Beauty Shoot- Caroline

Just realized I kept wanting to update but kept putting it off 'til the next shoot and then the next shoot and then another shoot. This semester I've completed 6 major shoots, worked with heaps of awesome new people and hopefully significantly boosted my portfolio another level. It's great because I can now really concentrate on compiling my print book!

Couple of months ago (it always seems a couple of months ago), I met up with Portia Peacey whose makeup and hair work I've noticed for quite a while, so it's quite exciting to finally collaborate on something. We decided on avant garde hair with a European Nordic theme and contacted Sarah (Baxter) to hopefully do makeup. Now I've mentioned Sarah a few times, we first worked together early in the year and her clean beauty work simply blew me away. It was one of the definitive turning moment in my work so anyone can imagine how hilariously happy I was.

Beauty is a big part of the fashion industry- all those skin care, makeup, hair products, perfume, jewelery ads are in most parts beauty photography. It's all about perfection- perfect hair, perfect skin, meticulous makeup application, phenomenal faces, phenomenal lighting and it involves a great team working together which is stressed even more given how the slightest imperfection would be brought up in beauty work. The biggest mistake when trying to shoot beauty is thinking that all that is needed is makeup or a beautiful model, and while beauty usually utilize beautiful models (and makeup) it's actually a combination of everything which focuses on skin, hair and makeup. It's about the art and the perfection and if one facet fails, the whole image fails. This is also perhaps why many would mistake portraiture or glamour work for beauty when they aren't really.

This is Sarah, uber cute! She's standing in for a light test =D

Sarah working on Caroline, our model of the day.

Portia attempting the hair which is a white faux piece styled on the model's own hair.

We are yet again in my little apartment studio so we're working around the bench and table. We are joined by Caroline from Chadwicks and Vlad who's assisting me. The shoot itself it set up against a white wall and I wanted a really nice bright clean type of lighting so (and here's the semi scary part where due to lack of equipment and making do with what we have) we hooked up one of the hotlights on a hanger and hung it through the vent in the ceiling. This serves as my main front light.

Portia subtly changed the hair for three looks while Sarah did a clean face with blue eyeshadow, then blue and silvery lips and then a lovely orange lip.

 

Sarah and Portia stepping in to fix stray hair.

A valiant attempt to introduce a back hair light.

This was possibly the quickest ever shoot we have ever done. It lasted about half a day and Caroline was superb just easing into each change with rapid succession. I did learn however that white is notoriously difficult to light without losing details and definition, so that is something to focus on for next year ;)

 

 

 

Makeup Sarah Baxter

Hair Portia Peacey

Model Caroline @ Chadwick

Photography S de Varax

Assistant Vlad K

Summer

Melbourne has turned into a scorcher when it's not raining straight through for 6 hours. Attempting to sit through 3.5 hours of law exams twice was rather an achievement in itself and at last I'm free. Sweet sweet freedom from being cooped up for two weeks staring at tiny notes and bright computer screens!

Sarah (a very dear and darling makeup artist who recently moved to Melbourne and we've been working together for awhile) and I excitedly planned for a what promised to be phenomenal beach fashion and beauty shoot. Unfortunately, as always when I prepared for a location shoot, the skies thundered and grayed and positively threatened sleet. Slightly dramatic but I'm hugely disappointed in Melbourne 'Four Seasons' weather!

Just the other day popped in again at Insert Name Here to see Airdrie and met the newest designers who joined the store. Eva Q is a must watch young couturist, her current collection an exemplar of hand sewn delicacy, while Hamish of T Shirt Garage produces comfortable male and female tees grafted with muscle car designs. It was Hamish's welcome evening and somehow I got roped in to shooting runway and event! What an interesting experience negotiating through available light, trying to shoot quickly, quietly and with decent composition. Don't think I did so well, but it was great fun =D

I'll soon be busy with a new shoot and will be updating with images from the big editorials from months ago =D Stay tuned!

Orphan

I meant to write about this on Halloween! Saw Orphan the night before, and while I'm usually not partial to horror films due to an overactive imagination (I still fear Chucky and IT), I was really surprised by Orphan!

The story tells of a family still grieving from the loss of a stillbirth baby, and they decided to adopt a girl who turned out not quite as expected. The film maintains a sense of watchful creepiness even from the start, relying on expert cinematography to deliver the audience along with it. Unlike most other horror thrillers, this one does not involve a high amount of senseless blood and gore.

Not quite sure why the reviewers aren't as receptive to Orphan, perhaps because it doesn't hold the same sort of value in potential sequels, the movie was definitely a little more artsy. I was blown away by the performance of the 12 yr old lead actress Isabelle Fuhrman who played 'Esther', very mature, well thought out and she absorbed her character utterly.

Her transformation in the movie was so impeccable! Alternating between sweet child and psycho with such ease, I half expected her to appear in the room!

Time to stop shuddering. Orphan isn't as scary as all the Exorcist type movies and Ring and etc, but still, quite enjoyable for a thriller =D

All images of Orphan movie belong to Dark Castle.

