Stepping Outside - Photo Shoot with Flo

I did a photo shoot recently that stretched the comfort zone again for me and allowed me to challenge myself. The shoot was done outdoors and it was a chance to try some key shifting or at least to balance the ambient light with the single flash that I was using. One catch though, the infrared wireless trigger that I was used to using in the studio was not really working as well in wide open spaces and it was really critical that there was line of sight to the flash from the camera. Luckily I had an off camera flash cord so instead I shot with the camera connected to the flash that was mounted on a tripod with a softbox. I would later on place my wireless trigger on the end of the off shoe cord and have it aimed at the flash and this worked really well except that I always needed an extra pair of hands. For this session I got to work with Flo again whom I have shot before and this time she brought along makeup artist and stylist Sharley. We had about four different outfit changes and started late in the day when the sun was already going down but this session below is the one we finished with after the sun had completely gone down. I'll have some of the other shots as well in future posts. The location for this series was completely improvised. I think the backdrop and the colors from her dress work really well along with the hair and makeup. My favorite set from the entire shoot.

Model Shoot - Vienna

This is a model shoot I did a few weekends ago with Vienna. We had a hairstylist, Ivy and makeup artist Melissa helping out on the shoot as well. We had three different looks that day and tried some natural lighting as well as some work with flashes. Vienna wanted to do a sexy but innocent nerdy look and brought along a fake apple that had me fooled that it was real right up until I actually picked it up. Here are a few shots from the session.

Model Shoot - Flo

I had the chance a few weekends ago to work with Flo and makeup artist Bella. Flo showed up already in makeup and had this really interesting design on her face. At first I thought it was just a pretty random design that Bella had drawn on Flo's face but if you looked closely you could see that it was actually her name. Pretty cool! We went through a few makeup and wardrobe changes throughout our shoot and Flo was amazing with her posing and facial expressions. One of the best I have worked with so far I might add. Before I knew it I had filled up an entire compact flash card, something I have never done before in a single session. I usually average anywhere from 100 to 120 shots per hour of straight shooting so after a two or three hour shoot I have somewhere close to 450 frames. At the end of the session with Flo after having to change flash cards I had over 700 frames. Here is just a very small sampling from that session.

Model Shoot - Carlena from the Jungle

I have worked with Carlena before and this time along with Natalie's jungle makeup theme we came out with these shots. Carlena being a dancer has some amazing flexibility and was able to pull off some interesting poses. At one point she even attempted to hang upside down from a crossbar but I decided maybe it would be safer if she just arched herself over the back of a chair instead. Natalie was my voice activated light stand for a few of these shots and I directed her to shine the green gelled speedlite for a bit of effect.

Model Shoot with Reedah

I am now thoroughly convinced that an experienced makeup artist along with a talented model is the winning combination if you're looking for a successful photo shoot. Ok, maybe lighting, location and luck have something to do with it too. I had the pleasure of working with Faye who is an amazing makeup artist. She had planned out three different looks for our shoot last weekend. The first would be one that involved some crazy eyelashes either made of or made to look like actual feathers. The second look was a clean classy look and then finally the third was eye makeup that was designed to mimic a peacock feather that Faye had. Reedah who model these three looks was amazing and the transformation from one look to another was incredible because she looks like three totally different people. Here are a few shots from that session.

Model Shoot with Natalie

Well I have been busy practically every weekend for the last few weeks in a row and it's really great for a change. I had the opportunity to work with makeup artist and model Natalie. These shots were taken at 45West which is the studio space that I have been using for the last few months. My goal for the next few weeks is to really put some hard effort into building a solid portfolio of work which will then go towards building of a website for Bernard Ng Photography.







Sometimes a simple prop like a smiley face balloon is all you need to add something special to a shot.