NW Glamour Workshop

Nude Photographer's Assistant

I had the recent and pleasant opportunity to attend a Glamour & Nude Workshop which focused on high key and low key lighting techniques. It has been quite some time since I attended a workshop and I thought it would be fun to get together with other photographers from my area to work with a couple of models and to explore some different lighting techniques.

One of my regular models, Kira, let me know about the workshop, and I share the information with my friend, Mark M. and we carpooled up to the shoot in Vancouver bright and early last Sunday morning. We got there just as the models arrived and the crew was setting up the shooting stations in the loft area of the building. The team brought lots of props and the shooting area included a pool table.

There were two models available for the shoot and a low key and a high key shooting area were set up with the appropriate lighting and backdrops. There were, I'd guess, about a dozen photographers at the workshop, divided into two groups. We buddied up in pairs, and each one of use alternated shooting the models for an hour at each of the station. The shoot was efficiently organized and I actually capture many more images that I would have expected given the time and duration of the workshop.

Kira on the Table

I've shot with lots of models and many different styles of lighting over the last three decades, so I was familiar with the lighting arrangements and and exposure settings, but what I found really interesting was watching the various photographers pose the models and come up with creative ideas to create unique images. I t was also a kick talking to other photographers, discussing tips and techniques, and sharing ideas about various projects and even locations  to shoot. Everyone there was friendly and more that willing to talk shop. That made it all the more enjoyable

Lunch was provided as well a copious amounts of water and it was just a great afternoon shooting with lovely models and a great group of photographers. With any luck, I'll be free for the next workshop and it will be just as fun.

Jenn C. - High Key with Fabric

Kira - HIgh Key

My Waterfall

Water Witch

I love shooting models in water. If you don't believe me, ask my wife. She's been in enough rivers, lakes, streams and seas over the years as a subject in my photos that she complained once of getting webbed feet. She was always a good sport about it, but has drawn the line at the freezing waters of the Pacific Northwest (well, mostly - that's her in the image to the right).

There are a few places where I like to shoot water glamour, but one of my favorite places is a little waterfall in the Tillamook Forest. I've written about it before, but it's worth another mention a few years later, especially since I've done a bit more photography there during the intervening time.

Tropical Cathy

One of the things I like about the area is the different backgrounds you can achieve by varying your distance from the falls, changing the angle from which you're shooting, and choosing the time of day for the shoot. Each variable creates and different look, color and atmosphere to the image.  Additionally, you can get up and away from the falls and get a totally different feel for the images.  There are logs, ledges and small trails all around the falls and each spot offers new opportunities.

Glamorous Sierra

Shoot facing away from the falls, and a completely different view of vegetation, water and earth tones form the backdrop. At the right time of day, warm sunlight scatters through the surrounding trees and produces a dappled pattern of shadows and light on the ground. Pose a model in this environment and the potential for an exquisite image increases exponentially.

There are other areas around the falls that provide equally photogenic settings, but I haven't explored those areas nearly as much as I have the base of the falls, the stream and the surrounding ledges. With any luck, I'll get a chance to remedy that this summer.

Now, if you're truly interested in shooting here, ask me nicely and I might give you directions. You'll have to provide your own models though, and be sure not to misplace your keys as there is definitely no cell service at the falls (don't ask, it's a long and embarrassing story).

Waterfall Nymph

Cathedral Park Revisted

Tropical Audi

With the return of warm weather, fleeting as it is this week, I've started thinking about summer shoots in Cathedral Park, both with models and with my family. The park has so many delightful areas in which to shoot and I want to explore many more of them this summer. I'd especially like to do more Barefoot Glamour images and some portraiture, but it would also be fun to do portraits of my own family in the park as well, and I'm setting aside some time for that as well.

I've written about the park in the past, but it's worth repeating that by selectively choosing different areas in the park, the atmosphere of the image can be made to look tropical, urban, woodland and any other number of scenarios. The St. Johns Bridge offers many unique backdrops, but there is also a set of rail tracks that run through the park, a long pier and dock. a small beach area, fields, trees, buildings, and a number of other structures.

Light, Texture and Beauty

I particularly like the light and the textures directly underneath the bridge. The bridge provides an extensive area of open shade, but enough light filters through at an angle to provide a bit of contrast to intensify the colors. The concrete pillars and the painted steel provide a textural and color contrast with the grass, trees and other vegetation that abound throughout the park.

There are certain drawbacks to an urban park, of course. While the city of Portland does a great job of preventing and removing graffiti from public lands, inevitably there will be some trash and debris, mainly cigarette butts that have to be picked up from the shoot area. On occasion, I have had to remove liquor bottles and beer cans as well, but I've seen a lot worse in other areas. My recommendation is to take a small trash bag with you just in case you need it. It never hurts to leave a place in a little better shape than in which you found it.

Stairs and Arches

Urban Lines and Curves