Lighting a model for a projector photoshoot is not as easy as you may think but well worth the time invested to achieve a rather different take on light falling on your Muse.

In the 1960’s John French photographed models with floral and 60s style patterns projected onto their bodies instead of clothes. These black and white prints represent the versatile and exciting possibilities that projections can offer artists and photographers.

I wanted to try projector photography and see if my own projector lighting mixed with some interesting projected screens was in fact as good as they say?

Modern projectors are digital and have LED bulbs and fairly sturdy to your mum and dads version with the lamp which would often break, however generally they have a low light output for capturing images and if purchasing you would need some basic bulb power.

With so many types of digital projectors out there which will be great for projector photography, how do you know if the one you have or plan to buy is the right option for you? There are a few things that you’ll need to consider including brightness, size, and definition. Brightness is essential so looking for a projector which has at least 3,500 Lumens. That way, your projected image will still be visible even when you’re working with a different light source if you plan to.

The Projector

For my test, I chose to illuminate the model with only the projector light source. My Projector was purchased from amazon and was the VANKYO Performance V630 Native 1080P Full HD Projector, 6800 Lumens 300″ LED Projector which is reasonably bright and seemed to be perfect for what we were achieving

Now you don’t have enough light to shoot fast, but there are two ways to get around this.
You can use slower shutter speeds which of course limit how fast you can work with the model and of course use of a tripod is essential, or you can increase your camera’s ISO and speed up the shots, in turn, allows faster working. Higher ISO does tend to clean up the mids and highs of the image.

Best Images for Projection

Although you can technically use any graphics you really want, it can really be of benefit to use photos that don’t have too many distracting elements but has some negative space where you can place your model. Some awesome examples for a projected image include the skies, clouds, and open landscapes.

Patterns also work really well for a projected image. Placing a subject in front of the patterns would create distortions that look futuristic. You can try anything from graphic lines and shapes, and maybe clouds and flowers in fact it could be anything which allows for the contrast which you will need.

We chose for our projector lighting test a selection of grids rather like venetion blinds but also for our video some moving grids and graphic blocks.

Using your Projector for Best results

A studio with very little ambient light or darkened room of your choice is essential so as not to ruin your exposure. Any ambient light will be cumulative to your final exposures. It would help if you also had a plain wall, preferably white or light, so the image is projected. If you want a small projected image, place the projector at least four feet away from the wall. But if you desire a more significant projection, put it at least 8 feet or more. Remember that the farther away you are, the larger the screen.

Once you finish setting up your projector using supplied HDMI cables, the next step is to adjust the focus, which is located near the lens. First, turn on the device. Once the menu appears on the screen, change the focus dial as you would with a camera lens until everything is sharp. Now go to the Keystone dial and move it back and forth until the perspective of the screen looks straight.

Now that the screen is sharp and straight and your image looks sharp across it all, then plug your computer to an HDMI port. Use the projector’s buttons or the remote to access the menu and select HDMI to watch the screen of your computer appear on the wall behind.

Using your iPhone or Ipad to connect and preview patterns

We used our iPhone to connect to the HDMI port of the projector for projecting your projector photography images. Our experience was as our images to prject were loaded ino the photos section of the iPhone they were of a certain size and although this was great for headshots it was clear you would really need a large space to get a full length or even 3/4 length shot. The reason for this we worked out was purly down to the scren size of our device.

For our next attempt we would use the larger iPad for projection so that the image would be bigger and project larger, this would allow for a good standing shot, however if not it was plenty good enough for portraiture.

Some readings from the shoot will give you an idea before retouching how we set up shooting specs.
Lens was the 105mm
ISO was only 80, the large aperture of the 105 allowed this otherwise we could easily have been in excess of 400 ISO
Exposure was 1.6 seconds at F14 – Again the lens helped as did the higher power projector.
All images were handheld

Some Extra Information about Projector Photography

– Projectors can help to enhance your photography ideas and concepts for your portfolio
​- They add a slightly different perspective on how you view light and subject.
– Easy way to add colour or pattern to your subject
​- It can create avantgarde style concepts.
​
5 TIPS & IDEAS TO TRY
​- Projecting Mexican masks onto a model face.
​- Project text, shapes or graphic designs to create graphical bodywork onto the face.
​- Great for illuminating the nude form, add some creative shapes to this for a more advance result.
​- Projecting slideshows of images over the face, with slow shutter speed and creating motion blur exposures.
​- Use moving graphics from YouTube to create animated sequences or even your psychedelic film like we did.

