Aenna in Paradise

Bilsen

A couple from my recent shoot with Aenna wearing Paradise Bikinis



2.


3.

Bryce Wilson

She's a really pretty girl and she fills the swimsuits nicely.

The lighting in the first two is a bit harsh for my taste. Like the pose in the first one. Might have put the hand on her head flat so you couldn't see the palm.

Like the light in the last, but the horizon going through her head detracts a bit. Camera needed to be either lower or higher.

christulk

Bryce Wilson wrote: »

She's a really pretty girl and she fills the swimsuits nicely.

The lighting in the first two is a bit harsh for my taste. Like the pose in the first one. Might have put the hand on her head flat so you couldn't see the palm.

Like the light in the last, but the horizon going through her head detracts a bit. Camera needed to be either lower or higher.

Agree. I also think the DOF needs to be much shallower - the background does nothing for the shot.

Bilsen

Thanks for the comments guys.

Bryce that first one is nothing but late afternoon sun. As you can see,the light started to go away in # 2 so I used my voice activated light stand.

Hackbone

Agree with most of the comments. Your colors are always so rich, love them.

Bilsen

Thanks Hack.

This was the first time I went back to using the Gray Card even in RAW. Those colors are the natural white balance form the late afternoon sun (except # 2 which is Off C flash over ambient).

Despite my little tiff on here a week or so ago, I actually did take it all in and I did much more looking than shooting in this session and I think the results are somewhat better with a LOT less post. Basically Crop, sharpen and a few minor blemish points and I'm done.

Here's more from that session with gorgeous Aenna:

Tinstafl

Great colors and I like the lighting in the last set you posted. I think we all go thru the process of improvement if only for our own sense of correctness.

Bilsen

Thanks Tin.

I absolutely agree with you about the process. This is a hobby for me but if I don't do it well, it will just make me crazy.

by the way, in the middle of our shoot we got a HUGE squall coming through. By the time it cleared out we had lost all natural light so it was time to blast away with my speedlights and my "voice activated" light stand.

Love it or hate it, here are some results:

Tinstafl

Hey, I was shooting the other day in a black room on purpose. Off camera lighting makes these shots work out. I like it just a bit lighter but have been knwo to up the ISO a bit and reduce the shutter to 1/40th to get a few more minutes.

Tinstafl

My only comment is tat I might have raised the light a bit more so there is more falloff making her legs less bright and face the focal point for the light.

Bilsen

Thanks Tin. Your suggestion is a good one. We were totally winging this set before the rain came back so the whole thing took about 6 minutes and then run back to the cars. There just wasn't time to meter and balance properly. I'm frankly surprised we got anything at all.

coolpinsky

Hot - nice shots !

Bilsen

Thanks Cool.

kdog

Tinstafl wrote: »

My only comment is tat I might have raised the light a bit more so there is more falloff making her legs less bright and face the focal point for the light.

Or just a quick gradient in ACR would accomplish the same thing. I also think those two sunset shots have a bit too much flash. Again, you could selectively reduce her exposure with an exposure brush. I do that sort of stuff all the time and it's impossible to tell if it's done with the raw file.

I noticed you frequently get beaten up on depth field. It's impossible to get a shallow depth of field on a crop-body shooting at wide angles with slow lenses. The only way you're ever going to fix this is by getting some long fast glass and maybe even a FF body.

But over all I think this is really nice work and a very enjoyable set. She is a stunner.

Bilsen

Thanks kdog,

I think I'll go back into ACR and try the gradient thing. Really good idea.

As I said, that last set was shot in about 6 minutes between rainstorms so there wasn't time for a lot of metering and adjusting flash off camera. We just ran out of the car, set up and blasted away, then hightailed it back to the car. I'm honestly surprised we got anything even close.

As far as my DOF, I don't mind the criticisms and I do stand up for my work where I truly think it's merited. This is a hobby for me and unfortunately I'm not a Congressman or Senator so I actually have a budget that restrains what I can buy. Long 2.8 lenses just aren't on the horizon at this point so I concentrate on learning the best use of my 24-105 and 70-200 f4.

Thanks again for the idea.

PS: If ANYBODY has any idea what those white specks are in the last two, I'd love to hear it. I left them in on purpose just to ask this question.

Jabfinger

She is simply beautiful. Nice job with her JohnGalt_ny! I am thinking that the specks are bugs. But then again if you were using speedlights they probably would not appear to be moving. Probably bugs...

