01. Helen Diaz looking every bit the Hollywood siren. Notice the cheek triangle of light. This occurs when the nose shadow touches the cheek shadow to enclose a triangle of light. This isn’t Rembrandt lighting. Rembrandt used a softer light source and kept the nose shadow distinct. See some examples of Rembrandt lighting here. The trick for the Hollywood look is to always shoot into the unlit side of the face unlike Rembrandt. Fujifilm X-Pro1, 35mm lens at f/1.4 for 1/125th of a second with ISO 640. The 35mm Fuji lens is super sharp where it matters wide open and is beautifully smooth in the out of focus or bokeh areas. It is an optical masterpiece.

Here is the result of my summer project. My quest to revitalise the Hollywood look started exactly 5 years ago today back in 2008 with this very popular Prophotonut post. Now I’m glad to say that everyone is at it and the Hollywood look has finally been reborn.

The look needs Fresnel lens lights for authenticity. But wow, what style! Five years ago LED Fresnel spotlights weren’t even dreamed of. Now they have largely replaced the fairly recently developed HMI units from Lupolux and Hedler. LED is the future and it’s here right now.

Here are 40 of the many Hollywood portraits from my latest sets complete with their exif data, and lighting notes. Enjoy…

Model: Helen Diaz
Make Up Artist: Claudia Lucia Spoto
Styling: Lisa Keating and Damien Lovegrove
Shot on location at Pipewell Hall

02. This has to be one of my favourite portraits of 2013. Notice how hard light narrows Helen’s face. It falls away around the sides giving a more slender look. Soft light by comparison widens faces and flattens texture. The rim lighting for this shot and the one above comes from a Lowel iD light on a Lovegrove boom arm. The boom allows me to place the stand out of the shot to the right of frame. Fujifilm X-Pro1 35mm lens at f/1.4 for 1/125th second with ISO 640. The key light is the wonderful Arri 300 Fresnel light. Corset as above by Lisa Keating.

These first few pictures of Helen were shot at my 2013 Hollywood Portraits workshop. I used several light types and essentially shared my heart and soul with my clients. Workshops like this bring together delegates from around the world and have a special buzz that’s hard to put a finger on. We all know something amazing is happening and it’s easy to get immersed it the subtleties of light positioning and camera angles. Another point of note is the catering supplied by Trudie Baker at Pipewell was fabulous.

03. Helen is once again lit with that classic two light tungsten set up of the Arri 300 key and the Lowel iD backlight on the boom arm. The bedside light gives the motivation for the back light and sets the base exposure. The vintage telephone came from Ebay. Claudia created Helen’s look with classic hair curls and well defined eyes. Fujifilm X-Pro1 camera with the 35mm lens at f/2. 1/125th second using ISO 640.

04. The gun is a Walther PPK (ex Italian police issue) Don’t ask me where it came from. The typewriter is a 1932 Remington that I bought on Ebay. This day for night scene was lit with the same Arri/ Lowel combination as the previous two pictures. It’s not often I shoot portraits with a wide lens but here I used the 14mm Fuji prime lens at f/2.8. 1/60th second at ISO 1250 to expose for the fire. My lights were dimmed accordingly. Corset by Lisa Keating.

This next set of pictures were shot a few days after the workshop with Helen above. I produced a movie of the shoot. It’s more than just a behind the scenes production. It is a fully featured how to video brimming with useful lighting tips and knowledge. I reveal my strategies and secrets of lighting as each chapter unfolds. I leave no stone unturned and I share everything I know. There are 17 chapters that run for 1 hour 45 minutes in total covering more set ups than are shown here. View the free 17 minute trailer here to get an idea of the production as a whole.

Models: Chloe-Jasmine Whichello and Jamie Roche
Make Up Artist: Claudia Lucia Spoto
Styling: Lisa Keating and Damien Lovegrove
Shot on location at Pipewell Hall

05. Fujifilm X-Pro1 18-55mm zoom lens at 18mm. 1/60th second at f/2.8 using ISO 800. I used my camera on a monopod for this shot of Jamie in the dining room. I have the RRS ball head on my Gitzo monopod and I use the RRS camera ‘L’ plate on my X-Pro1. The light was created with a Lupolux 1000 LED Fresnel spotlight using a ‘Crunch’ Scattergel™ as a key and a Lupolux LED 650 as a kick light/ back light. You can watch me make this portrait in the free trailer.

06. Jamie looking rather suave. I used a 3 light set up using a key, a background light and a kick light. We had a shortage of kindling for the fireplace. Fujifilm X-Pro1 18-55mm lens at 39mm. ISO 800, f/3.6 at 1/60th second.

07. This high key shot of Chloe-Jasmine was lit with two Lupolux LED lights. I adore broken light and used a Scattergel and a home made Venetian blind fixture to create this look. Fujifilm X-Pro1 35mm lens at f/2.5, 1/125th second at ISO 800

08. I shot the whole movie with my X-Pro1 set to monochrome but as I have the RAW files I’ve brought a few frames back to colour. Fujifilm X-Pro1 35mm lens at f/2.5, 1/125th second at ISO 800

09.This Russian market Zorki 5 was a really cool find on Ebay. Fujifilm X-Pro1 35mm lens at f/2.5, 1/125th second at ISO 800

10. The retractable lens on the Zorki reminds me of the retractable Sonnar lens on my Rollei 35s. I used the a high vantage point and a negative composition to add tension. Fujifilm X-Pro1 35mm lens at f/2.5, 1/125th second at ISO 800

11. In the cellar with Chloe-Jasmine and a pair of Lupolux LED lights. I set the two lights and connected them to these inverters as there is no mains power in the cellar at Pipewell. Fujifilm 18-55mm zoom set to 18mm at f/2.8. ISO 800 for 1/60th second. We had fun shooting in the cellar with three video camera operators shooting on Canon 5D mk2s, a production director and a sound recordist.

12. Jamie getting stuck in to shifting the barrels. I lit Jamie with two lights, a Lupolux 1000 and Scattergel™ as a key light and a Lupolux 650 as a kick light. These Lupolux LED lights are a perfect shooting kit. ISO 1250, 18-55mm lens at 18mm setting f/2.8 for 1/125th second.

13. A low key shot of Jamie with the pistol in exactly the same spot as I shot Chloe-Jasmine high key earlier. In the video I explain and show how to establish shadow depth, set the image contrast and add punch to the portraits. Fujifilm X-Pro1 with 35mm lens at f/2.5 for 1/125th second with ISO 800

14. Jamie in the same spot as the shot above. Shooting with the camera set to manual exposure gives a consistent look throughout a set of pictures. Fujifilm X-Pro1 with 35mm lens at f/2.5 for 1/125th second with ISO 800

15. This classic movie scene uses 7 lights including the Chandelier and the table lamp. It is the most complicated rig on the video but it’s all quite straightforward when I explain and rig each light in turn. Fujifilm X-Pro1 with 18-55mm lens at 27mm setting. f/3.2 ISO 800 at 1/30th second.

16. This shot was taken a moment after the one above. This zoom range is perfect for interior portraits. Fujifilm X-Pro1 with 18-55mm lens at the 55mm setting. f/4.0 ISO 800 and 1/30th second. I was very surprised with the ‘kit’ zoom lens performance when I first tried it. I was thinking that f/4 at the 55mm end was going to be disappointing for background bokeh. I was wrong. It’s another optical masterpiece with a creamy unfussy out of focus character.

17. Fuji X-Pro1 35mm lens at f/2.8. ISO 800, 1/125th second. I shot through the chandelier holding the camera above my head. Something that’s not easy to do with an SLR. The LCD display on the Fuji is just perfect in such situations. I lit this frame with the Arri 300 and Lowel iD light combination.

18. Set up as above. Fuji X-Pro1 35mm lens at f/2.8. ISO 800, 1/125th second.

19. Chloe-Jasmine looks amazing in this scene. I love the subtle twist in her hair and the delicate make up. Fuji X-Pro1 35mm lens at f/3.6. ISO 800, 1/125th second. Fabulous beauty lighting and wonderful optical quality at work.

