Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Composition

A subject quite subjective. It is more or less a taste of photographer, a model, chmestry of the day for the fnal result.
Shot with a Canon 1Ds III with EF 50/1.2L, I moved myself closer to the model to make this close up picture, while asking her to pose herself within the frame, sometimes there is luck as well.

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Question of nudity

A recent jewelry shot, this is certainly not the one released to public, but a picture I asked the model to pose for me, as my own work. Here the barrier of nudity is crossed. Nudity, one of the most debated subject in photography, regardless those who debates in favor of the subject or against it, most photographers have in one time or another, seldom or often, tocuhed this subject.
This image, shot with Nikon D3X with AF-D Nikkor 50/1.4, was in fact taken in a shorter distance I would usually do. As I often argued, I believe the particular focal length will case its distinctive sense of dimension to the subject being photogrpahed. In this case, I birng the viewer closer to the subject, a nude subject, but rather than simply raising imtimacy, the subject posed something for the viewer to feel than to watch, at least it is what I hope.

Friday, September 25, 2009

White Balance

Coming to digital capture, besides the other technical parameters the camera system is able to produce, the white balance is one of the powerful tools, you can make a picture cold, warm, and of course natural. And also to make an indoor shot simulating the look of an outdoor, without the use of much bothered lighting set up, snoot and gels, such as this one, a simple front lighting using a Bron-color Para 220FB, in the back to flooding the white wall as a large reflector.
Canon 1Ds III with EF 85/1.2L.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Counting pixels

This shot, made on beautiful Juliana, using the Hasselblad H3D-II 50, a 50 million pixels digital back, with the HC 100/2.2. resolving astonishing detail.
Is more pixels means better picture, not always, but often yes - provided the increase of pixels not made on compromising the dynamic range and noise level of the sensor. But does the client always need a bigger file for printing on virtually the same print advertising? Not really! But why more pixels welcome?
More details - it may not all resolved on the final print, but it is there, and because it is there, it allows the control over image more flexible. Retouch ?? Yes, it makes the retouch work a lot easier and faster, provided a fast enough compute to digest those pixels, but yes, it gives a much wider range of photo retouching, something photographer always try to avoid, something most photographers surrender to such needs.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Anna

A shot on this beautiful Polish model, Anna, using Canon 1Ds II with EF 35/1.4L. I have Anna lied on the cushions and stretch herself to make the display on the picture, although still considered much covered, but still with uncanny sexiness.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Smells

A recent work for a custom jwlelry manufacturer and wholesaler. Just the jewelry itself is beautiful, to match it with another beauty object - the model, is another challenge. Most of the jewelry shots I made before, as countless others, were to have model wears the jewelry, nothing wrong, if fact, perfectly makes sense.
But I want to try something else! Human, after millions years of development and evolution, create the senses that is far beyond other animals. True, we as human cannot see as far an as sharp as an eagle, but we have eyes to appreciate those fine art objects; our ears may not captured those distant sounds as many animal does, but we can share the same sorrow and happiness of the music from great musicians; we can't not smell like those harriers, but we can smell beauty!
Captured with Nikon D3X with AF-D Nikkor 50/1.4.

Monday, September 21, 2009

Dress in flowers, again!

Shot from the same series of floral art for a floral artist. Aida, a natural Chinese model, did an excellent job, posing herself inside the beautifully crafted dress - floral Kimono.
In order to concentrate on the dress and facial expression, I simply use a large softbox place from an angle atop the model for the shot, to make picture simple.
Shot with Canon 1Ds III with EF 85/1.2L.

Saturday, September 19, 2009

The Portrait

This is a shot made recently for one of my client in beauty and skin care clinic, we need a model with not just a beautiful face, but with a good inner spirit. Daniela, a mix of Brazilian and Japanese, became the face of the brand.
When choosing the lens to shoot, I was considering between either using the Zeiss Planar 80/2. or Apo-Makro-Planar 120/4 or the Planar 140/2.8, all excellent lenses to match the Phase One P45+ on Contax 645; and I settled with 140/2.8. The 140mm focal length will increase the sense of distance between the viewer and the model, adding a little more touch of beauty beyond touch, but also adds a little mystery. on the contrary, choosing a sorter focal length, for example 80mm, will make the model more friendly, more within reach. So why 140mm?
Reason one is I have already shot one Caucasian model, Jenna from Canada, last year that I was using the shorter length approach, and almost one year later, I want to introduce a different feels. Second, the beauty of Daniela looks to me to be naturally more reachable, so I can afford using a longer focal length. And I think I got what I want.

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Dress in flowers

A recent work for a floral artist, more conceptual than practical, but no doubt beautiful. A Russian model, Yulia posed for this work, I made the capture using Canon 1Ds III with EF 85/1.2L.
A still capture will have trouble displaying the type of green and flowers for the dress so I ask the model to spin herself in order to create some blurring image while capture her face in reasonable sharpness, and may be out of luck, I got the shot I want.