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Shoot: Old Hollywood Family Portrait

Now we're going to do a photo shoot that's going to be based on old hollywood. I met this young woman recently that was in design school, and she hired me to do some photographs or she's a baby. Look, I don't want just traditional pictures taken. My boyfriend collects old telephones and we really like that vintage era, so we want something that's that's, very old hollywood ish, so I decided to bring him into the studio, and we're going to use our studio strobes were using the pro photo, I believe it's, the dif orchid, correct on mike d for kit, and we're going to use a variety of of of light source when light modifiers the first thing that we're doing to create aa bit of texture on the background you notice we're using one of my famous trees, um, and it's going to cast a shadow on the background, and what that will do is that'll give me just a bit of kind of mystery to the photograph. In addition to that, then we're going to have spotlights that will highlight each of the subjects. You...

we want that old hollywood look, so I don't want the light to be too teo soft, I wanted to be a bit a bit sharp and chris and and then I want to really just have that be that kind of that that'll produce the theme of this segment. It'll help us to kind of create a bit of mood, so let's see, we're almost ready to go are lights are going to be set up? My goal is to have them set up the main light of f ate the will have a light that'll be over on the right hand side that will be an accent light. My goal is to have that be about five point six and we want the lighting to be very dramatic, so I'm not going to be overly technical about making sure that everybody's face is evenly illuminated. My goal is actually create a bit of mystery, and one of the things I've learned is that bys, by having areas where you have the subject in shadow, having just maybe one person illuminated, you can create an interesting mood. Teo for the photo and that's. My goal is to create a variety of images that create more of a feeling or a mood than just something that's very literal. You'll find that the idea of creating imagery with mood is really important, because if somebody feels your pictures, that emotion translates into what they purchase and that's one of the reasons that during michael's presentation earlier, you notice that he used words like, how do you feel about something? That's something common that we do in the studio a bit I mean it does sound very like dr issue how do you feel about that were you know what is your thought process? But I think that that's important because if you ask a person's feeling on a matter, they have to tell you how they feel you don't just say, are you feeling good? You know, if you say are you feelingood? They have yes or no answer and we don't want that so so we want to be able to make sure that we create an environment that is very, very conducive to the style of photograph that we're going to take so let me see what we've got going here we're gonna worry about ready to go test it alright let's test it and you want to sit down on the hot seat there you certainly can oh, I'll tell you right now that is so you all right? Let's see how you look? Okay, um, this light right here? Well, I don't think was firing. Yeah, we don't have a light on you. So here, have you no, can we talk? Can we kill these okay, so oh, that's, right, I can't okay, thank you, michael, I forgot this is the one time when I chip on the back of the actually, I really like that. The only thing that I want to do is I think I wanna power down that light just a tiny bit and actually I don't want a power that one down I actually wanna power that went down a little bit that's actually the one that's bother me can we turn these off? Would that be okay? Also do we have our reflector somewhere handy and then michael, can we turn these? Can we just turn these down? And then I wanted to see what we're getting from that light right there. You're better okay, let's see what looks like now? One of the great things, by the way, with our pro photo lighting is that they have this little module that fits right on the hot shoe of your camera and you can adjust. You can turn off each of the lights and test than individually right from here, so it makes it quite easy, let's see how we're looking right here. Okay, janine actually upsetting on that here. I wasn't quite ready for you coming across awesome let's see how that's looking. Okay, um, you know, while we're waiting for this guy mike, can you grab this camera for a second, grab our subjects and I think I'm gonna want to shoot with a twenty four millimeter lens, which is right over there let me grab our subjects and let me get them place and I'll talk a little bit while we're getting things finished organizing so can I have our models and lisa, can you grab my twenty four millimeter lens? I think it's back it's over in on that place right there okay, so here are our subjects this is jeannine and chris jean I'm sorry, gene