Category Archives: photography

Skylights in the Studio

Category : Equipment photography Portraits

The new studio is still in progress with the build out, but I couldn’t resist testing out the skylights to see if they were going to be as nice as I had hoped. They were better than I had hoped. Simply set the camera up – ISO 400, F5.6, 1/60 and shoot away.

Lots of freedom of movement around the studio area as the pool of light is very large. The skylights themselves are 4×8 and about 21 feet above the floor. If you want to have a skylight dome for your studio or any other room, they would definitely be recommended due to the amazing lighting that they can offer.

Skylight Test

This sample shot is pretty much straight out of camera. I just cropped and reduced it in Photoshop.

We are still on schedule for a May 1 opening of The Studio. Back to the work to make sure everything gets done.

Orcatek Photography – Phoenix, Arizona

Couples Boudoir

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Category : boudoir glamour photography Portraits

Boudoir photography of a couple presents a whole new set of challenges. Each of them can be overcome by the photographer. Many of these issues are the same in a multi-person photograph, but some are more specific to boudoir and glamour.

Lighting multiple people is always a challenge, but boudoir tends to use much more dramatic lighting than your typical portrait. More shadows from direction light. Often the couple will be facing each other so care must be taken by the photographer to keep one of the faces from falling too far into shadow. I always use the main light on the woman’s face, the guy is secondary. Here I may use a fill card to bounce some light, or a fill light with various modifiers to keep the light from hitting parts I wanted in shadow.

Posing the couple also adds some challenges. First you always make sure that she looks great. Then he is posed to work with her body. The limited to lack of clothing also adds a few challenges. In my studio, no shots can show genitalia, poses must always conceal. Additionally clients may have other levels of modesty to preserve in the photographs. Sometimes it is a movement of a fraction of an inch of an arm or a leg to provide the needed coverage. Always checking through the viewfinder as they move from pose to pose, it takes a careful eye to keep the shots perfect.

Probably the most difficult challenge is the interaction portrayed in the photographs themselves. The photographer has to work to create a sensual image without it looking like something from an adult entertainment site (not that there’s anything wrong with the stuff on www.porn7.xxx). The best inspiration comes from fashion magazines, where they often show couples posed sexy but not trashy. The emotions I work to evoke from my clients are desire, love and passion, but avoid lust.

I have found boudoir couples sessions to be an emerging trend. I have been getting more and more questions about this type of photography. Hopefully the trend will continue, as the couples who choose to do boudoir together tend to be great fun to work with.

Orcatek Boudoir Photography – Phoenix, AZ

Nervous Nancy Does Boudoir

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Category : boudoir glamour photography

I got a call a few weeks ago from Nancy about doing a boudoir photo shoot for her future husband. She said that she had thought about calling before but got too nervous. This time she said she wanted to at least find out what boudoir photography was all about. I explained that boudoir was about finding the beauty that everyone has bringing it out in photographs.

I asked what her concerns were and she talked about how she wasn’t a model and didn’t have a perfect figure. I pointed her in the direction of some tips to maintain your figure so that she could get a figure she was proud of, whilst also reassuring her that it didn’t matter one bit. It is very common for people to feel subconscious about their figure and looks when they are having a photoshoot like this. I know that some people choose to get something like a tummy tuck in Newport Beach, CA when they’re feeling a bit down about their body, and there’s nothing wrong with that if that’s what works for you, but in Nancy’s case I discussed how with posing in lighting we would make her look great. I explained how people in magazines look in print and in real life. She said she would like to come in and see some samples.

Nancy came to the studio and we reviewed the options and looked over my work. I showed her some before and after images of other shoots (I have permission to show these, privacy is important). After seeing this and talking more about her desires, she decide a book would be the perfect package. We scheduled her for last week.

She arrived at the shoot and was very nervous. She had brought a friend as we had discussed to help her change. Heather did Nancy’s hair and make-up as we chatted about various topics she began to relax a bit. I looked at her wardrobe and started planning the shoot sequence to minimize set changes.

