Studio photography always makes me feel like a ‘real’ photographer. It’s great to set up the backdrop, rig lights, get the lighting ratio right (trust me, you don’t need to know). It’s fairly Old School, in the sense that you need to understand a few basic principles that haven’t changed, and you need to know about correct exposure and so on. It really is no different to when I first started learning photography over 35 years ago (after all, the laws of physics have remained the same for millennia). In other words, it’s a nostalgic trip down Memory Lane.
However, on a shoot like this, the equipment is really secondary. Any shoot that involves people is all about them. Making that connection, getting that response, creating the right atmosphere to get the shots is the fundamental thing to get right. The gear just sets the environment in which that happens. If a photographer is busy fussing over the exposure settings, or fiddling with dials, they’re missing making that connection. Whoever is in front of the camera, whether they’re an amateur, a colleague, a friend or a seasoned professional, needs that spark to create a worthwhile photo.
On this shoot I was lucky to work with two experienced models, Amy and David. They’re both excellent at what they do, being able to take direction well, do what they’re asked time and again (we shot a lot of outfits!), and also come up with poses and ideas of their own. Oh, and credit to them both for being able to wear swimwear for long hours in a pretty cold studio (the shoot was back in February) without looking half frozen. Amy, David, it was a pleasure working with you, and thanks for all your help. You made two days very pleasant and fun.
The shots were all for catalogue use, shot at high enough resolution to be used full height (as you can see below), but also to crop into to show details of the costumes. Have a browse around the Kiniki site and you’ll see plenty of examples. They’ll also feature on shopping portals like Amazon, etc.
The shots were commissioned by Kiniki, a Newcastle-Under-Lyme based manufacturer of swimwear with a difference. The fabric allows the sun through, so you can tan while wearing it. No, I don’t understand the science of that either, but apparently it works! Again, thanks to Frederike and Nadine for all their time and hard work in making the shoot a success. And also to King Street Studios for putting the project together and getting me onboard.
I’ve shot a fair amount of fashion and clothing work in the past couple of years. If you have a new range of items that you’d like to advertise, please get in touch to discuss rates. I’m also happy to advise on model and studio bookings. You can get hold of me via the contact form.
