Location: El Puerto de Santa Maria, Andelucia, Spain
Tour hotel: Palacio San Bartolome
Location manager and tour fixer: César at Scout Location Spain
UK planning: Laura Haskins and Blaise Parsons
Model: Mischkah Scott ~ PP profile.
01. Location 1 is this abandoned farmhouse fifteen minutes drive from our tour hotel. It comes with a horse and needs some DIY kindness. Top: 56mm, ISO 200, f/8 at 1/1000th second. Bottom: 35mm, ISO 200, f/3.6 at 1/500th second.
Photographs: Damien Lovegrove
Camera: Fuji X-T1
Lenses: XF 16mm f/1.4, XF 23mm f/1.4, XF 35mm f/1.4, XF 56mm f/1.2 and XF 90mm f/2
Lighting kit: Lupo Dayled 1000 with V-lock battery, Cactus RF60 and Cactus V6 tranceiver.
During the workshop there were times where the Fuji users amongst us swapped lenses to gain experience with other optics. That is why some of the shots in this set were taken on the 14mm and 50-140mm lenses.
02. Mischkah stands in the perfect place to make use of the window light. 16mm, ISO 250, f/1.4 at 1/60th second. I set the white balance to 7200K because Mischkah was lit by the light from a pale blue sky coming through the window.
03. Left and right: 35mm, ISO 250, f/1.4 at 1/60th second using natural light.
I love the textures and tones in the building fabrics in Spain. The weather too. I like to extend my summer with a workshop tour in Spain in September. The 14 degree difference is very welcome with mean daily temperatures in this part of Spain at 31°.
04. Just a bit further into the building we were up to ISO 1000. 16mm lens at f/2.8 to capture the rich textures in sharp focus.
05. We used the light as it presented itself (left) and I rigged my own sunlight for the shot on the right so I could choose exactly where to place Mischkah. I used a Lupo LED 1000 running on battery power with a Scattergel to make my sunlight. It’s great having wonderful continuous light as we could all shoot at the same time without having to wait for a flash trigger. The light pattern and quality is far nicer than a Speedlight or big flash too. I dimmed the Lupo to give a pleasant balance with the background environment. You can see the window in the background of the picture on the right that was used as the light source in the shots 2, 3 and 4 above. Right: 16mm, ISO 800, f/1.4 at 1/180th second. Left bottom: 56mm, ISO 500, f/2.2 at 1/180th second.
06. Hazy sunlight coming through a window is a wonderful light to work with. Unfortunately the sun was on the other side of the building so we used a Lupo LED 1000 instead to make our sunlight. The Lupo gives a crisp light that makes skin come alive and defines shapes beautifully. I’m often asked ‘What lens should I get next to improve my photography?’ My answer should be ‘Get a decent light’. The price of a great light is about the same as a great lens and the light will transform the scene in a way that no lens can. It’s not all about the kit though. When I’m shooting, I have very little conciseness of the camera and lens I’m using. It’s all about the subject. I directed Mischkah’s attitude and her confrontational stance in this shot. I composed using lead in lines and a low viewpoint and the flip out screen on the X-T1 prevented me from having to lie in the dirt. 16mm, ISO 500, f/1.6 at 1/180th second.
07. I swapped lenses with a delegate and used his 50-140mm zoom for these shots. I really like the 50-140 out on location and it is definitely a fabulous lens to shoot with. The weight in the camera bag and on the camera is the key downside to the fast zoom. ISO 200, f/2.8 and 1/250th second.
08. Nothing beats crisp hard sunlight. 90mm, ISO 200, f/4.5 at 1/2000th second.
09. Settings as picture 8.
10. Our second location was an unfinished mansion. The owner arrived on cue and unlocked the gates to give us unrestricted access to this fabulous place. César, our location scout negotiated well and secured us some wonderful locations. 56mm lens, ISO 200, f/9 and 1/500th second.
11. I love the way sunlight casts patterns on Mischkah’s shoulders. 56mm, ISO 200, f/6.4 and 1/500th second.
12. A white horse decided he wanted to be the star and Mischkah bravely approached with caution. The horse was kicking his back legs. I’m no animal psychologist but I definitely thought it might be a warning. 16mm, ISO 200, f/8 and 1/500th second.
