My First London Fashion Shoot

Well I finally did it. I bit the bullet and faced my fears and headed to London with a good friend, Mr. Panikos Hajistilly to do my first location shoot. We chose our locations together and Panikos organised a model and brought so much of his gear which he kindly shared with me. And probably most importantly, he showed me how it's done.

I was so surprised to see just how much wonderful light was there, just waiting to be used. I am a studio photographer and while I understand the use of studio flash very well, I am very much out of practice and out of my comfort zone with using available light. Its one thing to place lights and backdrops around my subject in the comfort of my studio. Its very different to find the right light and the right backdrop in unfamiliar territory and to place my subject in it. That may sound simple enough but honestly it is not, particularly on a day with no clouds in the sky. One of our planned locations just wasn't possible as a result of the direct sunlight causing strong shadows and harsh light.

I have a thing for incorporating lights into my images. I love neon, fairy lights and colour right now so there is no place better than a city for that.

I was lucky to have a wonderful photographer with me who did have experience in this area who also brought with him some vital gear that made a big difference to our shots. Like this image below, without the addition of a portable flash and a high quality lens this wouldn't have been possible.

I have to give credit to Panikos for this shot in front of St. Paul's Cathedral. Not only did he choose the location but it was entirely set up by him as well. I can't take credit for anything more than clicking the button (and hand holding my camera very steady which wasn't easy on Millenium Bridge). But it was great to still take away an image of my own even if its not entirely my own.

(Panikos being extra careful by using a tripod in order to prevent camera shake - I'm a little too lazy for this but he proved that sometimes its essential and certainly the more reliable way to ensure the focus is sharp)

We started off without flash, while we still had enough light. Those were nice too and something that can be done without an assistant which is definitely handy if on my own next time. Putting a light on a stand not only gets in the way of those walking past but its also likely to get blown over in the wind. Its much safer and easier to have someone hold the light instead.

(This was all natural light - no flash was used here)

When we were done I decided to do some exploring on my own before my 8 o'clock train. Panikos had told me how beautiful Kings Cross Station is and I knew there was an interesting light tunnel there too so I had a wander. Wow, was I impressed. I've not seen a train station this lovely before.

The following image is from a beautiful light tunnel at this station. I am so into colourful light at the moment. I love this space and can't wait to use it with a model sometime. I'd love to have my daughter in her pointe shoes and some sort of ballet outfit posing in the middle of this. I think I'm going to owe her big time for that though.

This definitely won't be the last time I take my camera gear into London. In fact we've already got new plans and a model lined up for the next trip. It looks like I'll be spending quite a lot of time in London this year. Three trips already and 3 more planned for March. I might get comfortable with this location shooting afterall.

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

Fine Art Portraits of a Beautiful Young Girl

So this is really becoming my thing lately. I am having so much fun working with children individually where I can direct and interact in ways that bring the best out of my subject. This has certainly become a process now of creating rather than taking photographs. And its what I have always wanted to be, a portrait artist rather than a photographer. I cannot put into words fully just how rewarding this is. For each of these shoots (as with nearly all of my shoots) we begin with a consultation where we discuss what we would like to achieve in the shoot. Here we will consider the type of clothing and any possible props. We will look at both the clients clothes and my ever growing collection so we can pick what will work best. In all circumstances we are heavily guided by what the child in the portraits wants to wear as I see this as vitally important. If he or she is uncomfortable its going to show and the portraits won't work. But most are happy to play dressups and wear a com

5 Reasons you Should Consider Getting a Professional Headshot

Headshots, or profile pictures are becoming a requirement of so many tools we regularly use or reference today. From Facebook to Linked In, Instagram to Twitter and often any website that represents a company for which you work or own will have a place to include a photograph that is meant to show your audience who you are. And how you present yourself there will tell your audience so much about you. 1. A profile picture is your first opportunity for your audience to see you. Its often the first impression you make and we all know you only have one chance at a first impression. A professional photographer has the skills to show you in the best, most suitable way to give a great first impression. (These headshots were created for recruitment firm Optima UK who asked to have their logo placed behind them. I think it makes these headshots quite eye catching and they should do their job well.) 2. Using a professional to create your headshot will convey yo

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

My Fellowship in Child Portraiture, Baby Photographer of the Year and All Things Convention Related

Its been a very busy year for me. Hence the reason I've not been keeping this blog up to date. That's about to change though. I anticipate this coming year to be even busier but I plan on getting a lot more organised and keeping on top of things like this. For now though I'd like to tell you all about last week. I keep trying to think of some words to describe this past week and I keep coming back to 'I had the time of my life' and breaking into song in my head. Apart from when my daughter was born I haven't had a better time in my life. This week was spent at the Societies Convention where in excess of 14 thousand photographers from around the world meet to take part in print competitions, submit qualification panels and join in on various classes and events. The week began as one of the most stressful of my life. I've never felt nerves like it. I'd just spent the best part of a year planning and preparing my 20 image panel to present to 5

Christina Lauder Portraits

Search This Blog