Fast and Slow

Met up with one of my favourite designers today- Airdrie Makim who does Joolz by Airdrie, very beautiful hand crafted jewelery made from recycled materials. She now has an adorable little shop with two other designers on Georges on Collins called Insert Name Here.

I first worked with Airdrie when I started photography, she had so graciously loaned me her collection to play around with.

Designer Joolz by Airdrie

Makeup Justine Bruers

Model Sara Downs

Photography Me

Lighting Assistant Jeff Paine

Assistant Sammi Jones

Evidently it was one of my biggest shoot with a ton of people and lasted about 6 hours. So ambitious this young thing!

So Airdrie and I got to talking about the industry. Everything is so fast paced and things just happen. It's really truly about who you know and it's about networking and pushing yourself and putting yourself out there, because if you don't no one else would know you existed. I'm pretty much the shy lamb, I feel so uncomfortable in social situations and have been avoiding parties and launches, which I should really go to!

I always hear questions on how to succeed, how to be a working photographer- I have a ton of those questions myself. Networking, perseverance, marketing yourself- I have to keep my head down and keep chugging on like the little engine who could.

But everything in this industry is also about waiting- waiting through prep time, waiting to hear back from people, waiting to be approved, waiting, waiting, waiting. It can be so exhausting- it's a social industry and you end up depending on alot of other people.

C'est la vie.

Alexander McQueen SS10

McQueen certainly puts on a show for fashion lovers with his 2010 Spring runway. The theme was Evolution and models strutted in crafted ballet heels, scaly prints on structured dresses against an 'underwater' backdrop. The makeup and hair was a sight to behold with coiled braids, fresh skin and prosthetics utilized to give an alien look.

Watch the show via video at Showstudio.

Enjoy.

Beauty Shoot

Mid-semester break has just ended and I readily used the time to fit in as many shoots as possible. This time around I had a general casting call and had quite a favourable response and compiled a list of possible creatives and models.

This beauty shoot involves Domi Baiocchi (makeup and hair) and Jas B (model), both of whom I haven't worked with before so it's quite exciting. It was a simple one involving two looks and after sending messages and reference images we settled upon a high contrast one focusing on the eyes and one with a diamante design.

As with most of my shoots, we were in the apartment. Jas recently moved to Melbourne and is finding her way around. We've been meaning to work together for some time, so this was an awesome opportunity. She's such a lovely girl and put up with my strange directions (can you growl? like a lion?) with a smile.

Domi (seen above working on the first look) does superb clean meticulous makeup. I love it! Her choice of cyan and blues in providing the contrast look turned out really well, and I ended up preferring the end result in colour as opposed to the original choice of black+white.

This also gave me a chance to play with different processing style. I've been really interested in silvery skin tones, although I'm not quite sure if there's enough contrast and separation from the background. Lighting was done with two hot lights, with one bounced to the ceiling. Vlad provided assistance with adjusting lighting.

Jas also brought along a bagful of jewelery and we attempted an a jewelery editorial. It was certainly an education, as trying to get an awesome set of 8-10 images for an editorial is a lot harder than just getting one kick ass image. In addition they have to be cohesive and tell a story.

For the second look, Domi opted for a casual ponytail, and carefully laid out red diamantes in a scar formation. The next hour was spent attempting to growl, scowl, scream, yell and bring fierceness to the look! Black lipstick is difficult to work with, it tends to stain the teeth so be prepared!

Changing expression and pose shows how remarkable a look can shift. In the first she's a sneering dominatrix, and the other a high fashion model! I like to think so anyway =)

The right people and a good team is invaluable on every shoot. It's a wonderful feeling when everything goes right and you end up with something you're proud of. Much contentment.

First publication

With all my latest shoots and prepping for submissions, I didn't realize I actually received my first publication and tearsheets. What a completely (forgotten) surprise! It's a little article (text and photos) on the 13th Nec Go Cup for the Australian Go Journal, of which I'm now the Melbourne correspondent for. So while it's isn't fashion and beauty, it's still quite exciting and involves the other occupation of my life- go.

Go is an ancient Chinese board game played with white and black stones. It's quite simple to learn but challenging to master, and quite beautiful once you start understanding the intricate complexity of the moves. I started playing about 6 years ago and have been involved in one of the local and more active clubs the past four years. This year (this weekend actually) we're hosting the Australian National Go Tournament, so yes I'm covering the photography aspect again.

One of the Journal editors brought in copies and I get one. Happy.

Portfolios

While I'm shooting and adding more work to my portfolio, I must begin to think (and rather obsess) about a physical print portfolio. Every photographer interested in a career must invest in both their work and the tools that would connect them to their clients. A print portfolio is the presentation of our work (although arguably in today's time many photographers make do with just a web presence and online portfolios- I'll write about websites another time, it's yet another obsession). It's an investment of both effort and a lot of money, especially since a nice book cover can run in the hundreds and when you add business cards, promo cards, websites, perhaps even a design of your logo (let's put aside the photographic equipment for the moment), you'll be seeing red for awhile before your career could possibly cover it in later years. 'Quite an expensive hobby' as a friend use to say.

