Showing posts with label Artists. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Artists. Show all posts

Sunday, 20 February 2011

Workshop - Mia & Ryan of Mohawk Radio


I held a portrait photography workshop in January where I shared what I have learned about photography and am slowly blogging about the different aspects of the day. Last week, I shared some images from behind the scenes and this week's images are from the final practical shooting session of the day. The models were from Mohawk Radio and I processed a few faves for the band to use for press shots. Mia Chambray is the lead singer and her feathery rich vocals add to the band's original alluring sound. Definitely check them out and watch this space - I see big things for these young artists.


These images were actually shot in late afternoon sun but I played around with them to make it look like twilight to add to the mood and also give the chandelier more of a raison d'être!


Mia's eyes are mesmerising - like a cat's.


Mia's husband and band member, Ryan Prevost, was not expecting to be photographed, but during costume changes, I felt we had to have the attendees shooting something and so he stepped up to the challenge in style.


Couldn't decide if I liked the black and whites, or colour manipulations better so leave it up to you to decide.


 Ryan plays guitar and also does some vocals for the band.



Doesn't he just look like a rock star - like he is already famous?


Mia returned from her costume change for a complete different feel. She is a fun, spirited performer and wanted that to come out in some of the images so I had her play around on an old Radio Flyer tricycle that I actually bought long after my kids needed such a little trike, just to use in shoots so thrilled in came in handy. She looks pretty amazing sporting the top hat too and I just love her addition of the feathers to give it that Native American feel that the band is honing. Ryan is part Native American and the band closely relate to the values of the ancient tribes and tie it in where they can to their music and their image.












We ran over time and the light was fading fast at the end of the day so we only had a moment to practice some indoor backdrop shots. Also, not a lot of room so I spent more time teaching that shooting so the attendees are the ones with all the great shots while I did most of the directing, posing and techie talking. But enough here to give a flavour of the day.




Mia and Ryan - you were both amazing models and the attendees adored working with you. Thanks so much for your relaxed and fun attitudes, and indeed the music you shared with us while we were shooting - just beautiful so thank you thank you. xx
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Monday, 17 January 2011

The Big Enchilada - Workshop Sneak Peeks


Yesterday was my fifth workshop I have held in one year. I can't believe what a hit they have been, both in terms of teaching people how to properly learn how to use the manual settings of their cameras, but also the fabulous shoots. It is such a great opportunity for me to get really creative on the theme of the shoots and hopefully this will encourage my clients that they do not have to always wear traditional clothing or shoot in typical locations. Although we did all three hour long practice shoots in my house and garden, the images are varied and fun, mainly due to the time I took with the models before hand to talk about what sort of imagery we would like to make. I tried to ask them about what they liked and who they were and these images are the result. There are just 2 shots from each session here as there was not much time at the end of the day yesterday in the post processing side of things as the light just got better and better so we all opted to shoot a little longer and edit a little less. But here are some sneak peeks and I will blog in great detail soon, but still have a massive backlog of regular clients I am working on too. Please be patient and enjoy these snippets for now. We did so many variations in each shoot that it was so hard to choose only a couple from each to work on and I really can't wait to share to share the rest so watch this space.






Thank you to everyone who made the day such a success. We were seriously blessed when it came to the light - a sweet sunny day in a sea of wintery weather for which we are very very thankful. My assistant, Lana, and my nanny, Christine, were incredible at pulling it all together and ensuring that everything ran smoothly. As you can see, we had three magnificent models who were all so different in ages, and personalities so gave the attendees the full gamut of experience on how to work with subjects. And the attendees were just amazing - so enthusiastic, inspired and just a great group so thanks to all of you for joining me in the fun. And of course, I must thank my sweet beloved Ben who was, and is always, Super Hubby/Dad. He not only helped me lug half the antiques in our home out into the garden, but he also disappeared with the children from early in the morning right up until their bedtime so that I could run the workshop undisrupted. He is my absolute fave in the whole world, and the kids too - so thank you to the three of you. I love you oodles! xxx
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Monday, 19 April 2010

Diptych

Isn't that just the best word? I think I love it even more than the word triptych. And not only do I love the sounds of these words, but I also adore what diptychs and triptychs are. As a photographer, these clever combinations are the best tools for story telling with two or three images.

