Portraits

Dramatic Portraits in The Garage

Dramatic Portraits in The Garage

Dramatic Portraits on The Road

On a recent road trip out west, to Alberta and British Columbia, I made sure I packed a light, a stand and large soft box.  The soft box being almost six feet but wraps up tightly and takes very little space. 

We spent the day with my wife’s son and doing a family BBQ.  He has a garage where he keeps his motorcycle, a shop where he makes all sorts of interesting tools and a large part that is a studio.  Drums, guitars and the works. 

We were enjoying a cigar I thought it a good opportunity to mix that up with some parts of his life.  We started with him on the bike and then moved to use the music as a backdrop.  I loved how the depth and detail helped tell stories.  Sometimes less in more. But sometimes more is better.

These were all shot with the large soft box behind me and off centre.  Camera Nikon Z6 with a Nikkor 50mm S 1.8 lens.  All very fast and sharp. 

My studio equipment, lights, modifiers all come from Strobepro in Calgary.  Can’t recommend them too highly. 

I did catch a few shots of Spencer’s nephews banging on the drums as well.  I’ll be posting a couple of these at Marty’s Road Trip Blog in the next few days. 

Processing was done with Lightroom Classic on my iMac.  With what this camera catches and Lightroom being such a great tool, gives me a lot to work with to get the photo I want. 

Posted by Martin in Blog, Portraits, 0 comments
Hannah – Old Hollywood Style

Hannah – Old Hollywood Style

Portraits with Hannah

These photos were taken New Years Day 1999.  Billy, another photographer and I had been shooting and processing our photos in a darkroom for some time and we were both at a party the night before.  Hannah was attending the event as well.  We approached her, asking if she would allow us to shoot her the next day at our studio.  We thought she had marvellous bone structure and would make for some great photos.

She showed up on time the next day on time and everything.  I told her what I needed as preparation, some simple makeup.  She told me that she’d never used make up!  Although she did have lot of bits and pieces of things that her friends kept giving her.  I’d had been studying some Kevin Aucoin books about the subject and although I’d never attempted it myself decided I would try some of the techniques out that I’d learned.  

Hannah had enough of these stashed away in her small purse allowing me to go to work. It was fairly minimal, some eye makeup and blush, but it worked well for what we were shooting. 

The portrait with the hands against the face is another tribute to the Hollywood photographers of the 1940s such as George Hurrell.

Old Negatives

The negatives have been in storage since that time and I scanned them in a couple of weeks ago.   Pretty messed up.  A lot of work in Lightroom fixing up the photos that you see here. 

Lighting and Film

I don’t remember but likely two lights and possibly a reflector.  I think Billy and I shot a roll of film each.  I would have shot these on an old Nikon FE camera with a marvellous Nikkor 105 mm lens.  Great lens for portraits.  Pretty sure the film was Ilford 400 ISO.

Some more Old Hollywood style photos

 

#oldhollywood #georgehurrell #nikonfe #portraits #blackandwhite

Posted by Martin in Blog, Portraits, 0 comments
1956 Packard Hardtop

1956 Packard Hardtop

1956 Packard

This is Chris with his 1956 Packard.  We were able to get some nice photos in spite of the rain. This was a luxury automobile in its time.  With a push-button transmission and torsion bar suspension, it was smooooth!  And nothing like a V8 engine when you have cheap gas.  Gas was $.23 (23 cents!!!) a gallon (a GALLON) in 1956.  I think when I started buying gas it was about $.35.  And we complained even then.   Pretty sure 1956 was the last year Packard built cars.  Or anything for that matter.

The camera

Photos were taken with a Nikon Z6 and 50mm 1.8 S series lens.  Great combination.  Fast, sharp focus for these old eyes.  I do have an adaptor and tried an old manual wide angle lens - that did not work out well at all.  I've used the adaptor with a Tamron 70-300 Zoom quite successfully.  But the autofocus works in that combination.  

Working with the time we had.  It started snowing about three minutes after we completed the photo shoot.  I used my 50mm 1.8 and took a few shots with the adapter with an old 28mm manual lens.  Great lens but my eyes are not what they were.  There is a new Nikon 28mm (Autofocus) that I really need.  Will be getting that as soon as is available.  Tamron has excellent lenses as well and are developing some for the mirrorless cameras.  But not sure I can wait, although they are great.  I have a Tamron 70-300mm  zoom that I use.  I've had it for years and is one of my favourite lenses.  I love it. I've used it with the adapter for the Nikon Z6 and works wonderfully.

the model

Chris was great.  Pretty sure he'd not done anything like this before.  Comfortable and took direction, what there was of it, very well. He is selling this car and getting another in the Spring, so we will likely shoot again.

