ~ Lit with Elinchrom Quadra

4 comments April 25th, 2012

01. Ladye Bay in Clevedon. The perfect location to finish a 1:1 training session with the Elinchrom Quadra.

It’s great to be out and about again after the winter. I started the location shooting season this year with this 1:1 workshop for a top client. We shot in the studio in the morning then went out to the woods and onto the beach in the afternoon. Here is a small selection of the location set ups that we shot.

02. Simple key and kick lighting works equally well in the woods as it does in the studio.

03. Great light brings location portraits to life.

04. The Quadra was in a Lastolite Ezybox for this shot of Stina. The sun worked well as a backlight.

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08. Barely a cloud in the sky and the Quadra delivers enough punch to work with the sun.

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10. The afternoon sun shimmers in the calm waters of the Severn esturary.

The Elinchrom Quadra on location delivers a fashion studio grade light that works well with the sky as a light grey backdrop. I shot this frame of Stina with a 100mm Macro lens on my Canon 5D mk2.

Please feel free to comment on these shots.

A Test shoot in Bristol with Paul Clifford ~ Quadra & X-Pro1

6 comments April 25th, 2012

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I met Paul, a fashion portrait photographer at Focus on Imaging and asked If I could shoot a few portraits of him. I chose to use my newly acquired Fuji X-Pro1 and my trusty Elinchrom Quadra. Test shoots for me are all about trying new styles and techniques. Some work and some fail. I certainly found a jpeg workflow unforgiving so I’m glad I used my Hoodman Loupe at the shooting stage to set the exposure. Enjoy

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03. I used the Elinchrom Quadra for all these pictures. I also wanted to explore negative space in my composition.

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05. Here is a behind the scenes shot showing my Quadra head on a Lovegrove Avenger boom arm. The kit is super portable and especially so when I have an assistant and second shooter like Johnny Holden :)

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10. I'd never have had the courage to shoot such severe lighting and extreme composition for a client but now I think it works - just.

My thanks go to Paul Clifford and Johnny Holden for being up for it and sharing some good times.

Please feel free to comment below.

A few studio frames from recent shoots

2 comments April 25th, 2012

01. The gorgeous Charlotte Roest Ellis captured with my 100mm macro lens on a Canon 5Dmk2.

I’m finally catching up with my blogging. Here are a few frames from recent studio lighting workshops, 1:1 sessions and the occasional test shoot. They are not all masterpieces but if something inspires you or triggers a thought or idea then they have done their job.

02. One light.

Why not join me and just two other delegates on my next studio lighting workshop on the 10th of May. Details are here.

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10. Stina Sanders, one of my favourite models and the star of my forthcoming 'Simply Boudoir' video.

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13. Shots 1-13 were all taken with one light. This one of Raphaella McNamara captures her delicate beauty.

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25. Sarune is wonderfully edgy and fashionable.

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There you are, a few shoots that I’d forgotten about and a few frames that I wanted to publish. I’m loving the principal subject areas lurking in the shadows in 5, 6, 13 and 23. I love the isolation and despair in 27 and the feisty strength of Sarune in 25.

Please feel free to comment below.

Melissa Walton (now Wells) stars in Urban Portraits

7 comments April 4th, 2012

Congratulations go to Melissa for her recent marriage to Ryan. They both featured in shots 1-9 on this blog post here. Their wedding was shot by my buddy and top photographer Simon York and his pictures of Melissa and Ryan’s wedding grace 6 pages of this weeks Hello magazine :)

Melissa and her reflection created in-camera on the streets of Bristol.

Todays blog is all in colour to contrast with my recent all monochrome set shot in the same locations but with different background choices. I love shooting with Melissa, she has a spirit and energy that is so refreshing. Enjoy

2. We met for coffee at 09.30 and then started with a simple sunlight set up across the street from the coffee house.

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5. I then rigged the Lastolite Ezybox and a Speedlight. 1/8th power was all we needed for this simple shot.

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07. Reflected sunlight was in plentiful supply. I spotted this patch about ten minutes before we shot it as it had yet to move into the right place for us.

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09. Colour harmony and contrasts were considered and planned for throughout the day.

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13. A trust and strong rapport makes a good portrait great. It helps to look this gorgeous too. 100mm f/2.8 macro lens at f/2.8. Notice I focussed on Melissa's mouth. It is a mouth we look to for communication. I used to focus on the nearest eye in my portraiture but now I'm not so sure. This works for me.

14. I love to make shooting fun. The quality of delegates and the energy in this group especially made the day whizz by.

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21. A slash of flash from a zoomed in Speedlight set to 1/16th power and activated with cheap Ebay radio triggers. 21mm f/2.8 lens.

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30. After lunch and a mini shoot in a Bristol bar we went back out into the mini heat wave for some more urban street shooting.

31. I used a Speedlight for this shot too.

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33. It always amazes me that some photographers avoid full sunlight. I love it.

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There they are, my first Urban Portraits workshop pictures of 2012. I won’t be blogging every shoot but I’d love you to join me for what is a wonderful adventure within a 400m radius.  Please feel free to comment on the pictures or the day if you were lucky enough to be with us.

A few 1 to 1 shoot pictures in colour

6 comments April 4th, 2012

1. Amina and Sadia

About once a week at the moment I’m teaching shooting skills on a 1 to 1 basis. This set of shots were taken in my studio last week using basic Elinchrom kit or Dedo lights owned by my client. This journey of evolution for my client is as exciting for me as it is for him. I wanted to share some colour and energy pictures with you as my blog is looking a bit bland with the current mono look. Enjoy

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4. Vicky Waghorn, my make up artist, working her magic.

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7. Dedo lights bring this set of shots alive. We used 4 Dedos in this rig.

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19. Never underestimate a 100mm macro lens. It has the power to change your perspective in a scene.

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The life of a photographer is a priviledged one punctuated with beauty, opportunity and creativity. I try never to take it for granted. Please feel free to comment on this shoot.

Posing Couples ~ 80 pictures and poses

33 comments April 2nd, 2012

1. Johanna Ormsby and Chris Gregory were our couple for the day. We had lots of fun moments together. A splash of manual flash from a Speedlight made this shot one for the album.

I usually post just a selection of 20 to 40 pictures from my workshops to whet the appetite of future delegates but this time I thought I’d blog the lot. Here are 80 of my pictures taken on the Photographing Couples workshop held in Bristol last week.

On my Photographing Couples workshop I teach how to pose and create moments of fun. I unleash my repertoire and show how to link poses to form a flow of shooting opportunities from each set up. I show how to be prolific and how to shoot for albums with the end product in mind. Most of all, on the day it’s about finding and using great light. A lot of these pictures were shot in areas where no obvious picture opportunities exist. Others were shot in places where an abundance of opportunities could confuse and hamper the shoot.

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The 80 shots here represent the set that I’d show a client in a private projected viewing at my studio. The viewings take place the same day as the shoots and clients regularly buy albums. An album of 60 images is easily possible from this collection.

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This is the half way point.