Other links
James Nader Portfolio
Fine Art Website

iPhoneography and Seizing the moment is what it takes sometimes to capture dynamic shots. Finding suitable chances even with street photography and with people is very tricky. I am NOT a street person type of guy. My shoots usually have some guidance and crafting before even starting a shoot.

Working on the fly on location allows me to focus on a creative aspect of what I do, technically I am not so driven but creative processes including working with models is something I  prefer in my work.

Portraiture (Paintings or pictures of people) is an ancient art form going as far back as we can see to ancient Egypt, where it flourished. With the invention of photography and the depiction of a person previously, a painted, sculpted, or drawn portrait was the only way to record the appearance of someone.

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Here are some trends in photography for the remainder of 2020 to try and work towards. I have covered a few, but they are a good focus when looking to go and shoot lifestyle pictures.

Authentic & Candid Images
Environmentalism & Sustainability
Diversity & Inclusion
Social Activism
Immersive Shots
Mental Health Awareness
Love for Nature

Here are some interesting statistics in photography and social media.

Posts with images produce 650% engagement than text-only posts. 

Visual content is 40 times more likely to get shared, and posts in colour encourage peoples willingness to read on.

[otw_shortcode_dropcap label=”J” size=”large” border=”border” border_color_class=”otw-silver-border”][/otw_shortcode_dropcap] Juxtapose man, flower, low light and quickness then it illuminates and becomes a picture of substance, by keeping it simple, allows for a focus on directing. Working fast lifts the thought process and stops overthinking and over-engineering a picture. I even used the out of focus and soft image because it’s very much like film in texture and softness. The location was dark and already working with simple LED lighting. I had pre-planned my plan of action, and Jack was complicit in my approach. I pressed ganged our hipster into doing a few pictures and made quick work of it too

[otw_shortcode_dropcap label=”S” size=”large” border=”border” border_color_class=”otw-silver-border”][/otw_shortcode_dropcap]Shooting without constraints with only one minute to accomplish a result. Jack, my assistant, held the light above and guided hipster to stand against the wall with his flower. I suggested to Jack to rotate the light around 360 degrees. Going high and going low in composition makes a difference.

[otw_shortcode_dropcap label=”S” size=”large” border=”border” border_color_class=”otw-silver-border”][/otw_shortcode_dropcap]Surprised by the results and shooting without thinking too much, speaking to the Hipster with direction only, fast call outs and fast reactions. I learned once more becoming a little too constrained shooting suffocates creativity. I have often been too conservative with shots by controlling too much subject, light, and composition! To coin a phrase Smartphoneography is something we all do regularly. Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Snapchat, we’re all taking pictures pretty much most of the time nowadays. Some are great and others not very good.

[otw_shortcode_dropcap label=”F” size=”large” border=”border” border_color_class=”otw-silver-border”]Fashion & Advertising images often tend to use portraiture but not as an art form. There are many great photographers out there who shoot fabulous portraits, and right now Annie Liebovitz is well renowned for her stunning portrait work [/otw_shortcode_dropcap]

[otw_shortcode_dropcap label=”F” size=”large” border=”border” border_color_class=”otw-silver-border”]Fashion & Advertising images often tend to use portraiture but not as an art form. There are many great photographers out there who shoot fabulous portraits, and right now Annie Liebovitz is well renowned for her stunning portrait work [/otw_shortcode_dropcap]

iPhone Ideas for shooting

Choose Portrait mode.
Follow the tips onscreen to frame your subject in the yellow portrait box.
Drag  to choose a lighting effect
Natural Light:  The face is in sharp focus against a blurred background.
Studio Light:  The face brightly lit, and the photo has an overall clean look.
Contour Light:  The face has dramatic shadows with highlights and lowlights.
Stage Light:  The face spotlit against a deep black background.
Stage Light Mono:  The effect is similar to Stage Light, but the photo is in classic black and white.
High-Key Light Mono: Creates a grayscale subject on a white background (on supported  models).

