(Chloe Jasmine Whichello by Gwyn Cole- Manchester)
Day the 1st:
Train journey time: 3 hours
Cost of ticket WITH a young persons card:£50
( dirty robbers)
As many of you well may know, I abstained from alcohol for several months ( 7 to be exact)
After a few swift glugs of bubbly Champagne ( pictured above) teamed with a few "
Sex and the City-esque" Cosmo's + Guiness I was absolutely hammered ; I won't lie..
(Blacked out in my hotel to be precise!!)
What can I say- Deansgate is the new West End..
I was simply dreading the next day... But after a healthy glug of a Costa chocolate frappucino and the sunshine smiling down upon the World I was ready for anything!
And what an amazing bunch of people pitched up for Damiens' course!
Here are the results ( and we didn't even have to use a soft focus lens ;)
(http://photorebel.co.uk/2010/08/22/speedlights-in-manchester/ by Gwyn Cole)
August 19th, 2010 - Damien Lovegrove. www.prophotonut.com
How far will you take in camera exposure?
This is 'as shot' and those who know me understand why I never use a histogram or the highlight warning system in my camera.
The screen on the 5D mk 2 is so good, fine exposure tweaks can be made using the picture alone.
This set of pictures was quite special to shoot. The weather was kind,
Chloe Jasmine Whichello was in good spirits and some of our favourite photographers were with us as delegates.
The day started at the worlds most expensive pebble…
One bare faced 580EX2 Speedlight on a stand was all we used for this sequence of frames.
Within 5 minutes of leaving Costa we were shooting.
Flash in full sun and the Lovegrove exposure system were a perfect combination. Those of you who have been on any one of my Speedlight Mastery workshops will know exactly what settings I used just by looking at the shot. Repeatability is the key to my system.
I showed the delegates how I interact with someone to create a bit of fun. We had fun all day.
We took our single Speedlight round the corner and into the shade for this one light shot.
Crisp wonderful light from one 580EX2 Speedlight was what I used here.
By 11 O'clock the dark glasses were off to reveal Chloe's beautiful eyes. My 100mm lens was still the only lens needed.
Hard light used well is wonderfully flattering. I was still thinking mono but the lure of the colourful pub walls soon to become too much.
One mention of Joanna Lumley earlier in the day and there she was, in a younger guise.
Every now and then the real world delivers wonderful light without the need for intervention. We quickly grabbed a few frames while the reflected sun played it's part.
I managed to shock a few delegates with my seemingly cavalier approach to exposure. This is straight from camera.
The needle was off the meter at +2 stops and the pixels were screaming. This Manchester pub wall was now in Morocco in my mind. I encouraged the delegates to use their own settings and to choose an aperture to suit. I also ensure that all the camera screens are set up correctly. When sailing this close to the wind it is a good idea to use a Hoodman viewer to accurately asses what clipping is occurring.
Off came the 100mm lens for the first time in weeks and on went my 21mm prime. I had my white balance set to 8200k for all these shots to add to the hot look. I must admit I stole the idea for this shot from a delegate
We are all learning together.
An Orbis ring flash adapter provided the light for this frame.
I love concertina shutters like these. After our first break it was time for 2 Speedlights.
With the lighting set correctly the camera position can be really flexible. I was 90 degrees from the previous shot with identical lighting for this frame.
The same lighting rig was carried around the corner to create this next sequence of shots.
I used an STE-2 to control the ratio of the lighting between groups A and B in this shot.
Pink and blue - harmony.
Next it was white balance shifting time for this shot taken at 3400k with just a single on camera flash with Honl filter for illumination.
After lunch things got more complicated but we were all ready for it. A 60cm Lastolite ezybox hotshoe and a pair of Speedlights on stands were used to create 3 point lighting.
When you work with dynamic people or children it's all about the moment. Capturing the peak of emotion, shooting with a rhythm and going with the flow are vital but not easy without practice.
I next showed how to shoot at 1/4000th and f/2.8 with the Pocket Wizard system. The transition to speeds above the sync speed are seamless and no effort or thinking is required. It just works. I lit Chloe with a 580EX2 in a Lastolite Ezybox.