20. This all together far flatter image was not lit with available light. There was far more control available than you might think. On the video I demonstrate how to take control of the light in a room. Fujifilm X-Pro1, 35mm lens at f/2.8 for 1/60th at ISO 800

21. Chloe-Jasmine looks amazing here. All settings are the same as in the picture above. I love the tonality of softly lit high key images. It’s so easy to be drawn to these and that’s why so many soft boxes are sold each year. After a while I crave the clarity of  hard light though. Compare how narrow and defined Chloe-Jasmine’s face looks in shot 19 and how flattening this lighting is here. The skin texture is far more alive in shot 19 too in my opinion. That’s the beauty of hard light.

22. Carefully controlled window light was all I needed for this simple shot of Chloe-Jasmine. Fujifilm X-Pro1, 35mm lens at 1/60th second using ISO 800

23. This next sequence was lit with a Lupolux 1000 with a Scattergel™ fitted. Fujifilm X-Pro1 with the 18-55mm zoom lens at 55mm. 1/60th at f/4 using ISO 800. Those photographers that know me will understand why these exposure settings have been the most widely used in my career.

24. Info as above.

25. Info as above

26. I used one Lupolux 1000 to key and kick Chloe-Jasmine. Fujifilm X-Pro1, 18-55mm zoom at 39mm, ISO 800, 1/60th second at f/4

27. A second Lupolux 1000 with a scattergel™ was added to the set up above to light Jamie. Fujifilm X-Pro1, 18-55mm zoom at 46.3mm, ISO 800, 1/60th second at f/4

28. I panned the light around to light Jamie at the window. One light, hard light shooting is so easy and so rewarding. Put a soft box here instead and the shot would be flat and boring by comparison. Fujifilm X-Pro1 18-55mm lens at 22.3mm, f/5 at 1/60th, ISO 800

29. I then panned the light to the window to light Chloe-Jasmine and I added a second light outside the window shining back in as Chloe-Jasmine read to us Fujifilm X-Pro1 18-55mm lens at 23.3mm, f/5 at 1/60th, ISO 800

30. Fujifilm X-Pro1 with the wonderful 14mm prime lens at f/4, 1/60th second ISO 800. Jamie was in the shadow of a Lupolux 1000 on full spot and Chloe-Jasmine was lit with a Lupolux 650. It’s that magic combination again.

31. I swapped to the 35mm lens and set 1/60th at f/2.8 ISO 800 for the close ups.

32. Lighting as above. Just look at the divine shadow. Simply wonderful.

33. Magic.

34. Fujifilm X-Pro1 18mm, f/2.8 at 1/60th, ISO 800. This simple 4 light rig plus the bed side lights will be a doddle to set up when you’ve seen the video. This lighting set up would look just as fabulous in a modern hotel or any bedroom with an en-suite bathroom. Just shut the curtains and you have an evening set up. Corset by Lisa Keating.

35. Fujifilm X-Pro1 18-55mm lens at 55mm setting. f/4 at 1/60th ISO 1250. The exposure was set by the lamp and my lights were adjusted to match. Low wattage bulbs are just so dim at times it’s worth having some tungsten bulbs in various fittings to hand if you shoot on location regularly.

36. ISO 800, 1/60th at f/4 with the 14mm lens on my Fujifilm X-Pro1. I lit these final frames with the Arri 300 and the Lowel iD light combination that I used earlier. Rigging the lights, setting the barn doors, adjusting the flood and spot and dimming to taste is the process I use to create my looks.

37. The 14mm lens puts the emphasis on the gun.

38. It’s trouble on the phone and he’s coming to get Chloe-Jasmine…

39. But it’s okay because Chloe-Jasmine is ready for him.

40. This is the title graphic created by Luke Knight our in house graphics expert. He animated it in Final Cut Pro and the animation is on the front of the trailer. Click on the picture to see the free 17 minute full HD trailer for the Hollywood Portraits Remastered production.

Do you prefer the ‘high key’ look of portraits 20 and 21 or the ‘low key’ look of portraits 1 and 2?

Do you have a few questions? Please view the trailer and feel free to comment below

1. This shot of Inda was lit using a single Canon 580 EX2 Speedlight on a Lovegrove Gemini bracket with a 30cm silver umbrella rigged on the Lovegrove Avenger Boom Arm. It’s an incredibly simple set up to use once you know how. My job was to demystify the process of using Speedlights on location and to leave my delegates with powerful new lighting and shooting techniques they can deliver to their clients.
The textures in Jakarta are fabulous and real! This is no theme park, it’s the real thing.

An adventure is what I wanted and an adventure is what I had. Gary Jorgensen of Jorgensen Albums called me up and said “Do you fancy coming to Jakarta to do a talk for me?” “Yes!” I said. “Where is that?” I’ve done talks for the Jorgensen Albums team in the past and we all get on famously. As I found out, Jakarta is the capital of Indonesia. It has 25 million inhabitants and is a rapidly growing global marketplace. I read on Trip Advisor that ‘the only parks in Jakarta are car parks’ and although that is not exactly true, cars do dominate the city usually stationary or near stationary in gridlock.

My talk was hosted by Susan Albums and was their launch event to supply Jorgensen Albums in Indonesia. The smart Grand Kemang Hotel was the venue and 60+ of the finest Indonesian photographers were my audience. Joining me on this trip was my friend Nick Mifsud from SWPM. Nick has a habit of being led astray by Gary and I and I’m sure he quite likes it.

Inda modelled for me while I was in Jakarta. In the afternoon of my seminar day I did a simple continuous lighting demonstration. I lit Inda with a pair of the new Arri L7-C LED Fresnel lights supplied by the team at Oktagon. Lupolux LED lamps have yet to reach Indonesia but I’m sure a distributor will be assigned very soon. The Arris are fabulous but better suited to the budgets of film and TV companies. Here are a few of the pictures I shot during my demonstration…

These pictures were edited live by me using Adobe Lightroom with the output of my computer on the big screen and they were then printed on the latest HP wide format machine set up in the seminar room.

The day after my seminar with Susan Albums I was once again shooting Inda but this time we were in the streets and abandoned colonial buildings of old town Batavia. This Urban Portraits’ workshop is my foundation level training event. We use just natural light or the light from up to two Speedlights. No softboxes, no fancy high speed sync just simple beautiful light under our control. Here are some pictures along with some lighting ideas…

02. We started the morning session with a simple natural light shot on the street. This helped me iron out any technical problems with the delegates camera settings. Colour space, LCD display brightness, ‘Active D lighting,’ picture styles and dynamic range all get normalised. Once we are all achieving similar shots we progress to using flash.

03. This shot was lit with one Speedlight and a silver umbrella as described in shot 01 above. I gave out one transmitter to each of the photographers and once we were all triggering the flash I got under way with teaching the creative task of achieving the best flash/ ambient balance.
I had the Nikon, Canon and Fuji photographers all triggering the Canon Speedlight.

04. Low light window light provided another challenge but also the opportunity to get creative with prime lens composition. There’s no one way to frame a subject like this and it gave me an opportunity to get to know the photographic styles of the delegates who had flown into Jakarta from all over Asia for the workshop.

05. A shaft of sunlight came alive with a bit of smoke from a delegate’s cigarette. I love the wall texture here. I kept Inda just out of the sunlight.

06. I then placed Inda into the sunlight and we all had a go at shooting into the light.

07. I used the silver umbrella and a single Speedlight for this shot. I placed the flash in an adjoining room and the radio triggers worked through the walls. W set the exposure for the sunlit leaves and adjusted the flash to taste.

08. This shot in the same location was lit with bounced flash to achieve an even softer look.

09. Another window and another technique. This time we used diffused flash. By now the delegates had the hang of positioning and adjusting the Speedlight plus setting basic exposures.

10. This shot foxed a few at first but with an unexpectedly tiny amount of direct flash from a bare faced Speedlight we achieved harmony inside and out.

11. What I’ve not told you about this workshop is that we had two bodyguards. These serving Marines were never far from us and kept the kidnappers away. They came in handy later too as you will find out.

12. By mid morning the heat was building. It was about 36 degrees and near maximum humidity when we ventured onto the roof area of the building. I needed to show how to shoot in full sun in the middle of the day and control contrast.

13. It was time to unleash the fabulous Fujifilm 55-200mm lens. I used it wide open for this simple head shot. I love the bokeh and sharpness of this lens. It makes beautiful painterly portraits.

