Sacha Blackburne Photography

Wednesday, 28 April 2010

Full Day Workshop - Outdoor session - siblings

The Full day workshop was so action packed. I already blogged about the behind the scenes part of the day, as well as the indoor session, and first part of the outdoor session. While all the attendees were totally engrossed in shooting our first model, Tara, that they barely noticed the family of three kids arrive for the next shooting installment. At the time, I was so swept up in sharing the different lighting and shooting techniques with Tara, that I almost felt like I'd not planned well with another set of models arriving half way through the outdoor session. I reluctantly brought the shooing of Tara to a close and lined up the next models. But once we started shooting the kids, all my worries about poor planning went out the window. I was thrilled that the group had yet more amazing subjects to capture in new ways with different lighting situations and to trigger fresh inspirations, not to mention this added the element of sharing how I interact with child subjects.

Can you believe the gorgeousness of these three kids. How their parents didn't keep going until they couldn't reproduce anymore is beyond me. I would just have been so curious to see what the next combination would be like that I would have been pregnant every year or two! The light at this location was just amazing so we shot here a lot to show the attendees how easy portrait photography can be when you find the perfect lighting situation.

This is India. She is so serene and zen - loved her way about her. And her colouring is so unusual - she is sort of auburn, or at least her hair and eyes are - like a warm chestnut. She is the one I first asked to model for me. I knew that at her age, she would do exactly as I asked and even improvise while I took time to share what I know about photography.

Sebastian was not really expecting to be photographed, but I am so glad he came so that at least his mummy gets come cute pics of all the kids together, plus this series where they are all in the same spot. He was an unusual boy for his age for he was so good at making eye contact with the cameras and just being comfortable in his skin - a difficult thing to do when in front of just one camera, let alone about 8! And hello, yet more stunning colouring - I just love how these kids look. And adore adore his freckles.

And this little firecracker is Tilly. I had been a little worried that a four year old would not be able to handle all the instructions that are necessary to model for a workshop - it is a very different way of shooting. On a regular shoot, I interact a ton with the client, but on the workshop, instead I am speaking more to the attendees about what is going on with camera settings, composition and lighting so the poor model just has to sit there and either wait for the rare morsel of direction, or just do something on his or her own. But Tilly wowed us with her presence as you will see by the embarrassing number of photos I post!

See what I mean?

Tilly won all of our hearts. She was shy at first, and not surprisingly with so many cameras pointed at her at once. But she very quickly relaxed with us all and her confidence made for as beautiful images as her shyness had - and we all loved capturing every moment.

I had asked Tilly's mum to bring a massive bag full of goodies to use as props and different outfits. I really wanted to teach the attendees that so much of a successful shoot is not just in the lighting and camera settings, but also in the setting and set up themselves. Just having Tilly hold her teddy in these shots makes is so personal and I love it when clients bring sentimental items to include in their shoot.

Of course, having such a beautiful garden to shoot in definitely helps. Thank you thank you my friends and glad baby G held off a week so we didn't disturb you!.

Love love love the one above and below... pure innocence and childhood sweetness.

Freckles really are my fave.

Tilly was so good about looking into all the cameras - I can't wait to see what the others came up with.

Please don't be bored of so many photos of one child - this really is edited down, I promise. We practiced shooting action above, and then composition and positioning the subject in the frame like the ones below.

Tilly was so responsive and all the emotions she displayed told such a story. She wears her heart on her sleeve and is so direct in her interactions; it was intoxicating photographing her. I was a little obsessed with her colouring too, especially in contrast to this backdrop.

Tilly was such a little sugar poppet. She came up to me and gave me this rose. Don't ask me where it came from, and hope my friends at whose house we were shooting can forgive me as I am sure they will recognise the rose as coming from one of their trees. But it was such a sweet gesture that I had to take a snap.

After practicing on interacting with such a little one as Tilly, it was such a dramatic change to photograph India. She is so at peace and calmness just exudes from her so it was a lovely contrast for the attendees.

I brought along some chairs to show how such props really make a photograph unique. I bought this chair for the sole purpose of using it in shoots and I am so glad I did. It is so quirky and easy to transport - just love it.

