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Modern Geisha

aktseaktse Registered Users Posts: 1,928 Major grins
edited February 9, 2012 in People
I love it when a few females get together for shoot. Someone had an idea of "Modern Geisha", we found a model, the MA turned her into life and I set the lighting.

The makeup itself took about three to four hours and it's more of a combo between Geisha and Chinese Opera. The lighting patterns were a mixture of a socked beauty dish, sometimes with reflectors and a large octo on a boom stand.


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I thought my sandbags were in the car, but realized that I didn't have them when I arrived. Luckily, a handbang works in a pinch.

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C&C welcomed.
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    D3SshooterD3Sshooter Registered Users Posts: 1,187 Major grins
    edited January 22, 2012
    Different, with a couple of very nice shots 1,2,5. What is the reason for the difference in skin tones, is that a Geisha thing ?
    A photographer without a style, is like a pub without beer
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    anonymouscubananonymouscuban Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 4,586 Major grins
    edited January 22, 2012
    April.

    These are great and really appeal to me. I have a confession. Memoirs of a Geisha is one of my all time favorite books and movies. I've always found the art of Geisha quite intriguing. You did a great job. Not quite the traditional Geisha but like you said, with a modern twist.
    "I'm not yelling. I'm Cuban. That's how we talk."

    Moderator of the People and Go Figure forums

    My Smug Site
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    marcusrichphotomarcusrichphoto Registered Users Posts: 125 Major grins
    edited January 22, 2012
    Stunning pictures, lovely lighting and makeup.
    Marcus.

    He's not the Messiah. He's a very naughty boy!

    My website: http://www.marcusrichphotography.com
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    VayCayMomVayCayMom Registered Users Posts: 1,870 Major grins
    edited January 23, 2012
    wow, great images, wonderful make up even though the black thing on her lip bugged me, it took my eyes off of her eyes a bit. The eye make up is incredible. Thanks for sharing the lighting too.
    Trudy
    www.CottageInk.smugmug.com

    NIKON D700
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    FlyNavyFlyNavy Registered Users Posts: 1,350 Major grins
    edited January 23, 2012
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    HackboneHackbone Registered Users Posts: 4,027 Major grins
    edited January 23, 2012
    1 2 5 8 wow!!!
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    NikolaiNikolai Registered Users Posts: 19,035 Major grins
    edited January 23, 2012
    Very cool, April! clap.gif
    I'm glad you finally getting to enjoy the studio lights! mwink.gifrofl
    "May the f/stop be with you!"
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    anonymouscubananonymouscuban Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 4,586 Major grins
    edited January 23, 2012
    I've always wanted to get my wife to dress as a Geisha. Hasn't happened but admittedly, I have tried begging yet.
    "I'm not yelling. I'm Cuban. That's how we talk."

    Moderator of the People and Go Figure forums

    My Smug Site
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    NikolaiNikolai Registered Users Posts: 19,035 Major grins
    edited January 23, 2012
    I've always wanted to get my wife to dress as a Geisha. Hasn't happened but admittedly, I have tried begging yet.

    Bring her to me, maybe she'll do better with a total stranger :-)
    "May the f/stop be with you!"
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    aktseaktse Registered Users Posts: 1,928 Major grins
    edited January 23, 2012
    D3Sshooter wrote: »
    Different, with a couple of very nice shots 1,2,5. What is the reason for the difference in skin tones, is that a Geisha thing ?

    The variation is due to me since I'm unsure of my voice when dealing with people . I'm a sports shooter and am uncomfortable with actual people; I don't really know what I like and was playing in the processing. In addition, by the end of the shoot, the makeup was cracking since we had a space heater on high since the model wasn't wearing very much and the heat was very drying.

    On #7, i pushed for rough skin in the post since I wanted the juxtaposition of the perfect image of a geisha and a broken down person. It was near the end of the shoot and the model was very tired since it was four/five hours since she arrived and ended up leaning on the background with this look on her face.
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    aktseaktse Registered Users Posts: 1,928 Major grins
    edited January 23, 2012
    April.

    These are great and really appeal to me. I have a confession. Memoirs of a Geisha is one of my all time favorite books and movies. I've always found the art of Geisha quite intriguing. You did a great job. Not quite the traditional Geisha but like you said, with a modern twist.
    I've always wanted to get my wife to dress as a Geisha. Hasn't happened but admittedly, I have tried begging yet.

    You have a wonderful model and all the lights! You should really beg! I find that most MAs are really interested in attempting the makeup job even though it's a lot of work because it's something they wnat try at least once in their life time. I seems to be on the MA's bucketlist of things to paint.
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    aktseaktse Registered Users Posts: 1,928 Major grins
    edited January 23, 2012
    Stunning pictures, lovely lighting and makeup.

    Thanks! It's a total team effort! I could have done it without the other ladies!
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    aktseaktse Registered Users Posts: 1,928 Major grins
    edited January 23, 2012
    VayCayMom wrote: »
    wow, great images, wonderful make up even though the black thing on her lip bugged me, it took my eyes off of her eyes a bit. The eye make up is incredible. Thanks for sharing the lighting too.

    The eye makeup is more like the idea of geisha instead of the traditional sense and I think it borrows a bunch from the chinese opera, but since we were going with a twist, it worked very well. I think the geisha will have black teeth at times which was interpreted as the black line by the MA.