As you see, I try to achieve consistency rather than creating a few knockout images. Julie and I have always shoot a plethora of saleable images and that has been the key to our success. It’s important to shoot for the client and not to shoot for the appraisal of fellow photographers. This piece of advice alone changed our lives in 2002. Julie and I stopped shooting for awards and competitions and we concentrated on shooting for our customers. The results were fantastic. We spent 10 years with our heads down under the radar serving our clients. We never applied for an Associateship or Fellowship but we enjoyed a richly rewarded life instead.

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These pictures were all taken within a 400m radius of our starting point. I try to keep my client experience fabulous even if it is raining. I have a shooting route for bad weather too.  There are about 20 or so shots here that I think would not make the cut for an album but I like to let the client choose their favourites. What shot is your favourite? Mine is 48 taken on my Fuji X100.

I limit my shooting couples workshops to just 5 delegates to ensure everyone has a fabulous learning opportunity. There is no need to move on to the next set up until everyone has the shots they need. Places are nearly always available for a Photographing Couples workshop because as one date fills up we add another. click here for more information. Join me on a shooting workshop this spring/ summer.

Please feel free to comment on the day, the pictures or the process of shooting couples.

Damien Lovegrove.

Stuttgart studio workshop ~ Pictures

8 comments March 29th, 2012

The Stuttgart sessions 2012 – Part 1

1. A single Lupolux 1200 light with a simple modifier and an in camera white balance shift was all I used for this striking shot of Patricia Vitacca taken on my Fuji X100. (I was on a set of step ladders looking down to the floor. Patricia's legs were up the wall)

Day 1 of 2 in Stuttgart was a studio lighting workshop using the fabulous resources and facilities at the Park Studio. Our model was Patricia from Seka Models. Makeup and hair was by Anika Eisenschmidt of Alba Frei beauty. Here are 30 of my images

Park studios occupy two floors of this impressive historic building on the site of the now disused Stuttgart military airport. Apparently during the first gulf war the international military resources were coordinated from this building.

Park studio run by Stephan Glathe and Bernhard Frei is a complex of multi use client areas and 5 shooting rooms. Each of the shooting rooms is bigger than my studio so it was an absolute luxury to have free run of the facilities.

The view up the steps from the studio entrance.

The location I used for these shots was the daylight studio with it’s white infinite cove. The studio is equipped with a rail and pantograph system and more Broncolor heads, packs and modifiers than I’ve ever seen in one place. I chose to keep the lighting simple and repeatable by the delegates so I used simple reflectors and low power settings on the Sorco asymmetric pack.

Make up was by Anika Eisenschmidt of Alba Frei. I was far enough from the bright white cove for it to be rendered a dark grey in my beauty lighting session.

With the key light and background lights added the scene looked like this. Picked up at shot 10 below.

2. Our session started with just one light and a white wall. I then showed the delegates how my simple contrast control system works to lift the detail on the unlit side of the face.

3. One light photography using a Broncolor standard reflector and grid set.

4. The same light as in the shot above but shot from the other side. I try to get several different looks from each lighting set up. efficiency of operation is vital to deliver enough 'must have' shots from each session to make a healthy profit.

5. The second set up was a wet hair look. This was perfect prep for the scalped back look I wanted for the beauty set. I opened the curtains and just shot with natural light for these few images.

6. High key is not really my thing but crop in and the shots get interesting. It then comes down to a depth of rapport, trust and intimacy.

7. And from the other side...

8. The ¾ length shot requires shape and design.

9. This was the last natural light set up before we went into the biggest rig of the day for beauty.

10. Wow, I've shot this lighting rig using gel 20 from the Lovegrove studio collection many times before but the combination of Patricia's beauty and Anika's makeup stopped me in my tracks.

11. A change of gel, white balance and a change of top.

12. Eyes with real lashes - wonderful.

13. With a decent length of studio a high key pure white background can be isolated from the subject are enough to light it with gels. This kind of saturation is captured in camera without the need to boost in post production. In a smaller space the back wall has to be a shade of grey to get the same effect.

14. A leather sofa provided a great background for this one light shot.

15. The background can be lit to any level. The Broncolor systems in this studio gave us a lot of control.

16. A bit of canned smoke added a splash of drama to the scene. The particles are distinct in the air and look like flour at 100% mag.

17. The Lupo 1200 with it's Fresnel lens was the star of the day. This continuous light shot shows crisp clarity, depth of shadows and control of contrast. White tones are the hardest to expose for and most delegates played too safe on their first attempt.

18. The bare faced Lupolux light is perfect for beauty headshots.

19. a distinct chin shadow separates the jaw line from the neck beautifully. I much prefer hard light to soft light for my portrait work.

20. Anika created this wonderful hair shape for my profile portrait. It's tempting to nip in with a pair of scissors to trim up the ends but I resisted.

21. I'm fascinated by eyes and eye makeup.

22. A quick interlude resulted in a recreated pose from one of my mood boards.

23. I used my magic water reflector, a Lupolux 800 and a white balance of 4000k for this funky series.

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26. I forecast Patricia is going to be a supermodel.

27. A design classic chair and my travel Venetian blind kit in harmony.

28. Even lit from the wrong side with my Lupolux 800 I couldn't fail to get a good shot of Patricia. That Fresnel lens light is electric.

29. Wonderful beauty so young.

Stephan has kindly invited me back to Stuttgart to rerun these workshops at his amazing studio facilities. I felt that both models worked well and by the end of each day I’d struck a good rapport with them. I’d be happy to rebook either of them and indeed Wlada my other favourite German model. If you would like to be part of these workshops please do contact Blaise my PA for more information. If demand is there, I will return.

Blaise is always open to suggestions so if you have access to a fabulous location and can help arrange a workshop please do get in touch.

The Lupolux lights I used are here.

Please feel free to comment on the shoot if you were there or the pictures and techniques used.

Cherish The Dress™ workshop for Evolve 3 ~ pictures

18 comments March 17th, 2012

I can’t believe we’ve finally finished Evolve 3. What started as a group of 10 studios/ photographers soon became 7. The 7 survivors then embarked upon a fast paced business growth programme that included plenty of shoot training as well as business development days and they are now equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to succeed. This has just been the first part of the journey that will take them into successful careers with the right application of effort on their part.

01. I Lit Chris and Sarah with an Elichrom Quadra and a Speedlight.

One Evolve 3 delegate has experienced a meteoric rise in the wedding photography echelons and I expect great things from the others too. The pictures here form half of the set we shot as a group at the Manchester Hilton last week. I was joined by Chris Hanley from Evolve 1 to teach our unique styles of speed lighting interior portraits. The delegates were in two groups and rotated between Chris and I so that they all got to shoot everything. Chris’s pictures will follow no doubt, but for now here is my set.

02. A classic Lovegrove wedding pose.

Models: Sarah Stone, Chris Moore, Jenny Brook

Hair and Make up: Jeni Morris

Dresses: Erica Stacey

Coordination: Claire Hanley

Tutors: Damien Lovegrove and Chris Hanley

03. And from another angle.

04. I used a Quadra head in a Lastolite Ezybox on the Lovegrove Avenger boom arm to light Chris. It is a fab light source.

05. Three stops over and black and white malarkey as Chris Hanley likes to call it works great for me on this shot of Sarah.

