Ok so Day two of my private photography work shop with Kevin started off with looking over the images on my large monitor and critiquing when necessary.  Kevin will admit he was amazed at how often I pointed out little things that could ruin a photo.  For example, every single little tiny detail matters especially when it comes to the hands.  Experienced models know how to place their hands and make them look soft and pretty as they use them to pop a collar or rest them on the hips or running them through their hair.  However, an inexperienced model often develops the “claw” look.   This is when she might pop her collar with her hand and grab it with her palm facing out and her fingers bent so that her hand resembles a claw.  This is a major no no and so is palms facing camera.  Now I know what you’re going to say.  Sometimes you see models in magazines with their palms facing camera.  Well so what ?  Does that make it right ?  No it doesn’t.  I could open a Vogue and point out at least 20 mistakes that a model made in her shoot.  My God I have seen hundreds.  Don’t get into that way of thinking that just because you see it in a magazine then it’s ok.   So I told Kevin that when a model gives you the claw, it’s your job to point it out and have her correct it.  If you are shooting an experienced model it is still your job to point out a mistake and correct it.

Going over Kevin’s images I also pointed out things like the bottom of the shirt is folded up or  a bracelet was sitting too far up on the arm or the bra strap was slightly showing.   If you had a wardrobe stylist on the shoot it would be their job to watch  for these things BUT he or she might miss it and it is YOUR responsibility when looking through your viewfinder to look at everything before you click that shutter.  We also went over how he directed the model and he did a great job.  Many photographers get intimidated by the model and are afraid to direct them.  The reality is the model expects you to direct them and it is your job to direct them.  Overall Kevin really nailed some great shots.

Next thing we did was talk about how to find jobs and market yourself to potential clients.  I also went over how to approach agencies and obtain models for free test shoots.  Putting together a team of make up and hair is another step in the process and I showed him how to establish a good solid team.  By this time the make up artist and the model for the second day arrived.  Again Kevin observed the make up artist and this time he told her how he would like the make up to look.  He also used this time to get acquainted with the model which is a great time to break the ice.

Kevin wanted to learn a bit of glamor photography so in this case the make up is going to be different as well as the hair and wardrobe.  So we picked some outfits for our model to wear and we started to light for our first set up.  I showed him how to incorporate flair into his images and also how to use smoke for a cool effect.  I have a small fog machine that is great for this.  This image shows the result from our first set up.

When looking at this image remember that flair is real and shot in camera, NOT done in post.  As Kevin kept shooting he is constantly giving encouragement to the model, directing her expressions and poses and keeping that photographer to model connection flowing.  One bad habit I had to break Kevin of was looking at the image on the LCD after every single shot.  That is a surefire way to not create that connection and IF you have created that connection it will break it instantly.  DO NOT LOOK AT YOUR LCD .   I turn mine off after I know I’ve got my lighting set the way I want it.  It’s no different than shooting your first few Polaroids and then shooting until your next set up.  Kevin eventually took her off the stool and shot some fabulous poses in true glamor pin up style.

This image has it all, great expression, the wind blown hair, great make up, great styling, great lighting.  It’s like cooking a stew, all the ingredients have to be there otherwise the stew won’t taste just right 

This is another clothing change we did.  Kevin went in tight on this shot and you can see how beautiful the make up and hair is as well as the edge light on HER left shoulder and arm.  That strobe is doubling up as a back light for the smoke and to also provide a nice edge light.  The model’s expression is really what makes this photo, all the other stuff just accents it and adds that special touch.  It’s important to not over use the bells and whistles.  By that I am talking about the edge light, the smoke etc.  In any photograph you make, the expression is what will sell the photo to the viewer.  To dig into the model’s soul and extract her inner most thoughts and capture them on film is the magic that happens when the photographer and model are in sync with each other. This cannot just happen.  It takes many many shoots and much practice shooting with a variety of models to nail that skill.  I provide you with the psychological tools to give you a head start and start creating beautiful images.

The second part of our day was spent learning how to shoot on location with reflectors and a speed light.  Using the sun as your friend and combining it with a speed light can get you very nicely lit images.  I also taught Kevin how to use the hi speed sync mode for his flash and also how to deal with the model who has to deal with the elements you encounter when shooting outdoors.  If it is summer then you have heat.  If it’s winter then you have cold to deal with.  Models don’t have much fat on them and they can’t wear a heavy jacket.   They still have to pretend they are in a fabulous mood even if it’s 40, 50 or 60 degrees outside.  By the same token if it’s 100 degrees outside and they are tired and sweating, they can’t just pour a bucket of cold water over themselves.  So you the photographer must make her feel like she is doing just fine and keep her interested and excited all the while making sure your technical details are correct as you watch the sun go down faster than a speeding bullet lol.   Not as easy as it sounds.   This is one of Kevin’s images from that outdoor session.