14. After a slow lunch at Cafe Batavia we entered another property. I pushed the door open and rats scurried around our feet. We politely asked the Marines to get rid of the rats which they did using a variety of implements and techniques. This shot of Inda was lit with one bare faced Speedlight.

15. A pool of sunlight bathed the floor of the town house through the place where the roof structure had collapsed.

16. The bike was a bonus. I transported it here from where it’s owner had left it. The arch harmonised perfectly with the wheels. I lit Inda with two Speedlights on stands. The group was ready to step up a notch and so we did.

17. Lighting as above. I was lying in rat urine to get this shot but it was worth it

18.

19. By mid afternoon it was one again time to brave the streets. Two Speedlights in a trademark Lovegrove set up.

20. A simple two point lighting set up. This time I used the sun from the right and a Speedlight from the left.

21. This doorway caught my eye. In a matter of seconds I had the flash rigged and the delegated told me what the exposure should be. They were learning fast.

22. I had spotted Inda’s hat at the beginning of the day and when I spotted this patch of sunlight on the yellow shutters I knew it was a match made in heaven. Inda’s rucksack was the cherry on the top.

23. This head shot is sunlit and it’s probably a coincidence that sunlight has a similar look to that produced by a Speedlight at 2m. It’s what makes the humble Speedlight such a fabulous bit of kit on overcast days.

It was soon time for a beer at Cafe Batavia to end the day. After a day of rest and relaxation with my friends Gary Jorgensen and Nick Mifsud from SWPM in the bar of our hotel I flew to Singapore for yet more adventures in the Fullerton and Raffles Hotels among other great venues. I’ll be blogging the four shoots from my Singapore trip very soon, but for now please feel free to comment on your experience if you were with me in Jakarta or the pictures and techniques used if not.

If you would like to attend a workshop in your part of the world drop Laura an Email and you never know what will happen.

After my Jakarta adventure I flew to Singapore to hook up with a few more of my Asian clients. I gave a couple of 1:1 training sessions , an Urban Portraits workshop and a Portrait Lighting master-class. Here are a 37 of the photographs from my first 1:1 session. It was boudoir training for one of my top clients who flew in from Beijing for the day. We shot in his suite at the fabulous Fullerton Hotel on the Marina Bay waterfront.

Our model for the shoot was the gorgeous Lily Nes
Makeup was by Anna of VivaHosanna
I used a Fujifilm X-Pro1 with the 35mm f/1.4 prime and 18-55mm zoom lenses.
Lighting: 1 Lupolux DayLED 1000 with a Scattergel for the majority of the pictures and a Speedlight, Gemini bracket and silver umbrella for the exteriors and the commercial head shot.

Enjoy…

If you would like to book me for a 1:1 training session or sponsor a workshop just get in touch with Laura or Blaise at my studio. I will be travelling extensively in 2014 and might just be able to drop by. My plans in progress include Cologne in Germany, Sweden, Norway, USA and Cambodia.

Please feel free to ask questions or comment below. It may take me a week or two for me to reply but I will always answer your questions and respond to your comments

One of the favourite pastimes in Singapore is shopping, so we headed off to a shopping mall to shoot some urban portraits of Gabrielle from Basic Models Management. Air conditioned and largely empty during the working day shopping malls make great locations to shoot in.

01. Gabrielle on the stairs lit with a single bare faced Speedlight on a Lovegrove Flash Bracket. Crisp clean light from a Speedlight is far more punchy and exciting than softened light that comes from using a soft box.

Our workshop was planned and arranged by Karen from Baobab. She did a fabulous job of arranging the permissions and other challenging tasks. Here are 36 of the pictures from our day…

Camera: Fujifilm X-Pro1 with 14mm f/2.8 and 35mm f/1.4 prime lenses plus 18-55mm and 55-200mm zoom lenses.
Lighting: 2 Canon 580EX2 Speedlights with stands. Unbranded radio triggers from Ebay.
Post Production: A whizz through Lightroom 5 at 60 seconds per frame.

02. Our session started with a simple one Speedlight set up. I taught the group how to balance the ambient exposure with that of the flash. We used manual exposure and flash settings to ensure consistent results with every shot.

03. Soon I was drawn to Gucci. We avoided shooting the brand names and logos while in the shopping mall for copyright reasons.

04. The two point lighting created by the alignment of windows was perfect for lesson one in finding and using great natural light.

05. My time was spent ensuring each of the delegates was creating striking images with a sense of balance and good composition.

06. I found a really textured wall made of rusty steel plate to give us a backdrop for a Lovegrove two point creation using symmetrical Speedlights.

07. This close up shows you how a Speedlight wraps around cheek bones to define and slim down a face. Not that Gabrielle’s face needed slimming down. Soft light widens faces and hard light narrows them.

08. Exactly the same lighting was used for this square on portrait.

09. There is no shortage of colourful backgrounds in a shopping mall.

10. I adjusted the black and white mix in Lightroom to get this gritty conversion. Gabrielle is in the same spot as she was in shot 9 above.

11. These natural light shots were at the limit of light that can be used to get great images. Fast prime lenses and monopods came in handy here. I always challenge a group to use dark spaces as well as bight ones in full sun if we can get it. Sometimes the most magical light lurks in dark places.

12. The 55-200mm zoom was perfect for this head shot.

13. Even the mannequins in Singapore look fantastic. This was just a grab shot taken on the fly.

14. The area of the mall that we were in was almost deserted. Evenings and weekends are another matter of course.

15. Channel had created a fabulous place for us to shoot.

16. I love to isolate and simplify backgrounds.

17. Both vertical and horizontal compositions are easy to shoot as required in places like this.

18. The same place as above given the Speedlight treatment.

19. Striking portraits and fashion shots can be created with minimal lighting kit with the right know how.

20. A marble floor in full sun posed it’s own problems and gave us something to work with.

21.

22.

23. Lighting is all about direction and control. I love hard light like this. The shadows from the eyelashes are fabulous too.

24. This colour zone has directional natural light landing on it. I placed Gabrielle into the light and used her shadow in my composition.

25. Don’t be blinded by colour though. I much prefer this monochrome version of the same image.

26. After lunch we went outside and braved the sauna like conditions that being on the equator delivers.

27. Gabrielle has a great natural flow and we had fun with spins. The 55-200mm lens was perfect to compress the perspective in this shot.

28. This was an exercise in composition. I showed how to line up intersecting angles into the bottom corners of the frame.

29. It was hard to avoid the LV branding here. 18mm end of the 18-55mm zoom on my Fuji X-Pro1

30. 14mm prime time.

31. We used a pair of Speedlights on half power in the Gemini bracket to light Gabrielle. I used half power to speed up recycle times.

32. A more classic harbour view.

33. I then showed the group how to shift white balance to create striking colour contrasts.

34.

35. Finally I showed how to use a small silver umbrella with the Gemini bracket for a soft light finish.

36. The sunset after glow was short lived but worth capturing before settling for a cool beer or two.

My thanks go to Karen for her excellent organising and for putting up with me. Please feel free to comment on the pictures or your experience if you were with us on the day.

01. An urban jungle in the heart of Singapore city was our first location. I lit Josie with an Elinchrom Quadra on ¼ power (power 4) into a silver umbrella on a Lovegrove boom arm. The sunlight provided the back light in this shot.

The day after my Urban portraits with Speedlights workshop I was at it again only this time we used an Elinchrom Quadra to create soft light. By the time you reflect a light source it becomes more diffused and less intense as a result. This is why we used the Quadra kit as our light generator. There is no faffing with AA batteries either. The Quadra recycles quickly and delivers a punch 8 times as powerful as a top end Speedlight. Here are twenty of our day’s pictures.

Model: Josie G from Basic Models SG.
Camera: Fujifilm X-Pro1, 14mm, 35mm primes and 18-55mm, 55-200mm zooms
Lighting: One two head Elinchrom Quadra kit supplied by Cathay Photo plus two Speedlights. One Lupolux LED 1000 with a Scattergel.
Event coordinator: Karen Lucas at Baobab Photo

02. The sun came and went so I popped up a Speedlight as a back light to give this set of pictures some pop. The Quadra was still serving us well as the key light.