06. There's always time for a quick groom portrait on a wedding or Cherish the Dress™ shoot.

07. I love colour too. Luke edited these this week and I suggested he edited everything in colour and we actioned a monochrome set too.

08. Legs work well as compositional shapes in the design makeup of a successful shot :) Lit with the Quadra in a gridded Lastolite Eazybox.

09. Details make everything hang together.

The next 28 shots were lit with a Lupo 800 spotlight. This was a quick rig process. With the light in essentially the same position we created six or more varied set ups. Each setup delivered three or four shots. Here are just a few of my favourites.

10. Jenny basking in a slash of light from my Lupo 800 Fresnel spotlight.

11. Lighting as shot 10.

12. The Lupo was just panned around to light Jenny in this new position.

13. Lighting as shot 12.

14. A bit of fun in a can. All that is missing is a cigarette holder to go with the vintage dress and scene.

15. I couldn't decide on the framing at the time and I still can't. That's why I let Julie (my wife) select my photographs but she is in Africa at the moment hence my indecision.

16. One Lupo 800 is a versatile and powerful lighting tool. I like it bare faced although you can add frost gels to create small soft box type light source.

17. The shadow is a must in this frame.

18. Same lighting as 17.

19. Lighting the same as shot 10.

20. The Lupo 800 delivers crisp beautiful light that produces squint free beauty portraits. The light caresses faces enhancing contours and delivering a classic Hollywood look emphasising cheek bones and reinforcing jaw lines. It helps to have a subject as gorgeous as Jenny Brook.

 

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22. Lighting is the same as shot 21.

23. The Lupo was angled down through a potted olive tree in the Hilton reception area to light Sarah.

24. One Lupo 800 and my pocket Venetian blind :)

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26. Again it was a framing indecision moment between 25 and 26.

27. The Lupo spotted up onto Jenny now in a more edgy look.

28. Having fun with my 21mm Zeiss lens. It is normally locked away from temptation on a portrait shoot but I unleashed it here.

29. I love diagonals, reflections and beautiful eyes.

30. Even in a bright foyer the Lupo 800 had impact.

31. Framing indecision again.

32. Fab shoes.

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37. One of the key Evolve training messages is 'connect with your client' Portraits with soul make the photographer.

38. Jenny has amazing eyes and the make up was fab.

I’ve exposed the Evolvers to the complete creative process. Now it’s over to them to develop their styles and products. I’m in my 28th year of professional image making. I’m still learning and it’s the greatest feeling.

Thanks go to Chris and Claire Hanley for making this Manchester event happen. I must also thank Blaise for organising me throughout the Evolve journey :)

If you’re looking for some training, we are regularly adding a wide range of photography training courses online.

Please comment below.

Boudoir on location kept simple ~ pictures and techniques

7 comments March 16th, 2012

01. Simple window light given the Lovegrove treatment was all that we used for this shot. Colour harmonies and minimal colour gamut make uncomplicated pictures.

The project: To teach my clients simple lighting for boudoir on location using an Elinchrom Quadra, a Lupo 800 and natural daylight.

My Clients, a young couple with a new studio stayed in the apartment rooms that Blaise, my PA had secured for the shoot. With an excited anticipation we embarked on a creative journey with twists and turns along the way. Here are a few of our pictures.

Our Model: Louise-P from Alpha Agency was styled by Liz the amazingly helpful director from Alpha. It takes commitment to make a great shoot. Liz is a very dedicated and determined asset to any assignment. I’m ever so grateful for the behind the scenes work she puts in to make my shoots a success. Thank you Liz.

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04. A major part of my client's brief was to teach them how to direct and pose a client. It's about communication, feelings, sensitivity, fun and rapport. Then comes the clever bit. This frame was lit by the controlled light from one window.

The process of accentuating, enhancing and diminishing a client’s features with pose and lighting is paramount. My aim is to empower photographers to maximise and minimise a client’s attributes as required through clever use of light and shade.

05. I could have removed the door handle in post production but I like a bit of reality in my work. It's personal taste. Lit with an Elinchrom Quadra.

06. Louise enjoying the commanding view from one of the apartments we have at our disposal for training sessions. Location is everything and we have some fab choices.

07. We covered a radiator with a bed throw, and recruited a wooden chest from another room for Louise to sit on. A bit of effort usually pays off in clients homes too. Never be scared to move stuff.

08. The Quadra in subtle soft mode enhanced Louise's fab profile.

09. Cheek bones, jaw lines, neck muscles all contribute to the lighting design.

10. High contrast low-key is popular right now.

11. I've shown enough monochrome images. Colour when handled with care is equally as gorgeous. I've muted the background colours on this blog to let the photographs sing to an uncomplicated tune.

12. Effervescent, radiant beauty bursting with fun needs a high key approach.

13. Applying the principal of bright horizons ads depth to this image.

14. Clarity in eyes is another beauty trait that demands a careful approach to avoid squinting. Louise has a questioning look here. I've forced her pupils a little higher than is ideal. It's best not to show this amount of white beneath the pupils. I still love this shot because it is empowering. Louise in control and her strength is electric.

15. Never rule out a hallway. It's a great location lit with a bare-faced Quadra from the adjacent room.

16. There are times when exciting light presents itself effortlessly. When I was learning about light I could see when great shots could be had but I was rarely able to fulfill the full potential of the opportunity in front of me. Clarity of vision changes everything.

17. My heart was dancing. Heavenly light and an exciting picture opportunity.

18. A change of white balance and the classic cheek triangle give this shot a twist.

My clients left with enough images to create a fabulous show album product plus the knowledge and ability to recreate this shoot in their home town using their Quadra kit and a splash of natural light. Their clients will be queuing up.

My sincere thanks go to Louise for her professional patience throughout the training process and for looking fab.

If you’re looking for some photography training, we are regularly adding a wide range of training courses online.

Please feel free to comment below.

 

 

Illuminating Portraits workshop ~ pictures

22 comments January 31st, 2012

Last week I ran a couple of workshops using just Speedlights to light interior portraits in response to demand highlighted in our recent questionairre. It seems that most photographers have at least one Speedlight and so I decided to show what can be achieved with this little yet powerful light source.

01. I just used 2 Speedlights to create this shot to get the workshop going. Throughout the day we used Ebay radio triggers that I bought for a bargain price (8 sets for £100). This enabled Nikon, Canon and Fuji users to trigger any of the Speedlights I brought with me. We shot in manual mode with the Speedlights in manual mode too. It's the perfect way to work for this kind of shoot. Fast and consistent. The process of setting the exposure and then setting the flash power was quickly learned by the delegates so they can now reproduce the techniques used at will.

All the pictures in this post were taken on the Illuminating Portraits workshop using just Speedlights, available light or a combination of the two.

02. This was quickly taken using just 1 Speedlight to illuminate the scene. It's a Hello magazine style shot where all the detail is bright. It looks lit but the softness of shadows and the control of their depth give a high quality look to this simple shot.

We used all sorts of modifyers to create large areas of softlight, pools of hard & soft light and some magical effects too. I showed the delegates how to unleash the power of Speedlights in a fashion style shoot. The weather on the day was dull and damp typical of the UK in January.

