Project in the works

I got this idea from a peer. He was doing a big mess with a model, and asked me to help him. I figured since she was already a mess, why not just throw the paint to her? Then I decided to do my own take on the concept. So far, this is what I have. I need to experiment with colors and techniques. Any takers to model?

The simplicity of white seamless - NSFW

It just has something. It's simple, elegant. The whole image revolves about one thing only: The subject. 

I know, even on white seamless, I have to make it dark. But what's the fun on leaving it white? I mean, we can turn it gray, whatever shades of it, or even black, right?

 

Here's a truly white one. 

 

I admit, my way of utilizing seamless can be a little less conventional than other photographers. And that's how I like it :)

 

So there, even I like clean and high key images.

Adrian

To edit or not to edit....(the photoshop dilemma)

So, you want a photograph...

Well, the more I think about it, the more I think people now a days are confused, in great part because media, photographers, TV, etc.

Used to be that a photograph was an accurate (enough) representation of a subject. So that would mean that a photograph in it's essence should be used straight out of the camera.

Since the old days, this wasn't always the case. Dodging, burning, masking, where all techniques used by old school photographers in the dark room, to enhance a photograph.

Why? because after all, photography is an art, so the artist plays with the medium, tweaking it, exploring it's possibilities.

This was usually accepted as a normal practice, because it didn't really change the image's essence. just enhanced it. Nowadays, with the use of all the tools at hand, we daily go beyond the old dodging and burning. We stretch, clone, liquify, mask, filter, smooth, add grain, reduce grain, over impose images, cut and paste.

I'm not going to judge if this is ethical. It's the way it is and most photographers do it, at different levels.

So what's right and what's not?

I think is more about honesty. If a photographer does it, discloses it and is honest about it, wouldn't that be just like an 'upgrade' of the old tools?

maybe.

Let's just get to the issue I want to discuss. As a boudoir photographer, I get a lot of questions and requests. Some clients expect lots of editing. Some don't want much. So I though the best way to explain what I do as my regular work flow is to show it, since we're talking about images.

Let's get to it!

On this image of a back, my normal work flow would be remove marks in the skin. that's it. Some clients like the porcelain look of filters, usually they ask me to 'smooth' the skin, like in the far right back.

 Legs often concern my clients. Digital cameras show way much detail, that produces skin with lots of texture. My normal work flow would be the middle image. For many clients, this would be a somehow honest depiction of the subject. For many, it's just not acceptable. So I offer the more extreme editing on the far right image.

 Then we get into many issues at the same time: Skin texture and a couple of extra curves that my client wasn't too proud off. Again, my client wanted to look at her best. My job? to please her. Some liquify and surface filter/layers where applied to achieve the image on the right.

 On this image, not only the skin and curves required some editing. I also had to add parts of fabric that were not in the original image. Without that, the image just didn't look right.

Faces are the most important part of the image. I think these images talk by themselves. It's worth noting that this kind of editing on the face is not part of my normal editing. This was a request by a client. Looks great, doesn't it?

So, at the end it's a matter of taste. To me, it's just a matter of time. The editing on the images at the right usually takes 2-3 times of the normal editing. Is it worth it? absolutely!

I hope this helps give a better idea of what you as a client can expect, and what option you have if you would like some extra photoshop love.

Best,

Adrian

We're just sand...

So, How do you get here?
All my customers, friends and even my wife often scratch their heads when I explain my ideas, or when they find out how I got the image I wanted.
It all starts with an innocent comment, something I heard, or a magazine. This particular one was actually kind of sad. Somebody I know is now in a very sad place. Let's just say that she risked her life, to try to get a better future. Things didn't work out for her the way she wanted them. This got me thinking about the dessert. I was in the dessert taking pictures about four years ago. Now I wanted to do it again. At Home. So I decided to build a gigantic sand box. I had an image in my mind, a woman alone in the dessert. Sad, vulnerable, beautiful.
I figured I could pull it off in a day or two. It took 500 lbs. of play sand. Many trips to the hardware store. A big pain in my back. Almost getting shot while collecting wild branches and grasses since it is hunting season and freezing temperatures.


It was actually a shoot that was planned for a very specific model. Somebody who inspires me and with whom I've worked before. She ended up rescheduling the very day of the shoot. Things have a way to work out, however. I had a shoot with another model later that day. She agreed to do my sand box concept. I feel bad for her. She got sand EVERYWHERE. However, I'm very pleased with the results. I got the pensive and delicate feeling I was going after. Defenseless under headlights. My thoughts go out for Dolores, hoping she'll soon be back with the people who love her and need her, Safe.

Price of art

So, I went to this group's practice. Brazilian Capoeira. They're so amazing! Besides the whole concept, a martial art disguised as a social event cuasi-dance, the elegance of the moves, the interaction of the players, the respect and feeling they display while playing is amazing. It's hard to take pictures at an event like this. first of all, these guys move....fast and a lot. secondly, many times the background is not the best, so you have to get creative.

I chose lower angles for two reasons: would leave the trees as background, cutting out bystanders and buildings to a minimum. secondly, because it gives a sense of greatness to the players, which is what I wanted to convey.
The problem I didn't count on, was power. I set my lights, get readings and then started shooting. I had a quantum battery pack, plugged to my sb-800 flash, so I was good to go. and I went. actually, I learned why the newer brother of the sb-800 has a thermal cut off. to avoid overheating.

this is how my flash looked before I ended my shoot:
This is after I noticed some burnt plastic smell but disregarded it as maybe somethin unimportant:
My trustworthy flash wouldn't stop firing. even when it melted.
So, next time, gotta either use two flashes at half of the power, or use the bnigger strobes, such as the Alien Bees 1600, to keep the little guys from working too hard.

just saying.

Why I work with the models I work with

My take on models and photography is that each model's image has a unique feature, that helps me do a specific project. So when I get in touch with a model, I insist on meeting first. I need to get a feeling about the person, the ideas, the way they move, talk. After that, I start thinking on what theme to develop. I always ask models what ideas they have, but so far I haven't been lucky: All I get is usually "I don't know, edgy, something cool and different"
So I base the whole shoot on my own ideas. I try to come up with something unique for each model. It helps when they have lots of wardrobe, so I can play with that as well. As in everything, some models have an amazing amount of clothes, accessories and shoes. Some, not so much.
The other thing that I've observed is chemistry. I'm talking about chemistry at a personal level. I had models where we barely spoke more than a couple words, and I had models that wouldn't stop making me laugh. Those are the models I go back to. Granted, the model is an image, so the final effect doesn't depend on if he/she talks or not. however, my work flow is all about improvising. When we're having good rapport, a laugh or an interesting chat, my creative juices just start flowing and there's never enough time to do all the things I'm imagining. If the model sits there and doesn't even say moo, well, I take a couple pictures I had already in my mind and call it a day.

I've worked with Tiffany a couple times already. Something I love about it is that she's as crazy as I am. She will climb, go up, down, and do whatever takes to get the picture right.
It's been so interesting to see how she keeps growing as a model. But something that hasn't changed, is that she models because she loves it. Not for the money, not because she believes she's so cool, or because she needs images for her portfolio to get discovered by an agency and become next America's top model. She just loves it.
I love photography too, so I guess that's why we click.