Live Demos at The Photography Show with Bowens

I'm back and looking forward to it. This year I will be on the stage with my fellow members of TeamBowens where I will be demonstrating live with the new Bowens XMT battery powered lights. I am loving using this new kit and can't wait to show how simple they are to use. Battery powered is definitely the way to go. No more cables!

Anyway, I digress. For one of my demonstrations I will be showing how I light the majority of my portraits using just 2 lights in a wonderfully simple setup that anyone can do. I'll be using 2 large softboxes to create some lovely soft light portraits and I'm thrilled to say I'll have my daughter on stage with me as my subject. For those who know me you may remember that she hasn't been the most co-operative subject over the years.

However, that all seemed to change in January when I asked her to let me test out the new lights with her. Once I allowed her to offer posing suggestions and we started working as a team collaborating on ideas something seemed to click into place. She's now a much more willing subject. Of course being paid has something to do with that I'm sure. Its amazing how much money it takes to keep up with the clothes and makeup requirements of a 13 year old.

For the second demonstration I will be using my daughter's dancing skills to create an artistic dance piece. I will again be using the same lights however instead of 2 we will begin with 1, working our way up to possibly as many as 4 lights and in a very different way to my usual portrait lighting setup.

Now some of you will be thinking that dance photography isn't of interest to you so I'd just like to mention that the lighting I will be demonstrating has further applications. This same sort of lighting I have used in family portraits, maternity portraits (see below) and one of my favourite applications, the fine art male nude (I'm not going to include any here in case it offends anyone).

(This is an example of how this same lighting technique has been used for other applications)

Besides my demonstrations there will be loads others from the rest of the team that will surely inspire and educate. I have plans myself to stick around and watch some of the others as I always find something to learn in watching the other demonstrations. We all do different things and often use the lights in very different ways.

Click here to see the timetable for this years Bowens stage.

Comments

I am Still Me: A Story about a Transgender Boy

Meet Leo. Leo is 15 and currently going through an epic transformation that has momentarily turned the lives of himself and those around him upside down. A mum who once had the daughter she always longed for is now coping with the realisation that she will be living the rest of her life with a son instead. When your child is born you have certain expectations of the typical life they will lead but most of us know and accept that it won't necessarily end up the way we imagine. Not every person wants to marry, have kids or be involved with the opposite sex. Most of us have come to accept this and can adjust to whatever comes our way relatively easily. But few of us have expected to have to deal with a change in sex. Its not that we've hoped it won't happen, but just that it never occurred to us that it might. This is a new adjustment that we as a society are being presented with today, just like so many others that have come before. When I first heard that Phoebe ...

Portraits Even a Teenager Boy Loves

Finally I've had the opportunity to photograph a young man in my studio again. And funnily enough this was the second time that week which is absolutely superb. In both cases these young men were just as enthusiastic to be involved as I was, which is something I don't often get when I'm working with very young children, my usual subjects. With young children I find my energy in their cuteness. But with young adults I get energy from their excitement over how the portraits are working out. I get such a buzz from the experience and that can keep me going for hours, often editing the photos straight after the shoot for hours more. Shoots for teenagers is something I've been wanting to focus on for some time. Its not something that I often get asked for though unfortunately. It tends to be parents of very young children who want to capture moments that are slipping through their fingers at lightening speed. Maybe its teenage moodiness that means these moments don...

London in Spring, Whats Not to Love?

Well I know there is still a lot not to love but I'm choosing to see the great things about London at the moment. I am having a ball this year visiting London as often as I can. Which is unusual for me since I usually prefer the comfort of my own home, in rural old Leicestershire. Staying home and avoiding people has always been the easy option. But this year, possibly due to the wonderful weather we keep having, has me longing for venturing out. Again, just like my last trip, I headed out with my good friend Panikos Hajistilly . Living in North London he finds it easy to meet up for our shoots. This time though I had more of an idea of the sights I wanted to use as the backdrops for my portraits. With it being spring I was in search of colour, preferably flowers. Admittedly. I didn't quite get what I was looking for. The white fronted terraced houses with pink magnolia trees we did not find unfortunately. But I did make it to Peggy Porchen's which was a must see on m...

Its a Dog's Life

When life gets tough I always look at dogs or my cats and think how lucky they are. I know not all are treated well but those lucky enough to be in a good home, like the ones who come into my studio, have a really great life. They look so happy and its a wonderful thing to see. I honestly love photographing dogs. They are a joy to work with and its almost impossible to produce a bad portrait of a dog which does of course make my life a little easier. I am someone who really needs to love the work I create. I can't help but love the portraits I've created of all the dogs I've photographed over the years. And this shoot was certainly no exception. I found it a real pleasure using a lighter background this time too. I do often gravitate towards darker looks but seeing as this dog had a light coloured coat I thought I'd produce lighter images. This gave me the chance to use a canvas I painted a couple of years ago but never really used and I absolutely love it...

Family Photos with Flair - Vanity Fair Style Family Portraits

This style of portrait continues to be the eye catching success I had always hoped it would be. Once again I created a beautiful family portrait that I am really proud of and I know this family loves too. Over the years I have developed this style through influences such as Vanity Fair and the many photographers I follow, though I hope that there is something in here that is entirely my own. Having my work easily identified as my own was a goal of mine from the start. Getting to the point where people will want not just a portrait but a Christina Lauder portrait is where I've always wanted to be and I'm hoping I'm on way. These portraits were created for the family of two professional photographers who wanted some portraits of their own. Family portraits isn't really something one can do of oneself, at least not easily. So they needed the services of another and I was honoured to be chosen for the job. They chose me not just for my style but also for my ab...

Christina Lauder Portraits

Search This Blog