13. The attitude of the horse works really well here and I directed Mischkah to go up onto tiptoes. 90mm, ISO 200, f/7.1 and 1/500th second. Another horse and it’s foal came over to us and then they all wandered off.
14. The sunlight wrapped around the side of the building and Mischkah braved a difficult route to arrive on the balcony. Left: 56mm, ISO 200, f/5 and 1/500th second. Right: 16mm, same exposure.
15. ‘Contemplation’ 35mm lens, ISO 200, f/7.1 and 1/180th second.
16. Mischkah is a star, putting up with some grotty locations to enable us to create the shots. Nude photography success is all about the attention to detail, heals off the ground, enclosed triangles, contre-jour, lead in lines and upright verticals all play their part. Left: 35mm, ISO 200, f/3.2 and 1/180th second. Right: f/2.5.
17. I closed all the shutters on the first floor and opened one set just a crack to give us high contrast and a virtual striplight to work with. Both: 90mm, ISO 400, f/2 and 1/250th second.
18. My favourite shot of the set is this beautiful moment. 90mm, ISO 400, f/2 and 1/250th second.
19. Wonderful skin. There’s so much wrong with this image including the high viewpoint and extreme perspective but so much right too in my eyes. 90mm, ISO 1600, f/2, for 1/250th second.
20. This niche is just inside the main door of the mansion and was the perfect backdrop for a few shots of Mischkah with my tutu.
21. It was time to introduce the Cactus RF60 Speedlight. I rigged it very high on the Lastolite Jupiter stand and shone it through the tree growing outside the shaded front of the building. I then swung it round to glance the niche with a slash of light. Left: 23mm lens Right: 35mm lens, ISO 200, f/4 and 1/180th second.
22. The cave was our next location and wow it was dark. We were there a bit late in the day and the natural light failed to penetrate like it had done on my recce earlier in the year. We had to negotiate some fencing and scramble down into the old mine workings. I had brought my Lupo 1000 LED spotlight and battery kit with me so I set that up with a Scattergel and we were able to shoot using monopods or high ISO. I had to dim the light right down to create a balance with what little ambient light there was. Top left and right: 16mm, ISO 1250, f/1.4 and 1/60th second. Bottom left: 23mm, ISO 800, f/1.4 and 15th second.
23. Cotton is fluffy stuff. I’ve never seen cotton before so I shot a close up to remind myself what it looks like. Mischkah looks great in the evening light. 90mm lens, ISO 200, f4 and 1/500th second.
24. The city of Cadiz is full of four storey town houses and we were privileged enough to spend a couple of hours shooting in one, much to the amusement of the father of the house. The children were ushered out with their mother leaving the grand parents in their wonderfully furnished home. I lit Mischkah here with a Lupo 1000 LED light and Scattergel. 23mm lens, ISO 800, f/1.4 and 1/125th second. The light level was set to give just the right amount of contrast.
25. We used the light from a window for this shot at the great mirror. 23mm lens, ISO 500, f/1.6 and 1/60th second.
26. Both these shots were lit with the Lupo and shot using the 23mm lens. ISO 800, f/2.8 and 1/125th second.
27. I love this natural light shot, maybe more than the one I shot back on the recce here. I used the wonderful 23mm lens wide open at f/1.4 with ISO 500 and 1/60th second.
28. The marble floor is a wonderful geometric pattern to use as a backdrop. 35mm lens, ISO 500, f/1.4 and 1/125th second.
29. The streets of Cadiz formed the backdrop to a couple of frames on our way to lunch at a wonderful restaurant. The food in Spain was excellent, the wine too. Top: Natural sunlight, 16mm lens, ISO 200, f/7.1 at 1/250th second. Bottom: Cactus RF60 speedlight, 16mm lens, ISO 200, f/11 and 1/180th second.
30. We used an unfinished house by the beach to do a mini posing workshop. Left: 16mm, ISO 250, f/1.4 and 1/250th second. Right: 56mm, ISO 200, f/1.6 and 1/250th second.
31. The beach in morning light was fabulous. I picked up the yellow dress in Primark and it works so well on Mischkah. I used a borrowed 14mm lens as I had leant out my 16mm. ISO 200, f/9 for 1/500th second.
32. 35mm lens, ISO 200, f/10 for 1/500th second.