03. I showed how to spice up the first shot to make it a bit more edgy by introduing a third Speedlight. I explained how the lighting was creating the shimmer in the dress fabric and why fashion lighting is different to portrait lighting.

04. Between rain showers we ventured out for 5 minutes with a single Speedlight to create the illusion of a sunny day on what was a flat, dull, grey day.

05. Close ups are easier to light in this way but we went for the biggie full length shot too.

06. Violet, our model was perfect for this workshop. Patient and kind.

07. A simple bit of softlight magic can create fabulous portraits.

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10. One Speedlight was enough to bring this picture alive.

11. The copper bath was a big hit with the delegates. I varied the shots a little bit from day to day but kept to the sylabus.

12. One of my favourite shots was this stolen grab shot taken on my Fuji X100.

13. I used one Speedlight to light this shot too. I decided to keep the lighting simple and easy to recreate with low priced accessories and modifyers throughout the workshop.

14. I love the lift that hard backlight gives to a picture. Just a few moments to rig and the shot is transformed.

15. Beautifully simple lighting to create simply beautiful pictures.

16. I showed how to iliminate the ambient light in the room before adding a pool of softlight.

17. A brief ray of sunlight through some victorian coloured glass gave us a moments distraction as I cross keyed it with a Speedlight.

18. I used one Speedlight to light a mirror scene.

19. By late afternoon it was time to get all the toys out. I used four Speedlights to create this shot. Working with manual settings means any old flash gun will do the job from a budget pre owned Ebay Vivitar or Metz flashgun to the latest Speedlights. Supplimenting your current kit to take shots like these doesn't have to cost the earth.

20. The same four Speedlights were adjusted to light this fun take of a Lovegrove clasic shot.

21. I used my magic water reflector to light this shot. It's easier with continuous light but I showed the process needed to do it with a Speedlight. A second Speedlight provided the kick from the other room.

22. I added a third Speedlight to light the ballroom. My cheap as chips Ebay triggers worked through the thick walls without a problem.

23. The Speedlights work equally well with my Venetian blind gadget.

If you want to unravel the mysteries of fashion grade lighting using Speedlights join me on my next Illuminating Portraits workshop on Tuesday 8th May. My thanks go to Liz from the Alpha model agency for her organizational help, Violet Dillon our model and to Vicki Waghorn for her wonderful make up.

Feedback I have received from my delegates so far:

Lee said: It was a fantastic day, I am still buzzing!
It was my second course with Damien so I knew it would be good.
The level of detail was spot on, plus you can fire off questions all day which is worth the price alone.

Mark said: I absolutely loved it.  It was so good to at last see the light so to speak?  Sounds a bit corny really, but Damien is such a great teacher and so inspirational.  Going back to basics with the speed lights and balancing this with the available light was so effective. It really makes you want to go out and start being creative with lighting, rather than just lighting…  Violet was fab too, putting up with us boys all day.
The venue was amazing, to have so much freedom in a venue like that was awesome.  Excellent food with lots of tea and biscuits…
Please pass on my thanks to Damien and I hope to come on another course soon.

Andrew said: For me – Damien is at his best delivering this style of workshop. I’ve attended most of the workshops on offer and they are always inspiring, always jam-packed with content and always well managed (ie great venues, good lunch, directions all spot on – all the “boring” bits, but the bits you tend to remember if they go wrong!).

One aspect of Damien’s training that is always impressive is that if there is any spare time (we were running slightly ahead of schedule at one point) Damien tries to squeeze in another set up or explanation, rather than extending the lunch or finishing early – it really gives the impression that he cares and isn’t just working to a script – its hard not to be inspired by that level of enthusiasm.

I’m struggling to think of anything I would have preferred to have been different. Do thank Damien for a fab day!

Paul said: As my third Lovegrove training session, Illuminating Portraits maintained the excellent standard I have come to expect. Damien provided the perfect mix of inspiration & practical advice.  Violet our model was very professional & ideally suited the setting of Maunsel House. Looking forward to the next time & will be keeping up with the blog until then.

 

Please feel free to comment on these pictures below.

Fuerteventura portraits and adventure 2012 ~ part 2

17 comments January 22nd, 2012

Here are 54 of Martin’s pictures from our adventure. Click here for part 1, the full story about this shoot, 54 of my pictures and details about the next Fuerventura workshop.

01. Katy McGee against a warm desert sky.

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Well there you have a set of pictures taken over three days by Martin Hill using a pair of Speedlights and a ocassional Quadra. Martin is the best flash shooter I know. He is imaginative, creative and great fun to be with too. Join us both in Fuerteventura in 12 months time to eclipse these shots. This was just the recce. Click here for the full story about this shoot, 54 of my pictures and details about the next Fuerventura workshop.

Please feel free to discuss these pictures using the comment box below.

 

Fuerteventura portraits and adventure 2012 ~ part 1

22 comments January 19th, 2012

“Success happens when preparation meets opportunity”

01. Katy Mcgee out in the desert in the arfternoon sun. I lit Katy with a single Elinchrom Quadra head on a Lovegrove Avenger boom arm. 50mm lens on a Canon 5D mk2 camera.

This adventure was the final stage of the preparation part. Our chance to prove that Fuerteventura is the perfect place for our winter sun location portrait workshop set for January 2013. Martin Hill (AKA Grand Master Flash) and I want to teach how to shoot dramatic portraits in big scenery. Powerfully lit shots that can be recreated on the cliffs of Cornwall, the rolling hills of Wiltshire or the beaches of Lancashire during a UK summer. The sand dunes, volcanoes, ruins, big skies, beaches and lagoons of Fuerteventura proved to be spot on.

02. Katy outside the house of the Colonals. Lit with an Elinchrom Quadra on the Lovegrove Avenger boom arm. Shot using a 21mm lens on my Canon 5D mk2 camera.

Our recce adventure started at Bristol airport on a cold, damp January Saturday. Martin, Katy and myself could hardly hold back the smiles as our journey began. Us lads had packed a great deal of kit into our luggage and weighed in right on the Easy Jet allowance. Katy had the sense to travel light. I used a label machine to mark up my Quadra batteries as NOT LITHIUM to avoid any recalls to the bagage area.

03. I shot this frame using the Skyport trigger sytem for the Elinchrom Quadra on my Fuji X100. I set 1/1000th second and f4 to capture this scene. Katy is sporting an IKEA net curtain, they come in packs of 2.

My check in bag is the amazing Think Tank Logistics Manager with airport security friendly locks. I understand that we will run a major price drop promotion on these very soon so email Blaise if you want to stay informed. Both Martin and I use the Think Tank Airport International carry on bag for our camera kits.

04. It wasn't always sunny but it was warm. The Quadra kit coped well in all conditions. I used it here at 1/4 power.

Flights from a dozen UK airports take less than 4 hours to reach Fuerteventura, one of the Canary Islands off the coast of Africa. All the UK flights to the island are on Saturdays and Wednesdays.  So it is posible to have a 3 or 4 day mini break as well as trips of a week or more.

