Part 1: The abandoned monastery
Pictures: Damien Lovegrove & Martin Hill
Models: Katy McGee & Miriam Martinez Hidalgo
We spent two weeks planning the operation. The mission was to find shooting locations, hotels, restaurants and contacts in Spain to run a workshop in October. While we were there we thought we should test the locations thoroughly. Martin and I are running a joint workshop in March (full) and we wanted to get up to speed with Speedlights on location for the coming season. We all need practice and what better way is there to do it than in sunny Spain. Here is the story of our adventure and some of the pictures from our first shoot.
DL 1. Katy in the extensive grounds at the mystery monastery. A pair of Speedlights rigged by Martin and I were used for this scene setting shot at the end of day 1. For the most part we had sun on day 1 and when it clouded over by 5.30pm we headed back to our sumptuous hotel for pre dinner drinks.
DL 2. Katy lit with natural light in a doorway to the accommodation block. (of the abandoned monastery not our hotel)
DL 3. One of my many beauty close up studies of Katy. Shot into the light using my 100mm prime macro lens.
DL 4. I love the way the sunlight alters the contours of Katy's shoulders. A simple shot with softness and strength. The timber post is supporting the precarious floor above.
We arrived at Alicante at 1pm, picked up our hire car and took to the road. Martin, Katy and I were on our way, our adventure had begun. We had been tipped off about some fantastic shoot locations in Southern Spain a few weeks ago and after some Google Earth exploring we had coordinates and a purpose. We pulled off the motorway to get some lunch. We drove a few kilometres into an industrial zone and found a small cafe. A few men were gathered outside smoking and chatting. We took our chances and found a table. No English was spoken in the Cafe so we made a lucky dip selection of tapas. The food was fantastic and such amazing value too. Katy enjoyed the white wine and feeling refreshed we set to find the abandoned monastery.
DL 5. This place is amazing. Katy was lit by a slash of Speedlight designed and rigged by Martin. Her vulnerable look adds to the moment.
We saw our location on the other side of the motorway and we knew it was special straight away. At the next junction we doubled back and took a farm track right up to the locked gates in the high wall. We searched for a way in and soon we had found a hole to climb through. The magic unfurled and we all tingled with delight. We were like giggling school children. We had to do an initial risk assessment of the site so that we could get underway with the shooting first thing the next day. We were itching to shoot there and then but we resisted. This location needed some planning to do it justice.
Martin and I worked together to light and design each alternate set up on the first shooting day.
DL 6. A single Speedlight can be so simple yet so effective. A near perfect lighting angle compliments Katy's facial contours. The shadow of her chin is beautifully scribed on her shoulders. Katy's gaze is the key to this shot. It speaks a lifetime of thoughts.
DL 7. I lit this shot with a pair of Speedlights in my new flash bracket that works with a brolly (soon to be launched). It is designed to be finely balanced and accommodate Pocket Wizard Flex receivers too.
DL 8. Martin rigged a Lastolite Ezybox to light this scene. I like his shot more but Marko has done a great job with the colours of the stone here.
DL 9. The details in this building are fabulous.
DL 10. The chapel was dark, A broken door was swinging in the wind and we all felt quite affected by the spiritual atmosphere. I used the light from a distant window to light this shot of Katy.
DL 11. There is so much potential in this location. We have barely scratched the surface with the few shots we took in this cavernous chapel.
DL 12. A shaft of sunlight struck this stone table by the entrance to the crypt.
DL 13. Both Martin and I were drawn to the small window in this shot.
DL 14. This was one of my favourite spots. There was virtually no light. My iPhone illuminated the walls enough for me to make out this painting. An Ezybox with an egg crate grid did the lighting job here.
DL 15. A simple shot made fabulous by the flash not triggering. It was rare on the trip but we found the problem this time was exhausted batteries in the Speedlight.
The second day of shooting started at the monastery with Katy and Miriam. Martin and I decided to shoot separately and swap models every hour or so throughout the day. We went to the supermarket en-route to buy provisions for lunch and plenty of fluids. Miriam’s mum came for the ride and was good fun to have around at both of our locations.
DL 16. Meet Miriam. I found Miriam, a Spanish model from the region, online and offered her a day test shooting with us. You can just make out Martin Hill in the background of this shot adjusting a Speedlight. Oh and I lit Miriam with our Ezybox and grid.
DL 17. The Ezybox did the job here too. I love the palms at this location. They remind me of the Eagles Hotel California album cover.
DL 19.
DL 19. A classic Lovegrove pose works well with Miriam's fabulous hair.
DL 20. The natural light at this venue is fabulous, even in February.
DL 21.
DL 22. I had to do a 'big shot' on the second day too. A cloud came over and filled the top of my frame. It was soon gone, how convenient.