33. These three shots were taken with the 90mm lens. ISO 200, f/8 at 1/500th second.
35. Rocky fashion with the 35mm lens. ISO 200, f/13 and 1/180th second.
36. I love this Mondrian inspired bikini. Just the simple transfer of weight held back by a grip on the rock gives this shot a figurehead type dynamic. 90mm lens, ISO 200, f/3.2 at 1/500th second.
37. 90mm lens, ISO 200, f/11 and 1/500th second.
38. 90mm lens, ISO 200, f/8 and 1/500th second.
39. All three shots were taken with the 90mm lens.
40. We lost the sun for a short while on the last day so I rigged my Lupo LED 1000 as a backlight and showed the group how I shoot into the light to make bright high key images in overcast light. 56mm, ISO 800, f/1.2 and 1/250th second.
41. The fast, wide primes are my lenses of choice. 16mm, 23mm and 35mm all at f/1.4. I use the lenses at maximum aperture and I can get away with 1/125th second with them all if I’m careful. This is a two stop advantage over the heavier 16-55 f/2.8 zoom. That 2 stops is the difference between shooting at ISO 400 or ISO 1600 and makes a real world difference to image quality. For the tight end there is a real choice between the 56mm f/1.2 combined with the 90mm f/2 or the 50-140mm f/2.8 IS lens. The 90mm lens has a one stop advantage over the 50-140mm lens and focusses closer too. However I need at least 1/250th second to avoid camera shake and I often find myself selecting 1/500th just to be sure. I shoot the 50-140mm lens at 1/125th second all the time and if my subject is still I happy shooting it at 1/60th too. The IS is amazing. I chose to take the two primes on this workshop but I’d have been just as happy, if not slightly happier with the one 50-140mm zoom lens. The zoom lens really is that good.
This is a fraction of my photographs from three days in Southern Spain with a fabulous model and a wonderful camera system. I made new friends and were reacquainted with others. If you want to join me on a photographic adventure, start by joining the Lovegrove Creative Group on Facebook. Forthcoming trips in 2016 include a USA road trip, Venice and Tuscany among others. Fun, friendships, photography and adventure assured.
Please feel free to comment below…
Don’t just dream it, do it.
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Finding your posts on the Fuji kit the most informative on the net. You show how the technical parameters influence creative choices better than anyone I’ve found. I’m learning a lot, thank you.
Thank you Graeme, stay inspired and have fun.
Kindest regards,
Damien.
Just wow, such high volume of images produced during a photo session and needles to say all of them are good, as I can not really select favorite!
Lovely work Damien…..! excellent composition and postures… special thanks to the Model & support team too…:)
Thanks Biju :)
Awesome! Absolutely love the lighting and composition!
Thanks Matt :)
What a discovery! It is very refreshing to see such a nice use of light and composition.
Thank you Jorge, your kind words are really appreciated :)
Superb and a beautiful model. Thank you.
Thanks Tako :)
Fantastic set.
Fantastic photographs and excellents locations.Congrats.
Happy to get your satisfaction finding the perfect spots for you.It was very nice to share these moments & days with all the fantastic team..I miss you all guys!!
Hope to see soon.
César
http://scoutlocationspain.com/
Cheers César, Until the next time :) Damien.
Wonderful xx
Wonderful pictures Damien. My favourite is the second street shot with the Cactus RF60 on the streets of Cadiz .. love the attitude and the setting and the light… there’s a wonderful story in that picture…
Thanks Ian, I love that shot too. Come and shoot with me in Bristol. I’ll be in touch :)
Love your picture in Spain great job
What can I say! Adrian Jones took the words out of my mouth ;) Keep up the good work!
Thanks Mike for your continued support. I’ll keep shooting and writing if you keep reading.
Kindest regards, Damien.
Stunning work Damien – too many favourites to mention from this body of work. Your explanations & BTS info are an inspiration to both myself & many others.
Thanks for your kind words Adrian. I’ve recently been spending more time on adding the detail. This post has about 2000 words and took just over 8 hours to write. It’s great to get feedback like this to know the effort is worthwhile. Cheers, Damien :)
These are great, Damien! My favorite photo is where she’s sitting on the stairs. I’m doing a fun photo shoot at a castle/winery in a few days. I see some poses, especially the doorways, windows, and stairs, that I might have to duplicate. ;-)
Hi Jay, Thanks for your kind words. The stairs shot works really well because of the lighting, setting and cute pose. Bare feet softened the look too. Have a good shoot and stay inspired. Damien