As Nancy stepped in front of the camera I could see was nervous. I posed to show her what I wanted her to do. Me posing like a sexy woman always helps to break the ice. I took a few frames and showed her how she looked. Her friend took a look and told her she looked amazing, Nancy thought so too. Her nerves melted and we continued shooting.

I would stop every once in a while and show her how the shoot was progressing. Each time Nancy would just love the shots. Her friend flipped through my “idea” book and showed her some poses she should do. With her confidence at a high she agreed quickly and changed to an outfit for the new poses.

By the end of the shoot Nancy said she was having the best time. She said she can’t believe how relaxed I made her feel in such a short time. She had no idea boudoir photography would be so fun. Her friend decided she was going to come back next week to get some boudoir photographs for her husband.

Nancy called me after getting the proofs and said they looked even better than she imagined, and they haven’t even been retouched. She said it was going to be hard to pick just the photographs for her book. She asked if she could come back to do some more when her first anniversary comes around. How could I refuse?

Orcatek Boudoir Photography – Phoenix, Arizona

Professional Make-up for Photography

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Category : boudoir glamour headshots photography Portraits

Professional make-up for your photo shoot has many benefits for both the client and the photographer. I include make-up services in a lot of my packages and in others I let the client decide.

There are several benefits to the photographer. First is the reduction in the amount of time spent retouching. A good make-up artist (MUA) can make their skin look almost perfect. With wedding makeup, flamboyant isn’t really a word that comes to mind, but it’s still very rewarding for the bride to see the pictures afterwards, knowing that she looked her best – here is an elopement wedding photographer to look at for some examples. This is a golden example of a time to hire a professional. Additionally they keep the shine off the skin that some people get on their faces (both men and women). I hate retouching the shine off skin.

Now even if a client knows how to do their make-up (many are quite good), a professional MUA will be able to do things beyond this. Airbrushing the skin is one technique that yields awesome results that they provide. Additionally a MUA will be able to create specialized looks that fall outside the range of normal make-up. Classic pin-up is an example; another would be fashion make-up for model portfolios.

Fashion Make-up

One of the benefits to my clients is how easy it is to just come to the studio and have everything handled for them. Many find it very relaxing to have their make-up done for them. We chat and joke around and get to know each other before the shoot. This puts the client at ease prior to the shoot, settling some of those pre-shoot jitters.

The MUA’s that I work with also travel to my location shoots. My clients love it when everything comes to them to make their shoot special. We’ve gone to client’s homes, hotels and even the middle of the desert. Every time the results were worth it.

Many MUA’s work in salons in addition to working with photographers. I have a team of MUA’s that I have used that provide incredible work. Having several on my team allows me to always have proven talent available when needed.

Orcatek Photography – Phoenix

Fine Art Nude Photography Vs Boudoir

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Category : boudoir glamour photography

Fine art nude photography is very different from glamour and boudoir photography, yet often clients like to add some photographs of this style to their shoots.  They often feel that the fine art images can be displayed about for all to see, whereas they may find the boudoir images a bit too personal for such a public showing.

 

Boudoir and glamour photography is about making photographs to show beauty and reflect a sensual and sexy attitude.  The pose, lighting and expressions are all designed to make the woman look stunning and glamorous.  The photographer works to create an emotional response of desire in the viewer.

 

Fine art nude photographs are about showing the natural beauty of the human form.  The shapes and textures of body are photographed.   The expressions are typically serene; eye contact with the camera is less common.   Poses are often less inviting than boudoir.

 

Sometimes the photographs are abstract in nature.  The photographer limits the frame to a small portion of the body leaving the mind to ponder exactly what is shown.  It is more about the shapes and lines than the actual body.

Bodyscape 

A common style of fine art nudes are bodyscapes.   Lighting is used to create strong shadows and highlights, bringing the edge or shapes into the image.  Clients find these images especially appealing as you can’t usually tell who the image is.

 

Fine art nude photography is still heavily black and white.  Boudoir is more often photographed in color.  Both disciplines do cross over, so take this generalization with a grain of salt.  I personally tend to do my fine art in black and white.