I heart faces is having a collages category this week and I have to say, I adore the thought process behind putting certain images together. One of my faves is a close up detail of something personal in a child's hand, and then the panned out image of the child and the pleasure exuding from the little one's face when holding the fruit or flower or toy. Just so sweet and such a fun way to tell her story.

In my last post, I did one of my fave triptychs of Tamsyn and her beautiful belly, but when I thought about which collage would be the most unusual for this week's challenge, I remembered these images of my lovley assistant, Lana, and decided a little creative rearranging would make a really cool collage.


How bizarre does this look? I keep double taking and it is such a fun idea for a diptych that I think I will start shooting like this more and more just so that I can create these sorts of collages.

Head over to i heart faces to get some great ideas from others with all their collage entries and while you are there, enter one of your own.

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Saturday, 17 April 2010

Textiles, Tamsyn and a beautiful bump




This is Tamsyn.


This is Tamsyn's belly.


This fabulous mama has always thought henna was a beautiful art and so spiritual. Since she has embraced her bulbous belly throughout her first and this second pregnancy, she thought it would be a wonderful way to make an artistic feature of her life giving form which itself represents the love between herself and her husband, Jeff.


In Indian tradition, the darker the henna stains your skin, the more your husband loves you. Tamsyn's skin is very pale and the henna has previously not held its colour so well. In order to emphasize the incredible detail in the pattern, and to show off how truly smitten Jeff is with his wife, Tamsyn decided the photographs would have more impact if she allowed the dried henna to remain on her skin rather than brushing it off to reveal the stain beneath.




You may have seen my seen my last blog post showing some of my new fabrics (well the colours of them at least) in a wee thumbnail collage. They were taken from this shoot. Originally, we had booked a session to capture Tamsyn's first pregnancy in February last year. But sweet Baby Aura was keen to make her grand entrance, and so instead of waiting patiently in her mummy's tummy while I took photos, she decided to come into the world at 4:30am the morning of our shoot. At the time, I was deeply disappointed as I was so excited to capture a henna painted tummy, but now that I shot this one, I am over the moon and know this is so much better than I ever would have done last year before I had all my delicious materials to use as backdrops. And instead, I was able to capture Aura during her first days at home which was so beautiful to witness and photograph.



Tamsyn is convinced it happened for a reason too. Over the last 15 months since Aura's birth, Tamsyn has redefined the type of images she hoped for and even the day before the shoot, we planned to do very different images that what we finally did. We'd planned on classic imagery that really would have worked only in black and white. But then I found myself in amongst all those fabrics and when Tamsyn arrived the next morning, I think she had no choice than to let me channel my bubbling over excitement into her images using my textiles and creative energy.



Tamsyn and Jeff know they are having a boy this time. They will call him Micah, which is a derivative of Michael, in memory of Tamsyn's father. Sadly, he passed away 4 months before Aura was born, after fighting cancer for three years. He was his daughter's best friend and the best father she could have wished for. Tamsyn says she is so proud of who he was and what he represented in life and through his fight. She has grown so much spiritually from the ordeal and believes it prepared her to be a better mother, wife and friend. It taught her to live and love life each day... everything truly does happen for a reason, no matter how painful... and you just have to embrace life's experiences and grow with them.


 A dear Indian friend Tamysn's spent two hours painting the henna on her belly, and was kind enough to loan all the amazing jewelry to complete the image.

















And the best bit about the shoot is at the end, we decided to brush off all the henna as it really was starting to crumble and flake off everywhere. And was revealed beneath the thick paint was a dark rich stain, so dark that it is a sure sign that Jeff is more madly in love than even Tamsyn or henna on pale skin could have foretold.


Tamsyn - thank you for trusting my artistic eye whole heartedly and believing in me and my whims. It was so fun and I am so proud of the images we made together so thank you thank you for making it possible. Love and happy birthing. Can't wait to meet Micah. xx


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