there's just too many with jay's janey's here this's jane and chris and this is rachel and just hang out um heather sorry, heather, I don't know why every time I see why start getting nervous about your name and because I forget heather's name and so any rate whereas I said you could see the way that they're dressed they're dressed in kind of an old hollywood kind of style and so I think what we're going to try to do now is let me go in place you girls out so jean, I'm going to start with you first because you're kind of gonna be the centerpiece here in your beautiful red gown so I'd like to have you have a seat on the couch and what you're gonna do is you're gonna put your feet up yeah, okay and I want eugene to roll towards me this way beautiful now I want you to notice I want you to sit back on your hips just like you did. And I want you to know it's, put your leg straight. One on top of the other. Can I want you to see what happens when she rolls her hips towards the camera? So now flip your weight this way. Beautiful sculpture booty back a little bit. Do you see how we get that beautiful line down the side of her body? We're going to get this great looking s curve right here. Can I'll stay right there for just a second sculpture, but this way just a little bit. Very, very nice. And I wanted to bring this this hand this direction a little bit more and just kind of lean into that arm a little bit beautiful. Now, let me just do a light test on your face so I can see where our main light is going to be twenty grand. Yeah. Oh, yeah. That's something I can do this here. Actually, I really like this light. I think I'm going to once more from the air. Yeah, I want himto actually a little bit more from the hair and then I'm gonna increase my shutter speed a little bit because I'd like to get I want that background to go a tad darker let's, see if I can make it yeah I'd like to make the background of the darker okay, now that I have gene situated let's get the girl situated and then let's do chris so chris I'm gonna bring you behind the lounge right there and do we have that that telephone great jean I'm going to get you to hold the phone and I want you to kind of be on the telephone. Okay? Beautiful and chris where I think I want you to go is I want you to come this way and you're going to actually be turned I want let's here it looks like to have you turn your feet a whole bunch of this way because I want almost you see that nice bit of rim light on his face right there. I want to see what happens if I can get that if I could get that little bit of light skinny from that light in the background to give us kind of an interesting look I want to see what that looks like okay, now let's see what it looks like with the girls let's get these absolutely stunning girls. Teo work with us here. Okay? So lissy just mean rachel rachel, let me see what looks like to have you come around the back side where chris is at and I think I'd like to see if I can leave or I set you up let me get a yeah here you go. Heather hey, I've got it right heather let's see what it looks like to have you come right in here and I actually want you to sit here but I'm kind of in this area right here beautiful and what I'm gonna have you do heather is I want you to turn your legs this way and and I want you to like stretch her like this way but I think that could be really fun lean on this arm and okay q t pie have a seat park your little beauty here and what I want is your legs are gonna kind of go behind your daughter right there. Here you go. Hey, heather, bring this arm in front of me right here. Oh, I like this. I'm liking this already scoot your butt this way just a little bit perfect, punkin and with your chest or going to kind of lean towards me this way just a little bit stunning very very nice. Excellent. I love where you're at. I love where you're at. Okay. Very, very good. And now rachel, I think I'm gonna have you let's see how this is gonna work. I may have to move you, but we'll try it. Can I get you to sit right there but with your body facing this direction? Oh, actually, I love that I like that. Put most of your weight on your leg. Not on your booty. Is that okay? I'll tell you what. You girls look just so amazing. Gorgeous. And what? And what kind of a look. Oh, here I'll get out your way. How's that looking oh, actually, I like this better than I thought I was gonna like it. I like that mood and I've got all just increase decrease my shutter speed a little bit let's see how that looks? Oh, yeah, I'm liking this a lot. I love this. The section looks better than I hoped you were. Well, okay, gene. Okay, you're gonna drop that leg over this way right here. Beautiful. Honey, can I have you just I want you to bring that phone up like this more like this love it and you don't even care about these people. You're just like you're on the phone because you're the mom, but your tilt your head back a little bit, chin up a little bit, love it just like that and bring that hand phone to your face a little bit more awesome, gorgeous, absolutely