 

Adding fine art photography to my offerings has given my clients another option for adding to their photography options during their sessions.

 

Orcatek Boudoir And Glamour Photography – Phoenix, Arizona

Natural Light – Real or Fake

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Category : photography

Natural light is a wondrous tool for photography. I had the opportunity yesterday to shoot in a room with a wall of north facing replacement windows alpharetta. The light coming in makes it so easy to create great images.

Natural Light

Great photographers through the years have often had studios with north facing windows and/or skylights. They knew that the light would give them amazing opportunities to create their work.

So you have two options in your studio. Option one is to have a wall of north facing windows to give you that great light. Windows on any side are still better than no windows. Other directions just are more or less effective depending on time of day. Sometimes I like windows with direct light on them to create the effect I want.

The other option is to fake a wall of north facing windows. To do this you need a good sized white wall. You then turn several strobes straight at the wall powered up a pretty good amount as they will be bouncing to create the light. A single strobe on a smaller white wall can work if you limit yourself to a smaller area. I like using the large wall as it just makes it easy for your model to move around the entire shooting area.

The faked wall is good, but not quite the same as the real thing. Sunlight just has a quality that the strobes can be made to come close to, but just miss.

Orcatek Photography – Phoenix

Boudoir Fantasies

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Category : boudoir glamour photography

Boudoir photography is a great way to play out some fantasies.  Everyone has some fantasies, most of a wide variety.  With a little planning you can fulfill a fantasy or three during your boudoir photo session.  You may even create a new one.  Let’s talk about some of the classics to get you started.  

 

Very popular is the naughty schoolgirl.  Outfits include a short, typically red plaid skirt, a white halter top or shirt tied to a halter, and a variety of shoes.  Props include books, pens, rulers, suckers and glasses.  Movies such as “House Bunny” have kept this one popular.  The flipside is naughty teacher.

 

Cheerleader is another classic with the obvious outfit.  Props are of course pompoms.  Often the pompoms are all that’s needed to create the fantasy photographs.

 

The naughty nurse fantasy is also popular with a lot of men.  Outfits can be scrubs, a classic white nurse’s dress with stockings or a white lab coat.  Props include stethoscopes, thermometers, tongue depressors, and bandages. 

 

Then there is the bad secretary who just can’t seem to type.  Short skirts and tops with button fronts are typically all that’s needed.

 

How about cooking in the nude wearing just an apron – watch out for the bacon grease.  This of course leads to the maid who cleans more than houses.  Both are common ideas that seem to run through a man’s mind.

 

Of course the movie classic, wearing nothing but an overcoat to meet him.  It’s simple to create a wide variety of photographs with just an overcoat. 

 

Of course if he is a fan of Mardi Gras, plenty of beads and a “flasher” top is all you need.  Or add a feathered mask to go from Bourbon Street to the boudoir.  Both are a fun way to bring create a mood.

 

And of some reason men really like they idea of two women together.  So bring a friend who might be willing to add to your photos.  I often just bring the second woman into the shots so she can remain anonymous.  An arm across your body, a leg wrapped around yours is all it takes.  If he doesn’t know who the other woman is it adds to the fantasy as in his mind he tries to figure it out.

 

Librarians, biker gals, ski bunnies, sports illustrated bikini model, Victoria’s Secret Angels, TV characters, hookers, massage therapist, nudist, delivery girl, mechanic,  cowgirl, military, cigars, police, fire, construction worker, hitchhiker the list goes on and on.  The only limits are your imagination.  Think about what interests he has, and bet you can find a fantasy that fits it.

 

So discuss the fantasies you want to fulfill with your boudoir photographer.   And of course you can use the session to show some of your fantasies too.

 

Orcatek Boudoir and Glamour Photography – Phoenix

Photography on Location

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Category : Equipment photography products

Working on location with clients on location can be both fun and challenging.  The resulting images though make it work the extra work required. 

 

One of the biggest challenges faced when shooting on location is the lighting.   Frequently these locations are outdoors so you have the sun to work with.  Then comes the supplemental light needed to make the image come to life.  Sometimes its reflectors, other times it is portable strobes.  More often than not it is a combination.  I personally like to use my speedlights as they are small and run on batteries.