Bilsen

Thanks Jab.

You may be right, these were all Speedlight cause, as you can see, by the time the rain left ALL natural light was gone. Bugs huh? Sounds plausible.

anonymouscuban

John,

First of all, smoking model. Probably the prettiest one yet. I'm going to disagree with some that said your lighting is a bit harsh in some of the shots. I think it's great. You got some great angles going too on the poses. Her hands bug me in all the shots. Not sure how much direction you give models on the poses but the hands are balled up in almost every shot. It's a nit and most won't get past the boobies to see that she actually has hands anyway so I guess it's not that big of deal.

With all that said... you're killing me with the DOF on the BG's dude. I know everyone always gives you shit about it but the shots would rock if you shot them more shallow. Just my opinion. I give you credit for sticking with your style and you obviously have models lining up to do TFP's with you so keep doing what your doing.

BTW, This is my fav. You have shallower DOF on this shot.

Bilsen

Thanks Cuban and your excellent point about her hands gets written down in my little shoot notes. I do direct models but it's usually just to avoid the flat back of the hand. Now I have something else to nag them about. Thank you.

As for my style, I don't mind taking the heat but I can tell you that both designers (bikini and jewelry) were thrilled with this shoot so I made the model happy and satisfied the "clients". No matter what happens here, I have to call that one a success.

Thanks again.

anonymouscuban

JohnGalt_ny wrote: »

Thanks Cuban and you're excellent point about her hands gets written down in my little shoot notes. I do direct models but it's usually just to avoid the flat back of the hand. Now I have something else to nag them about. Thank you.

As for my style, I don't mind taking the heat but I can tell you that both designers (bikini and jewelry) were thrilled with this shoot so I made the model happy and satisfied the "clients". No matter what happens here, I have to call that one a success.

Thanks again.

John,

Exactly my point. In all honesty, we photogs can be assholes. What's the first thing we do when we see a photo? We start looking for all the things the shooter did "wrong", that's what we do. I say wrong in quotes because it's wrong based on some stupid rules or how we would have shot it. There are some guidelines/rules that we, as serious photographers, should follow. Making sure exposure is right, focus is sharp, things like that. But shit like DOF, crop, tilts, whatever is often personal style and if you feel strongly about something, then you shouldn't compromise your style over the opinion of some guy on a forum. Seriously.

Like I said, you're obviously doing something that the gals on MM love because you shoot a different model every week. If they're happy and you're happy, that's all that counts.

Bilsen

Thanks again Cuban.

I will admit to some mild frustrations here from time to time but on a cost/benefit basis, you guys are probably the reason why I had 6 TF requests waiting on Mayhem when I got back from the Bahamas. Regardless of what anyone thinks of my "style" my technicals are two worlds better than they were a year ago and I have about half as much work in PP as I used to. I credit this board (and one other where I get beat up just as much) for that improvement.

I'll be putting up a lifestyle series I did down there which is totally new for me so let's see what happens with that hot mess.

Jabfinger

You mention rain in a previous post and if you look close at the water you can see the splashes so bugs are out and I am changing my theory to rain causing the specks

Bilsen

Another plausible explanantion. I was going to send it into to A&Es Ghost Stories and see if it's River spirits.

Bilsen

HEYYYYYYYY This set made the big time.

My first ever catalogue shoot with Aenna actually made the client's online catalogue.

Aenna is now on display at Paradise Bikini

May not mean much to the pros but to a mere hobbyist, it's huge. At least to me.

Bryce Wilson

Bilsen wrote: »

HEYYYYYYYY This set made the big time.

My first ever catalogue shoot with Aenna actually made the client's online catalogue.

Aenna is now on display at Paradise Bikini

May not mean much to the pros but to a mere hobbyist, it's huge. At least to me.

Good for you and congratulations...

Me, I subscribe to the Rod Tidwell theory.

Bilsen

I know Jerry Maguire bit Tidwell theory??

?que es?

Bryce Wilson

You are correct...

SHOW ME THE MONEY!

Bilsen

You're correct of course but I have a job and don't need or want another one.

anonymouscuban

AWESOME. Congrats.

Bryce Wilson

Bilsen wrote: »

You're correct of course but I have a job and don't need or want another one.

But you DO want a new lens!

Bilsen

there's always something.

Actually, I think what I want now is a decent studio lighting kit around the $500 level. Been looking around some before the cold months.