In Lockdown I recently took up running and completed my first 10K milestone (gasping still). Most probably not going to reach out to marathon runners and join their club if you don’t mind, it’s just a way of keeping fit and filling some of the time. Whilst I have plenty to do I have thought much along the lines that maybe a project of some description. I am attracted to nature and love a nice tree! I have a few Oaks near to me. That rhymes I think!

No campaigns or locations and in Lockdown! No editing or post-production to finish, I need to be involved in something that’s remotely creative…

On my run early on this year I noticed this bear Oak and thought to document this might be interesting. I normally take my phone with me in case I keel over but of course, I can also these takes take pictures 🙂

Interesting how the baron Skeletal tree has more artistic merit than the fully blossomed tree at the bottom of the Journal. Singularity and painterly. I found or find this tree inspirational and happened to document a month’s growth into full bloom.

Note – “Oaks are monoecious, meaning that each individual tree has both male and female flowers on it.”

I am now using a super App – [Get in touch if you would like to know the app] more for my editing, previously using Lightroom, and still doing so but this new App is slightly easier and better equipped for a quick edit. I also tend to use the App called Snapseed which I have used for a long time. It has a comprehensive set of editing tools. In my YouTube channel will b letting on about the App as it features in one of my recent trips to Scotland in the snow.

Here is the link to the App   https://apple.co/2LxNOVk

Not the Trail of the Lonesome pine! For weeks I have passed by and gathered a selection of iPhone images s a record of new life and all the greatness we take for granted. Tree hugger, I am not but an appreciation of nature which last longer I am. This skeletal rendition of two and a half appeals in a way as this is the first time I have actually looked at one item other than my Imac and camera more than once or twice.

Another App you may find interesting is Darkroom – Very powerful and also has a vast array of editability, it also comes with great colour washes if you need them. Not applicable in this set of images.

Editing for me has much of the time been done in Photoshop, Lightroom and now on the iPhone in App form. I have customised my smart devices to both edit video and edit pictures on the fly and the apps used help get mobile and upload quickly.

My INSTAGRAM for any images outside of my general photography is actually called @silvergumtypethis is all of my observations and diversions edited on my apps and not seen anywhere else.

There is quite a quick turn around once the tree hits the budding stage and with March/April being one of the best so far, growth was pretty zippy. In fact, I had to go out three times a week to capture the best bits and not miss the action. Capturing this was technically tricky lining up the same shot handheld. I think I have managed to get close enough to get the effect of a series without offering 100 shots.

This shot above is pre- Pig Poo heaven, Last week just after my last shot, the farmer coated the field in a brown fluffy stagnant slurry, pigs dung everywhere. The whole look changed, brown was even deeper brown. The pictures also show how sunny the month was, normally grey clouds and wet but not this time. Poo everywhere and a sickly smell means it’s pigs!!
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Not the Trail of the Lonesome pine! For weeks I have passed by and gathered a selection of iPhone images s a record of new life and all the greatness we take for granted. Tree hugger, I am not but an appreciation of nature which last longer I am. This skeletal rendition of two and a half appeals in a way as this is the first time I have actually looked at one item other than my Imac and camera more than once or twice.

More about Oaks I found out.

Oaks are monoecious, meaning that each individual tree has both male and female flowers on it. The flowers appear about 7-14 days after the leaves burst, and the male flowers consist of drooping, tassel-like catkins, up to 4 cm. long. The female flowers are tiny and occur at the leaf axils, where the leaf stalks join the twigs. Each catkin releases several million pollen grains which are distributed by the wind and, when pollination is successful, adhere to the receptive stigma on the female flowers. Fertilised flowers develop into acorns, which ripen in the autumn and are up to 3 cm. long. The acorns are seated in hard, warty cups called cupules, and in pedunculate oak, these are borne on stalks called peduncles, which are up to 8 cm. long. By contrast, the acorns of durmast oak are either stalkless or have very short stalks less than 0.3 cm. long, and it is this sessile feature that gives this species its common name.

