01. Creativity overflowing in Munich. I lit Wlada with a Lupolux 1200 HMI fresnel spotlight with a Lovegrove ‘Alto’ gobo gel clipped to the barn doors to add the dappled effect. Wlada wears a fabulous hand made corset by Lisa Keating. I provided the tutu skirt to complete the look.
Creating fun moments and capturing them with a good sense of timing is what it’s all about. In this post I’m sharing a few sequences that I shot last week in Munich from a 1:1 studio boudoir tutorial with Radmila Kerl followed by a studio lighting workshop for six delegates. Here is a selection of the images we created.
These pictures have only been through Lightroom and have not been Photoshoped. The beauty, love, and fun you see here is real. NSFW after the jump.
02. Wlada and I have fun. We have shot once before in Berlin and the parties there were nearly all-nighters. The spark and catalyst comes from a mutual respect and trust. These are the foundations that a youthful spritz can be created. Laughter and fun are ever present when I’m shooting portraits. The energy in these pictures is a fusion of my ‘messing about’ and Wlada’s reactions.
There were two other women in the room. Diana Zwarthoed our make up artist and Radmila Kerl my student and fellow photographer. It must be said that Radmila and I share a fun outlook on life and we have many laughs each time we are together. We spark off each others energy and that generates the kind of vibe needed to bring some life into our pictures. Radmila has been a student of mine for 4 years now making many trips to the UK for 1:1 and workshop sessions. I’ve steered her business and now she is one of, if not the top social photographer in Germany. I am very proud to have seen Radmila rise above the noise of mediocrity into the upper echelons of excellence.
03. I love the way the Fuji X-Pro1 tone dynamics work at ISO 3200. These next two panels were all shot at ISO 3200. I’d be happy to print the images at any size. I used a Tiffen 1/4 Black Pro Mist filter on the 60mm Fuji lens too.
04. Sequences make beautiful albums and if you charge by the print get good at shooting sequences.
I must say at this point that I rarely use the X-Pro1 in the studio when I’m using flash because the lighting level from modelling lights is not sufficient for my 60mm lens to focus. Continuous light is fine as you would imagine. I persevered and soon got the hang of working with the 18mm – 55mm zoom lens at 55mm instead. I’m waiting on the Fuji 56mm f/1.4 lens due out later this year.
05. I lit this sequence with Radmila’s Prophoto studio heads. I lifted the studio light level with the Prophoto while maintaining a soft delicate lighting style. I nearly always reflect light off walls and surfaces to achieve this kind of look. Wlada wears a tutu skirt from Radmila’s studio wardrobe.
06. I lit this set with the Lupolux 1200 light with the ‘crackle’ gobo gel fitted. Hard light generates higher contrast and gorgeous shadows. Knowing how to use hard light properly is the key to it’s success. Let me show you how at one of my studio lighting, Boudoir or Hollywood Glamour workshops.
07. Wlada decided the ladder was a good prop to use and I liked her hat.
08. We had a fusion of ideas for this set of images that I lit with a strip light softbox.
09. Beautifully simple portraits of a simply beautiful girl.
After the boudoir shoot we went out in Munich for a night on the town. I was up early the next day to prep for the Studio lighting workshop. Delegates started arriving at 8am so It was a challenge for me to function as I’m not normally a morning person.
10. This triptych was shot on the studio lighting workshop using my X100. It is the only set from the two days that I used the X100 for but I was up a ladder and it just seemed like the right camera for the job. I lit Wlada with a Lupolux 1200 HMI light and the Lovegrove ‘Alto’ gobo gel. Wlada feels amazing in a corset by Lisa Keating.
11. Wake up! I used a pair of colour gels from the Lovegrove Studio collection to light Wlada from behind and a beauty dish with a grid from the front. The smoke had mostly dissipated by this point as I let the delegates shoot first while I did the wafting.
12. Low key in a high key studio proved rather difficult but we got there with controlled lighting.
13. Wlada make shooting fun. There’s never a dull moment as we egg each other on.
14. I lit this scene with a Lupolux 1200 and a potted plant from Radmila’s studio. I put the plant on a table and adjusted it’s position until magic happened. Wlada wears a dress made for her by her dad.
15. I now have great memories of my fun time in Munich.
Thank you Radmila Kerl for your hospitality, friendship and patience.
Thank you Diana Zwarthoed for your calming expertise and beautiful make up.
Thank you Lydia Krumpholz for rescuing me in my hour of need.
Thank you Wlada Schuler for your spirit of adventure and positivity.
Thank you Rico Pfirstinger for your excellent X-Pro1 book.
If you would like to be kept up to date on my workshop schedule or indeed if you want me to run a specific workshop or deliver a 1:1 training session for you please just drop Laura a quick email.
Please feel free to comment on these pictures.