DL 23. A pair of Speedlights and slashes of sunlight lit this scene. I put the Speedlight on the right of camera in an Ezybox to provide a soft key light.
DL 24. The Ezybox was perfect here too. Balancing sunlight, the flash contrast and the sky took a bit of doing but I'm happy with the result.
DL 25. I used careful placement of the sun to bring this shot of Katy to life. The oranges were perfect for eating. (We won't be shooting nudes on the workshops in October)
DL 26. A single Speedlight provided the backlight. We use Pocket Wizard triggers for all the shots over the three days and that meant we could trigger through walls.
DL 27.
DL 28.
DL 29.
DL 30.
DL 31. Katy looking out of the door where this picture set began.
Martin Hill’s shots…
MH 01. Martin had the idea to rig a Speedlight outside through the window so I got on with that while he rigged the Ezybox and grid.
MH 02.
MH 03.
MH 04.
MH 05.
MH 06.
MH 07.
MH 08.
MH 09. This shot and the next were lit with my new flash bracket brolly attachment thingy without a name.
MH 10.
MH 11. Martin used an Ezybox with grid in this area.
MH 12.
MH 13.
MH 14.
MH 15.
MH 16.
MH 17.
MH 18.
MH 19.
MH 20.
MH 21.
MH 22.
MH 23.
It was around this time in the late morning of our second day of shooting that Katy and I heard the loud and authoritative voices of Spanish men. I popped out of the room we were shooting in to find a pair of armed policemen, one in plain clothes and the other in uniform. They beckoned me across. I told Katy to put some jeans on before coming out and I kept the officers busy for a while. They didn’t speak any English but it was fairly easy to understand what was going on. They demanded my papers, passport and driving license. My passport was back at the hotel in my room safe but my driving license was to hand. Katy handed hers over too. The men were quite angry and no amount of smiling on my part was going to change that. A little while later, Miriam, her mum and Martin appeared from the other side of the complex and Miriam explained to the police what was going on. Angry growls became niceties, our papers were returned and we were allowed to continue shooting. Thank you Miriam. A little local support goes a long way when shooting abroad.
MH 24.
MH 25.
MH 26.
MH 27.
So there you have part one of our adventures in Spain. After a hearty lunch on the second day of shooting we went onto a disused quarry and mine. I’ll blog those pictures and the ones from day three soon. If you want to join us for a couple of days shooting in Spain (18th & 19th October) at these locations please click here. Places will go fast so be sure to book early. You can view part 2 of this post here.
You can also browse our range of upcoming photography training courses here.
Lovely shots, amazing, inspirational pure Lovegrove magic.
Hi Mandy,
It all comes together when preparation meets opportunity. Thanks for your kind words.
Damien.
great location and amazing shots
Thanks Neima :)
Fabulous work guys – I’ve also been fortunate enough to see Martin’s full collection this last weekend….. :)
So good it’s cost me a spot on the course in October – very much looking forward to it!
Hi Chris,
Good man, What a trip this will be! Cheers, Damien.
Thanks for all the very kind words everyone hope you can join the boss man and I in October. It’s going to be very, very special. Mr Hanley just as you think you are catching the master, he pulls a gem out of the bag. Xxx
Stunning!!! Amazing location, models and lighting! Beautiful and inspiring!!!
Thank you Rufat,
I can’t wait to get back there again. An exciting place to shoot.
Regards, Damien.
I knew these shots would be good and wow! Even better than I thought.
Awesome location, awesome models and 2 awesome photographers. Hope to join you on one of these foreign workshops soon
Thanks Greg :)
Fantastic photos guys and gals, but wow am I confused now, I had it in my mind to start 2012 off with some Lowell ID lights, having seen some of the amazing photos produced by yourself Damien.
Now I see this shoot using speedlights and I think to myself why spend all that money on Lowells when I already have an SB600 plus an SB900, if I go out and buy myself an extra SB900 and some of the attachments you use to direct the light then I would save a bucket load of money.
I am not a man of great means and money has to be carefully monitered, plus I want to book on to one of your courses, so now I am very confused as to which way to turn, any advice please would be most welcome.
Hi David,
Lighting advice…
For continuous light during daylight hours a Lupo 1200 is the right choice. It’s what I used here.
For continuous light in the evening covering fast moving events then the Lowel is the best choice.
For continuous light in the evening where time is not not a constraint the Arri or Lupo s a great choice.
Speedlights do most jobs pretty well but are not simple to use. That’s why Martin and I needed practice. You can achieve a lot of different looks with Speedlights but they are not subtle bits of kit.
Let paid jobs reward you with new lighting kit and ensure that you know how to get the most out of the new kit before buying more.
