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The Starving Artist

~ Still an artist but no longer starving!

The Starving Artist

Category Archives: Portraits

5 Top Tips for a stress free photoshoot

09 Sunday Jun 2013

Posted by Colin Crowdey in Business, Photography, Portraits

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Arts and Entertainment, business, cars, fashion photographers, Fashion photography, gorgeous smile, Make Up Artist, Model, photo shoot, Photographer, photography

It can be a very rewarding experience working with models, both for the photographer and the model. But when things go wrong all too often I hear models complaining about their photographer or photographers complaining about their model and worse still photographers and models making these complaints in online forums or on Facebook which sometimes attract many thousands of views – sadly neither put the model or the photographer in good light.

All too often these complaints are borne out of frustration that the shoot didn’t go as planned, or that the model or the photographer didn’t get the pictures they wanted.

Its an old adage I know, but one which is very apt for those in the photographic industry, “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail”.

Here are my 5 steps for ensuring that your next photo shoot goes without a hitch and model and photographer come away happy

1) Plan, Plan, Plan – I cannot stress how important it is for the photographer to plan their shoot – now I’m not suggesting planning with military precision down to the minutest detail – although if that’s how you work that’s fine – just ensure you have a photographic concept in mind, the right model, the right location, the right clothes and or props, a hairstylist and or Make Up artist, an assistant and everyone knows how to get to the location and at what time. Even in the Summer months make sure you have a warm coat and umbrella in the car – your freezing cold swim ware model will thank you for it

2) Communicate – I see so many photographers who sit behind the lens of a camera and click away without saying a word. Communicate with your model, they are not mind readers, they don’t know what you want unless you tell them. If you want the model to put her hand on her hip a bit higher than she has, tell her! All people need words of encouragement, tell the model her smile is gorgeous and she will smile a gorgeous smile – listen to some of the pro fashion photographers – they spend the entire shoot directing, cajoling and complimenting their models. The same communication needs to be for any stylists and MUA’s too – they don’t know EXACTLY what you want unless you tell them.

3) Always have a Plan B – Sometimes the best laid plans fall apart – always have a plan B, even if that Plan B is “we can’t continue – lets all reschedule”

4) Take regular breaks – It’s tough being a photographer – it’s equally tough being a model – you try standing on the beach in sub zero temperatures for hours on end! Always plan to have regular breaks for a drink, comfort breaks or just to look at what you have done so far – you will get more out of the model and consequently out of your shoot if you take regular breaks

5) Know when to stop – Its easy to keep clicking away – especially with modern DSLR’s of today – but if you have followed the four previous steps you will probably have “got the shot” by now – so stop – thank the model and the rest of your creative team and go home happy

Best

Colin

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Best of 2012

28 Friday Dec 2012

Posted by Colin Crowdey in Photography, Portraits

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Arts, beauty, Bride, entertainment, Fashion, Hairdresser, Hazlewood Bridal Boutique, Make Up Artist, shoot, Shopping, style

the-starving-artist-2012

 

So with 2012 almost at a close and 2013 nearly upon us I thought I would take a look back at my year as a pro photographer and showcase some of my best images taken throughout the year.

Of course, I could never take these images without the help of all the pople that are involved in making a shoot and this includes stylists, MUA’s, clothing designers, researchers, hair stylists, prop buyers and of course last but by no means least the models themselves.

I have had the pleasure this year to work with some absolutely amazing professionals, way too many to mention you all, but those that made it into my best of 2012 are,

Lorena F, Franki, Forsaken Desire, Emma S, Holly T, Miss Laura Mai, Jodie Winter-Smith, Helen D, Mary L, Emily L, Bubblefaery, Hazlewood Bridal Boutique, Findadress Bridal

Now to the best bit – the video – I must stress that some of the images in this video are unpublished and while there is no nudity some of the images show more than I would normally publish and probably not safe for work, so if that type of thing offends please do not watch the video.

Once again a BIG thank you to EVERYONE I have worked with this year and here’s to a prosperous and happy 2013!

Best – Colin

 

 

 

 

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Photographing People differently

14 Wednesday Nov 2012

Posted by Colin Crowdey in Portraits

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Photographing People, Portrait Photography, Portraits, Unusual portraits

Afternoon.

I’ve spent a good few years of my life photographing people (among other things) and over the years I have heard many a person say that “photographing people is easy”. Well, to be fair, if you know how to use a camera, know where to add light or subtract light from and can properly pose an individual then yes – I suppose photographing people is easy.

But then, driving a car is easy too, if you can co-ordinate your eyes, hands, ears and feet to do different things all at the same time!

If you don’t know how to use a camera, or can’t co-ordinate your body, then taking photographs of people, or driving a car is definitely NOT easy.

Taking nice portraits of people IS easy, for someone who has plenty of experience, (just like driving a car) but what is not easy is taking a different portrait of a person. I know, you can change the lighting, change the props, dress them up in different clothing, put them in a different location etc etc etc but after a while they still all look the same, just nice portraits of people.

Recently I had a lady come to me asking, in her words, for, “something different”. I asked if there were any limitations or caveats to this and she said no, I just want something different.

A nice easy client !!

I could have spent thousands on a bespoke photo set, or whisked the client away to some exotic location and perhaps used a Tiger as a prop, or some other over the top solution. But I decided upon simplicity. Put her in a box.

And that’s what I did.

I knew of a large iron box that had a hole cut out in the side and decided to put her in there. We had her make up done pretty brightly along with some awesome finger nail colours and just, well, put her in the box.

The fact you can only see her eyes and not her mouth along with the harsh lighting adds some mystery to the portrait

 

For this next shot we asked her to position her hands as if she was trying to escape from the box.

Something very different and I obviously wouldn’t shoot all my clients this way, but this client loved the shots 🙂

Best – Colin

 

 

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