01.
The Concept: After the completion of my coffee table book Chloe Jasmine Whichello I embarked on a journey to create a genre of photography that celebrates the beauty, soul and character of women. After a few experimental shoots I realised the importance of the degree of intimacy required. Fine art nudes rarely have eye contact and celebrate form but not personality. Chloe suggested to Blaise, my PA that I shoot Raphealla for this project and she was spot on. Raphealla was amazing, she totally understood the mood I wanted to create and we all had fun making these photographs.
The Workshop: Femme Fatale™ is limited to just 5 delegates and myself and we have the run of the house. I styled, directed and lit each set up from scratch using minimal kit for the majority of the day. We use continuous light balanced with the ambient to allow everyone to shoot simultaneously. We all swap places every so often to explore different angles and when the sound of shutters subside I move on to create another set up. By 4pm we had lost the daylight so from then on I switched to a tungsten balanced set up and showed how to integrate up to three lights with the room lights to make striking interior portraits. A lavish lunch was provided by the team at Maunsel. It was a full on day of shooting and by 5.30 we were all exhausted and exhilarated. It’s a great feeling to have.
Model: Raphealla Mcnamara
Makeup: Vicky Waghorn
Camera Kit: Canon 5Dmk2, 21mm Zeiss, 50mm f/1.2 Canon, 100mm f/2.8L macro Canon, Fujifilm X100.
Lighting Kit: Lupo 1200, Chimera Small softbox with grid, Lupo 800, Arri 300 Junior, Arri 150.
Post Production: These pictures have just been through Lightroom with no Photoshop used at all because I love a real skin texture. Who knows, maybe in ten years time the social and fashion shots of the early digital era will seem ridiculous with their smoothed skin plastic wrapped look. Food for thought perhaps.
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06. Lit with a Lupo 800.
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08. Beauty shot lit with a Lupo 800.
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22. Lit using natural light.
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25. A natural light portrait.
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31. We used a Lupo 1200 to recreate sunlight for a set of high key images.
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33. The Lupo 800 is perfect for interior portraits.
34. Lighting as above.
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36. My Venetian blind came out to be used with an Arri 300 to light the background. It was completely dark by this point. An Arri 150 and a Lupo with a CTO gel completed the rig.
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38. This shot is in colour because I showed the group how to create artificial moonlight with a Lupo 1200 outside and an Arri 300 inside.
39. A burlesque twist to the end of the workshop. Three lights gives this shot a stage lit feel.
I have decided to run one more Femme Fatale™ workshop on 7th February at Maunsel House. It will be our last workshop at this fabulous house as their hire rate is set to double from then on. I hope to take this workshop to Chicago and Munich in the new year too. If you happen to know of an old manor house or other venue that I can run workshops at please do get in touch staff@lovegroveshop.com
Please feel free to comment on these pictures.
A fantastic set of images which really shows the huge variety of images you can achieve using a Lupo.
Thanks Helen,
Winter interiors are always challenging but I’m always happy when I have my Lupo 1200 available.
Kindest regards, Damien.
Ahhh the beauty that is Raph.
Wonderful set of images Damien. I’ve only had the pleasure of this young lady once and she blew me away.
Very talented and able to turn on the mood at the slightest suggestion.
Thanks Neil :)
Thank-you for a wonderful day, to all involved and in particular Damien.
Kindest regards
Raphaella
http://www.raphaellawithlove.com
cracked it with number 33. Great stuff. Looking forward to Spain next year.
Thanks Barney,
It’s the through the open door chestnut but it works every time :) Spain will be a blast. Remind me to shoot this look in Spain. Loads of opportunity!
See you there. Kindest regards, Damien.
Not a lot to say about this shoot other than Simply Stunning.
No 29 is a personal fave of mine.
Thankyou Damien for sharing.
Wow thanks David,
It’s all in the eyes. Eyes that draw you in, mask a complexity that needs to be unravelled. Temptress, alluring, beautifully naughty.
Warmest regards,
Damien.
Creative and evocative with a natural look even though lighting was used. In ore as usual Damien.
Thank you Andrew :)
Compliments indeed. I try to keep it simple for this kind of shoot and simulate what might have been had the sun been out etc.
Best regards,
Damien.
Utterly beautiful Damien. Just beautiful. Love it.
Thank you Radmila,
We will shoot this in Munich in 2012. I’m determined to shoot with you again soon. I get such inspiration when you are around. Thank you for your compliments.
Damien x
Truly amazing images, the lighting is beautiful!!!
Simon, Lets make it happen :)
Thanks for your compliments. See you soon. D
Hi Damien,
We’ve had Raphaella in the studios many a time, the wonder to me about these shots is it looks like you manage to slow her down!!!!
Raph is a brilliant worked and its normally exhausting just keeping up with her, but she looks very serene in this pictures.
Hi Simon,
I had to direct a calmness, create a crecendo in each movement that peaked at a point of stillness before evolving into the next sublime image. After that everything was fine :))
Cheers, Damien.
35 one of the best maunsel bath shots, 37 simplicity with a powerful message, 38 a great demo of magic, 39 what is it with you and chandeliers? might reinstall ours reasy for sunday night ;)
C
Haha, Thanks Chris,
What a night! What a shoot. Thanks for your comments. Sometimes I think I’m king of the swingers! Raphaella made my job so easy.
Cheers bud.
Damien, a stunning set of images. Always a great source of inspiration for all photographers
Thank you Simon,
Thanks for your kind words. I wish you every success in finding your path in 2012. You deserve it.
Best regards,
Damien.
Super images Damien, every single one of them!
Thank you Thorsten :)
Damien
An absolutely stunning set of photos, love the lighting, posing looks so natural. No seedy images,which I hate to see, these just shine through. Worked your magic again….
Thanks Tim,
I find it so hard judging the tone and acceptability of images. I’ve managed to decode the word allure and insert it into boudoir without passing glamour. Or maybe that’s all tosh. who knows. What matters to me is that nice folk like yourself take the time to comment and leave encouraging messages. Thank you.
Warmest regards,
Damien.
damien, yet again another set of stunning images, you never fail to inspire me, just when i think, yep i’ve cracked that bit, you go and blow my mind yet again….a pleasure to see your work
Hi Chris,
Thanks for your contiued support and for making me work so bloody hard to stay half a pace ahead:) Sometimes that margin has disapeared recently but I’m onto new lighting styles now in rediness for 2012 :) Your friendship means a great deal to me.
Cheers bud.