Don’t buy any more lights just yet. Get this Speedlight Mastery DVD and study it. Recreate the techniques I use in the DVD using your SB600 and SB900 Speedlights. You will need stands, brackets, a Gemini and maybe a SU800 too. The Lastolite Ezybox and the new grid should be on your shopping list too. Become a master of the kit you already have and by September you’ll be able to make more informed choices about your developing photography style.
I hope this helps,
Damien.
All amazing great stuff
Thanks again Will,
Your continued support means a lot. Cheers, Damien.
DL 28, 29, 30 ouch. Amazing.
Wow the shots are fantastic. I really like DL 11 and MH 14.
Gorgeous shots
Clare
Thank you Clare and Gordon for your lovely comments.
Regards,
Damien.
Sensational work guys all of them.
Even more gutted now I couldn’t make the trip.
DL 7 is way way up there on my killer list of Lovegroves
and Martin buddy ? i really like to see someone give the master a run for his money. MH 3 and 19 are fabulous.
C
Cheers Chris,
Polish your lenses for Italy bud. It’s time to raise the bar on fantasy bridal and couture fashion photography. I can’t wait to shoot alongside you again.
Thank you for your kind words and support – even if it is through gritted teeth. Haha
Damien.
You guys, these are stunning!! Well done all of you. Faves are DL 7 & MH19. (Truly love them all tho!)
Vicki xx
Thank you Vicki
Damien xx
Fantastic locations and great shots. I so need to find a location like that monastery…
Well done all.
Nick
Hi Nick,
Come and join in the fun in the sun in October. Stay for a few extra days and set up some personal shoots too. The monastery is sensational, worth the trip alone.
Cheers, Damien.
Truly gorgeous work. Looking forward to part II and to learn more about the workshop in October!
Stunning work guys!
Steve
Hi Steven,
Thank you for your kind words. This shoot spot has your name all over it. You simply have to join us on this one. Then nip back to the UK for your weekend weddings and pop out to Tuscany with us the week after :) Two weeks of fabulous living on every level. Details of Spain are here. Italy details to follow soon.
Great location, beautiful models, super outfits, excellent lighting, lovely makeup and wonderful camera work. Overall brilliant set of images.
Thank you Derrick.
Your kind words are appreciated.
Cheers, Damien.
Wow! Love DL7, DL22, DL28 and MH19.Well done guys.
Thank you Alex,
Martin and I were really excited about shooting here. We have barely scratched the surface of what this venue has in store.We will save the best for October.
Regards,
Damien.
Cool location, shot there myself and could spend days there.
Great shots Damien and Martin.
Thanks John,
There are just so many fab locations littered around that part of Spain. Thanks on the heads up on some of your favourites. I can’t wait to get back there.
Kindest regards,
Damien.
Back again just wanted to say that MH 9,13,14, 19, 20 also gorgeous shots.
C
An absolutely stunning set of images, as ever. This location is oozing with character and must’ve been so much fun to shoot
Gorgeous, inspirational stuff their guys – thanks for sharing!!
Thank you Chris and Phil.
Fun in the sun is certainly a fabulous thing.
Regards, Damien.
Stunning shots there Damien.Too many to say. Like the film noir? look of DL5, and the treatment on DL8 and DL11. I love DL7!. A lot of work to turn around as well! Looking forward to Into the light with you in March,
Craig
Thank you Craig,
The into the light workshop will be fabulous. A one off at that location.
Cheers, Damien.
Hey Damien
You were the only person I would have shared the location with and – your pictures have more than done it justice.
Like the previous poster the mix of blue sky and worn plaster in DL7 is great.
Regards
Pete
Thanks Pete,
Your support right from the start of this project has been invaluable. I do hope that you will be able to join Martin and I on a personal shoot while we are in Spain in October.
Kindest regards,
Damien.
Loving DL7 – will be keeping my eyes peeled for the release of the new flash bracket.
Great Shots as ever :o)
Hi Tony,
Thanks for your kind words. The flash bracket info is here. The pricing gets announced on Monday when the brackets (now named Gemini) go on sale.
Kindest regards,
Damien.
All the way to spain just for the shoot? i can imagine your fingers where itching to go to the sun :) Same here.
Nice pictures once again. DL 3 is my favorite. Love the high-key/shadowworks. DL7 would stound out very good within a book series.
Keep it up!
Hi Stefan,
Yes indeed all the way to Spain for the shoot:) The locations were worth the journey alone. The sun was not assured but made a welcome showing. Now the recce is done we have done enough research to be able to put on the workshops. These are going to be an exciting couple of days shooting… http://www.lovegroveconsulting.com/spain_workshops_2011.aspx
Cheers, Damien.