05. Katy on an outcrop of volcanic rock. The shot below shows the same frame direct from camera.

06. Martin and I worked together for the first morning session. Here he is holding the stand for my shot. My next role was to assist him for his shot of Katy with the red voile that you will get to see in part 2. Working together like this ensures a degree of cross education that is vital for both our learning processes. 21mm lens on a Canon 5D mk2. 100 ISO, 1/200th second at f/18

It was a balmy 22 degrees when we picked up our hire car. The time zone is the same as the UK so there was no adjusting to do apart from getting used to the longer brighter days and warm evenings. It is quite common to get days of 25 degrees or more in January and rainfall is scarce. Part of the island is desert with the Sahara making further inroads year on year.

07. Even overcast skies can deliver stunning results when good lighting is used. Katy has all the grace and elegance to strike an amazing profile against the skyline. Keeping sand out of the kit was a primary concern when we were shooting on the sand dunes and our zip up Think Tank Airport International bags were perfect for this.

Our first stop on Saturday afternoon was at Mark and Claire’s house in La Oliva. Mark is my brother in law and acted as our fixer while we were on the island. They have lived on Fuerteventura for twenty years and are very well connected. With a welcome glass of rosé and a tour of Google Earth we soon made a recce plan. Katy, Martin and I climbed into Mark’s 4×4 pickup and we explored some fabulous potential shooting locations. Local knowledge is essential to get around the miriad of tracks and roads on the island.

08. We shot 'figure in the landscape', a few nudes, some fashion images and some freestyle concept work. Fuerteventura is the perfect creative playground. I lit Katy with an Elinchrom Quadra on a Lovegrove Avenger boom arm as before.

As the light faded we made tracks for our hotel. We were reccomended the fabulous Barcelo hotel in Coralejo and what a great choice. The Barcelo is a marble palace with pools, a health spa and a well apointed bar. Dinner was at one of the many local restaurants.

09. Volcanoes, rock and wind swept sand make the perfect location while the dusky light compliments the tones in the sand and Katy's skin.

Damien’s kit for the recce
1 Quadra pack, 1 head, 2 batteries, 1 lead
1 small shoot through umbrella
1 Pocket Wizard Plus2 with lead for Quadra
1  580EX Speedlight
1 PW Canon Flex in factory default1 PW Mini in factory default
1 lead for PW Flex to Speedlight
1 Lovegrove Avenger Boom arm
2 Jupiter stands
1 Canon 5D mk2 with 21mm f/2.8 Zeiss, 50mm f/1.2 L and 100mm f/2.8 L lenses
1 Fuji x100 camera as a back up.
1 blower brush for sand in lenses
1 Arctic Butterfly for sensor cleaning
1 Hoodman Loupe

10. A field of cactus lies beyond the building giving the unusual splash of green so noticebly missing on the island. I posed Katy with this dramatic stance and asked her to grip her thighs to add some tension to the image. Lit with an Elinchrom Quadra on a Lovegrove Avenger Boom Arm.

Martin’s kit for the recce
1 Canon 1Ds mk3 camera with 24-70 f/2.8 L and  50mm f/1.2 L lenses
1 Canon 5D mk2 camera as a back up.
2 580 EX2 Speedlights
2  PW Flexs in factory default
1 PW Mini in factory default
2 leads for PW to Speedlights
2 Gemini flash brackets
1 Ezybox with Speedlight bracket and Quadra adapter
2 Arri stands
1 Jupiter stand
1 Lovegrove Avenger Boom arm
1 Arctic Butterfly for sensor cleaning
1 Hoodman Loupe

11. I love doorways.

12. Working with a narrow colour gamut makes a welcome change. Katy's lipstick leaps out among the warm rich dusty tones.

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14. I chose to explore some simple fashion styles while I had the chance. This image looks fabulous on fine art paper. Katy leaps off the page with a remarkable luminosity set against the subtle but heavy dark greys of the surroundings. I lit Katy with a Quadra head on my Lovegrove Avenger boom arm.

15. Lighting as above.

16. The Quadra combined with sunlight makes wonderful pictures.

17. I love the way the Quadra light tails off Katy's back on the right just before the rim lighting from the sun kicks in. It's subtleties like this that make the process of learning to light portraits a special one for me.

18. Almost imposible to stand on but fun none the less the wooden twigs make thew shot for me.

19. Windowlight and sublime shadow detail. Katy is a real star, putting up with a lot of demands and embracing the whole picture making process with a great deal of professionalism.

20. I wanted to explore the ratio of negative space and the impact of large amounts of vital shadow detail have on an image. I'm really pleased with the result.

21. "Self Portrait" Lit with an Elinchrom Quadra.

22. Katy with my Fuji X100

23. "On The Beach"

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26. Sunsets are a daily occurance on Fuerteventura

27. Straight from camera before the lighting stand with Speedlight was removed and my verticals straightened.

28. Meet Sophie, my neice, Mark and Claire's daughter. Sophie was itching to have some shots so Martin and I obliged. Sophie who is totally bilingual joined us for most of the three days of shooting :)

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30. It seems strange photographing family. I've known Sophie almost all her life and was struck by her beauty when she came over for Blaise's wedding last summer. It was a real prevelige to have a chance to photograph her again.

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33. I lit Sophie with an Elinchrom Quadra in a 54cm Ezybox. The distant volcano is a reminder of our location.

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35. Sunset and Speedlight

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37. I got my Quadra in fashion mode and started shooting sequences. Sophie has real model potential with a confidence and fluidity of movement that can easaily be chanelled.

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39. Just a single Speedlight and a bit of imagination was needed for this shot of Sophie.

40. And this is Sophie's sister Blue. Blue served us dinner in the restaurant on Monday night and joined us for a few hours of shooting on Tuesday. Tourism is the trade of the island.

41. Blue is equally gorgeous and a delight to be with.

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45. The last time I photographed Blue and Sophie together was on film way back in the last century.

46. Blue and Sophie in the back of Mark's pick up. I used on camera flash to light this Bay Watch style shot.

47. Meet Vanessa. Vanessa works in catering with Claire. Vanessa joined us for a few portraits too. I firmly believe that you make your own luck in life.

48. Vanessa and a Speedlight in the late afternoon sun.

49. Vanessa in the camel house :) There are no camels left on the island but this place was a midway point on a trading route. The food troughs are still there.

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51. I added a splash of Quadra to liven up the shot. It's like adding Tabasco to cottage pie, it's a game changer.

52. Calmness describes a lot of the images I shot. This blog post is just a quarter of my selection. I've no idea what to do with the rest of the images. Perhaps I'll revisit them later in the year. I just love the muted pinks and purples in so many frames.

53. Vanessa bathed in flash and sunlight.

The Workshop
Provisional dates: Thursday 24th and Friday 25th January 2013

Tutors: Martin Hill and Damien Lovegrove

Limited to 12 delegates in 2 groups of 6 for the shooting sessions. The groups will swap tutor and setup every hour throughout the workshop. Evenings will be spent in local restaurants discussing the finer points of photography with like minded togs. The buzz that happens on these overseas training workshops is priceless and the fabulous memories will last a lifetime.

Shooting locations: The Camel Lodge, the House Of The Colonals, remote beaches and lagoons, plus the sand dunes of Correlejo.

