Tanis in the Evening

Bilsen

Got to do another evening shoot, this time with Tanis who is an actress/physical trainer. In the fitness images, the idea was to show off her body and I already know about the armpit thing but that's what she liked.

The sunset "River of FIre, was actually harder than I thought it would be but I like the colors.



2.


3.


4.


5.


6.

Hackbone

2 and 6 have my vote. 2 shows off her physic very nice. On 6 not keen on the horizontal line. Love the colors.

puzzledpaul

Re 6 - I don't know if this is a practical possibility, but something you might consider is finding a location where the bg is being illuminated - so's you get that (oof) together with its reflection ... and when things go right it's possible to obscure the horizon to a fair extent ... even when shooting from a low pov. Changing bgs under such conditions gives a fair amount of control over clean - but nicely (imo) textured backdrops.

I'm shooting smaller subjects with a longer lens - but it might be worth a go when you have light as per 5/6?

eg
http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=189538

pp

Bilsen

Thanks Paul.

The sun has just set behind the mountain in the bkg. The only possible way to light the area across the river ( approx a mile away) is to be there at 5:30 AM. That's more dedication than I have at the moment.

Thanks for the comments. That image of the duck is just gorgeous. My models are a bit bigger though so I'm not quite sure how to accomplish that.

Bryce Wilson

Hi John.

The past month or so, I've been experimenting with getting the proper mix between ambient and strobe in outdoor settings and creating the look I want. Have had some success and some failures, but have done a lot of learning by doing.

On numbers five and six, (ducks and horizon lines aside) my gut tells me that you needed the strobe closer to the model and the SS kicked up to about 500 in a high speed sync situation.

This gal's physical condition is marvelous. She is way on the low side for body fat percentage in a female. Great for lighting the body, but makes it tough to light the face. Notice how much more feminine she looks in five and six with a flatter lighting on the face than she does in two where the light is more directional.

Bilsen

Thanks Bryce.

I amost never think of hi speed sync and I should. That's a great thought. As for placement, no assistant that day so no voice activated light stand. Lol

You also picked up on the fact that shooting hard light for her body necessarily was a bit harsh on her face. However, the whole concept of the shoot was "hardbody" so, to that extent, we were successful.

Thanks again.

puzzledpaul

JohnGalt_ny wrote: »

...The only possible way to light the area across the river ( approx a mile away) is to be there at 5:30 AM. That's more dedication than I have at the moment.

Ditto ... that's why - at absolute best - I could only ever be a *half* reasonable w/life snapper ... the dawn shoot just isn't part of my agenda, thereby cutting pic ops by 50%

JohnGalt_ny wrote: »

... My models are a bit bigger though so I'm not quite sure how to accomplish that.

Yes, I did wonder ... but thought it worth a mention, just in case there might be other suitable locations that offered similar potential (at a more convenient time?). I could say I'd try to get one of my daughters to pose instead of a duck ... but I suspect the answer would include words like freezing, hell and over

Thx for your comments, btw -appreciated.

pp

divamum

5/6 are very close to being spectacular.

On 5, lose the ducks. Why one earth do we want DUCKS when we have gorgeous light and an attractive bikini-clad gal? They add nothing to the composition or the setting and look like they're going to swim into her head

On 6: do you carry a stepladder? I know Nik will pull out an ouzi and shoot me for the sacrilege of shooting from above but... er.... just a foot or two higher, and you could have had ALL of her against that amazing, kicka** background like you do in 5.

Agree with Bryce on the flash - just a teensy bit less to balance the gorgeous (did I say gorgeous?!) ambient and you can keep these up from good to spectacular

Bilsen

Hi Diva, how you been?

Thanks for the comments. I have soo fallen in love with evening light.

I guess the ducks could go. I thought they added atmosphere but maybe not. I will say that right after 5 was shot, we stopped because they looked like they were going in one ear and out the other.

As far as the stepladder, I don't travel with one and, if I had, I doubt I'd have been smart enough to think of it. With Nik's constant theme rolling in my ears, I was trying to get as low as I possibly could.

By the way, Tanis texted me tonight that she used #1 and 2 ( and 2 others) to respond to a casting (she's an actress, remember?). Well she got TWO fitness commercials yesterday. Regardless of the technicals of photography, I have to think we did our job that night.

Tinstafl

I too like number 2 and 6. Love the light in the last shot. Number 2 shows that she sspends a lot of time in the gym... I have no issue with the armpits in this shot as it is a fitness shot more than glamour though she is very glam anyway. I love evening light too.

Gotham

Great shots, John. Your portraits are getting better and better. I agree with Tinstafl -- no problem with armpits in a fitness shot.

Bilsen

Thanks Tin and Gotham.

Tanis is not the typical "glam" model but she does a helluva job. OF course, an actress will have better expressive range than most models.