    Without lighting, it looked pretty awesome too

    camera phone shot:
    i-Sq5fvZ8-S.jpg

    The lighting added the dramas and I have a thing for shadows.
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    aktseaktse Registered Users Posts: 1,928 Major grins
    edited January 23, 2012
    FlyNavy wrote: »
    Excellent work. Very creative.

    :D I think good things can happen when creative people get together!
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    aktseaktse Registered Users Posts: 1,928 Major grins
    edited January 23, 2012
    Hackbone wrote: »
    1 2 5 8 wow!!!

    Thank you! I think those were my favorites too.
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    SamSam Registered Users Posts: 7,419 Major grins
    edited January 23, 2012
    April, I to like it when females get together, Like in the movie..............OH wait wrong forum. headscratch.gif

    You are stretching your photography...good for you. I like the general over all concept and images. Keep trying new things!!

    Sam
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    Bryce WilsonBryce Wilson Registered Users Posts: 1,586 Major grins
    edited January 23, 2012
    I LOVE the lighting!clap.gif The poses and expressions are nice too!

    The only "nit" I have is that the lines of the background isn't square in many shots. Might be the Mr. Monk in me, but for some reason that bothers me.

    Other than that....Really great session.
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    aktseaktse Registered Users Posts: 1,928 Major grins
    edited January 23, 2012
    Nikolai wrote: »
    Very cool, April! clap.gif
    I'm glad you finally getting to enjoy the studio lights! mwink.gifrofl

    I wouldn't necessarily say that I enjoying it, but would say that I'm beginning not to hate lighting. Without all of my homework shoots, i'm not terrified anymore, but I still rather be shooting a sports event. It's been a long, long journey for me into lighting....

    I would say that I appreciate having an idea and being able to bring it to life, but at the same time, I really have a lot to learn.

    I still struggle with idea of "appropriate light" and what I want for the finished frame.
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    aktseaktse Registered Users Posts: 1,928 Major grins
    edited January 23, 2012
    Sam wrote: »
    April, I to like it when females get together, Like in the movie..............OH wait wrong forum. headscratch.gif

    You are stretching your photography...good for you. I like the general over all concept and images. Keep trying new things!!

    Sam
    Thanks Sam! And I'll keep on making mistakes too!
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    aktseaktse Registered Users Posts: 1,928 Major grins
    edited January 23, 2012
    I LOVE the lighting!clap.gif The poses and expressions are nice too!

    The only "nit" I have is that the lines of the background isn't square in many shots. Might be the Mr. Monk in me, but for some reason that bothers me.

    Other than that....Really great session.
    I saw the makeup, and knew that a beauty dish would be awesome. I brought three lights and various modifiers, but the entire shoot consisted of one light/modifier or one light/modifier+reflector! I'm always pleasantly surprised how much can be done with just one light in a living room.

    Posing is still very hard for me, but I like to think I'm getting better at it. I kept thinking of dogwood during this shoot and kept instructing the model to slightly open her mouth. For this shoot, i kept watching the posture of the model since this wasn't a traditional geisha, I needed her back/shoulders to be less stiff/upright and more rounded; i wanted her curved and broken, but with a long neck.

    As for the not level lines in the background, I blame that on genetics. The background was actually straight, but I'm very short and shot most of the frames either on a step ladder or a unstable chair. I was the one that was crocked!
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    zoomerzoomer Registered Users Posts: 3,688 Major grins
    edited January 23, 2012
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    BrettDeutschBrettDeutsch Registered Users Posts: 365 Major grins
    edited January 23, 2012
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    divamumdivamum Registered Users Posts: 9,021 Major grins
    edited January 23, 2012
    April.

    APRIL!!!!

    These are stunning. Fabulous work by all involved! clap.gifclap.gif
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    ShimaShima Registered Users Posts: 2,547 Major grins
    edited January 23, 2012
    OMG APRIL!!!! I love these!!!! They are stunning.
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    heatherfeatherheatherfeather Registered Users Posts: 2,738 Major grins
    edited January 23, 2012
    What a fun shoot! Good job!
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    aktseaktse Registered Users Posts: 1,928 Major grins
    edited February 7, 2012
    zoomer wrote: »
    8 for me, very nice portrait.
    Looks like a lot of fun.
    It's always fun when the goal is just to play with light and makeup :D
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    aktseaktse Registered Users Posts: 1,928 Major grins
    edited February 7, 2012
    Great work. 1 & 8 are my faves.
    Thanks! I'm just glad that I'm getting better....
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    aktseaktse Registered Users Posts: 1,928 Major grins
    edited February 7, 2012
    divamum wrote: »
    These are stunning. Fabulous work by all involved! clap.gifclap.gif
    It's a total team effort!!!! I was just surprised at how easily it all came together. I guess all that time doing homework shoots have paid off.
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    aktseaktse Registered Users Posts: 1,928 Major grins
    edited February 7, 2012
    Shima wrote: »
    OMG APRIL!!!! I love these!!!! They are stunning.
    :D You have to come to a homework shoot one day!
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    aktseaktse Registered Users Posts: 1,928 Major grins
    edited February 7, 2012
    What a fun shoot! Good job!
    Thanks! And yes, lots of fun. It's pretty awesome to see a idea come to life in front of you. I think we hit every point that we were aiming for... We were lucky, but I think we had some skills too.
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