gorgeous. And chris, you're just gonna look down it's, your beautiful girl like there because it's like you put your hand in your pants pocket for me and rachel, you go you look in that mirror like you don't even care about these people you're just kind of like you just check out your hair, okay? Can you heather? I mean heather rachel, turn your body this way away from me and bring that and that your hand mirror behind you that way I love it and just kind of fix your look a little bit. I like that. Can you hold the head that amir with your other hand? This looks good. I'm surprised this is one of those things that when you know you know what you're doing. Well, you know what you're doing, but when it comes together you're like oh, thank god it went together. Okay, I think we're ready to go. Right, dad? Let's, check it out. Okay. Oh, I got fifteen. Well, okay. All right. Now, keep in mind that when I take these photographs they're going to be cropped. There'll be some images. I'm using a twenty four millimeter lens there there's going to be some cropping that I'll do after the fact let's see how this looks right here and oh, beautiful hey, heather, I love it, heather, I want you you're just going to kind of lean into this arm and I want you honey that is so beautiful, pull those those your strength kind of this way and you're going to turn your face honey, I want to turn your face towards your your mom right there like this just kind of lean in and you're gonna love it leaning towards your mom a little bit awesome gorgeous beautiful hey, mike those those tree branches can you put him towards the wall a little bit and now heather uh I love where you're at right there. Rachel can you turn your body towards may love it, punkin and then bring your mirror down like this spring it kind of love that oh that's beautiful that's really pretty I like that way better, mike awesome right there love it beautiful kids love it and jean you're not going to look at me you gonna bring your face up like you don't even care okay, beautiful love it awesome beautiful very good guys love it. Okay let's switch it up a little bit chris you're gonna look at me this time you are so bad you don't even care don't be that these guys are you know it's just really bad and you know hey, gene, just for fun can I have you not turning on your back and actually, you know I'm gonna have you let's get rid of the phone for this and then you know what rachel, let me have you turn towards me I mean I step out ofthe sit up or stand up for me please turn your feet the other way and let me have you such a mirror down somewhere oh I like this side of your face beautiful and and you know what I want you to set up a little bit more just like that gene and then I want you to hold chris's hand and chris you're going to just bring it up towards your chest right there I love it I love it but chris scoop back this way baby honey that's also in fact you know what you just gave me and I don't move your perfect hair h sculpture booty this way about about a couple of inches keep going and now I want you to lean back into chris more a scooter but just a little bit and lee into him oh I like this this is great hey and hang on a second we have you got on your wrist what is it with girls in their hair ties right it's kind of the and someone grabbed her mere we don't need her mirror now drop that need down for me love good gene and I want you to flip your weight this way just a little bit actually you know don't do that just keep right on your butt right there chris come lean towards me with your chest a little bit okay? Rachel right in here. I'm gonna have you turned your body this way just a little bit more and now lean back and I want you to come lean your head back into chris oh, honey that's nice gorgeous. Love it right here. Heather look right here for me, missy. Oh, gorgeous, beautiful let's. Switch it up a little bit more now. Jean put this your blue top like over the other leg on this side. But put it now I want to tuck it behind heather. Great shoes, by the way. And now, heather, let me see what it looks like to have you kind of lay across your mother right there screwed in with your bottom towards your mom. Keep going. And I want you to get a gene. Bring your legs this way, she's gonna let her body right across your legs just drop your knees down. No, no, no. Good. And now flip your weight. This way, gene. Beautiful flip on your side. Good job, ben. Journey and drop it down. She's gonna late she's going to bring? Yeah, that's exactly. And now there you go, that's nice, heather you're just gonna lay I want you to lay across your mom with your arm right there, come on right in that ojai life that beautiful and I want you so little because you have great love it oh, that's nice. Okay, rachel just lean back into chris for me honey, this is great you guys look so awesome I'm here to tell you beautiful very pretty guys gene this hand over here can I just have you behold your hair like you know, touch your hair or something? You know, kind of like a like this on your chest. Good. No, just