Trying to get back in the swing of things.....more pics added

Sir SR

Sir SR

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Shaheed
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So due to work and other bits and pieces, I don't feel i get a regular "rhythm" to my photography - always feels a bit stop start. Because of this I sometimes feel I sand still with my work rather than moving forward!

I'm going to try to shoot more regularly to overcome this......

Anyhow - shot a few pics today as a friend came round!

Jessica's Dress by NikonSR, on Flickr

Nikki P by NikonSR, on Flickr

Nikki by NikonSR, on Flickr

Will add more when I get round to looking at the others!!
 
I suffer the same with work, it would help if I had a room with a mini studio setup but I haven't a big enough room!

I do like the second and third for being a bit different. The fourth could do with the separation that you found in the last one but all are lit perfectly as usual. I do like the simplicity of a black BG.
 
Livin The Dream said:
I suffer the same with work, it would help if I had a room with a mini studio setup but I haven't a big enough room!

I do like the second and third for being a bit different. The fourth could do with the separation that you found in the last one but all are lit perfectly as usual. I do like the simplicity of a black BG.
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The 4th one did have the same separation/hair light but it didn't fire :banghead: but my fault as I was using an sb900 in su4 mode rather than fishing out my triggers.

Tried a couple of different things just to push myself a bit.

Totally agree about how nice it would be to have a space all set up.......where's that winning lottery ticket [emoji23][emoji23][emoji23]
 
Sir SR said:
The 4th one did have the same separation/hair light but it didn't fire :banghead: but my fault as I was using an sb900 in su4 mode rather than fishing out my triggers.

Tried a couple of different things just to push myself a bit.

Totally agree about how nice it would be to have a space all set up.......where's that winning lottery ticket [emoji23][emoji23][emoji23]
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What did you try differently? I'm a bit stuck in a go-to rut really so could do with doing something differently too.
 
juggler said:
All cool, but the 2 of Nikki are just spectacular.



I've started sharing a studio.. but it still takes me an hour or two to set everything up at the start of each shoot.
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Thanks Simon

I just wish I could have it all up and ready to go (backdrop, light stands etc). That all added at meat an hour at the beginning. Don't normally mind but had a stinking headache!!
 
Great shots as always Shaheed :)

I need to sort myself out some kind of background other than my white walls in the kitchen, haven't done much with my flash kit since I bought it!
 
Livin The Dream said:
What did you try differently? I'm a bit stuck in a go-to rut really so could do with doing something differently too.
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So I had a charcoal grey paper back drop. Started with one light camera left feathered through a soft box. Added in a couple of reflectors and then added a hair light (intermittently fired!!)

Stopped me going for my usual clamshell look!! I also shot with just the 70-200 which I don't always do.
 
KitsuneAndy said:
Great shots as always Shaheed :)

I need to sort myself out some kind of background other than my white walls in the kitchen, haven't done much with my flash kit since I bought it!
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Thank you!

I bought a roll of charcoal grey paper from Amazon. Wish I'd bought the wider roll now rather than the car size but I might do that at a later date!

Quite enjoy the charcoal grey actually!
 
Livin The Dream said:
What did you try differently? I'm a bit stuck in a go-to rut really so could do with doing something differently too.
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If you haven't played much with small light sources - grids, snoots, cookies, standard dish reflectors - then I highly recommend the challenge. The process and the results are totally different from working with softboxes or brollies.
 
juggler said:
If you haven't played much with small light sources - grids, snoots, cookies, standard dish reflectors - then I highly recommend the challenge. The process and the results are totally different from working with softboxes or brollies.
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I did have a honeycomb on a speedlight to get a small circular light behind the subject on a couple of shots but lost patience with positioning it and sacked it off!!
 
IMG_1470732915.304940.jpg

Forgot to take a set up shot but similar to the above. Had a speedlight snooted camera right behind the subject as hair/rim and a bare speedlight behind the subject facing towards camera in a couple of shots (although not too sure the speedlights regularly fired!!)
 