Deligates can travel light with just camera and a few lenses as Martin and I will be bringing all the lighting equipment, stands and flash triggers.

Flights and hotels are at their cheapest out of season and during school term time. Nothing is expensive on the island with hotel food and drink prices being considerably cheaper than here in the UK.

The models, styling and genres have yet to be chosen. Provision in the delegate rate of £795 has been made to fly models out from the UK or Germany. Signed up delegates will be able to contribute to the decision making process via a dedicated Facebook group. Each of our overseas trips has it’s own Facebook group where delegates can share pictures and ideas before and after the event.

Payment will be by installment over 10 months leading up to the event.

Many more details are to follow on Monday. Please Email Blaise to register your interest in the first instance. Martin’s amazing set of shots will also be up on the blog by Monday.

Please feel free to discuss these pictures using the comment box below.

IQ ~ A back to basics guide to photographic image quality

33 comments January 7th, 2012

Intro: I’m in no way a self proclaimed expert in these matters and I do recognise that there are many ways to make pictures and systems to use that differ from the ones I’ve highlighted in this feature. However, I do produce prints with a high image quality and the processes that I use work for me. I do hope you can find them useful too.

1. Canon 5D mk2, 100mm f/2.8, ISO 125, 1/125th second at f/18 This simple ballet inspired shot of Johanna was lit with three gridded studio lights.

Photographer: We often think of image quality as a technical thing but no amount of high end cameras lenses and equipment can make up for poor composition and lighting. No matter how sharp a picture is or how many pixels it has, the biggest factor in image quality will always be the photographer. The best way to improve an image is to improve the ability of the photographer.

Image: The photographer sees the potential photograph, the lens creates the image and the camera records the file. The photographer then processes that file and makes a print. Every stage of this process and the equipment used affects the resulting image quality. It’s like a chain that is only as strong as it’s weakest link.

2. Canon 5D mk2, 100mm f/2.8, ISO 100, 1/125th second at f/16 I took this one light portrait of Chloe Jasmine Whichello during the filming of my Lighting Studio Portraits DVD.

Lighting: Contrast, direction, colour, quality, texture and tone are all properties of, or affected by, light. A well lit subject can look fabulous when photographed on a mobile phone, a poorly lit subject will look rubbish even if it is photographed on the latest medium format camera.

Lens quality: I’m not one to study MTF charts and lens statistics, I prefer to study real prints of normal subjects. I leave the optical analysis to the boffins. It comes as no surprise though that the more expensive a lens is, the better the image quality is likely to be. I’ve found this to be almost always true over the last twenty five years or so. One 50mm lens costing four times the price of another 50mm lens is not going to be four times as good. It will be better but not necessarily that much better, so there is certainly reason to choose your kit carefully. Generally speaking, buy the best lenses you can afford.

3. Canon 5D mk2, 100mm f/2.8, ISO 100, 1/125th second at f/11 This shot of Sal was also taken for the DVD. You can clearly see the effect of using a wide intimate light in conjunction with a long lens. It creates the rim shadow on Sal’s arms.

Zoom or Prime? I have recently once again made the switch from zoom lenses to prime lenses. I first did this when I bought my Hasselblad H2 and Phase One digital back in 2005. I used a set of four prime lenses to capture pictures with a fabulous image quality. I had 22 million pixels in a large sensor and the results were stunning. I then went back to zooms when I switched to Canon and I’ve finally ended up with 22 million pixels and prime lenses once more. I must say that my Canon 5Dmk2 coupled with prime lenses is every bit as good as my medium format kit was six years ago – such is the advancement in lens quality and image sensors. I noticed a big change when I recently switched from zooms to primes, mainly in the fine detail, contrast and clarity recorded. I lost the convenience of zooms but gained absolute sharpness. The latest generation of zooms are fabulous but I have found that they come into their own at f/4. I’ve spent many years shooting at f/4 and now that I’m on primes I find I’m getting similar or better resolution at f/2.8. I much prefer the f/2.8 look and now that I have startling clarity from my primes I’m happy to shoot at that aperture all the time.

4. Canon 5D mk2, 50mm f/1.2, ISO 100, 1/125th second at f/11 This shot of Katy is also featured on the Lighting Studio Portraits DVD and was lit with three studio flash lights.

Lens focus micro adjustment: No matter what lens you have it needs to be correctly paired with the camera body. I have set the focus micro adjustment for each of my three lenses using the custom menu in the camera. I put a steel tape measure on my table and align a pencil with the 1m mark on the tape. I mount the camera on a tripod and shoot a frame of the pencil at my regular aperture of f/2.8 from my usual working distance of 2 to 3 metres. I can then zoom in on the image to see if the camera has correctly focussed on the pencil. If not, I can check if it is back or front focussed by looking at the tape measure markings in the image. I then adjust the focus setting as required and confirm my results with a real test shoot. All my lenses have needed some adjustment and not in the same direction either.

5. Canon 5D mk2, 50mm f/1.2, ISO 1600, 1/60th second at f/4 I shot this frame in my hotel apartment on a workshop in Baden-Baden in Germany. I lit it with a Lupo 1200 spotlight from the adjacent room.

Image stabilisation: This is a game changer for me. When I replaced my beloved 80-200 f/2.8 Nikon lens for the 70-200 f/2.8 VR (vibration reduction) my image quality from wedding shoots was instantly improved. It was not the optical resolution that made the difference. I tested the two lenses extensively and they were both acceptably sharp when used on a tripod. Modern IS or VR has about a four stop advantage and I find I can get acceptably sharp pictures from my 100mm macro L f/2.8 IS lens at just 1/15th of a second with the camera hand held.

Subject movement: IS or VR does not reduce subject movement and is no replacement for a large aperture when using long lenses to shoot moving subjects like people.

6. Canon 5D mk2, 50mm f/1.2, ISO 400, 1/60th second at f/4 This shot of Raphaela was lit using modified ambient light in the room. A bit of natural lens flare adds to the look.

Tip: If in doubt slide all the switches away from you towards the front of the lens on a Canon IS or Nikon VR lens.

Camera stabilisation: For many subjects a tripod is a must, but for portraiture I prefer to work hand held or with a monopod. Being able to hold a camera steady is an absolute basic skill that needs practice and greatly affects image quality. When I’m not using IS or VR lenses over 50mm I nearly always use a monopod. I found that I could get acceptably sharp images at 1/30th second with my Hasselblad H2 and its non IS 210mm lens when I used a monopod and my subject was still.

7. Canon 5D mk2, ISO 200, 1/200th second at f/4 This is the last picture I ever took with my Canon 35mm f/1.4 L lens. It was lit with a Speedlight in a silver umbrella on a Lovegrove Gemini bracket. I coveted the Fuji X100 camera and as that has an equivalent focal length of 35mm I couldn’t justify having both so I casually asked during this workshop at the Manchester Hilton if anyone wants to buy my 35mm off me? It went right there and then. The remaining shots in this blog post were taken on the Fuji X100 that I subsequently bought.

Sensor size and sensitivity: This is a big one. As sensor size increases so does image quality, or so it should do, but there are other factors too. Sensitivity is one of them and it is a biggie for my kind of work. Medium format sensors tend not to have the sensitivity of sensors half their size or even smaller, and often deliver poor results at ISO1600 and above where my Fuji X100 excels. They do however have a high pixel count and a high surface area for the lens to focus onto.

