Eye Contact

Taken in Krabi, Thailand, with Canon 1Ds2 and EF 24-70/2.8L. I made this picture with myself in the pool, the model on the rim of the pool, so I can get myself to able shoot with an angle a little lower than the level of the ground the model was lying.
Why? Because human eyes are very sensitive, we are able to sense something we know subconsciously, without our brain telling ourselves. In this picture, because I am able to level the camera on lower than horizon, the model will appear to be larger than life, and have a larger impact.

Water

One of the most interesting object to shoot, for me. This shot, made again in Changburi Resort and Spa, Koh Chang, with Canon 1Ds2 with EF 24-105/4L, setting at around 55mm, so the perspective remains natural. I use a bron-color mobile power pack to light up a mobile light to balance with the ambient light.
I have the model sit in the narrow water way of a masjectically designed pool of the hotel, so I can position the model the way I want. The saturation of the trees and sky and the lovely model herself was kept low so more focus will remain on the model.

Natural light

I use lots of artificial lights for work, but still, plenty of works made simply with the available light, for its natural color temperature, tone and contrast, especially for presenting beautiful natural skin like this one.
Taken at Changburi Resort & Spa, Koh Chang, Thailand. The mid afternoon sun shine thru the window, flooding the room and floor with warm southern sunlight. I use Canon 1Ds M2 for this image, with EF 35/1.2L, to give a wider view of the room and a perspective that represent the model in a more dramatic approach.

Sun Bath

Taken with Canon EOS 1Ds M2, with 24-70/2.8L, I use a dish for the main light and 2 other light to fill to reduce shadow, and to lit the model in a more smooth way, so that the focus on the sun glasses will not be taken from high contrast skin tone. However, to give the overall image a little more punch, and out of necessity - of course, I use some feather to cover the model's body to create a graphical effect.
The overall tone of the image becomes very simple, pure skin tone, black, a touch of red on her lip, and the visual focus - the sun glasses.

Shadow and Light

Shadow is everyday experience, and there is shadow because of light. The relationship between light and shadow can often be an interesting object itself, and play it with another object, architecture work, interior or fashion, can be quite fun.
This image, taken at Rajaprapha Dam in Surat Thani, Thailand, another favorite place to visit, and to photograph. Using Canon 1Ds Mark 2, with EF 24-105/4L setting at around 28mm, I use a bron-Color mobile powerpack to power a mobile lite, thru an umbrella defuser, to control the constrast of the shadow on the model's body. It was a beautiful day helping me capture the vibrant color. Uisng a wider lens also allow me to work in tiny area. The shadow is cast from the sun sceen usually use for garden, and in this case, the boatman use to cut the strong southern Thailand sun. Everyhing is there, I just made use of it.

Mood of the day

This image again taken in one of my favorite location, Koh Chang, Thailand. The lovely Polish model, Gabriella, after a photo session late in the afternoon, still in excellent spirit even the daylight is well seeing its end. I have Gabi sit by the pool at the Changburi Resort & Spa, with the background pool seemed to extend all the way to the sea. Taken with Phase One P45 on Contax 645, lens in use was Carl Zeiss Vario Sonnar 45-90/4.5. I use a bron-color mobile light to balace the ambient light also to reduce too much shadow reduce the detail of the lovely model herself.
I developed the Phase One raw file in Capture Pro, add a little touch of the color to make the overall mood and tone represent what I felt of the day.

Close Up

A portrait taken with one of my favorite lens, Carl Zeiss Apo-Makro-Planar, mounted on Contax 645 with Phase One P45+. By nature of the makro lens, it allows you to capture image in a very short distance, in ths case, to the model, as if you can feel her breath.
In fact, makro lens is always my first choice when considering a system lens. And to me, what makro lens does is not just bring the photographer closer to the subject, it is the increase of intimacy that makes a makro lens portrait appeals to me. And you can't do this with a cropped image.
Lighting setup is rather stright forward, in this picture, I use an Elinchrom monoblock with a large softbox as the only light source of this studio picture.

The angle of the camera

Directing the model is one thing, capturing the image is another. Photographer behind the camera needs to know what he wants the model to pose, but to get the right picture, it is as important as how photographer position the camera as how the model should pose. Options are plenty, and all may result picture of different composition, and final image.
This image of lovely Brazilian model, Layssa, taken with a Hasselblad H3D39 and HC 100/2.2, in available daylight. I position the camera at the level of her eyes, giving the sense of image as the viewer is in conversation with her. I crop the original picture with a classic sqaure format so the overall composition is more powerful.

Waterdrops

Taken during a short vocation to Queen Sirikrit Botanic Garden, Chiangmai, Thailand. It was a normal afternoon, typical fine weather. I spotted this lotus leaf on the pond, the afternoon sun gives the countless waterdrops a nice reflection, and I snap this picture, shot with a Sony DSC-F828 with its beautiful Carl Zeiss lens.

Distance

Capture by using Phase One P45+ on Contax 645, with Carl Zeiss Planar 80/2, this is a classic portrait. I have the model remove her shirt to expose her clean and nice back, yet control the camera angle in a way the picture does not suggest nudity. The use of normal lens keep the model within a natural perspective, so the model does not appear to distant.

Focus

A portrait work took awhile ago. Taken with Phase One P45 on Contax 645, with Carl Zeiss Sonnar 210/4. In this outdoor set up, the day light is the main source, but I do need the artificial flash to increase the contrast on the model's face, as well as add some reflection to the water on the model's face. The artifical light is a bron-color Verso A4, power up the Pulso G and light through an umbrealla. Lighting is really simple and perhaps it is simple, the audiene can qucikly look at the picture and subconciously communicate the model on the picture.

Light in the darkness

This is a shot taken in Sukhothai, Thailand, a ancient capital some 427km from Bangkok, with one of my favorite camera, Leica M8 and Summicron-M 28/2 Asph.
Many may see the pagoda as my subject, in fact, my subject was the darkness, and the depth of darkness. And of course, the best way to describe darkness is the light, and one of the best way to describe space is the building and its perspective.
This shot made in the evening when the light of the Sukhothai History Part turned on to lit the pagoda, enough for me to portrait the subject I wanted to.

Nudity and Skin

Not all, but many pictures about nudity is focus on the texture of skin, contrast of light and shadow, the beautiful form of body......., mine is no exception. Except, perhaps, I tried to do it in a slightly different way by using very strong light to paint the body of the model, try to make the skin glow, and a little dream like, may be.
Beyond that, a beautifully presented nudity image is nothing to be ashamed of. And so I direct the model to face light, comfortable with herself.......
Shot on a compact Sigma DP-2 camera. Although low in pixels count when comparing some main stream digital camera, big or small, the little compact camera has the ISO setting similar to a larger camera that I use in studio, and full manual control that allow me to take some snap shot such as this along working with my studio cameras.