A Client’s conceptual vision expectations and a producer’s visuals set in stone, being a creative photographer based on thin ground can set you up for failure based just from a mood board back in the office in Germany. The reason? you just can’t account for the weather conditions on the day, and whilst it may the weather forecasts even for this day suggested dry conditions with some wind, there is no accounting for changing conditions on the fly. As a fashion photographer writing for this fashion photographers blog, I wanted to share some of the feelings you go through as a photographer. You simply just HAVE to adapt and battle the situations to make sure you get the shot

CREATIVE PHOTOGRAPHER BATTLING THE WEATHER WIND AND RAIN – A HERO SHOT

The client for this shoot was a large client based in Germany producer of biscuits and confectionary with over 1000 lines in chocolate and biscuits. Every year they create marketing images suitable for calendars and images for marketing their many tins of biscuits, but before you go ooh commercial work! the chance to create a selection of images that really differentiate themselves from competitors is key for them and as I have worked effectively for them previously on a 27 days shoot, the producer knew that I was able to deliver to images in challenging locations. Getting booked again by the producer was super as not only was it a three-week shoot but offered great money and a trip to Iceland, where I had been planning to create content to help promote a fashion masterclass there at the end of 2020.

SETTING UP FOR A CHALLENGING SHOOT – WEATHER & CONTRACTS

When your team is over 18 strong and we’re all working our way around the locations in the time allowed its strenuous for me as the lead in the team, not the producer! I am helping deliver the look for the client and I know it sounds really dramatic and poor me! but the producer’s actual vision changed without a backup plan which left the shoot in a tricky situation and yes the opportunity is great but the responsibility is now on my head to deliver something that can be used for this styled shoot and is pretty demanding.

If the look and feel for the shoot are not delivered or indeed if the client doesn’t like it then I don’t get paid and neither do the others. It was a slightly weird contract agreed by me with the German producer. We were to produce 24 images in 10 days which seems easy but to accommodate the wishes of the client and not allow for slip-ups then over 24 were needed.

WORKING THE TEAM BUT KEEPING THE TEAM HAPPY & ON POINT

Working out of the back of a campervan in the summer is not too bad, however, in the late Autumn, the weather in Iceland is a steady zero degrees Centigrade. There was no heating in the Campervans unless they were left running, not really allowed and frowned upon due to the global warming movement. Models, if they are on board with you, are really helpful and if you have a vision and you spend time explaining what you require, then you will get some great pictures regardless of the weather.

OLD PROFOTO BATTERY KIT WITHOUT LIGHT CONTROL

I have been asked many times about the behind, the scenes pictures which reveal that I did not use any light controls on the flash heads, why was this?

There are two reasons for this, the first and the easiest to answer was the wind and weather worked against this setup. I had intended to use a large umbrella or a metal beauty dish bu the wind was really too severe and would blow the control around or off. I personally don’t have a problem with this as it allows for more precise lighting which floods the subject offering a sharpness which is perfect for the edits later.

HOW SHOULD I WORK THE SHOT? MY INNER THOUGHTS

Heading off along the coast to the East of Iceland was our destination for a few days and this particular morning we were heading to the ice flows and were to be there by mid-afternoon. Along the way we happened across this rather lovely location next to a raging river which right away was chosen as another potential shot outside of the initial recce a few days earlier.

As we pitched up camp I had a quick flight of the drone to get some aerial footage for our video behind the scenes. It was quickly obvious to me that the problem was not just the cold and wind but the gale-force speeds that were increasing. The drone had flown over the ridge of the hill and suddenly slowed down to merely a 1mph hover. Nearly losing it in the prevailing wind I had to think really fast as to what I could do.

I worked out that utilising the light of the Profoto battery would freeze the action and as the client was looking for something a little different it was a chance to create a hero shot from not much. I thought underexpose the background and freeze the action would be great especially if I could get the perfect jump and positioning of legs dress, hair, etc,

I shot at the picture at 38mm on the fuji zoom lens 32-64mm
ISO for the shot was standard 100 ISO
Pixels for the image were 8256 x 6192
Shutter was 1/125
F Stop F10

The reason for the settings was as follows

The shutter to freeze the action and I could have gone faster but this was optimum for the underexposure of the background.