03. Josie was perfect for our workshop. She is kind, patient, beautiful and younger than my daughter, Gulp!

04. I found this old tomb and it looked like a great place to practice my portraiture for Cambodia. This shot was again lit with an Elinchrom Quadra.

05. After the jungle experience avoiding snakes and biting insects we moved on to the relative calm of the world famous Raffles Hotel. The Quadra was getting a lot of use as I explained the process of setting and balancing the exposures for the ambient and flash lighting.

06. Raffles was a great place to shoot in. Karen from Baobab had once again done us proud by obtaining the necessary permissions and licences etc.

07. I taught the group how to see the light. It’s not what you look at that matters it’s what you see.

08. Angles, shapes, curves and beauty set against the rhythm of pillars. 55-200mm zoom on the X-Pro1

09. I used the 55-200mm zoom at full aperture to isolate Josie and render the background out of focus.

10. The Fuji long zoom lens produces a delicate, calm bokeh and is bitingly sharp where it matters.

11. Perfect wedges placed by hand. It’s the detail that matters in shots like this.

12. I set the Quadra up on this staircase to light Josie. The pilasters at the bottom of the frame have benefited from the Quadra light too.

13. Location 3 was Karen’s studio. I showed the group how to create simple one light portraits using a single studio flash head. Karen’s studio is equipped with the fabulous Elinchrom BRX heads. I used an 18cm reflector and a 20 degree grid for this shot of Josie.

14. We then shot with two heads and used the black wall as a background. I added extra heads to complete the look but unfortunately I forgot to shoot a frame for the blog. It is far more important that the delegates get their pictures and I like to use their cameras from time to time during the demonstrations. This helps me establish any issues with the settings and camera set up that might be making life hard for my delegate.

15. Soon it was time to demonstrate what can be achieved with a single Lupolux 1000 and a Scattergel. Nothing is quite as straightforward as continuous light. What you see is what you get and creating beautiful photographs is easy. I’m all for easy when it comes to image making.

16. My travel Venetian blind was the gobo (go between) and I coupled it with a Scattergel.

17. Still using just one Lupolux light we had some fun with shadows. This would look great as a magazine spread with text reversed out of the right in white.

18. Single light head shot with a difference. I used a Lupolux LED 1000 with a Scattergel.

19. I then demonstrated my magic water reflector again with one light. My role was to show new concepts and non standard ways of creating beautiful images with a value. No low value high key white pictures were allowed.

20. Josie really got into the swing of things by the end of the session. The day went so quickly. It was soon time for a freshen up and a cool beer.

From the jungle to the studio. This day was a diverse learning experience for all of us.

I am available for 1:1 and small group training tailored to suit your needs. I love to travel and in 2014 I expect to be touring the USA, South East Asia, Norway, Sweden, Cambodia, and Fuerteventura. If you want to help me arrange workshops in your country please get in touch with Blaise or Laura.

Please feel free to ask questions or comment on these pictures below.

Over 120 of my boudoir pictures are now online in one place.

I’ve kept the image sizes big but chosen a gallery system that will scale to fit the browser. I’ve enabled social media integration including pin it for Pinterest. There is a great slideshow function so you can sit back and soak up the ideas as they present themselves to you. Click on the picture above to view the new gallery.

The rest of the Lovegrove Photography site is a dogs dinner at the moment but will be rebuilt over the next two weeks. I also have more than 40 other galleries to make that will build into one of the best online resources for photographic inspiration, so do check back soon.

If you want to learn how to shoot beauty like this then please do contact Blaise or Laura. I am running dedicated 1:1 and small group training sessions up to 1:4 throughout the UK and worldwide. I have plenty of diary opportunity this winter and I can come to you. I’ll be touring the USA, Finland, Germany and Asia in 2014 too so please do make your interests known

Please feel free to comment below with ideas, suggestions and questions.

01. Natural light. Fujifilm X-Pro1 with the 18-55mm lens.

This is the last post from my recent trip to Asia. I managed to squeeze in a short 1:1 training session with one of my delegates before I headed off to the airport to fly back home. Here are a few of the gems we shot at a city centre park on the site of an old fort

Soon I will be able to work this fabulous camera with just fast primes. The imminent 23mm lens is one I’ve been waiting for since day 1 and the 56mm f/1.2 due out in February will be immense.

Model: Gabrielle at Basic models SingaporeMake up and styling: Gabrielle
Camera: Fujifilm X-Pro1, 35mm f/1.4 prime lens and 18-55mm & 55-200mm zoom lenses

02. I lit Gabrielle with a single barefaced Speedlight on a stand. The triggers worked through several metres of stone and bedrock.

03. Gabrielle put in a spin for us to give her dress some dynamic. The facial direction had to be the same though to secure the same Hollywood cheek triangle look as in the shot above.

04. We found ourselves in a subterranean passageway with iron gates at each end. The light was splendid and anyone who has been on a lighting workshop with me will understand the tunnel or two point lighting used throughout a good part of this set.

05. The Fujifilm 35mm lens wide open at f/1.4 is perfect for head shots like this. It is the equivalent to a 50mm on full frame.

06. The Fujifilm X-Pro1 leaves nothing to be desired. Simple intimate pictures like this come far more easily with a small mirrorless camera than with an SLR.

07. Oh what to do. I deliberated long and hard whether to keep this set in monochrome or to let you see the fabulous tones I was working with. I love this small gamut location so much I just had to sneak a colour frame in.

08. The fort gates gave us another opportunity to use naturally available tunnel lighting.

09. Knowing how to find and use great natural light is a skill that all professionals should learn.

10. The delicate curves of Gabrielle’s chin and cheek bones are a delight to light. 35mm lens wide open at f/1.4

11. Shooting from below and into the smaller side of Gabrielle’s face evens out the visual balance but I love the lack of symmetry and I prefer the shots 8, 9 and 10 above.

12. I shot this portrait from above the eye line. It gives Gabrielle a vulnerability that has been contrasted with her inner strength and determination.

13. A classic Lovegrove Contre Jour shot as demonstrated on my ‘Natural Light’ DVD.

14. People often ask me how I convert my monochrome images. I just use Lightroom but I do set the contrast and tonal balance in the picture to the way I like it using the tools and sliders.

15. This frame is the equivalent of a grade two print and shot 14 above  is the equivalent of grade four. It’s the same light, same everything,  just different processing. Presets can’t set the tonal balance in an image. That’s the job of an artist. Great unadulterated monochrome and colour images will always win out and survive the test of time.

16. A bit of fun with angles and composition.

17. The green glass in the 1930s pavilion was fabulous. I took this shot on my Fujifilm 55-200mm zoom lens.

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Capturing love

01.

Shooting couples is like portraiture with an extra dynamic – relationship. Having been trained in television I’ve seen many a director at work cajoling the very essence of a plot out of the actors. Passion to pain all come easily into shot with the right cast and a great director. When I’m shooting pre wedding photographs or weddings themselves the love is not an emotion to be conjured from deep within, it is there right under the surface. It is my job to capture it at it’s most acute and in as natural a way as I can. Let me share with you some of my secrets and techniques…

02.

Because the couples I shoot are in love there is no acting to be done. It is real heartfelt emotion and that comes fairly easily. Do the shots still need directing? Yes absolutely. The process is quite straightforward. I look after the lighting, exposure, backgrounds and the location before I start to direct the action. This process is hands on and it needs to be. The results may look reportage at times but they are all directed. By the way, the backgrounds are nearly always irrelevant. You can shoot pictures like this anywhere.

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I shoot close ups to capture love. I take control by bringing the couple together and creating a pose. I speak to them in hushed tones often saying seemingly ridiculous things like “Feel the love” and “Enjoy the moment”. This process is only made possible by having established a good rapport and trust.

Pictures like these have a magical quality because the couple are in an intimately close proximity and they share each others personal space. The couple exude tenderness and love often without even making eye contact with each other.

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There is absolutely no eye contact with the camera in loving close ups like this. It’s all about the couple and not about the photographer.

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Another thing most of these pictures have in common is my subjects heads are tipped towards each other. I use this head position as a visual clue to indicate approval and acceptance. I then direct an expression to illustrate anything from contentment, to amorous intent. That’s the fun bit – putting a narrative into a picture.

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This level of direction and intervention is not for every photographer but if you have a go you might just love the results as much as I expect your subjects will.