Sir SR said:
I did have a honeycomb on a speedlight to get a small circular light behind the subject on a couple of shots but lost patience with positioning it and sacked it off!!
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I know your pain. It took me over 2 hours to get my setup sorted last night - Fresnel spot, gridded dish, gridded beauty dish, snooted speedlite + reflector. And I forgot to take a setup shot. Luckily I had an exceedingly understanding victim, I just hope the results are worth it.
 
juggler said:
I know your pain. It took me over 2 hours to get my setup sorted last night - Fresnel spot, gridded dish, gridded beauty dish, snooted speedlite + reflector. And I forgot to take a setup shot. Luckily I had an exceedingly understanding victim, I just hope the results are worth it.
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Look forward to seeing the results[emoji106]
 
Sir SR said:
Thank you!

I bought a roll of charcoal grey paper from Amazon. Wish I'd bought the wider roll now rather than the car size but I might do that at a later date!

Quite enjoy the charcoal grey actually!
Click to expand...

Yeah I've been toying with the idea of paper rolls, but I have no real place to store them, or maybe the lastolite pop up backgrounds. I was thinking textured grey muslin, just not sure which option will be the easiest to store and just get out when I need it.

I do like grey backgrounds, much prefer them to white, in the day job, I spent a day last week with my flash kit doing headshots for the legal team, which was great practice, but obviously wanted a white background and the ceilings in the meeting room where we could do the shots wasn't particularly high.
 
KitsuneAndy said:
Yeah I've been toying with the idea of paper rolls, but I have no real place to store them, or maybe the lastolite pop up backgrounds. I was thinking textured grey muslin, just not sure which option will be the easiest to store and just get out when I need it.

I do like grey backgrounds, much prefer them to white, in the day job, I spent a day last week with my flash kit doing headshots for the legal team, which was great practice, but obviously wanted a white background and the ceilings in the meeting room where we could do the shots wasn't particularly high.
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The paper grey roll I have is car sized and tucks away nicely into a wardrobe. I already had a background support kit which folds away into a bag - not loads of room taken up!

The pop ups are ok but the Muslin isn't great up close. Ok if you have distance or can light it.
 
juggler said:
If you haven't played much with small light sources - grids, snoots, cookies, standard dish reflectors - then I highly recommend the challenge. The process and the results are totally different from working with softboxes or brollies.
Click to expand...

That does sound like a challenge. My way of thinking, rightly or wrongly, is hard light sources for harder subjects and vice versa. Invariably that would mean male subjects and I'm a bit limited on those in our household.

Doing a course in Sunday so hoping to broaden my horizons.

Space is the biggest dilemma along with subjects at home. Love my paper rolls and now have 4 half roll options and two 2m rolls that I have cut down to squeeze into the living room. Shadow grey is def my fave it's a bit more classy looking.
 
Sir SR said:
The paper grey roll I have is car sized and tucks away nicely into a wardrobe. I already had a background support kit which folds away into a bag - not loads of room taken up!

The pop ups are ok but the Muslin isn't great up close. Ok if you have distance or can light it.
Click to expand...

I might have to take a look at a similar setup, I don't mind taking the time to set things up, as long as it packs away small enough to store somewhere :)
 
Livin The Dream said:
That does sound like a challenge. My way of thinking, rightly or wrongly, is hard light sources for harder subjects and vice versa. Invariably that would mean male subjects and I'm a bit limited on those in our household.

Doing a course in Sunday so hoping to broaden my horizons.
Click to expand...

Cool, what's the course?

fwiw I've spent a goodly while trying to understand how to use hard light sources for a variety of subjects. It's satisfying but can be deeply unforgiving if anything's a tiny bit off; I have considerably more misses than hits.

..apologies to @Sir SR for the thread hijack..
 
juggler said:
Cool, what's the course?

fwiw I've spent a goodly while trying to understand how to use hard light sources for a variety of subjects. It's satisfying but can be deeply unforgiving if anything's a tiny bit off; I have considerably more misses than hits.

..apologies to @Sir SR for the thread hijack..
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Not at all. All interesting stuff [emoji106]
 
juggler said:
Cool, what's the course?

fwiw I've spent a goodly while trying to understand how to use hard light sources for a variety of subjects. It's satisfying but can be deeply unforgiving if anything's a tiny bit off; I have considerably more misses than hits.

..apologies to @Sir SR for the thread hijack..
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Yep, apologies too...

Doing a portraiture one with Kris Karl. I need a little inspiration! Be great to have a pro model for a change and room. I think I may have to try booking a studio every now and again, I don't get to explore too much at home.

PS. I keep looking at my garage with a view of some small setup for headshots but it isn't very big really, but good to have half a roll hung up for a quick shot or two. Quite like the idea of being able to quickly shoot a few friends.
 