For more portraits see my Portrait Section

#packardcar #1956packard #vintagecar #classiccar #moneypit #model #malemodel #blackandwhiteportraits

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George Hurrell Inspired Photography

George Hurrell Inspired Photography

George Hurrell Hollywood Style Photos

George Hurrell worked for MGM in the 1930s and 40s and photographed pretty much every star of that time. 

Joan Crawford and Humphrey Bogart & Marlene Dietrich, Veronica Lake, Robert Taylor, Douglas Fairbanks, Greta Garbo, James Cagney, Hedy Lamar, Johnny Weissmuller (Tarzan), amongst dozens of others. 

HIs photographic style has inspired hundreds if not thousands of photographers since then.

Editing a George Hurrell Negative

People often complain about the fact that software editing is over used.  Unaware that the negatives of that day and age were worked on for hours before the photos were printed.  Hurrell shot with 8x10 film plate cameras.  Even sometimes used an 11x14.  These negatives are huge by comparison to the negatives used through the 90s - up until the advent of the digital camera.  Along with the large lenses used they would let a huge amount of light in. 

So, with the large negative, it was easy to see blemishes.  Back in the day the studios would have a team working with the negatives for hours to get the results in print that were desired.  I remember some of the books I used to peruse.  There were before and after photos of, I think it was Marlene Dietrich.  One, printed before the negative was cleaned up - you could see what her skin was really like. And the next print was done after the ‘editing’ of the negative.  Quite a difference.

So, below, I'm channeling my George Hurrell.  These photos were taken in the 1990s of a friend.  One light set up. The black and white photos were shot with Ilford film, likely 400 ISO.  And the colour, I have no idea.  I recently scanned a bunch but failed to note the type of colour film before throwing it out.  My only regret is that I didn't take more photos at the time with her.  Maybe at some point I'll get to do more photos with her.  I hope you enjoy:

Lighting Techniques

Hurrell's and some other well known Hollywood photographers used some interesting lighting techniques.  Often one can discern from the photo what direction lights are coming from and how many lights, etc.  Much more difficult with many of these as you have other variables.  One, being the cameras used, and the other being the extensive editing on the negatives. My advice to someone trying to emulate this type of glamour portrait, is to practice.  Try different lighting set ups until you get one or three that that you really like, that communicates in a way you desire.   

For something different have a look at our David Bowie inspired photoshoot.

You read more about George Hurrell and see much of his work here!

#georgehurrell #hollywood #starlet #portraitphotography #portraiture

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Natural Portraits

Natural Portraits

Natural Portraits

The last few weekends, I’ve been taking photos of the actors in costume and make-up at Haunt Manor Niagara Falls.  One more weekend to go, starting this evening.  Great fun.  As I already had the lighting set up, i managed to get a few natural looking portraits of actors before make up and costume.  The line up is long and as taking photos of people in the studio is my happy place...

The whole routine is quite a test for me.  Very little time per person.  I've set up the lights ahead of time of course.  But when the actors come in I have a minute or two maximum with them to get a decent shot.  I started with outside shots when Haunt began a few weeks ago.  Some dynamite  outside sets with creepy lights and amazing backdrops. Had to move indoors as the days got shorter.  Just wasn’t enough light out there.  So, a quick intro, a couple of poses and out you go.  

Posted a few on the blog and lots from the inside studio set up from the last two weekends.  Fortunately I was able to set up some spooky panels as background. 

NO monsters here - just some simple portraits.

A Four Light Setup 

  1. Six foot reflector - 51” Para Deep Umbrella behind the camera
  2. 3’ Octa - camera left - feathered.
  3. 4’ strip light camera right.  Slightly behind the subject.
  4. Small snoot pointed at background

For years I shot with one light and reflectors.  Lots of good material but I do love the flexibility that having four lights gives me.  So much fun.

#portraits #studiolighting #studioportraits #portraiture #blackandwhite #headshots

Posted by Martin in Blog, Portraits, 0 comments