Monday, December 28, 2009
An archeologist is born
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Forbidden love
The picture in this article is the final shot from the shoot. The lighting is more dramatic in this shot than in the other picture from the shoot, marking the innevitable end of two lovers who will never be together. For ice will melt from fire and the melting water will put out the fire.
To me, this shoot marks the end of an era. Maybe that’s why it took me so long to actually shoot it. I will turn towards a different style of model photography in the near future. Curious? So am I. I’m not nearly sure what it will look like, but there is change in the air. Just wait and see.
See more from this shoot in my deviantArt gallery.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Ada & Eve
disclaimer 2: the pitcure is inspired by the story and the ladies in the pictue are models. Any resemblence between the people in the story and the ladies in the picture is due to coincidence or careful castings and does not imply any thing about the private life of the models.
This may come as a shock to you, but the story of how men fell from grace with God is not true. It was made up by people who are ashamed of the truth. Yes, we lived in Paradise, and yes, we were chased out. Metaphorically, that is. True, the story involves an apple, but the apple didn’t have anything to do with anything. Neither did the snake. This, you see, was paradise. And in paradise, snakes are nice and friendly creatures. No poison, no strangling, no lies nor deceit. Yes, it has a forked tongue, but who are we to judge an animal by its looks? We have no one to blame but ourselves.
On the sixth day, God created men. Not a man, but men. Two women actually, Ada and Eve. Why women? Silly question. This is paradise. Who needs guys in paradise? Ada and Eve lived in paradise for many, many years and they were happy. They loved the flowers and the birds and all the other animals and they loved each other. Were thy lesbians, you ask? What a typical post-paradise thing to ask. Ada and Eve never wondered whether they were lesbian. They just loved each other. Period. Every now and then, Ada and Eve ate an apple or two. Not every day, as there weren’t any doctors in paradise anyway. And so many other fruits too choose from. But that’s not the point here.
Ada and Eve were perfectly happy. Well, not perfectly, something seemed to be missing. So they started looking for whatever it was they were missing. And one day, Eve found a picture of a guy on some obscure website. Not knowing what that was, she called Ada: “Look! This is what we need. Let’s ask God a favor.”
God, in all her wisdom, said no. But you know how women are. Ada and Eve kept nagging and nagging and nagging, until God finally gave in. She put Ada to sleep, removed her breasts and 80% of her brain and added some hairs and a penis. And that’s about it. No angels with flaming swords or anything. When Ada, now Adam, woke up, the place hadn’t changed a bit. But it wasn’t paradise anymore. Paradise was lost…
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Finally: something new on CamerA AbsurdA
I had a large shoot planned, mid March. I had already found a location, the female model and the Make up artist. About a week before the shoot, I felt that the communication between me and the model wasn't great. I had to tell her no and find a new one on short notice. And I did. And a damned good one too! Ofcourse, we'll never know how it would have turned out with the other model, but working with Nadine was just great! She hardly needs directions, knows rightaway what to do and has great expressions available.
The shoot, labelled "Queen of the Reich" after the epic metal song, shows the contrast between the traditional horror view, with the damsel in distress, and the alternative approach, where the Queen rules the Realm of darkness. I like a little twist, you know. Both versions are online now, go check 'm out. Enjoy!
more:
Some fun facts about the song
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Modeling tips: feedback
Why?
This is the simplest question. Feedback, if used right, can help you improve your performance. It is a very quick way to learn and greatly directed to your specific needs. If feedback is so great, you might ask, how come it is used so little in the modeling industry? That's because feedback does not come naturally, you'll have to organize it. Some agents do that, but not all of them do. Free lance models hardly ever do it. Why not start now?
Where to get it?
Who do you want feedback from? I would think you'dd like feedback from someone with experience in the business, who has seen many good and not-so-good models. Your agent? Yes, that's one person that fits the description. But there are more; every photographer, every make up artist and every styling artist fits that description. That means that potential feedback is all around you! You only need to get it.
Internet communities are also a place to get good feedback, based on the pictures you post in the community. Do note though that some people tend to forget about nettiquette and some feedback may be very harsh. Don't let it get to you. Ignore the blunt ones and learn from the good ones.
How?
There is a catch though. Photographers are not very likely to give you feedback during the shoot. Right or wrong, they fear that feedback will influence the result of the shoot. So try to get feedback after the shoot, but tell the photographer in advance that you want feedback. That way, he (and the styling artist and the make-up artist) can look at you with different eyes and give you constructive feedback. In fact, he might even improve his directions as he looks different. When recieving feedback, be open to it. Sometimes, feedback may hit you hard at first and some people are a bit cruel in communicating feedback. Let's face it, photographers are not in the business because they are great communicators; their talent is photography. In any case, don't go all defensive (see links below for more tips), but listen, remember and use whatever you can use. I'm sure you'll get some great tips.
More resources:
Giving and receiving feedback
Giving and receiving feedback for academics, with practical implications for non-academics too (pdf)
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Photography tips: Bad weather
Monday, January 12, 2009
Photography tips: repetitions
Repetitions are everywhere, you only have to recognize them. Looking for them and photographing them is a great practice and helps you train your mind and eye. Like with the previous tip, you don't need any specific gear. Any camera will do.
Walk and watch
The best vehicle for this type of photography is by foot. Just walk around and look around. Chances are you´ll see a reptition in no time. If you see one, shoot it. But wait. Don´t move on yet. Walk around the object, or move it about if it´s small enough. Try different viewpoints, get closer, get further away. Don´t just zoom if you have a zoom lens. This is not about focal length. Moving closer or further away changes your point of view. A flight of stairs looks entirely different from 10 meters away than from right beneath it. Explore this differences. The object will probably retain its repetitions, but their nature will change, and so will your picture. Have fun!