This was shot with the model facing the sun.  How did she keep her eyes open and not squint ?  I held a 60 inch white convertible umbrella up to scrim the sun.  Kevin also used his flash to add some snap to the shot.  By using the high speed sync mode he was also able to hold the blue in the sky behind her. By this time it was getting breezy and cold.  The model doesn’t show it at all.  Kevin did a great job talking to her and keeping her focused.

The shoot finally ended and we went back to go over the images.  Kevin learned a great deal of information, more than I shared with you here of course and had a great time.  He was a pleasure to work with and a wonderful person.

This is where the photography  workshop takes place.  I show you how to set up an in home photography studio with very little expense.  It’s also a huge write off !  If you would like to know more about my private one on one photography workshops please call or email me jason@jasonchristopher.com.  You may also view testimonials and information about my private one on one fashion photography workshops here.

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How does a new photographer who is trying to build their portfolio get quality fashion models to test with ? I have been asked this question many many times.  So I figured I would blog about it.

I will tell you how I did it.  Back in the day there was no internet, well there was but it was all dial up and very very slow.  Not many sites had made their way on the world wide web yet especially actual model agencies.  So the only way to look at models to test with was to literally walk into t he agency tell the first person I saw that I was there to look at model zed cards to shoot for my portfolio.  LOL the receptionist walked me to the woman who handled the “New Faces” board.  Was I nervous ?  Actually no I was not.  I compare it to when a child is faced with a task and has never experienced failure so they don’t know what failure feels like.  I had no reason to be afraid because I had no idea what to expect !

So I explained to the agent that I was a new photographer who needed to step up the quality of my portfolio / book with real models who had that model look.  Now you are probably asking what did I walk into the agency with ?  I had a book.  I had photos of my sister who used to model and still looked good.  They were mostly head shots.  I had photos of her beautiful friends and they introduced me to their friends and so on.  Of course what was missing was the styling, make up and that “fashion look” and I knew that.  I even had some family portraits thrown in with some great portraits of children I had shot.

Now even though I didn’t have a book like Irving Penn, Mario Testino or Sante D Orazio it didn’t matter to them.  What the agent saw was that I knew how to compose and light a shot.  More important, I knew how to take girls that had no modeling experience, except for my sister and make them look pretty damn good.  All that was missing was a good stylist, make up and hair.  But the agent didn’t just hand over a bunch of zed cards and say here ya go take your pick ! She told me to shoot some more and come back in a month to show her more.  It was just paying dues.  She also told me to study fashion magazines.  And this is THE most important part of how to shoot fashion.  As a fashion photographer you MUST know fashion !  Shit, the term fashion photographer has the word fashion in it !!!

So I sat my ass in Barnes and Noble and looked at every fashion magazine that existed.  I shot more and more and went back to that agent and she was impressed.  She gave me one model to test out.  From there the ball kept rolling.  She did have alot of feed back for me and I did make mistakes.

My challenge to you all is to forget Model Mayhem, One Model Place and any of these online “anyone can be a model” sites, grab your balls and walk into an agency just like I did.

If you are interested in the feed back she gave me and find out what mistakes I made, just ask !  I look forward to your questions.  This topic is covered heavily in my private fashion photography workshops where I teach you all you need to know of the ins and outs so you don’t make mistakes and you can walk into a modeling agency with confidence.

Just an update about my private fashion photography workshops for you all.  They are going great !  I just had the pleasure of working with Jeff Corzine.  Jeff is from Malibu and we spent two days with a great model and make up artist.  We went over certain lighting techniques and when I taught him how to properly use the Canon 580EX II he was blown away by all the great features this flash has to offer and the amazing images one can achieve with it.

Jeff also learned how to direct a fashion model to achieve amazing results just by talking to your model and choosing the right words so she can act out a situation and a feeling in her head which translates to film, or in this case the final digital image.

I will post some images from our workshop very soon !  If you would like to know more about my photography workshops please contact me via phone or email  and I will be happy to discuss details with you.

Ok here are a couple images from our workshop. This first shot the model is dressed in a long beautiful form fitting gray dress. I didn’t want to light the whole dress from top to bottom. I wanted her brighter at the top and gradually get darker as the light falls lower. So I feathered the medium soft box. It was raised high above the model and tilted down so that the bottom part of the soft box hits from the middle just barely enough down to the bottom. I didn’t want the bottom of the dress to go totally black. I directed the model to keep her poses towards her key light. And in this case there was only one light anyway. That is also how you see that HER LEFT side goes a bit darker. I placed the light slightly in front of her so that it wraps around her but not too much. If I had put the soft box directly on her right side the left side of her would go completely dark which I didn’t want.  The second photo shows how to use fill flash without getting that harsh look.  I explained how I achieved this in the previous post in the gear review of the Canon 580 EX II.  Again, any questions please ask.

Cheers,

Jason

Outdoor fashion lighting can be a problem with some photographers.  We have the elements to deal with, the hot sun, the constantly moving sun, wind etc.  Add the fact that if it is a test you can’t afford to hire an assistant to lug heavy lighting gear around for you.  Most of us don’t own a Profoto 7B pack because they cost around $4,000 to $5,000.  So what does one do ?

