Bellambie shoot with Jamie-Lee

A shoot with  Jaimie-Lee at Bellambie, just north of Wollongong.

Portraits and softness

Many model and photographers prefer softness in their images. This can either be achieved by having the image slightly out of focus, using a lens that is not crystal sharp, or in post processing such as photoshop. To my way of thinking, portraits should emphasise the eyes. The eyes should be tac-sharp and should also have a catch light.

Below are 2 photos of the same model using the same lighting setup. The only difference is the first  one is slightly soft and the second is crystal sharp. Which one do you prefer?

Last weekend was the second time I had shot in Phelps Street at Surry Hills. But it was the first time I had shot with Sylvia. In most of the photos I used an SB910 in an umbrealla on camera right, another on camera left, and an SB910 in a Gary Fong Snoot high and behind for hair light. Sylvia was very pleased with the shoot and the photos.

A shoot with Maddy in Newcastle. She knew what she wanted - three completely different themes in a two hour session. I wish my new lenses had arrived for this shoot.

Model: Renae

I travelled to Mudgee and spent most of the day shooting Renae. Outside was very windy and often wet, so I mainly used a single SB700 in a Gary Fong dome as the light diffuser. I setup a black velvet backdrop in the motel usit and used 2 SB910's in umbrellas and an SB700 in a small soft box.

Model: Karla

Gaining experience with Karla. She was very experienced and easy to work with. Two SB910's in soft boxes, and the shoot was at Fagan Park in Galston.

Model: Veronica

Veronica was my first model. I was using 2 SB910 flashes in softboxes triggered with Pocket Wizards Flex TT5'a and  Mini TT1's. I admit, mistakes were made and I was very nerveous.