This is my bird shit shot. After all, that was what provided the fabulous texture and tones in the background. The Ezybox was all I used for this shot too.
The sun had gone and Chloe went climbing. I put our own sun in the mix by using a 580EX2 Speedlight on manual mode at full power as a backlight.
I opened up my 100mm lens by 3 stops and went all dreamy with my shots.
This Ezybox shot is bang on the standard exposure. Softlight like this is often used for beauty shots but I do prefer hard light. Chloe looks fabulous here so I kept it in my set.
This delightful editorial style shot is a fusion of the high camera angle, Chloe's distant relaxed gaze and the floral design of her top. The French manicure finishes the look.
I found some green glass that had been white washed on the inside to provide the background. I lit this shot with on camera flash. It doesn't get simpler than this.
We finished the day with a Lovegrove slash of flash. One Speedlight and my trusty 100mm lens.
If you want to learn how to shoot shots like these there are just a few places left on
this, my last Speedlight Mastery workshop of the year. I stop street shooting workshops in the UK between November and March inclusive because of the cold and likelihood of rain.
Day the 3rd:
Cherish The Dress!
Time: 6:30 am
Dying, dying, dying!
From the comfort of my deliciously comfortable bed I awoke with a heavy heart to see :
Rain pouring down , Gloomy weather and dark skies(and not to mention completely weighed down by bags).
Couldn't see my hand in front of my face so hailed down a cab * It took two minutes *to the Manchester Piccadilly tram ....
...& what an efficient system! The Metro was just like the London tube but less cramped and civilised; Brilliant!
We had, what can only be described as " The A Team " on board. Two celebrated photograghers, gorgeous models, a bespoke dress designer, a "life saving make up artist" and a hair stylist that could quite easily rival Nicky Clarke!
Heres' what we get up to behind the scenes:
OWWWWWWWWWWW! That was a bruise and a graze from Sunday on my leg.
Thank you Kathryn Hanson! The jacket is Jennis and is ACTUAL 1940s vintage - !
All dressed up and ready for action!
Why! Its' Audrey Hepburn!
Oh..And Robbie Williams.
The Verdict is in... Result! Success! & if you choose not to believe me you can view the results HERE:
August 20th, 2010
These are 60 pictures from our second vintage shoot at Bury. It rained throughout the day and was uncharacteristically dark for August. Chris and I worked extra hard to make our own sun and I hope you enjoy the fruits of our labours. 30 pictures each. Mine are first
dl1. No vintage set is complete without a monochrome beauty shot. 100mm lens at f/2.8
dl2. Rain is in the air but the fun had started right from the off.
dl3. Chris and I have left all our shots in colour. I've shown some in my vintage colour look and kept some in natural colour just for comparison. In an album I'd go for natural colour or monochrome throughout. For canvases or wall art I'd go for the vintage look.
These shots were lit with a pair of
Lupo HMI fresnel lights. on stands. They are 150w and 250w respectively and are mains powered.
dl4
dl5
dl6
dl7
dl8
dl9
dl10. These shots were lit using natural light.
dl11
dl12
dl13. I used a pair of Lupo Fresnel lights for these shots.
dl14
dl15
dl16
dl17
dl18
dl19
dl20
dl21. I used an Arri 300 light for these frames.
dl22
dl23
dl24
dl26
dl27
dl28
dl29
dl30. This was the last frame of the day taken just for fun and used a pair of Speedlights in Lovegrove 2 point lighting style.
I must say I’ve been a bit self indulgent with my 100mm macro lens. I can get right in there on a shoot to pick up a close up. I shot a few wides too but I’ve chosen to share quite a few beauty shots with you here.