The lens was stopped down for crispness in the subject but not enough o make the location background seem oo sharp and so left it with softness. I needed to see where it was and place the model in a landscape and not throw it out of focus so this was controlled

The light was triggered at 1/125 which was perfect on this camera and the larger sensor to freeze the action but just allowing a slight and tiny movement on the edges of the model’s movement to give the model a sense of movement without being too much.

The problem was when jumping up to the light was really to get the perfect stance but to also dodge the shadow cast from the light on the model’s chest or face from the binoculars which also had to be in perfect alignment,

Weather windchill
Wind speed factor
Models coldness
Mine and the team’s coldness
Battey power correct
Focus
Exposure model and background
No shadow
Perfect leg and body position
Perfect other hand
Perfect Height
Perfect expression
Great hair
Composition
Plus more 🙂 

The post-production of this will be for review in 2020 Register and we will invite you to the Video for the post-production of the final image.

VIDEO FOR AN OVERVIEW OF THE SHOOT – DRONE BY ME 🙂

Working creatively is always a challenge in a location like this where the weather plays such an important part. Having the correct kit does make a difference in your production.
Working with the Fuji camera was a first but here we are reviewing some test shots which show no wind rain or movement. I was mixing daylight with flash to get the correct ambiance and to create the Hero shot needed.

I have been creating composites for a while now for clients. This type of work is very popular with clients mainly because it can sometimes save on costs in terms of production and create a more striking image for some types of advertising. I respect a few photographers for the work that they do, namely, Erik Almas, Jim Fiscus, Chris Crissman, Gregory Crewdson, amongst some. I do with the image apart from answering the clients brief to try and tell a story with one image. It has to stand on its own and create thought. My recent large campaign for The Lambertz Fine Art Calendar pushed this work in a slightly new direction, but still, even though they were composites, they too told a story.

Sandy, the model, was Photographed in Pula, South Croatia- Location is Plitvice

One of the landscape ideas created for Biddle Silks

I find this a relaxing way of shooting and a creative process. When I signed up to International Graphics for a while, I became interested in this work style and created a much simpler version of the style, which was acceptable for them, but boot really polished enough for modern clients. They were simply to arty and had no legs to them. Whilst I was at University, I had also practised this technique, but as we were not digital, then the whole process was manual and analogue, which took some time and would need to have a little hand painting or airbrushing involved.

The Analogue Process ~ Time consuming and boring, really. It wasn’t until the digital process evolved and technically we are where we are today that inspired me to develop my own process and, in turn, make it interesting and easy enough to create some masterpieces. At this moment and until a client asks, I tend only to work with photographic images that we shoot ourselves, but if I were asked to incorporate CGI, then I would or vice Versa. Photoshop was and is a revelation, I use it almost daily as I like to edit my own work. It enhances work and changes the look without too much effort. But there can be a danger to go too far.

The classic process was based on shooting images the same, however, either processed as prints your self and then each image would be cut out and assembled in a montage style. This would, in turn, be created into one large piece and then photographed again onto 5×4″ film to create the master from which agent may print and get retouched, but in those days, it would be manually done wither will brush or airbrush.

What makes a piece of Work Stand out to a Gallery

The secret of a good Composite Image is really to understand light; this is the key to assembling the natural look in a composite. The light source should be similar if not the same as the backgrounds and would work easier if you shoot the backgrounds first from a visual and then balance your lighting on the subject the same or as close as possible. Of course, there are some occasions when this is no possible, and you have to fake this. This is all possible with Photoshop, which is in effect your digital darkroom. This is where the completed composite can be graded and finished to look realistic or, in most cases, super realistic. Hyper-realistic, Photorealistic or photo-realism is how this is classed for some reason.

RICHARD BRANSON FOR VIRGIN MONEY – LONDON SHOOT AND LOCATION

As I shoot more and more of this style work, I will feature and add to this section and blog on an individual basis. The process is complex in delivery, but it can be easy to set up and shoot. The secret is in the post-production and the cutting out of character to a layer. Some photographers such as David LaChapelle and Gregory Crewdson spend a lot of time construction the image in camera and the studio or location and, in effect, shoot 1 shot live to the camera or on a 10×8 inch film camera.

CREATIVE COMPOSITE: fashion composite with route 66 style to emulate the look with the model of the late 1950s in a contemporary way