Cilla Does Nudes

Bilsen

but she also does cataolgue lingerie and casual fashion. These frames are from a shoot we did last week to update her catalogue portfolio.

Sorry guys but you can click on the first frame to see the rest of this session.







Do you see the Marilyn Monroe thing going on here?

Wil Davis

Very pretty girl, nicely posed with lots of variety in the poses, but her expression doesn't change very much…

…but perhaps that was the intention, the portfolio being for a catalogue (sorry, just me being thick )

Nice job!

- Wil

bendruckerphoto

Nice set. I'd get rid of #2. It's really not up to the quality of the rest. #5 is my favorite by far.

Bilsen

Thanks guys.

Will, Cilla has somewhat crooked teeth and, being a model, they make her nuts so she never does the broad smile. Number 1 is about as "smiley" as she gets and guys seem happy enough with that.

Thanks Ben. Maybe I'll rework # 2. I like the pose and the catologue feel to it. Possibly some better color management would help.

Wolftep

She looks like a blonde Maura Tierney. Very nice set!

kdog

I like the whole series. Great stuff, and great model.

Would I be out of line to ask how you did the lighting?

Thanks,
-joel

Wil Davis

JohnGalt_ny wrote:

Thanks guys.

Will, Cilla has somewhat crooked teeth and, being a model, they make her nuts so she never does the broad smile. Number 1 is about as "smiley" as she gets and guys seem happy enough with that.

Ah, OK…

…she's quite a looker; I think 1,3, 4 and 5 are great. In some of the photos she seems to have that far-away smouldering look in her eyes… …and that Cupid's bow mouth… …very nice!

- Wil

Bilsen

Thanks Wil. To me she's gorgeous. It amazes me how a model will always find her flaw. Then again, masking it is part of her job description and her expressions can melt a guy (even an old one) if she decides to.

Joel, no problem. I did a cruise in February (going again next month) where the whole seminar was outdoor, natural light with no flash, no reflectors, no nothing.

The trick is to find the line between the sun and the shade and then use the sunny areas for hair or rim light while metering the model's face in the shade. I use a Sekonic L-358 to meter in front of her face with the sensor facing the camera position. Honestly, I still blow out about 50% of the backgrounds. If you'd like, take a look at the wall and door shots in the full gallery. Those are the best examples of this technique.

Thanks again.

bendruckerphoto

Just noticed some. What the heck is going on in the bottom right corner of #5?

whiteagle

The first and the one in front of the door are my favorites. I'd like to see 2 after it's been color corrected. Something about it looks unflattering, but it could just be the color being off.

Tim Kamppinen

bendruckerphoto wrote:

Just noticed some. What the heck is going on in the bottom right corner of #5?

Looks like the layer was duplicated and then rotated, leaving the original layer visible underneath in the corner... definitely needs to be fixed.

Bilsen

Ben & Tim, Wow that's embarassing.:hang I actually took two frames here, one tilted and one straight. I used the straight one for some fill when I resized the crop, then forgot to cover it over. My bad. Nice catch and thank you both, cause I love that image. Psst, I also fixed the rip in her dress that I missed the first time.

Anyway, here's the new version:



and a slightly color corrected # 2.




Thanks again to all.

Photosbychuck

my fav #1

Take Care,
Charles

bendruckerphoto

I still think #2 is the weakest composition, but the boost in color and contrast helps. #5 is still my favorite.

Art Scott

nice series.....good looking girl also...........thumbbow

Bilsen

Thanks Art. We agree about priscilla.

Ben, I don't disagree with you but I can still see it in the Sears catalogue (ofr style if not IQ). Anyway, thanks a ton for your continued interest and comments.

bendruckerphoto

I think the problem I have with #2 is all the bright, reflective surfaces. The fence, the light gray bricks, and the leaves of the tree. I know you were shooting natural light here, but that shot would be a perfect candidate for underexposing the ambient by a stop or two and then filling with flash. Of course hindsight is 20/20. Maybe an idea for next time.

Bilsen

Thanks again Ben.

I agree about dropping the EV a bit and filling and I probably would if I were smarter. My concept for this shoot was to practice natural light, no flash, no reflectors, no 'nuffin.

Anyway, see if a gradient overlay PP gimmick helps to get to your idea at all.

bendruckerphoto

Darkening down the background definitely helps her pop a little more. Also, the more vertical crop makes her look a lot slimmer. I took the liberty of doing a side by side before and after, since it was tough to originally see the difference.

Bilsen

It does slim her out. Amazing. Not like she's exactly fat to start.