Thirty of Chris Hanley’s shots from the day are below with the captions in his words…
ch1. Typical first shot of a cherish session to get your client relaxed in front of camera.
ch2. I'm pleased with this shot, especially as I had moved shelving to get it which subsequently collapsed and took forever to reassemble. Colour temperature down to 3,000K and an Arri 300 providing a slash of light with its barn doors.
ch3. Changing my position gives me scope to add cameo images to the album collection.
ch4. The old telephone booth and a craftily hidden lowel ID light provides fab atmospheric lighting. I love Jenny's cheekbones, they're beautiful.
ch5 & 6 & 7. My take on a classic Marilyn picture. The whole team coming together to create these fab images. Chloe excels in her role as the iconic Monroe, Samantha and Victoria our stylists create the superb look, and Katie Hanson's dress design with Claire's arranging make this set on the stairs wonderful.
ch6
ch7
ch8. Another Claire set up. The money shot I think Damien calls it. A great album opener. The shot sets the scene with lots of info for the viewer to absorb.
. I gave Chloe and Charlie a scenario to act out then wandered around them with a 70-200mm and shot a collection of pictures for the album
ch11
ch12.
ch13. This is one of my favourite set ups on the station. The quirky pose makes it an editorial fave, with previous shots making front covers and blog title pages.
ch14 and ch15 Jenny looks a million euro's in this £20 vintage inspired dress. In the right setting and with just a couple of speedlights, fantastic fashion images are easily achievable.
ch15
Reflection Shots always delight clients. I never tell them I'm shooting one. Nearly always they don't notice, so its a nice surprise at their viewing.
ch17 Another technique which gives clients a surprise is how to achieve shots like this in dark spaces. Get a monopod, lean against a train door, tell your client to stand still, and shoot at iso 800 1/15th sec at f2.8 Shimples
ch18. Jenny had a genuine 1940's ladies coat with her. With a single speedlight and 5,400k colour temp set, we did an impromptu Cherish the coat.
ch19. This time two speedlights and 10,000K. I allowed a little flare to creep into the frame to create a low sun on an early autumn evening.
ch20. We placed Jenny in the window of the train door. We place a single zoomed in speedlight about 10 foot down the platform.
ch21. Moving into the carriages, the light levels fluctuated by stops as the sun couldn't make up its mind what to do. Chloe with her skillful slink approached the camera, expertly keeping her face in the window light.
ch22. Stopping at the end of her catwalk in just the right place, worked the camera.
ch23
ch24
ch25. 26. I call this type of lit scene, Caravaggio light. He's one of my favourite painters, and Chloe looks divine in this patch of light.
ch26.
ch27. 28. With 10,000K set on the white balance, we wanted to create an out of Africa type scene. The pose was a bit fiddly but Chloe and Charlie mastered it to Claires perfection who is hiding around the carriage corner.
ch28
ch29. 30. And finally finishing off my images, a neat little trick Damien taught me. I have a small 7inch reflector which was a freebie with something. This little reflector can bounce light and fill a dark space with great light. I set up the lowel id on a stand, pointed the head to the floor, and claire held the reflector directly under the light and bounced it onto Chloe.
ch30
Well there you have it. 60 shots from one workshop utilising every type of lighting imaginable. Chris and I have very different shooting, teaching and picture styles. This gives the delegates on the Cherish The Dress™ workshops more variety and learning opportunities.
Blaise, my PA is running a waiting list for further Cherish events. If you want to be part of this phenomenon get your name on the list by emailing
Blaise. Our next UK Cherish shoot is likely to be in the Spring.
Our expert team for the shoot:
Hair Stylist: Victoria Cunningham from Salon 7 Hair 01772 434777
Wonderful no?!
My next shoot with Damien is FASHION FUSION - and to my utter delight I was sent to Goodge Street to pick the clothes from DIVA CORSETS .
http://www.divacorsets.com/
I'm quite sure I almost emptied thier shop, but you can never be certain can you?!
( Total : 14 outfits, skirts , dresses, corsets , jackets. You name it I bagged it!)
I thought I'd finish this entry with something fabulous - So here he is- Swedish superstar Peter Zaar from Cosmic models !
The newest face of Illamasqua cosmetics ( THE make up brand)
"Does us being friends entitle me to discounts ?!"
a Great Weekend to all,
Chloe Jasmine
xxx
Think highly contoured and shaded peepers , highlighted with lighter , earthier tones 
