Shooting With Sakura

On my most recent trip to Japan I wanted to do some test shooting, so I got in touch with an agency located near where I was staying in Tokyo. Folio Models represent both Japanese and foreign models, and were keen for me to do some test shoots.

As I only had limited kit, and didn’t have my usual team of hair and makeup artists and stylists, I had to shoot in quite a raw style. I asked the models to come with natural makeup, and bring a few garments.

My first subject was Sakura Kinoshita, who had been modelling for a few years, but needed some updated shots for her comp card. We decided to shoot near the Folio office in Azabujuban. Although this was not a monumental or particularly significant location, I was really inspired by the textures of the surrounding streets, and the gentle light that is completely different from the harsh light in Australia.

The light was so beautiful, with a late-afternoon feel, even though it was only 2pm. I was so inspired by the shadows that were created by the light finding its way through the buildings.

Can you believe that little walls and panels like this sit side-by-side with modern buildings and shiny 7/11 stores?

Sakura was really enthusiastic, and took direction well. She had a gentle nature, and kind face. So half way through I tried to tease a little more attitude out of her, and get some stronger expressions.

I was thrilled with some of the shots that I captured, and felt inspired by my surroundings the whole time. A few days later, Folio sent through Sakura’s updated comp card, with one of my shots as the main image. すごく嬉しかった！！

Cosplay Portraits // コスプレ

I first began this personal project after breaking my arm last March- mostly out of boredom. This is an on-going project in which I photograph cosplayers in their costumes, and ask them what it is about cosplay that draws them to the hobby.

Cosplay is the act of dressing up as a character from a book, film, or TV show- especially a Japanese anime or manga. It is very popular, not only in Japan, but around the world, and Melbourne happens to have a huge community of cosplayers. Many cosplayers make their own costumes and props, and take great pride in what they have created.

This is my third round of photographs from this series, and so far I have met a fantastic collection of people, all with such passion for what they do. Some people like the creative element of cosplay- getting to construct a costume or learning to sew. Others like the chance to portray a character, or take a break from their life by taking on another personality. But the unanimous reason that my subjects have given is that “cosplay is fun!”

I’m hoping to slowly built this series up and make it into a book.

Snap Snap Braid

Behind the scenes of a test with Lara de Koster. This amazing hair was done by the ever-talented Marlene Olsson. What did we do with this look? You’ll have to wait and see :)

S xx

The Boy Next Door

I have been shooting a lot of tests lately, which has been brilliant for the soul! February has been off to a crazy crazy start, filled with corporates, retouching, teaching and events, so its been really nice to be able to shoot loosely and fluidly as well.

On Tuesday I worked with Thomas, who has newly been signed with Scene Model Management. This was his first studio shoot, and I was really impressed with how good he was! Having only ‘officially’ become a model a few days before, Tom was a little unsure at first, but he quickly warmed up and was nailing ‘the look’ in no time.

The beauty of working with fresh faces is that they don’t have a lot (if any) of images in their books yet, so there is a lot of creative freedom. I initially thought that Tom would look great with quite strong, structured images- bold posing, intense expressions, and well cut garments. This is the mood board that I made for the shoot…

We got started with studio lights, with a white shirt and some dark pants. It was when Tom put on the jacket that he started to stand more comfortably, and I noticed that he seemed to move better when he was feeling more comfortable. The next look, we went for overalls with no shirt underneath.

And bang!

Instant comfort zone.

From there, the shoot changed direction totally from the mood board. Because it was a test, it was totally fine for it to evolve and move fluidly, and I felt that the look and feel that we developed really worked for Thomas.

We also went outside, to my favourite ‘wasteland’ looking location. Unfortunately this place is going to be built up soon, so I’m trying to do as many tests there as I can whilst I can still get in. I love the metal structure and the random plants growing everywhere.

This is one of my favourite from the shoot, but I was torn between the left and the right image. Which one do you prefer?

Thomas was fabulous to work with, and a great guy too. He took on direction well, and I think he is going to be a big name in the industry soon!

Shooting With Lorin

Last week I had the pleasure of capturing some new head shots for model/actress Lorin Kauffeld. The aim was to capture some portraits that actually looked like Lorin, so that when she went into castings, she resembled her head shot. Makeup, lighting, and even lens choice can greatly affect how a person is depicted in a photograph, so we paid special attention to detail to make sure that the shots were flattering, but still true to life. Luckily, Lorin is a gorgeous girl (both in terms of looks and personality), so that outcome wasn’t too difficult to achieve.

We tried a few different looks, to give variety, and to offer a range of appearances. I kept my lighting very simple, and not too shadowy, so as to show the features of the face well. I think that the final shots look great, so hopefully they result in some auditions and gigs for Loren. She’s going to be super famous some day soon, so keep your eyes peeled.

Need a new headshot?

Whether its for your comp card, model book, or just LinkedIn, don’t be afraid to get in touch. I love receiving emails from blog readers :)

S xx