© Copyright Dean Farrell, Orcatek Photography
© Copyright Dean Farrell, Orcatek Photography

 

 

 

 

The Pocket Wizard company has come up with a new version of their product that really makes this work well.  Radio Poppers has also been selling a product to provide very similar features, albeit in a very different way.  The end result is wireless control of your flashes using full ETTL in environments where the built-in IR method was difficult if not impossible to use.  Both these products really add to options for location photography.

 

Another challenge on location is permission.  Phoenix requires a permit to shoot anywhere in town that is not private property.   Private property owners control their property.  The city is actually pretty easy to work with, and the permit is not expensive if you meet the requirements.   Private property owners can be hit or miss.  Some are great, others are huge corporations that you can’t even find a person to say “yes or no”.

 

Other cities are in the Phoenix area are not so clear cut.  I have contacted most of them and they say no photographer permit for small shoots that I typically do.  However I have had police and park rangers ask for my photography permits.  I always tell them the truth; I was told I don’t need them.  If they insist, I ask them where I get them.   In any case, I still have been run off a few times, and on follow-up found that no permit was required.   Better to take walk away on your own, then in handcuffs, so I prefer not to fight it too much.

 

So check the rules in your area.  Get some portable light control.  And produce some great location images.

 

Orcatek Photography – Phoenix

Before Baby Boudoir

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Category : boudoir glamour photography

A request that seems to becoming more frequent is the before baby boudoir photography session.  The desire to preserve the memory of the time before becoming a mom brings many clients into the studio.  This also leads to the wonders of a maternity session 7 to 8 months later to remember this special time.  As it turns out, there is always a time to capture the beauty of a women worth remembering, each one special for it’s own reason.

 

My clients give a variety of reasons for wanting a before baby boudoir photography session.  Each one unique in their own special way.   In the end it creates a memory for both him and her that will last a lifetime.  Some feel the won’t feel sexy after the baby arrives, other are concerned about body changes that can occur,  and still some just feel that is something that a mom “can’t do,” so they should do it now.

 

Whatever the reason, every woman deserves to feel beautiful and sexy at any time in her life.  And that is what boudoir photography is all about, capturing the wonderful beauty that resides in every woman at any time. 

 

In the end I have had many clients how came in before baby and returned after baby to do it again.  They found that being sexy was not limited by having a baby.   They tell me that doing the sessions before and after baby was the perfect way to celebrate themselves.

 

 

Orcatek Boudoir And Glamour Photography – Phoenix, Arizona

Power of Black and White

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Category : boudoir glamour photography

When color photography first came out, everyone was excited.  Now we could see things in the colors they actually are seen.   Slowly over time black and white faded out and was seldom used.   Along came digital and it started in color as we expected color from digital, just like we did from our film.

 

Now black and white images get noticed as they stand out from the sea of color photographs.  They add an artistic value in the eyes of many consumers of photography.  They create a feeling and look that just isn’t there in color.

Power of Black and White - Orcatek Photography 

Take the image show here.  It would be very different in color.  Sure it would contain more information about the tone of her skin, is she pale, tan, darker or lighter than you.  In black and white it is difficult to infer.  What becomes more important is the shapes and how light catches it.

 

Shadows vs light become the key to defining an image.  Creating a digital image is not as simple as choosing black and white on your camera or in Photoshop.  You need to plan ahead of time to create the textures and mood you desire.   Lighting will be planned differently to get the contrast desired.

 

Sure I use the B&W setting on my camera to preview the idea.  I also tweak those settings to fit my vision of the shot to aid in my set-up. 

 

Colored filters are often used to create to change the color relationships when converted to black and white.  In color it would throw a skin tone way off, but in black and white it can enhance or reduce features as you desire.

 

I like to explore black and white when create boudoir images as it brings them to another level.  I find clients all love seem to love it too.

 

Orcatek Boudoir And Glamour Photography – Phoenix, Arizona

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