Helen Rose: Mood, Movement & Music

 

Helen got in touch since she was in the region and liked my work. Having learned she was an accomplished musician, rock climber and horse rider, I was intrigued and believed we could add something to our respective portfolios. 

Helen had been modelling on a part-time basis for eleven years, instigated by a relationship breakdown. Given these variables, I was keen to let her lead in terms of outfits and props.

We both knew the intended location very well, which helped in terms of planning for the unexpected, changing and good shooting areas.  Being the early part of an increasingly Spring-like day, there was a lot of activity. Public spaces are best for first, or formative shoots, but can present some challenges.

Passers-by can either be decidedly reverential and respectful, curious and chatty, or in some cases, intrusive. Mercifully, people were very respectful, but would also stop for a brief, flattering remark. As I am always saying, model and photographer also warm up during the course of a shoot, and I’m never surprised to find this tells in the images.

The light was generally favourable, although there were moments when the sun created annoying drop shadows- easily corrected by moving to areas with more even light and a small reflector.  I shot the majority of these with my trusty Sony Alpha 6300 and 50mm 1.8 prime lens set to F2 for most flattering effect, although when conditions became a little more restrictive, I switched to the 6000 and Viltrox 23mm set to F1.4

   

Maryna...By the Marina

 

Maryna got in touch, inviting me to shoot with her, since she was in the region. She liked my ability to capture flattering images both in the studio and location. Flattered, I gladly accepted, and so pleased I did. Standing 5’9 she is very striking. Pre-shoot communications were very professional, and I gave her a free hand in terms of clothing choice and style. Wherever possible, I like to capture a model’s character and personality, although there are times, say in a commercial setting, where they have to be a canvas for the designer, makeup artist, hairdresser etc.  

Maryna is originally from Ukraine but began her modelling career in Germany in 2020. I wasn’t surprised to find her approach and subsequent communications ultra-professional and straightforward. We agreed on a two-hour shoot by the quayside- it was central, public, but had plenty of scope for uninterrupted shooting. She arrived promptly and immaculately prepared, ready to shoot. We started with the black and red theme, switching to the yellow and black. It was cool and blustery, but thankfully the rain forecast didn’t materialise.

Come the close of the second set, we’d been shooting for 1hour with nominal rest and sensing she was a little cold, I suggested we break in the warm. Twenty-five minutes and a change later, we were back in the quieter areas and shot for a further twenty minutes until I realised we'd gone over by five minutes. I closed at his point, since both had other appointments and didn’t want us to be rushed. These were shot at F2 using my A6300 body and equally trusty Sony 50mm 1.8 lens.       

Karolina

 

I’d had a few postponements due to sickness and other unavoidable circumstances, and needed to tame the midwinter blues (not to mention a dental abscess) with some creativity. Enter Karolina, I’d noted she’d modelled in the recent past and was very striking.

We settled on a location-based winter fashion and portraiture theme. The port town was convenient and familiar to both of us. Standing 5’1 (155cm) she was petite. While this is considerably shorter than the traditional 5’7 (170cm) baseline for fashion models, there are other avenues to explore, and there’s more scope when it comes to posing and angles.

For example, by lying down, I can give a real sense of height. Doing the same with someone standing 6ft 2 (1m88) will make them look cartoonish- fine if you’re looking to recreate the “Attack of the 50ft Woman” vibe, but hardly flattering. We agreed on a 1400-1600 shoot, since this was most convenient for her and still allowed a decent amount of natural light.

Sunday was a similarly good fit, since there would be fewer people around. Experience says the public is generally respectful, but can also encroach and let well-intentioned curiosity get the better of them. Continuing this narrative, Karolina brought two outfits and accessories, allowing for variety and more convenient changes-an important consideration, especially in built up areas. 

I used whatever spoke to us in the immediate environment and some useful props, including this Kawasaki presented- Karolina proved very self-aware, posed fluidly, yet was very open to direction. She could also sense the Kawasaki’s draw for me and worked creatively around it. Light was beginning to fade come the close of our session, but no issue with a small reflector 50mm 1.8 and 33mm 1.4 lenses. I’m pleased with the results and look forward to working with her in future.                       

Molly Marie Portraiture & Precipitation

 

 

Molly Marie and I had worked together on several occasions. This time, she wanted some updated head shots and portraiture. We’d agreed on a mutually accessible location and time. Natural light is in fairly short supply during December, done by 1500hours. 

In the UK, winters tend to be wet and mercifully, forecasts are very accurate, although not foolproof by any means. In this instance, the rains held off for 50 minutes, before a persistent drizzle set in. Model comfort is paramount, and, in these contexts, weather sealed camera bodies come into their own, protecting the internals, while also permitting other creative opportunities. 

The A6300 is resistant to dust and light, drizzly rain, but not extended exposure, and this also applies to the Sony A7. Fearing I might shrink and Molly’s hair turn to frizz; we found a liberally graffitied underpass and shot for a further 30 minutes using a reflector and 6300 with 1.8 50mm and 6000 with 23mm 1.4 lenses. By that point, we headed to a local café’ to reflect, consume hot beverages and in my case, dash to the toilet. Us old boys and our bladders….

 

Cosplay On The Water Front

 

Molly got in touch needing some Cosplay images to bring a book character to life and I fancied something different. Having agreed some dates and an urban, waterfront location and times, she succumbed to COVID- this wasn’t surprising given aside from being a published author, she’s a student, volunteer and full-time carer. We postponed and reconvened a couple of weeks later. My birthday was a mutually convenient date and the weather was also refreshingly good, since the earlier part of the month was characterised by wet and windy conditions. Despite some obvious gentrification and the hubbub of activity. Some of the side streets had interesting backdrops and a usefully dystopian flavour. I carried the A6000 and 6300 bodies shot with Viltrox 23mm 1.4 and Sony 50mm 1.8 lens, using natural light and a small reflector.  

Bella Casual Sensuality

 

Bella took a break from modelling during the last trimester of her pregnancy and a year later reached out to me with a desire to return to modelling. She feared a loss of modelling mojo and was a little self-conscious about her post-pregnancy body. However, as the images Illustrate, she required but a few frames to regain her stride and confidence. 

We’d discussed a blend of themes, one a homage to Cindy Crawford, with a further two mixing lingerie and implied nude.  For this shoot, we’d elected to capture her with natural hair. Bella is very creative and engaging. Traits that make the rapport, comfort and conversation flow easily.  I shot these using natural light, a simple reflector and alternating between 33 and 50mm prime lenses and hope to work with her again, soon.   

Down By The River With Elle

 

Elle and I had last shot together at the close of January, so I was pleased when she suggested a location themed shoot. The directive was a little loose but a mix of swimwear, lingerie and some topless. This required a fitting location that was within mutually convenient travelling distance.

I suggested a couple and both resonated with her. Suitably discreet, where were unlikely to encounter dog walkers and young families. Children and nudity don’t mix, yet not too secluded that either party might feel uncomfortable. The entrance I had chosen wasn’t as picturesque as we’d hoped but sometimes it’s about thinking laterally and making best use of your environment. 

I had defaulted to the Sony A6300 and 50mm 1.8 prime. 50mm primes are often referred to as the “nifty fifty” given their versatility and they are a great choice for portraits and headshots. Though she wasn’t overly taken with the immediate surroundings, the use of bokeh ensured she was the main focal point. Ultimately, we were happy with the images captured during our two hours.