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Livin The Dream said:
Yep, apologies too...

Doing a portraiture one with Kris Karl. I need a little inspiration! Be great to have a pro model for a change and room. I think I may have to try booking a studio every now and again, I don't get to explore too much at home.

PS. I keep looking at my garage with a view of some small setup for headshots but it isn't very big really, but good to have half a roll hung up for a quick shot or two. Quite like the idea of being able to quickly shoot a few friends.
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I'm jealous, I love his work - but he's too far away for me really.
Studios are addictive. And whatever you do they're never big enough.
 
juggler said:
I'm jealous, I love his work - but he's too far away for me really.
Studios are addictive. And whatever you do they're never big enough.
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Well if I find some inspiration, it will have served its purpose. Thinking i need to invest in some training/models/studio space next few years instead of gear. Looking forward to it and it's a bit of a trek for me too.
 
Sir SR said:
The paper grey roll I have is car sized and tucks away nicely into a wardrobe. I already had a background support kit which folds away into a bag - not loads of room taken up!

The pop ups are ok but the Muslin isn't great up close. Ok if you have distance or can light it.
Click to expand...

Picking up a background support system from WEX tonight, can't decide whether a 1.35m backdrop will be wide enough or to go to for the 2m ones though
 
KitsuneAndy said:
Picking up a background support system from WEX tonight, can't decide whether a 1.35m backdrop will be wide enough or to go to for the 2m ones though
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As soon as someone does something more than stand there - e.g. puts their arms out - you'll need wider, especially if you're shooting from fairly close. If you've got room get the bigger one.
Just remember you need more than 2m to allow for the stands' feet.
 
juggler said:
As soon as someone does something more than stand there - e.g. puts their arms out - you'll need wider, especially if you're shooting from fairly close. If you've got room get the bigger one.
Just remember you need more than 2m to allow for the stands' feet.
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Yeah I should have the space, but I'm not 100% sure, so I'm getting a stand that goes up to 3m, and a 1.35m roll to start with, as I know I have plenty of space to set that up, and I'll get wider at a later date if I feel like I need to :)
 
juggler said:
Really liking your playful new stuff.. a deliberate contrast to the slower film work or just how it happened?
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So a bit of background - this is Nikki, swimming instructor to ours and our friends' kids for over 3 years. She's leaving the area and the kids are really going to miss her. She responded to my Facebook post for volunteers to test the film camera! She came round, along with our other friends, spent a few hours shooting then all went for tea. Really nice day and the kids were so pleased!

I'd had this kind of hair shot in mind for a while.

Nikki felt a bit shy and awkward. I asked her what her fave feature was and it was her hair. Really wanted to encapsulate that somehow and then this came back to me!
 
You really have nailed this kind of shot Shaheed, top marks. She seems quite relaxed and so credit with that most important part.


KitsuneAndy said:
Yeah I should have the space, but I'm not 100% sure, so I'm getting a stand that goes up to 3m, and a 1.35m roll to start with, as I know I have plenty of space to set that up, and I'll get wider at a later date if I feel like I need to :)
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I'd buy the full roll Andy and cut it down to what you can get away with. There's only about £8 extra outlay plus a decent tenor saw which is what I have done to get down to just over 2M in my living room. I do have to stand them up at 45 degrees in the garage to store though.
 
Livin The Dream said:
You really have nailed this kind of shot Shaheed, top marks. She seems quite relaxed and so credit with that most important part.




I'd buy the full roll Andy and cut it down to what you can get away with. There's only about £8 extra outlay plus a decent tenor saw which is what I have done to get down to just over 2M in my living room. I do have to stand them up at 45 degrees in the garage to store though.
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Cheers! She was getting really annoyed with herself as she wasn't happy with her poses. I told her to get her phone camera out, pretend she was taking a selfie - instantly relaxed!!
 
Top work as usual buddy- I love the last image- very well posed and a pleasing result, with nice separation from the BG.

Les
 
Shaheed,

Your images + studio talents shown above are fantastic, they're proper magazine stuff, exceptional photography my friend! You should (excuse the pun) focus on this personal imagery and you'll make a big name for yourself and money also. You've an excellent theme and trade mark to be honest!!

Love your photographic style.

Wicked

:)


Pete
 
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