As I've started in photography rather haphazardly with more of a conviction than any knowledge, all information relating to photography and the commercial industry and about fashion and the ways to go about setting yourself up comes from the internet, from other photographers much wiser, more experienced, and of course from trial and error and thinking about the path I'd like to take.

There is of course a lot of mis-information from the internet, often contradictory and most of the time rather vague, one must use discerning judgment and hope for the best.

So back to portfolios. General thought by those in the fashion industry for aspiring fashion photographers, your book should be 11x14, comprising 10-20 pages (20-40 single images) of your best work. It is remarkably difficult to find portfolio books in Melbourne (Australia) that 1) looks professional, 2) are of the right size, and 3) allows for easy page changes. It is far more economical and (with a wide range of options) easier to find something online.

House of Portfolios (pictured above) offers a super sleek and solid design (among others). It's really classic and you can personalize them too. I can imagine their leather books are divine to hold. Little bit out of my price range however which is a pity.

 

I'm quite favouring Pina Zangaro's portfolios, a multitude of presentation covers for those desiring to stand out a little more unique. I suppose they are slightly more modern yet it hasn't stopped me from lusting after their synthetic leather Rossano (pictured right) or the acrylic panelled Vista (in Onyx matte black) all quite conventional choices!

I'm influenced by understated elegance and letting my work show by itself. It should be neat, sleek and simple. The screwpost system also allows you to add more pages when ever you like so that's definitely a bonus.

The only thing left is to go see the portfolios (Zetta Florence in Australia supplies Pina Zangaro), and decide what to print and include and in which layout......

And whether I'd like an imprinting of my logo or any of the other additional personalizations.

Quelle la vie.

(Images belong to their respective companies)

Self Portraits

I started photography with self portraits (actually it began with some abstract shadows and building tops from the balcony, and of course I also photographed Cat who would get curious at the sight of this black shiny DSLR), but since I've always been more drawn to people imagery and having a lack of models I just used myself (one could also always use siblings, family, friends and random people on the street).

Self portraiture is an art in itself. It's a direct reflection on who you are as an artist, and you not only have to grapple with the conceptual imagery you wish to present but also the technical difficulties involved- focus, light fall, composition anyone? Since you're playing both roles, the majority of time would be spent on running to and fro adjusting all the details. At least I do anyway.

Self Portrait: The Shoot

Since getting my camera back from repairs, I had to try shooting again. Voila, another self portrait (see image above). First is deciding what you want to shoot. It's the same with any other shoots- the theme and details are important. In this case I was influenced by my outfit of the day- a gothic lolita skirt from ebay, a Cue long sleeved collared shirt, a pair of black and purple knee high stockings and my favourite pair of black suede boots. I wanted a white background for contrast (cleared a section of wall space) and hard lighting and shadows (one light top right). Once there is a setup, it's some experimentation getting everything else on camera right. Adjust, adjust, adjust until happy.

 

Then off I go. Trying different poses, different expressions.  One good note about using digital is that I can keep experimenting without having to worry too much. I didn't like the first 100 frames (continuous shooting on bursts of 10), until I started playing with my spectacles. Much better.

Once I get a good selection, it's off to editing, deleting those that are terrible, bad, not good enough and keeping those that are usable. I did basic corrections, lower the saturation slightly, and resized these to 11x14. I really liked a couple and combined them, thus final product:-

It's quite interesting to see the variety of ways that photographers present themselves, some even make whole portfolios of self portraits and it does push one to be as creative as they can to do something different and unique each and every time. I'd like to try the 365 days Self Portrait Project one day, so perhaps....one day =)

Gender fashion

2009 marked an explosion of new fashion for men- skirts. With names the likes of Gaultier, Commes des Garcons, and Yohji Yamamoto, male models in avant garde makeup and trailing skirts or over skinny pants walked the runways. Is this a sign of fashion taking gender bending to new heights?

Interestingly one response was about the need to make skirts for men more masculine looking or else they just look wrong. Hmm.

Contemporary fashion is about pushing limits. No rules, no must, no have tos, it's about defining yourself without definitions. Transgress boundaries by disregarding it completely, reinvent it. This is why fashion is sometimes incomprehensible, out there and thus avant garde.

Vogue Italia- Linda by Meisel

Linda Evangelista with Steven Meisel

For Vogue Italia 2009
What a gorgeous editorial. Sublime black and white tones and I love the light flare.

Here's another one with Linda. There was a conversation today about moving models. Movement always bring a certain dynamism and liveliness to an image- even if a model is moving -into- a pose. The hard part is of course maintaining a suitable facial expression, thus it does take quite alot of control.

Introduction

Photography came into my life not too long ago...a very lovely photographer friend handed me his spare 10D and said 'try it' and as if something very large, something very prominent and enthusing and marvelous came and knocked me sideways, photography has become a very different reality of my life.

This is a documentation of my journey. Welcome.