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Next time you head out to photograph a couple who are in love think about shooting a few big close ups too. It may well take your set of images to another level. Think about shooting all your frames horizontal or vertical. A continuity of style is a great attribute to have in your work.

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It’s all about the photograph, It’s not about the camera, the post processing or anything else. Stay inspired!

For more information and to see me in action directing my couples download and view my Photographing Couples HD video. It is jam packed with ideas, techniques and inspiration. You can watch the trailer for free here Just head on in to the store and find the Photographing Couples video.

Please feel free to comment below.

01. Lines and curves make perfect monochrome subjects.

Creating unique products and selling them to customers is the part of the retail process that a lot of shoot and burn photographers are missing out on. In this post I’ll share how I photograph and sell a pre wedding or engagement shoot.In my previous post I showed how I capture love. Those tight passionate shots only make up a part of my engagement shoots. Here is the detail of my pre-wedding or engagement portraits process. I have included my business targets in case they are of interest to those of you who shoot weddings for a living. I use just one prime lens and keep everything simple.

02.

The photographs… These 36 pictures are from one recent ‘Photographing Couples’ workshop I ran in the UK. They first featured on Prophotonut here. With over a million views and nearly half a million repins I thought it time I added the business strategy and shooting system to the body of work. If you like a pose or two why not pin them on an inspiration board using Pinterest or drag them to your desktop and add them to an app like Moodboard Pro.

03. I switch viewpoints from high to low all the time. This adds a dynamic without resorting to tilting the camera. I build my diagonals into the compositions.

The business bit… My aim is to have about 60 or 70 frames to show the client so I find myself taking about 200 photographs in total during the session. I keep approximately 1 in 3 frames to show my clients who usually go on to buy 60 – 70% of what they see. I learned early on in my career not to show too many images. ‘No’ is not a great word to hear too many times in the viewing room. So we show only the best pictures. My client saying “no” more often than “yes” in the viewing room is a clear sign that something is wrong with my photography. “How do we choose? We love them all” is a target phrase. My aim is to produce an album with 40 or so pictures for the couple plus photographs in desk frames for each set of parents and grandparents. Other sales add ons include framed prints for desks at work and a large mounted print that the wedding guests can leave personal messages on.

04. Every picture here is shot on the 100mm Canon f/2.8 L lens wide open at f/2.8. Keeping the kit simple means I can concentrate on creating and capturing definitive moments and not be distracted by the processes of photography.

05. Cropping in tight in camera requires an intimate rapport and trust. Being able to generate such a rapport is the hallmark of the best wedding photographers. It took me about 10 years from my mid 20s to my mid 30s to learn the social skills needed to build a high level of rapport. It was then that Julie and I started shooting fabulous weddings for very successful clients.

06. Cropping eyes is preferable to cropping mouths. It is the mouth we look at to read communication and I favour the mouth as a focus point over the nearest eye.

07.

The practical bit… I usually have about an hour and a half for the shoot so I have to work efficiently and keep the pace up. I meet my clients at 11am at a coffee shop near the waterfront in Bristol and within half an hour we are on the streets shooting. At 1pm they go to lunch at a local restaurant before heading over to my studio some 30 minutes away to view the photographs on the big screen. I get about 75 minutes back at the studio to weed out my pictures and process the 60 or so picks in Lightroom. Working fast has forced me to get it right in camera. Shooting film for many years in the 1980s and 90s helped in that regard too. Slide mounts are very unforgiving. We take the crop tool for granted too much these days.

08. Dappled sunlight or simulated dappled sunlight created with flash is a trademark lighting style of mine. With full on sunlight my clients need to wear sunglasses so these are on the list of things to bring to the shoot.

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Camera kit… I keep my kit to the barest minimum and use just one lens on the camera, If I’m using my Canon 5D2 SLR I fit a 100mm f/2.8L macro. If I’m using my Fujifilm X-Pro1 I use a 60mm f/2.4 macro. The Canon is a better camera/ lens combination to use because the 100mm L lens has fantastic image stabilisation. I shoot both set ups at maximum aperture in manual mode. In my hand I have a camera and lens and in my camera bag I have a Fujifilm X100 camera as my backup, my car keys and my wallet.

10. At f/2.8 on the 100mm lens you get a perfect balance with depth of field and beautiful bokeh. All of the naturally lit shots here were taken at f/2.8

11. It always pays to be a bit clever with reflections. This is just a regular office building in the city centre of Bristol. Notice how the reflection has about one stop less contrast than reality.

12. This is called the ‘over the shoulder shot’ and I shoot these favouring both my clients.

13. This shot is for parents and grandparents. One for a silver desk frame to place on the piano in the drawing room.

14. This is a shot for the album. When you are very prolific like me it is vital to have a ‘container’ for your prints. Handing pictures over on disc is not a business model to follow if you value your work. I believe a decent photograph should have a value and that should be between £25 and £75 per print depending upon how good the work is. None of the pictures here are award winning and yet they can fetch £35 a print in an album. Obviously you need clients who can afford them and the same is true for Mercedes, Hermés, Jimmy Choo etc.

15. I love the uncomplicated way the 100mm macro renders high specular backgrounds. Other far more expensive lenses seem to make a song and dance of them to the point where the background becomes the subject. This is because out of focus speculars are rendered as sharp bright circles with crisp edges.

16. I love Chris’ expression here.

17. Another family viewing picture but without the eye contact.

18. Tracking back with my feet rather than zooming out ensures I can keep the background free from sky. Highlights at the top of the frame draw the viewers eye up and away from the subject and should be avoided.

19. This shot is cross shot with frame 20. It’s the same scene in both pictures but shot favouring each person.

20. This shot would sit to the right of shot 19 on a left hand page in the album with shot 18 on the right hand page opposite.

21. Another low angle viewpoint keeps the interest going.

22. Jojo’s arms and Chris’ eyeline create the diagonals. I never tilt my camera, I always tilt my subject.

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25. A high viewpoint shot adds to the mix.

26. Chris and Jojo’s arms echo each other and I interlocked their feet too to create this vaguely Parisian shot. Using a long lens exclusively means I get to see very little background in my images even with the full length shots. Bristol is not significant to my couples so I have no reason to feature it in the photo set.

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28. Pop a little bit of action in the mix to generate some fun.

29. I shoot into the light and always have done when there has been the option to do so. I shoot sequences too as it is far better to sell three pictures than just one.

30. This was lit with the sun as a back light and a Speedlight as the key light. The composition is all about curves angles and shapes. I don’t usually use a Speedlight. I only use one if it is overcast or raining so I can make my own sunlight. I used it here to show the delegates how I calculate my exposures and trigger the flash.

31. This shot is lit with my Speedlight too. The railway is part of the Bristol industrial museum and no trains run on the tracks during the week so it is quite safe to play there I spend quite a bit of time lying or sitting on the ground on one of my shoots.

Stay inspired! Please feel free to comment on these pictures or my shoot and business processes below.

Here is a review of the Hollywood Portraits Remastered video made by my new video production partner Gwyn Cole.

Use the voucher code vivalto in the US$ shop for a $30 discount or use the same code in the UK£ shop for a £20 discount on the full Hollywood Portraits Remastered production.

Gwyn and I will be working on some exciting new projects this autumn and winter. On the cards for 2013/4 are a remake of the Natural light and flash on location videos. A Speedlighting in Manual mode production and boudoir with Speedlights. Please feel free to add your requests here.

*Voucher code discounts are valid throughout 2013

Claudia Lucia, a make up and body paint artist from Bristol suggested that we collaborate on a project. I’ve been fascinated by metallic paint for a while and I was keen to try the range from Mehron with the alcohol and an oil based carrier.

01.

Here are our pictures and my lighting techniques from the first session with Charlie.

2. Claudia started by applying the verdigris and building up the transitions into copper and bronze.

03. There is real control needed to assign the shadow tones following the muscle contours of Charlie’s back. I used a couple of Lupolux 650 lights to capture the painting process. I used the two point lighting method I wrote about here on Photofocus.

04. The painting process took just under 4 hours. The Mehron powders with the alcahol base dry very quickly so it’s best to mix small amounts at a time. Claudia blended 2 metallic powders to achieve the final result.