India did exactly as I asked on the wardrobe front. For the last outdoor session with the three sisters, I had gone to their house to select their clothes for the shoot. I didn't have time for these kids so I was thrilled when they showed up in great outfits that really made the shoot special. India's hat and boots really make a statement - such fun.

This setting was a great challenge for everyone as it would only work well if shooting in manual. If anyone had been shooting in auto or semi auto, India would not have been well enough exposed with all the background light. It was so exciting for the group to discover that they can shoot a scene like this and get the shot to look the way they see it with their eyes. And of course, love the moss moving in the breeze.

Sebastian was such a trouper - he just hung out and entertained himself while we all shot his sisters. But as we were moving onto another spot on the property, I noticed a few of the attendees capturing him having fun on this tire swing so I jumped on the band wagon and used it as another opportunity to talk about the best angles. It was actually a really good lesson for as much as I love the image of a child on a swing, especially a boyish one like this, I did not think the lighting or backdrops were ideal. I walked around him in circles and this was the best I could do with the darker trees behind his head. But then he flipped upside down and that changed everything! Bit busy with all the roots behind his head, but a fun moment captured and makes me happy the group were branching out shooting things on their own.

Thank you to everyone who helped make the day such a great success. It is such a joy to share what I love to do and it was a great group, the models blew my mind, and everyone else who contributed their time and energy were amazing so thank you all for a fabulous day.

Sunday, 25 April 2010

Full Day Workshop - Outdoor session with Tara

We were so blessed to have great weather on the day of the full day workshop last Sunday, and even though our outdoor practice session was between 1:30 and 3:30pm (hardly ideal conditions if one was picking the ultimate hour for sun), it really taught the students how to look for the best light in less than perfect situations and proved to them that when shooting in manual, even harsh conditions are surmountable.

I found Tara in Rock Island Coffee. She was quietly minding her own business reading a book when I acosted her to say how striking she was, and would she be interested in being a part of one of my workshops. She was so humble and sweetly said she would think about it so I gave her my details and I imagined that was the end of it. I was thrilled to hear back and even more ecstatic on the day when she was just the best subject in so many ways. She is incredibly striking and therefore a pleasure to photograph, but she was also easy in her own skin and creative in the way she moved, not to mention very open to my suggestions. Overall, I couldn't have been more pleased with the way the whole session turned out, from the way she moved, her clothing and the whole package. I can't wait to see what the others captured with their cameras.

Tara had her make up done by Natalia Isaeva, who has launched her new company, Bermuda Makeup Studio. Having recently graduated from a professional makeup artistry school in South Florida, where she received her certificate in multi-media makeup artistry, she is keen to show Bermuda what she can do. These workshops were the perfect forum for her to be creative and I really love what she did with both Tara, and also the model from Saturday's mini workshop.

Couldn't choose between the two versions above so thought I would include both.

Some friends very kindly gave us permission to use their glorious gardens and vignettes around the house. It is the most amazing old Bermuda property, complete with mint julep terrace which I am in love with and it was the perfect setting to both inspire and challenge the group. The fact that the dear mama who lives there is about to burst her baby belly is so ready is just testament to her generosity to allow us all to traipse around her gardens. We were just grateful that the baby held on in utero for I think a spontaneous documentation of child birth may have pushed the limits of even the most daring of the attendees.

I've gone a little nuts posting so many in front of the Spanish Moss (Old Man's Beard), but I just think Tara poses so beautifully that it makes editing down impossible. She was a dream to shoot.

We had Tara do a quick change into something completely different, and of course, to bring out her amazing eyes. I picked up this fabulous birdcage headpiece at an auction in a box of random things. This was definitely the best item in the box and I am thrilled I had a chance to finally use it. And I can't get over the colour of Tara's eyes - what does one call that? Tiger? And my sweater coat only magnifies the intensity of their colour - Tara - you are fabulous.

These may be my favourites. I love the movement in Tara's hair in the top one and that look in her eye, and the swirl of her coat in the two below. Such a great model - I know all the attendees were blown away so thank you thank you.