Yes, that is his real name.
I loved shooting this test with Eric in the studio, the idea was to use denim garments in different shades and colours, and really just focus on simplicity and expression. I kept the light quite consistent with a few variations, to ensure the images sat well together. Eric was brilliant, despite being quite new to the modelling scene. I’m excited to see where his career takes him.
Eric is represented by GTR Global
Something that often raises its head in my mind is the topic of personal insecurity. Not in the financial or physical sense, but more in the way of a mindset or mentality. Being a photographer, my work is a visual medium, and therefore every job has infinite possible resolutions and outcomes (rather than one ‘correct’ answer). That makes it highly subjective, and very open to interpretation. I think that many artists are a little insecure about their work deep down, and I am not a stranger to doubting my own abilities or artistic vision. So when someone approaches me with praise for my style, I get very very excited (if not a little “aww shucks” esque.)
One such kind soul was Alex Nixon, a student studying makeup. Alex had seen my work online and asked me to document one of her projects, which involved body painting. She sent me some references, and noted that she wanted to create a piece that was inspired by Chinese and Japanese traditional paintings. This was, of course, right up my alley, so I agreed straight away. We organised a date and time, as well as a gorgeous model – Chervil Tan from Vivien’s.
On shoot day, Alex pre-painted Chervil’s back before arriving at the studio. The references she sent me had been quite well-lit, with a pale grey background, so that is what I started off with. I wanted to ensure that I documented Alex’s work clearly, so that you could see the brushstrokes and fine details.
But after that, I wanted to have some fun of my own.
I thought that the concept and subject would really suit some darker, more moody lighting. So once we had the lighter shots captured, I changed the lighting to something more directional, to really accentuate texture and form. I love the way that the light falls on the body (in the image above), as the physical 3D nature of the back and shoulders blends with the painted landscape. I was also careful to keep the face in shadow, so that the emphasis was still on the painting, and the image had a sense of anonymity about it.
Of course, I took some portraits as well, and some shots to show the makeup on Chervil’s face (not just her back!) How gorgeous is the kimono? Alex whipped it up herself the night before. So much skill! The colours were also really gorgeous, especially against the hues of the cheeks.
I wanted to capture a quiet, almost still mood for these images, and I think they came out well. Alex was absolutely stoked with the shots, which I was really pleased about. All the best with the folio Alex!
… get it?
Pun totally intended.
Ok nobody is laughing, I’ll move right along shall I.
It’s not often that I photograph multiple people together, unless of course I’m shooting a wedding or an event. So working with two models in the studio together was really refreshing. One day a few months back now, I photographed both Jimmy and Dayana for their folios. Whilst they were there, we thought we would do a few shots with both of them in the frame. This is how they turned out…
Fun fact: both of them prefer being camera right. Banter and face-blocking ensued…
Incase you didn’t realise, these two are an actual couple. So funny to watch, and such a great energy on set. Here are a few more out-takes.
I’ve been meaning to work with James Ford for a while now, but our schedules have never aligned and he is often out of the country. But last week I had the pleasure of having him come into the studio for a test shoot. I’ve worked with Jimmy’s sister Peggy a few times, and we had spoken via social media, but it was great to finally be able to meet in the flesh.
I could tell right from the beginning that Jimmy was a seasoned professional. He knew his poses, had great expressions, and got straight into it without needing to warm up at all. The frame above on the right was literally the second frame I took all day.
I got all of my garments from H&M this time, so we had a few different outfits to work with. I find it hard to source quirky, interesting pieces for males, as there seems to be a lot less available (on the mainstream market) than for females. Luckily Jimmy’s strong expressions and great posing easily carried the frames. Because of this, the shoot was over really quickly. Thanks Jimmy for finally getting in front of my camera, and good luck in Asia!
Here is a little portrait series I’m working on. Just shooting really quick portraits of models after a shoot, wearing their own clothes. These images were photographed after a shoot for Upper Volta, and I only took 3-4 frames of each subject, as they were heading off set.
What do you think?
カメラと私 