Outdoor Lighting With a Speed Light

I shot this fashion photo with one Canon 580EXII and that’s it.  No bounce cards or any attachments to the flash and it was attached to the hot shoe, not off camera.  The time of day was 1:25 pm.

As you can see the sun is facing the model.   Many photographers would think you don’t need a flash, the sun is hitting her.  Well that all depends on the look you are going for.  I like to use flash no matter where the sun is.  In this case the flash brings out the details more and gives the image a crisper look.

So I put my flash on the camera.   I was standing about 6 feet away from the model on a wide lens, 44mm so I could capture the entire scene around her.  I set my flash to hi speed sync mode so I could shoot at 500th shutter speed.  Why shoot at such a high shutter speed ?  So I could capture a nice blue sky and not blow out the background.  My  fstop was 6.3 ISO was 160.  Now when you use such a fast shutter speed you obviously need to demand more power from your flash.  Also using an fstop of 6.3 demands more power.  So I set my flash exposure compensation to plus 3 stops !  I also set my zoom head on the flash to 80mm instead of letting it set itself to 44mm automatically.  As you can imagine I was asking my flash to do alot and demanding a ton of power.  So I had a Quantum battery pack attached to it to give the flash the extra power it needed.  And that is really all I did with this shot.  I didn’t haul out the Profoto 7B with a beauty dish and another light for her hair.  I positioned her so that her hair was lit by the sun and my key light was my flash.

This situation is why I cannot stress enough that you MUST  know your fundamentals.  If I had put the camera on auto then this shot would look nothing like you see now.  ** This and many other photography fundamentals are techniques I teach you in my fashion photography workshop. It’s a two day workshop and you come out knowing MUCH more than you did when you first walk in.  Check out the workshop page for more info and please feel free to call or email me with any questions you have concerning  the workshop.**

If you have any comments or questions about this post, ask away ! 

Had another great private photography workshop last weekend with a super nice guy who came allllllll the way out from Ottawa Canada !  He also signed up for three days not just the two days !

The first day of the workshop I went over portfolio set up, size of prints, how they should be organized etc.  I say “they” because you should have a portfolio for each one of your specialties.  Dave has only been shooting for 4 months and he is very good.  Aside from being creatively talented you must also know the business and how it works.  I explained contracts and what should be included.  We talked about how to get real models to shoot for your portfolio, how to direct them etc.  I also covered tax write offs and most important I taught him about usage !  USAGE USAGE USAGE !    Dave had no idea he should be charging usage fees.  So I really covered many areas on the business side that will increase his business sales.  I then prepped him for the shoot with the model on the second day.

Most photographers these days when they are just starting out will build an in home photography studio which is a great idea.  But many really don’t know how to go about it to make it practical and useful for everyone on the team, make up artist etc.  So instead of renting a studio we shot in my home studio.  We started the day with showing Dave how to direct a make up artist, what looks good with certain outfits.  My make up artist explained about the different foundations etc.  Dave gained a wealth of information seeing how I have set up my studio and how I have made it work for me.  So I shot the model first.  It was a great way for Dave to observe how I direct the model, what I say to the model, and basically how I conduct a fashion shoot.

So now you can see my in home studio.  Obviously for large commercial shoots I rent a very large photography studio in LA, but for workshops, head shots etc. you’re in home studio will work perfectly !

You can see that we used a two light set up.  That light that is facing Dave is for the flare.  And here is the final shot not retouched btw.  Dave did a great job and absorbed everything I taught him.  Stay tuned for the third day !

Tags: contracts, directing, directing models, fashion, fashion photography workshops, job, lighting, los angeles photography workshops, model, modeling, models, observe, photograph, photographer, photography, retoucher, shooting, working with fashion models
]]> http://jasonchristopher.com/blog/2009/06/02/fashion-photography-workshop-with-dave/feed/ 14 http://jasonchristopher.com/blog/2008/09/08/private-photography-workshops-now-available/ http://jasonchristopher.com/blog/2008/09/08/private-photography-workshops-now-available/#comments Mon, 08 Sep 2008 19:50:30 +0000 Jason Christopher http://jasonchristopher.com/blog/?p=176

Hey everyone !  I am now offering private fashion photography workshops.  Here is the rundown:

2 day workshop.

First day in studio, second day outdoors.  Each day will be a solid 8 hours and will include a model and make up artist as well as lunch.  I will cover studio/location lighting, make up, styling, directing a model and much more.  You will also get hands on experience by actually shooting the model.  This is a great opportunity to learn a great amount of technique in 2 days where it would normally take years.  You won’t have any distraction of other photographers as you would in a group workshop, it’s just me , you and the model.

The price for the 2 day workshop is $995.  If you live out of state I can set up your hotel for you. All you have to do is show up !  To book a session please email me and or call me.  818-889-9559 jason@jasonchristopher.com