05. In the studio I used two Lupolux 650 lights as 3/4 backlights and an Arri Junior 300w tungsten light to add a splash of golden light. Later in the 1/2 hour shoot session I added a Lupolux 1000 with a scattergel.

06. Hard light from the Lupolux and Arri fresnel spotlights is perfect to highlight the beauty of Charlie.

07. Charlie had researched poses and looked effortlessly fabulous throughout the shoot.

08. I love the ‘runs’ of paint across the verdigris. It’s like war paint. I chose an above the eye line camera angle for the portrait.

09. I used a ‘Cappuccino’ background roll from Calumet and under lit it.

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11. The shoulder creases are just stunning. There is a real sense of metallic form like a bronze sculpture.

12. Claudia started by plaiting Charlie’s hair before working on applying paint to the body and finally her face.

13. Detail matters. All the photographs were taken on my Nikon D700 with a 24mm-70mm lens because Julie had borrowed my Fuji X-Pro1 to take to Fuerteventura. I so missed the Fuji on this shoot.

14. Artist Claudia with her artwork.

If you would like to offer yourself up for painting, Male and female, Claudia and I have many ideas to come to fruition and I have a warm studio on hand. Just drop Blaise or Laura an email.

Please feel free to discuss the pictures and techniques used.

Go back 60 years, to a time before Photoshop, where photography was all about light. That’s what I’ve done with the pictures in my latest galleries. Lovegrove in Hollywood is a collection of my images lit using authentic fresnel lights and processed with minimal intervention except for a bit of dodge and burn. There are many pretenders on the ‘Hollywood Portraits’ trail now but it’s easy to spot the classic lighting style of the past masters. I lit these pictures using spotlights from Arri, Lupolux and Lowel.

If you take a look around the Lovegrove Photography site you will find 10 picture galleries featuring over 800 of my images with many more galleries on the way. There is also a new Prices page detailing my portrait shoot pricing.

The galleries will become split into style and kit orientated sets. So in the kit section there will be galleries of pictures taken with the Fujufilm X-Pro1, the XF 60mm lens, lit with the Lowell iD light and many more. These will then be moved here on the Prophotonut site in due course to keep my personal site client focussed.

Feel free to comment on the galleries, pictures or give me tips on web development. I’m open to suggestions.

Damien.

News

I am running a one off non profit making seminar in the heart of the UK designed to deliver amazing value. There are three identical sessions to choose from, each session is three hours long and limited to 50 delegates. I will share my secrets for portrait making in real time showing the complete process from start to finish. Witness my mistakes, my hit rate, plus the buzz of success when things go well. Discover how I retouch images using Lightroom and produce portrait prints worth £75 each.

The Event: Concept to Print, A three hour seminar/ masterclass by Damien Lovegrove

The dates: Tuesday 5th November @ 7pm, Wednesday 6th November @ 10am, Wednesday 6th November @ 2pm

The Venue: Upperhouse Hotel, Barlaston, Stoke-on-Trent, UK, ST12 9AE

The price: £15

• Learn how I see picture opportunities. We will look around the conference room and see opportunities for picture making. Sometimes the most basic of environments can deliver striking picture making opportunities.
• We will discover how to plan the lighting and mood of images. This is the most important part of the process because starting with an idea of what we want to achieve is the best way of making it happen.
• I will then do the first shoot session with top pro model Carla Monaco, taking the images we had planned using my Fujifilm X-Pro1. I will share the images with the group as they are taken and openly discuss my thoughts on how they can be further improved.
• The pictures will be imported into Lightroom 5 and weeded out to reveal the final set for printing.
• I will demonstrate how I enhance the images to bring out the best from each one. My computer screen will be a super high resolution projector for the session.
• The images will be printed on Hahenemulle A3 art paper, scored and punched ready for portfolio presentation.

There are still a few places available on each session. Over 100 places have sold so far out of a posable 150. This is your chance to get inspired. Invest 3 hours of your time and just £15 for an instant return of enlightenment and inspiration. Click here for more detailed information and to make your booking.

01. A behind the scenes look at the set up for shots 14 and 15 below. The Elinchrom Quadra pack is hanging off the rear of the boom arm to keep it all in balance.

This was my last UK workshop. After seven years of training and educating the next generation of UK photographers using workshops I’m moving up to teaching dedicated small groups on a 1:1 to 1:4 basis. That way, we can shoot the best models in the best locations and genres that suit my clients needs entirely without restrictions on dates or budget. I may well be running some workshops when I’m on my international tours but from now on it will be videos and one to ones in the UK.

Here are 50 of the pictures that we shot on that final UK workshop. Enjoy

Over the two days we shot using naturally occurring light both inside and outside. We shot with Speedlights inside and out plus the powerful Elinchrom Quadra Flash. I completed the lighting workshop with the Lupolux and Arri continuous lighting systems.

Camera: Fujifilm X-Pro1, 14mm, 35mm, 55-200mm lenses
Speedlights: 2x Nikon SB900 and 2x Canon 580 EX2 triggered with Ebay unbranded trigger systems.
Big flash: 2x Elinchrom Quadra kits with A heads.
Continuous light: 2x Lupolux 1000, 2x Lupolux 650, Arri 300 and 150 Junior fresnels and Lowel iD light with Lovegrove Li-ion battery.

Makeup: Liza S.
Models: Clair Tombs and Liza S.
Styling: Clair, Liza and Damien Lovegrove.
Co tutor, shoot technician and good friend: Aneil Sharma of Etoile Photography.

Location: Pipewell Hall

02. I showed the group how to find fabulous natural light and to take control of it. Liza’s eyes and cheek bones are wonderfully highlighted with this direction of key light. 55-200mm lens wide open

03. There was always time for a bit of fun on a Lovegrove workshop and the seemingly zero delay on the Fuji X-Pro1 shutter means I’m always armed with the tools needed to capture it.

04. Paying careful attention to the direction and contrast of the natural light is key to making great pictures. 55-200mm lens wide open near the minimum focus distance.

05. The 55-200mm zoom lens on the Fuji X-Pro1 is a great portrait lens. The out of focus areas are more attention grabbing than the sublime 60mm prime but some people will love that. It all comes down to personal preference. Lit with natural light.

06. I showed the group how to find classic Lovegrove key and kick lighting in the natural environment. It’s the kick light from the right combined with the crisp key light that makes the next 6 shots.

07. Here is Clair Tombs, Prophotonut readers will remember her from a few years back. She is a bundle of fun and beautiful too.

08. I identified two point lighting and constructed a full length shot.

09. With the light coming from opposite directions I used one side as the key for Liza and the other as the key for Clair.

10. And here is a frame in colour with a fabulous low gamut spectrum of natural hues. Shooting from ground height emphasises the shapes of the beech trees.

11. I was asked how I’d shoot a bride and groom in this light and here it is. I’m still using the kick light on Clair. Look how bright and alive the girls eyes are. It’s great that they got on so well together

12. It’s the back light and kick light that makes the shots look professional. No kit other than a camera with a lens was needed.

13. This ‘lady of the manor’ shot for a ‘Country Life’ type editorial was lit with an Elinchrom Quadra and a Lastolite Ezybox. Being able to create a bit of sunshine on an overcast or wet day is an absolute must have skill for any commercial photographer. The secrets I revealed here are priceless.

14. Now you can see why we needed the boom arm. The flash head is above the hedge on the left rigged high over sloping ground and just out of the top of the shot. This is the kind of lighting that you need the power of the Elinchrom Quadra for. The diffusion cap that comes with the A or S heads gives a lovely fall off to the light when used directly.

15. The same lighting set up shot from a 120 degrees clockwise. I taught how to create lighting that can work from almost any viewpoint. Notice how the separation of tones work. Dark hedge tips against a light grass and a light Clair against a dark grass. Separation of tones is a vital ingredient in good picture making.

16. I rigged a pair of Speedlights in my two point lighting set up to create this classic ‘lit’ shot. Perfect for ‘knitwear monthly’ magazine.

17. The bokeh on this shot is a little more painterly but still slightly confused. When I choose a lens it is not for the sharpness, all new lenses are sharp, it’s for the way the out of focus areas are rendered. Some produce oil paintings and others grab the attention and steal the show. Just what I don’t want to happen. 55-200mm lens wide open.