like this beautiful. Very nice. Relax your shoulders a little bit. Very nice. And hey, uncle mike, maybe you could just bring come right here and pop of tattle that light is is it's spills and get a little bit on the girls. Okay, rachel, turn your shoulders towards me a little bit, punk in beautiful. Very nice that's. Nice. We'll see how that goes. Excellent. Actually, I really like how mysterious this looks. Okay, now, let's, switch it up a little bit. Chris, come over here and girls stay put. The only person that I'm gonna move just slightly is rachel kinda have you take this arm right here and just put it across the arm right here and you're gonna lean toward the scoot toe a little bit towards the middle right here, beautiful, honey oh, gosh that's gorgeous with your chest rachel lean towards me a little bit this way stunning right here very nice and you know what would be really nice let me have you take this arm right here and put it up on your daughter's arm right there. Oh, I like that look right here oh, that's nice you guys that looks awesome stunning kids it's beautiful very very nice and I'm just gonna I'm gonna just change my shutter speed a little bit gorgeous jean till the top of your head this way beautiful stunning and now let's do something a bit different from here rachel let me have you and heather for stand up for a second and you don't think I'd like to have this can I switch out um actually want to do one of you sitting on the couch but girls come over here for just a moment and then could somebody grab my black chair and let's get it ready I want you just roll your shoulders this way a little bit just a tiny tiny bit of movement for me jean turn your face this way gorgeous right there's lovely I want one foot you're top what? Just bend it a little bit stretch it a little bit more beautiful now drop your leg down very beautiful, honey oh that's gorgeous drop your chin just a tiny bit stunning dear hang on very, very lovely let's see how we're doing here actually I really like this. I love that strong contrast I'm gonna switch lenses now I think I want to shoot this with the seventy two, two hundred chris hammy got lens right next to you would you big one way do we have questions by the way, just keep powering through ok? We've got about nine minutes left. Okay? Can I give that to chris? All right, beautiful. Okay, let's see what we got? Oh that's so nice. I love shooting with this lands I'll tell you very very beautiful. Hey, gene, this arm right here just bring it up like this. Yeah, just like that lead, honey. That's nice chin up a little bit awesome. Stunning, dear that's very beautiful, miss. Move my camera position, but tilt your head the other way. Chin up a little bit and I want you to stretch your neck that's perfect, very beautiful. Stay right there and I want this finger bent a little bit more beautiful. No, keep all the rest down. Just that one finger like that lovett and hyuk ut chris, come over here, baby. Bend that knee a little bit more the top on right there, chris go stand behind her a little bit, babe and what I want you to do, chris yeah, look atyou, use it. Oh, yeah um can I wanted which is you're going to just lean towards me a little bit this way and actually can you can you lean forward look let's see what looks like to have you lean I like that turn your face towards her nice look at me, chris beautiful. Very cool kids. Excellent. Very, very nice. Okay, let me have you guys off that and we're gonna do just a few on our on our black chair so we can have our set people uh, lisa, can I get you to help move our couch? How are you girls doing ok? And now what I'm gonna do is I'm gonna photograph back up that we just live in here because of this camera right here. What I'm going to do next is all photographed each of the girls. Wow, I actually think that's awesome. I'll photograph each of these young ladies in my black chair. My goal is to create just a couple of very dynamic portrait's these girls are just amazing they're they're just very elegant and I want to just kind of capture the flavor of each of these gals. My goal and doing a portrait session is to photograph the entire group to photograph each individual person and then the course the couples a swell mom and her daughters and dad and his children as well so that way I can create a nice variety of imagery okay so the first thing let's try this let's start with you rachel come here kitty and let's see okay have a seat right there darling oh, I'm gonna love this what I want you to do you're going to sit in this side of the chair other way completely the opposite oh, I like that already and what? Take your back like and drop it over the tree on the arm of the chair yeah, go ahead good job and I'm just oh, actually that's a really nice being your elbow this way just a little bit awesome oh, sweet pea that's just really beautiful let me see how this is looking through the camera you see how we're looking from a lighting standpoint okay, this time I want to just let me tell you what I'm liking about this look at the