Image processing: I’ve spent as many years working with film as I have with digital processing and I used to take a lot of care in producing good negatives to print from. The printing process was quite involved and every Lovegrove print was produced by hand. All our images had the benefit of burning and dodging and this gave our wedding albums a unique look. Most of our contemporaries in the days of film were using one of the many commercial labs machine printing services. I must admit I prefer a hand print from a film negative to a typically processed digital image. There’s a bit too much skin softening and sharpening in the majority of digital prints I see these days. It’s all personal taste but with digital files the damage can be permanent. My advice is if you are delivering pictures on disc give the client a set of straight processed files too. These will soon be far more valuable when realistic images are finally back in demand.

8. Fujifilm X100, ISO 800, 1/250th second at f/2 I took this shot in my hotel bedroom on a workshop in Berlin. I lit Wlada with one Lupo 800 spotlight. I was still learning how to get the best from the X100 at this point. I shot in manual mode.

Computer screen: The single most important bit of kit for IQ in post production, apart from your eyes, is the computer screen. Ideally a screen should display all the colours in your chosen colour space. It should have a matte anti glare surface and a hood. Great screens displaying 97% – 100% of Adobe RGB can be bought for about £1000. A screen must be calibrated with a hardware device. The consequences of editing on a bad or uncalibrated screen are catastrophic. All the images will have errors that might not be repairable without starting from the original RAW file. Another obvious problem is that prints never look right or match the screen.

Eyes: Not everyone has perfect colour vision. It is worth having your eyes checked thoroughly (not just for a glasses prescription) if you are going to be editing pictures. In the days of film, labs did all the colour adjusting, nowadays it is left to the photographer or a dedicated editor. A good editor understands skin tones and should be able to ensure a consistent look throughout a body of work like a wedding album.

9. Fujifilm X100, ISO 200, 1/125th second at f/2 I took this shot in my hotel bedroom on a workshop in Tuscany. It too was lit with a Lupo 800 spotlight. There’s a pattern emerging here. By this time my system of shooting with the Fuji X100 was established. I use Aperture priority in conjunction with exposure compensation as it is so easy to control. (this frame was taken with -1 stop dialled in) I set the lens to f/2 because it is amazing wide open at that aperture. I use auto ISO with a minimum shutter speed set to 1/80th second and maximum ISO set to 3200. I have chosen 1/80th second because I find 1/60th just a bit slow when shooting people. The Fuji camera is image stabilised so camera shake is not a problem either at this shutter speed.

Wacom tablet: This device gives me the freedom to be light with my editing strokes. Ever since 1998 I’ve used a Wacom tablet to edit my images. It just works so well and the pressure sensitivity feature is amazing when using brushes.

RAW conversion: There are a handful of independent RAW processing packages like the renowned Capture One, plus there are the camera manufacturers’ own RAW processing packages that come bundled with their cameras. Users of these software packages are often fiercely loyal and claim to achieve a high image quality output. Lightroom and Aperture are still the front runners. I find Lightroom 3 more than adequate for my needs.

10. Fujifilm X100, ISO 640, 1/80th second at f/2 Av - 2 stops. This frame was shot on a workshop in Somerset. I lit Raphaela with a Lupo 800 spotlight.

I do however have one little step in my workflow that has no impact on image quality but is worth mentioning. I use Photo Mechanic to quickly view, select and rename my raw files so that I only have to load a fraction of my images into Lightroom. Waiting for Lightroom previews to build or load is an annoyance in the otherwise smooth operation.

Once my shots are selected and renamed I trigger the Lightroom import process. This is one of the most important steps in achieving a super quality of image. I have taken the time to shoot a series of portraits at each ISO on both my cameras. I loaded the files into Lightroom and tweaked the noise reduction, adjusted the contrast, and set the desired camera profile and camera calibration to my taste for each image in turn and saved the default preset for each setting. I set the Lightroom preferences so that it automatically applies these settings for given camera serial number and ISO value at the import stage thereafter. I also set the blacks level to zero. Lightroom has the blacks set to 5 by default and this usually clips some useful shadow detail that I want to preserve. Now that this process is done I can enjoy understanding exactly how my images are going to look. It’s just like learning the look of a particular film/ developer combination.

11. Fujifilm X100, ISO 640, 1/80th second at f/2 Av - 0.3 stops. This frame of Raphaela was lit with one Lupo 1200 and two Arri Junior lights.

Film is seeing a bit of a resurgence right now and having shot it for twenty years of my life I’m happy in the knowledge that digital capture done well can deliver more pleasing results without the hassle.

12. Fujifilm X100, ISO 500, 1/80th second at f/2 Av - 0.7 stops. This was my last shoot of 2011 and it was cold. Chloe was lit with ambient light. A bit of smoke was added for effect and Chloe styled the look and the pose. These Fujifilm X100 shots look amazing in print and this one is a bit rugged. Dont look for absolute sharpness, look for a mood, the feeling in the image. It closely reminds me of the look I used to get with Neopan 400 film. Never technically perfect but always utterly gorgeous. It just goes to show what a compact camera can produce these days. Click on the image to see the full size version with exif intact. Please respect my copyright.

After the images have been adjusted in Lightroom they are exported as 16 bit tiffs in the Adobe RGB colour space for import into Photoshop. Once any final Photoshop adjustments have been made the files are saved as 8 bit tiffs and archived along with the selected camera RAW files. If no Photoshop work is needed they go straight to 8 bit tiffs. This is not the only system that works, far from it, but it does ensure that I get the image quality I demand in my prints.

I’m sure this post will raise many questions. I’m happy to let the conversation run as long as it stays on subject and relates to either these images, my techniques or image quality in general. Have your say. Join the debate. What do you want to add?

The Best Photographs of 2011 ~ by Damien Lovegrove

21 comments December 30th, 2011

The past 12 months have been a challenge for most photographers eking out a living in a contracting market. It’s been tough on some counts but all this economic turmoil has given us the perfect excuse to explore new markets, change the products we offer and to push forward into uncharted waters. Art and humanity have always made great progress in times of trouble, when they have been forced to take on new directions.

Click on the picture to visit this years gallery. There are 372 pictures and their exif data in easy to browse galleries.

Fashion in wedding and portrait photography has always been a risky endeavour. Follow the fashion of the moment and photography stands a chance of being thoroughly dated quicker than a blink of an eye. ‘Pin up’ came and went in just 18 months, vintage came and apparently is on it’s way out, some say it’s gone already. Sepia may be back soon and who knows even tilted shots or spot colour may make a comeback in a decade or two. I’ve always tried to avoid trends in my work (it’s not easy) but that doesn’t mean I’ve avoided the current genres. Stylish women and men are still investing in portrait photography, and beauty is seemingly in big demand right now. ‘Boudoir’ portraiture is still a growth market and that is where I’ve concentrated my efforts over the past 12 months or so. I’ve strived to create a style of image that is timeless and easy to shoot. Simplicity is the key to success in most cases.