18. Clair is such a beauty, radiant and great fun. I shot her with the 55-200mm wide open. Here the very low contrast in the background makes for a rather bland bokeh. We have the choice of backgrounds and it’s really easy to establish your style with the kind of backgrounds you choose.

19. This looks lit and in a way it is. I selected the spot among the trees carefully so that Clair has a key light as well as a back light.

20. I love lines and that curve of Clair’s jaw line is wonderful.

21. Along with the fun there was ample time for a few calmer portraits too. I like to use a strand of hair to frame the face and here it follows the line of Clair’s cheek bone emphasising the change of light level on either side.

22. One for my ‘Girls in hedges’ collection. It had to be done

23. Classic Georgian shutters make great reflectors.

24. Bare beauty. I asked Clair for a natural minimalist look to her make up. I even suggested using no foundation and I’m really pleased with this simple clean look.

25. Notice how Clair’s hair echoes the line of her cheek bone. I love that.

26. We lit the arch to reveal lower mid tones and Clair into upper mid tones.

27. We controlled the window light to create this pool of light on Liza.

28. The 35mm f/1.4 lens on the Fuji X-Pro1 is a joy to use. Pin sharp with a bokeh that may as well sing poetry.

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30. The window was our soft box for this shot of Clair.

31. One of my favourite pictures from the shoot. Simple light with lines and angles plus the look to hold the viewer’s eye forever.

32. Our Sunlight on the stairs sequence was created with a pair of Speedlights, a boom arm, a Gemini bracket and a silver umbrella. This spot was dark, very dark, before we brought it to life with flash.

33. Everyone loved this little set up with an Arri 300 Junior as the key and a Lowel iD light as the back light.

34. By increasing the exposure and the contrast we created this starlet shot

35.

Pipewell hall has so many fabulous shoot locations both inside and out. I have secured the use of Pipewell for personal tuition. It is available for my 1:1 and small group training and it is perfect for the following genres: Art Nude, Boudoir, Hollywood Glamour, Avant Gardé Fashion and Romantic Couples shoots. Email Laura, Email Blaise or phone us for more information and prices. You can also see my dedicated UK training page here.

36. Some of my favourite portraits are profile shots. They need good lighting to work well. The motivation for my key and backlights are the table lamps. The light that falls on Clair is assumed to have come from the table lamps but as we know that would be impossible. It’s a subtle art to know just how far you can go and get away with it.

37. I used two lights on Liza for this shot too.

38. We moved to the cottage for a continuous light session with the Lupolux and Arri lights. I introduced the remarkable Scatter Gels. I broke the line of Liza’s hair to add a bit of mystery.

39. A simple over the shoulder shot was perfect for this moment of fun.

40. Shooting straight down the line of the Lupolux 1000 with Scattergel gives remarkably beautiful effortless portraits.

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42. The Lupolux 100 with a Scattergel again.

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44. By key lighting Clair through the mirror I managed to use one light to do both key and backlight.

45. We switched over to tungsten lighting at twilight. I just happen to prefer the simpler monochrome version of these shots.

46. Liza is great fun to shoot with.

47. Fabulous.

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51. Simple light graces a super figure. Thank you Liza, you are a wonderful soul with energy, fun and fabulousness abound.

So there you have it. One of our delegates came all the way from Oklahoma. I’ve had a fabulous time organising and shooting workshops in the UK, now it’s my turn to do the travelling. On my radar is a certain ranch in Oklahoma Let the adventures begin.

I’ll be making videos, running Lovegrove Shop, doing 1:1 training in the UK and adventures abroad. One such adventure is in Cambodia. This is the opportunity of a lifetime. The chance to have a real photographic adventure with other equally passionate photographers. The secret is out, the dates are set. Here are the details. Ring Blaise or Laura on +44(0)1275 853204 before the Christmas break and knock a further 10% off the already reasonable cost.

Earlier this week I ran three seminars of three hours each entitled from Concept To Print.  Many years ago, way back in the dying years of the last century, a photographer called Stu Williamson wrote a book with the same title and I borrowed it for this three hour workshop.

My aim was to share the simplicity of  creating beautiful images using continuous lighting and a 6ft stretch of hotel wall. I used just one hard light for the bulk of my shooting demonstration and went onto a multi light set up as the session evolved. After the shoot I downloaded the images into Lightroom and tweaked them prior to printing on my aged and slow ink jet printer. Here are a few of the images I shot….

The light was created using Lupolux 1000, Lupolux 650 and Lupolux Quad fixtures. I used a Scattergel™ a potted plant and a Venetian blind at various stages of the demonstration. I had a live audience of between 30 and 50 people for each session. The event was kindly supported by The Guild, InFocus insurance, South West Photo Mounts and Hahnemuhle paper. My model was Carla Monaco and my camera/ lens combination was the Fujifilm X-Pro1 with the 35mm f/1.4 lens. I had a Tiffen Black Pro Mist 1/4 filter fitted to give the images a filmic look.

The event was supposed to be a one off hence running it in Stoke on Trent right in the middle of the country but it was such a resounding success I’m going to run at least four more events of it’s kind. The plan is to run the Concept To Print events in Glasgow, Newcastle, Winchester, St Albans and Taunton. Please register your interest in these events with Blaise or Laura by phoning 01275 853204 or emailing them here.

Feel free to comment on these shots or the event if you were able to attend. Kind regards and thanks to you all, Damien.

In 2010 I was lucky enough to photograph the then current Miss Bristol, Amy Willerton.

Since then she has secured the title of Miss Universe Great Britain, won ‘Signed By Katie Price’ and is due to feature on this years reality TV show I’m A Celebrity Get Me Outta Here alongside TOWIE’s Joey Essex and 8 other lucky (or perhaps unlucky) contestants. Well done Amy!

Here is a reminder of some of our images together. Make up was by Vicky Farrah.

1. Amy Willerton lit through a venetian blind.

2. Amy in front of my Ice Storm 2 studio background.

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4. Amy’s personality and professionalism shine through.

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More photos of Amy Willerton that I captured during our studio session can be found on my gallery here.

If you’re an aspiring model or know someone who is I’m available for model portrait sessions that can take place at any location including the Lovegrove studio. Please enquire for prices and availability. Email Blaise here.

If you’re a professional or enthusiastic amateur photographer then I’m also available for 1:1 and small group training sessions in the UK and for seminars, workshops and photographic holidays worldwide.

Every time I get the chance to photograph Wlada Schüler I take it. I’ve shot with her in Berlin, Munich and now Dusseldorf. We have fun, get a little bit crazy and make pictures with simple energy.

I was invited to teach my lighting techniques to a group of 50 top professional photographers in Germany by FotoWerkstatt. Here is a selection of our pictures

Camera: Nikon D4 with 50mm f/1.4 and 85mm f/1.4 lenses
Flash lighting: Multiblitz 1000 and 500 studio monoblocks with striplight softbox, 21mm grid reflectors and a 70mm beauty dish with grid
Continuous lighting: Lupolux LED 1000 x2 and a LED 650 with Scattergels and frost diffuser
Styling: Damien Lovegrove and Wlada Schüler
Backgrounds: Hotel curtain, a mid grey background roll and a white background roll

I started the day with a talk about lighting and composition in portraiture before demonstrating some simple portraiture using studio flash. After lunch we moved onto working with the three Lupolux lights I had taken with me in checked in baggage. The Lupo LED lights are tough, lightweight units without delicate bulbs that can get smashed so taking them to shoots abroad is quite straightforward.

These pictures are virtually straight from camera without modification. I shot the Nikon D4 in auto white balance mode and used the LCD screen to asses my exposures. All the pictures with the flash were taken at ISO 200, 1/200th second and f/11. All the pictures shot using continuous light were taken at ISO 200, 1/125th second and at f/1.4 – f/2.8.

My smoke in a can went down well with the delegates and Wlada. Wlada now has it as a souvenir of our shoot.

I showed how to work with hard light using Scattergels and frost gels to break up and soften the light.

I showed how to create classic Hollywood cheek triangles and to control contrast using reflectors.

I even had space in my bag for my Venetian blind.

Magic happens with the right rapport.

Many thanks to the support team in Germany with special mentions for Nadine for her organisation and logistics, Wolfgang for technical wizardry and Thomas for translating my talk and my jokes  I’ll be back in Germany soon.

