APOGEE PHOTO MAGAZINE: The Glamour Photographer Notebook

Apogee Photo Magazine

The Glamour Photographer's Notebook:

The Lesson of the Rose

One thing about getting older is that you do learn a thing or two. If you bring your significant lady a dozen roses, she wants to know what you have been up to! If you bring her just one, she thinks you are sweet and caring and loving.

I recently had a photo session with one of my favorite models, Tiffany. I wanted to bring out that feeling that comes from getting a single rose. I wanted to achieve a soft, warm feeling. I draped Tiffany in a shawl that seems to bring out that softer feeling.

In a classic fine art pose, I had her look down her right shoulder and avoid eye contact with the camera. It is a pose with thoughtfulness and a bit of repose, while definitely showing the love and tenderness I was trying to get.

I used one of Dianne Fleming’s backgrounds (576-746-0818) that she painted for me a few years back. It is titled “Copa-cabana”. Its pink, purple and green tones enhanced the feeling of warmth and intimacy I was trying to achieve.

If you have read my previous columns, you know that I shoot all my studio photos at f/8 with ASA 100. And if you haven’t read my previous columns, you now know my secret. Even now shooting mostly with digital, I still shoot at f/8. I don’t like to think about camera settings while I am shooting, and the f/8 setting allows for the proper amount of depth of field to have the model's full figure in focus while throwing the background slightly out of focus.

Lighting was achieved with two Medialight PG4001 Monolights. These units are rated at 150 watt seconds. Not much power, but when I work in rather close, I can easily achieve my favored f/8 setting. Both units were equipped with 45” Eclipse white umbrellas. I used an old Honeywell 52A as a hair light. This is a unit that has about a 25 watt second rating which is just enough to add some highlights to the hair and separate the model from the background. The old 52A has been in my stable of lighting equipment for over 30 years. It is one of the few low output units that has a modeling light, which I have never had to replace in the 30 years I have owned the lights (I have two of them).

Probably if I were to do this again I would have a little more light to highlight the rose. But, I like it pretty much the way it is. The most important thing in the photo should be the models face!