quality of light on her face do you notice how because of where the light is this coming up from a from a higher standpoint it's giving her a beautiful shadow underneath the nose and it gives the eyes of very dreamy, dreamy look I actually like the high contrast and it it works for her because first of all the type type of clothing that she's wearing it's in it's on with that it's not a fluffy she's not a fluffy girl so that that wouldn't work so I want this to be a bit more just edgy now I'm gonna have you do this I'm gonna bring your elbow this way mike I would love to have a a little whisper of light on that arm so can I have a bit of reflector on that arm and rachel can I have you turned your legs towards me just a tiny bit this way I don't want to see a pure skirt so turn more keep going keep going keep going like that lovett your other hand that some here just put it on the arm of the chair like that up there just hang with lovett that's beautiful love really sculpture but this way a little bit and lean into that love that oh, honey that's stunning that's gorgeous that's absolutely beautiful let me come in a little tighter for this. Excellent. You know, you can get great ideas on posing by looking at fashion magazines this actual this photograph right here is my interpretation of an ad that I saw in ah gucci ad that I saw in vogue magazine um I love the really strong light I want to do one more like this so let me have you take your leg down and then turn your feet with all the way this way this will show off your hair beautifully keep going actually and I love let's up the chair turn this way right here. Keep going beautiful love it. Can I have you lean towards me? Know a whole bunch this way? Love it? Actually, you know what? Turn your legs back this way. But, honey, I think that right there and stretch out one like a little bit sorry about that. Lovely turn your face back this way. A little bit. Awesome. Right there. You know what, rachel? Maternity the other way? Like the side of your face. Better right there. Good job. And now I want you to lean towards me. Beautiful love it, tilt your head that way a little bit gorgeous right here. Awesome. And last one eternal whole bunch. This way right there. You're going to just look over the arm of that. Oh, I like that. Can you bring it? Can you scoot your butt back away? Cause I almost want your face within that that's. Amazing. Stunning tilt your head that way a little bit. Chin down a tiny bit beautiful. Excellent stayed right there for one second. Heather, let me have you punk and you're going to go stand on the other side of that chair don't move! Okay, baby, stretch out one legged oh, beautiful. I'm gonna have you punk and you're going to stand behind your sister on this side of the chair turn this way good and then I turn all the way to the syed bring your elbow and you're gonna lean back into the awesome love it can you cross your legs and an ex beautiful really lean into sissy this way oh how I love this gorgeous heather this is so gorgeous for you turn your face this way stunning absolutely amazing, darling lean towards me a tiny bit that with your gorgeous oh yeah beautiful very, very nice excellent and now let me have um rachel hop out of that chair heather let me get you in there honey right in there on which to lean towards me this way beautiful and then turn your turn the chair that way look, I want to get a little more I want you almost leaning oh, gosh that's beautiful. Very, very nice just stunning just amazing scooter pie move your butt that way just a little bit and I want you to really lean towards me this way put oh, yeah you have never done this before, huh? Awesome. Punkin lovett omar right here and last one I want you to stand in the stand up I want to stretch you out a little bit um here we go I want you to come behind here and I want you just to stretch like this, okay, okay okay, bring your shoulders that way come on, turn those shoulders this way all the way the other way like write your chest right into the chair. Okay, lovett stretch out both of your arms gorgeous really, really nice lead all with your chest all the way into that chair right there and then put that lean into your hands right there and what I want you to do and no, not with that on the other arm. Beautiful awesome. See that's what I'm looking for the reason that I've chosen to to use this kind of pose on her is because she has these long, elegant arms and I want to showcase that a bit I want to showcase her elegance and I think this is a nice way to do it. The only refinement that I want to do is excuse me the hand that's under your chin just don't put you don't push down I want real stuff to move it away from the bottom of your chin because you have a gorgeous face I want to hide it and that hand right there just stretch it out to the edge lovett stunt relax a finger love it very nice actually one more take this arm and bring it down bring it across the back of the chair and then lean towards me that just beautiful pumpkin just absolutely gorgeous, beautiful, excellent