If your organisation would like me to deliver a workshop on lighting, wherever you happen to be in the world, please email Laura or Blaise.

Please feel free to comment on these pictures or the event if you were with me in Dusseldorf.

Beauty laid bare – by Damien Lovegrove

1. Every now and then I come across someone with a fabulous character and beauty to match. Claire, represented by Gingersnap agency has it all. She is fun and vibrant. This shot was lit with a Lupolux Quadlight 1500 and winter sunlight.

Camera: Canon 5D mk2 with a 100mm f/2.8 macro or a 50mm f/1.4 (My Fuji was on safari in Africa with Julie)
Makeup: Just a minimal touch of eye pencil with natural skin and lips
Post production: A few tweaks in Lightroom. No cloning, presets or Photoshop
Location: Old Down Manor bridal suite
Lighting: Lupolux Quadlight 1500, Grid attachment and Lupolux LED 1000 used when the sun went in

Here are 37 pictures from my first shoot with Claire. Shoot duration 2 hours. Enjoy

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Claire is available through Gingersnap for my 1:1 boudoir and street fashion training sessions. Click here if you would like to learn about lighting, capturing natural beauty and realising your potential as a photographer.

Here are the two distinctly different ways that I use my fujifilm X100 with firmware V2.

Taken from my gallery of X100 portraits and featuring Chloe-Jasmine Whichello

1. Out and About ~ This is my most common set up and uses aperture priority in conjunction with auto ISO. Here are my settings for that working method…

ISO set to 200 Auto on ~ max 3200 with a minimum shutter speed of 1/80th
Shutter speed dial set to A
Aperture dial set to f/2 (wide open)
Jpeg Fine + Raw
Auto WB
Monochrome with G filter
AFS with the focus activated by a half press of the shutter button
The central focus zone set with the smallest activation box

I use this configuration for location shooting using natural light or reflectors. I also use it when shooting interiors lit with continuous lights. I just pick up the camera, switch it on and start shooting. My only setting adjustment during the shooting process is exposure compensation via the very convenient dial.

The vast majority of my pictures with my Out and About settings subsequently use 1/80th second at f/2 and the camera adjusts the ISO from 200 to 3200 to suit the light level. I find 1/80th second is the perfect setting to ensure my pictures are free from camera shake* (See the section on shutter speed below). On the very rare occasion where subject movement is likely, I just dial in a 1/125th or 1/250th second on the shutter speed dial and let the auto ISO function compensate automatically.

Shot in the Manchester Hilton with Carla Monaco using the X100

2. With Flash ~ My second working method is using the X100 camera in manual exposure mode. I use this mode when I’m shooting with flash on location or if I’m in the studio. Here are my settings for that working method:

ISO set to 200 Auto off
Shutter Speed and aperture set as required
Jpeg Fine + Raw
Sunny day WB
Astia S film simulation
AFS with the focus activated by a half press of the shutter button
The central focus zone set with the smallest activation box

Focussing the X100 is not as tricky as some people make out. Because the lens is a simple design I find the focus reframe method of shooting works well. I usually use the centre focus zone and a half press of the shutter to lock the focus before recomposing and shooting. Scooting the focus zone around using the rear dial works a treat too. I always use the X100 with AFS and don’t bother with rear AF button focussing method.

Why the X100 and X100s are fabulous portrait cameras: I love the silent shutter and the unobtrusive nature of the X100. When I shoot using the LCD I can maintain my connection to my client and I like that aspect of shooting too. These characteristics affect the pictures I shoot and in some ways make SLRs less capable as portrait cameras.

Shot using the X100 in Fuerteventura and featuring Katy Ruth.

*A note about shutter speed and focal length with Fujifilm X cameras. For hand held shooting I have found that the pixel pitch of a 12mp APSC sensor (X100) requires a shutter speed of 1/ (3*F) where F is the focal length of the lens. So for the X100 where F=23 I use a shutter speed of 1/80th second as it is the closest value I can set using the auto iso function above my calculated value of 1/69th second. When I’m shooting hand held using a manual exposure system I have to choose 1/125th second as the shutter speed dial is in whole stop increments.

For the X100s and indeed the X-E2 and X-Pro1 that use an APSC size sensor but have a smaller pixel pitch to accommodate the 16 million pixels I find I have to use 1/ (4*F) as my minimum shutter speed for hand held shooting. With the 23mm lens of the X100s or with the 23mm lens on the X-E2 or X-Pro1 I need to use 1/100th second to get sharp pictures. The auto iso function of the X100 s and the X-E2 allow this setting. The X-Pro1 doesn’t have a useable auto iso function so I dial in 1/125th second instead.

Using the same formula to get sharp hand held pictures with my 60mm lens on the X-E2 or X-Pro1 I need to use 1/250th second. If I drop to 1/125th second I get noticeable camera shake on perhaps 40% of the images when I view them at 100%. So I use my monopod for any shutter speed below 1/250th second with my 60mm lens. Conversely when I set the 55mm – 200mm lens to 60mm I find I can shoot hand held down to 1/30th second because of the image stabilisation. Obviously subject movement plays a part shooting portraits at those speeds so I choose to use 1/125th second with the long zoom lens at any focal length right up to 200mm. I never use a monopod with the long zoom lens as there is no advantage.

The future: I hope that the X200 goes full frame because the X100s is just an amazing camera as it is and there is a demand for a full frame fixed lens camera out there and the organic sensor FF Fuji could be just the world beater that Fujifilm needs.

I hope the X-Pro2 has in camera, on sensor, stabilisation especially if the pixel count goes to 21 million pixels on an organic sensor. That will ensure the 56mm or 60mm lenses can be used hand held at 1/60th second rather than 1/250th second. Having to use a monopod is a bit of a pain that I can do without. I doubt I’ll ever be shooting the 56mm lens wider than f/2 except for full length portraits.

Please feel free to comment below or ask questions. Please visit my gallery of X100 images to get some ideas and inspiration for shooting portraits.

Client: Lisa Keating Undercover
Makeup: Vicki Waghorn
Additional styling and hospitality: Lizzi Melling
Location: Lovegrove Studio
Photographs: Damien Lovegrove
Model: Miss Amelia

Camera: Fujifilm X-E2, 23mm, 35mm and 60mm lenses all used between f/1.4 and f/2.8
Filters: Tiffen Black Pro Mist ¼ filters on all lenses
Lighting: Lupolux Quadlight and grid, Lupolux LED 1000, Lupolux LED 650 x2
Lighting accessories: Scattergel on the background light.

Here are 25 of my pictures from the shoot together with my camera settings for the X-E2 …

Camera settings for the X-E2:

ISO set to 400 Auto off
1/250th second Shutter Speed and aperture set as required between f/1.4 and f/2.8
Jpeg Fine + Raw (I just worked from the jpegs in Lightroom)
Auto WB
Astia S film simulation (colour pictures delivered to the client)

When I’m working with the Fujifilm X lenses wide open I use manual focus with the one touch focus lock. I adjust the position of the focus zone using the switches on the back of the camera. I use this system because the lenses are flat field design. That is, the edges of the frame focus at a further distance than the centre of the frame for any given lens focus position making the focus reframe method far less accurate. The great news is, that unlike a dSLR, the peripheral focus zones on the Fuji X cameras are very sensitive and completely useable. One problem though is I have yet to find a way of setting the focus area of the X-E2 to a smaller size. It remains a big rectangle. If you know how I can set a smaller focus zone when I’m using MF mode please leave me a comment. I have no problem with the X-Pro1 so I somehow think that this must be a system bug that will be corrected with a firmware upgrade soon. Fujifilm are very good at providing firmware upgrades on a regular basis.

The fabulous corsets are part of a new collection being launched early in 2014. For each designers collection, I shoot a series of stylised studio images plus a set of location images for editorial use and marketing purposes. I then shoot a set of high key product pictures for the online shop. All imagery is delivered in colour and monochrome within a few days and is print or web ready. I work fast and it took just over three hours to capture all of these images. I can shoot a complete collection in a day including close up details and shots from all sides.

Welcome to the carnival. This was a super fun shoot with fellow artists and creatives. If you have a collection that requires a razzmatazz photo shoot to bring it to life contact Blaise or Laura to discuss your needs.