I've opted for an 800 pixel size for the detail shots this year and have ensured that right click is enabled. If you are on a Mac you can simply drag and drop the images to your desktop for later viewing or for mood boards etc should you so wish..

I have evolved my effort from the colourful speedlight on location strobist movement I was part of in 2009 when I shot my Speedlight Mastery DVD. Since then I’ve been working in the studio using flash and continuous lighting. It took me 24 months to research and practice my studio portrait lighting before I felt I was ready to make my the DVD. It doesn’t matter if I am a chef, musician, photographer or a dancer, Practice is vital. The more I do it, the better I get and the more consistent my results are.

See the best of 2011 gallery here

I feel I need to shoot about 500 frames a week just to stand still. I need to shoot at least double that in order to make progress and evolve my skill base. In 2011 I blogged 5767 photographs from a selected and edited collection of more than 17,000 pictures. These were chosen from perhaps five times that amount and as I principally use just one 3 year old Canon 5Dmk2 camera it is clocking up some excessive mileage. I certainly am prolific. I used to find I got rusty if I hadn’t shot a wedding for a month or so and most wedding photographers I know shoot about this amount of images each year.

If you decide to come on one of my workshops in 2012 set aside a second and a third day to practice what you have learned. Book some models in advance and treat the one day of learning as a week of personal photographic style development.

Information is worthless – You can read information about photography for free on Wikipedia. Everything from advanced lens theory to what is an f stop is all there for free at the click of a mouse.
Knowledge is information that has been internalised and has meaning. If you can tell the difference between a picture taken at f/11 and f/4 you have knowledge.
Experience is the application of knowledge. Obvious stuff really, but experience comes into it’s own when things go wrong.
Wisdom is the product of experience, knowledge and information. Wisdom is extremely valuable.

“I know how to shoot a wedding because I’ve read a book about it” £
“I read the book and I’ve practiced so now I am ready to shoot my first wedding” ££
“I’ve shot many weddings, and I’ve practiced hard to develop my unique style” ££££££

My tip for growth and progress: Set aside some creative days in 2012 to feed your soul and push your boundaries. Commit to test and measure sessions to learn about your kit and how it works. Practice every week and at least three times a week if you want to make real progress. Get training to educate and inspire you to be the photographer you desire to be.

Because I enjoy my photography I get ample reward for my hard effort. This in turn drives and motivates me to practice. If we become a slave to the computer we resent taking the pictures that give us so much post production work. I chose to be a photographer and I’ve always delegated my post production for this reason. I can charge more as a photographer than a picture editor too. So if you want to free up time to become a more prolific photographer employ the services of someone like Marko in 2012.

Thank you for your kindness and support in 2011. I hope I can continue to inspire and train you in 2012. I feel very privileged to be a photographer right now and have the support of a great team and family.

I’ll be speaking about a select 60 of these photographs in detail at the SWPP convention in Hammersmith. I’ll discuss the lighting, motivation, composition and capturing the moment. I’ll be giving away my secrets and tips. Visitors to my talks will also get generous discount vouchers to use against DVDs, downloads or my latest book. Julie and I hope to see you there in London.

Have a prolific and prosperous 2012

Kindest regards,

Damien Lovegrove

The 2011 gallery is here.

 

A random collection of recent studio photographs

21 comments December 22nd, 2011

01. A picture of Iskra Lawrence taken with my Canon 5D ir camera.

Over the past few months I’ve done numerous shoots and have barely had time to edit them let alone blog them. Here are a few of my recent shots taken in the studio. They are not award winners, just run of the Lovegrove mill.

I’m moving on to new styles and genres for 2012 and it all takes a lot of research and most of all practice. Practice is what make the results flow. Nothing is more exhilarating than experimenting with new ideas. It’s a kind of creative buzz that feeds my soul.

I’ve blogged a staggering 5700 pictures in 2011 alone. What does this go to show? Well, it certainly means I’m prolific. I’m happy not to chase perfection but to achieve a consistent quality. I love to capture emotion and soul in my work. I shoot collections, and when I shoot for clients, I shoot for albums, big albums. A typical family portrait will result in 40 – 120 prints in the album. I never blog my client work, just my workshops, 1:1 shoots and some of my personal work.

If my blog readers like 3 or 4 of the images in each of my posts I’m happy. I started numbering my photographs this year to see what ones are the most successful and to my surprise the ‘hits’ varied considerably. I’m learning a lot about photography and about myself at the moment. The way I see the world is not quite the same as most people I know with the exception of Francesca my daughter. I’m often considered strange, metro-sexual is a word banded around me and I like to think I can recognise and capture beauty in a respectful and elegant way.

Over the next few days I’ll be whittling down those 5700 pictures to produce my definitive best of 2011 set. Will I make the right choices? No, but I’ll be happy with them and sometimes that’s all that matters.

Please enjoy this slightly random and motley set of recent studio portraits.

02. I must take this opportunity to give credit to my fabulous friend and make up artist Vicki Waghorn. She advises me on all things of a sensitive nature, is a brilliant make up artist and is a great companion to all my models. I rely on Vicki's judgement and styling advice on almost all my shoots.

Models: Stina Sanders, Chloe Jasmine Whichello, Iskra Lawrence, Johanna Ormsby, Katy McGee, Sal Jeffries and Francesca Lovegrove

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60. I'm finishing this post with a montage of pictures I took of my daughter Francesca for the final sequence of my Lighting Studio Portraits DVD. We recorded the making of these pictures with a camera set to time lapse and the whole process of capturing the 35 shots above too us 12 minutes.

Please feel free to share any that work for you, a top 3 perhaps?  Comments and questions are always welcome.

Previous Posts

Boudoir Video Download

Simply Boudoir by Damien Lovegrove

Posing Guide PDF for just 99p

A comprehensive guide to posing clients, couples and large groups, by Damien Lovegrove

Available here as an instant download for just .99p

Workshops

Studio Lighting
Workshop

Master lighting
portraits in the
studio.
Take a look at more upcoming photography training courses here.

Book

Chloe-Jasmine Whichello

Chloe Jasmine Whichello the latest, lavish, hard bound book by Damien Lovegrove is available here for just £35 (signed first edition). It is packed full of inspiration and beauty. "A visual delight."

Tiger Time

Archive

Training DVDs

Speedlight Mastery
on DVD or BluRay

Part of the
Lovegrove training
DVD collection.
The Big Day &
Lighting Winter
Weddings DVDs

Part of the
Lovegrove training
DVD collection.
Using Natural Light &
Using Flash on
Location DVDs

Part of the
Lovegrove training
DVD collection.
How To Take Family
Photographs That
Sell

Superb training
DVD by Martin
Oliver.
Take a look at the range of Lovegrove photography training dvds here.

Posing Guide PDF for just 99p

A comprehensive guide to posing clients, couples and large groups, by Damien Lovegrove

Available here as an instant download for just .99p

Book

Chloe-Jasmine Whichello

Chloe Jasmine Whichello the latest, lavish, hard bound book by Damien Lovegrove is available here for just £35 (signed first edition). It is packed full of inspiration and beauty. "A visual delight."

Boudoir Video Download

Simply Boudoir by Damien Lovegrove