Model – Vitalina Zagryva
Location – MacPherson studio
Stylist & HMUA – Beautyworks by Pippin Emerald
Camera – Nikon D700, 24-120mm f4
Equipment – Macbook Pro, Wacom tablet
Model – Yana Chepurna
Location – Roy Chuang Production
Stylist & HMUA – Beautyworks by Pippin Emerald
Camera – Nikon D750, 24-120mm f4
Equipment – Macbook Pro, Wacom tablet
I was surfing the Net and Facebook a few weeks ago– looking for inspiration and passing time. Man, not sure why but my newsfeed was filled with fashion and portraiture. I told myself, wouldn’t it be nice to do portraiture for a change – black and white, yes that would be nice.
Scrolled a little more and started reading a particular shoot. Hmm, interesting words; HMUA, MUA, stylist, manicurist, and wardrobe. Nah! Probably not! No contacts, no models, fashion label/ clothes and accessories. Spotted a nice black and white profile picture (probably that’s why it caught my eye, heh!). She goes by, Beautyworks by Pippin Emerald; Tina. Told myself, I’m going to compliment her for her beautiful work. We chatted for a while then I asked her about working together. Paused and I was hoping for a No. Jumped out of my chair when the answer was Yes! Surfed her timeline a few days later to find out she was MUA for Emily Soto workshops on two occasions. So it was a honour to work with her – which is great but added some pressure on me to perform.
So yeah, I got Tina from Beautyworks by Pippin Emerald to work together with me.Time to get to work now. Contacted a few models. Most were agreeable and liked the ideas but I had to choose one. Yana was the perfect choice; dark/ femme fatale look which fitted the concept. She’s totally the opposite in person once you get into conversation with her.
Day of the shoot. Got moral support from wifey. Asked her along to help pick some flowers. What do I know about flowers, models and makeup. Deep inside, I laughed and broke a sweat. The night before MUA surprised me with 3 outfits. Yay!
Lighting
I lit Yana with a beauty dish. Just one light for the entire shoot. I just moved her front, back and turned her away to get between loop, rembrandt and split lighting. I’m a visual person who goes by feel rather than technicality but that’s the only way to describe the lighting I was aiming for.
I’m so impressed working with Yana. I really love her look and her ability to emote. Truly, I would love to work with her once again.
Post processing
The entire shoot was done with black seamless paper. I added textures in post. You can do pretty much any style once you have the pictures.
Finally, here are the photos. 3 looks in one session. Thank you so much to Tina, Yana and my supportive wife for the shoot.
Child Model – Naime Qistina
Location – Pasir Ris Park
Outfits – Model’s own
Camera – Nikon D700, 50mm f1.4G
Equipment – Macbook Pro, Wacom tablet
I believe that our job of as photographers is to be able to deliver great images regardless of the challenges ,and the people we work with. Not all subjects have a life of its own, often we have to create the mood for a shoot to be fun. This is particularly so when working with children of all age group. Some are temperamental, others hyper active and the rest might not be so interested standing in front of a strange photographer taking pictures. With all these obstacles, we have to make a successful and comfortable shoot. I’ve compiled some essential must have items which I bring along for shoots involving children. Comfort and safety would be my number one priority not only in building confidence with the child but also to assure the parents that I’m can control and can direct the shoot in a safe and comfortable manner. Here are some essential items for me.
1. Spray on insecticide – I bring 2 types; the spray on and lotion type. I tell the parents to apply before and several times during the shoot.
2. Ground sheet – I carry a large one for which can seat all of us. I bring a smaller one for the child for when I need them to lay or seat on the ground. Usually, we will be like having a picnic and where I shoot the child is close to where the parents are seated.
3. Water – Stay hydrated, I bring along enough water for all of us throughout the shoot. More water will be in the car.
4. Wet wipes – For muddy conditions. Especially useful for cleaning dirty shoes, etc.
5. Ponchos – A few disposable ones would come in handy when there’s a sudden downpour.
6. Battery operated fans – On hot days, I provide these to the children for them to cool off.
7. Small foldable tent – For a quick change of clothes in privacy.
I cannot stress enough that photographing children can be complex but if we take safety and comfort into consideration, it would make shooting a breeze. Happy kids = wonderful photos.
Till then … Happy shooting!
Model – Sergey Sizov
Location – Macpherson Studio
Outfits – Model’s own
Camera – Nikon D700, 24-120mm f4
Equipment – Macbook Pro, Wacom tablet
Professional model Sergey was fun to work with. Throughout the shoot, I lit him with one light; a beauty dish. The final images are in black & white – a medium which I truly love when photographing men.