Retro 80's
This week we are going way back to the 1980's. Back to the era of new wave music, big hair and traditional darkrooms. Music was breaking down into specific genres; such as new wave, heavy metal, traditional rock, punk and pop. This decade also lead to the rise and popularity of music videos. This had an amplifying effect on the popular fashions and trends of the day. Some photographers also made the move to producing music videos or shooting both the video and photography stills for a music act. We can look at this as one of the requirements for having both video and stills capabilities in todays cameras, the other driver was from photojournalists. This decade ushered in a lot of technology that we take for granted or has already been superceded. Some of the technology that arrived in the market place was:
- Kodak released a digital imaging sensor (1.4 megapixels)
- Compact audio disc
- Commercialization of mobile phones, VCR's and video games
- The personal computer
- Mobile music players
- Camcorders
- Increasing usage of digital effects in movies
From a photography perspective this was the heyday of the analogue photography era. Digital photography was born in the last part of the decade but would not have impact until the 1990's, but was a foreshadowing of what was to become. Retouching was an art form and highly specialized which lead to careers as retouchers. This work was very detailed and meticilous. Work was done in different ways with internegatices, composites and finely detailed brushwork. Photoshop was only commercialized in the last year of the decade. Digital effects were still in the realm of the movie studios and large commercial advertising agencies. A visial look at the 1980's reveals quite a few different styles but there are a few that stand out:
- The new romantic movement lead to soft focus and glamour glow techniques in images. This movement also lead to the trend of wearing innerwear as outerwear. eg. Wearing lingerie as a main external clothing item.
- Black and white photography was still a serious medium. This was in part due to a generation of photographers who grew up with this medium or were trained in more traditional styles. This was captured and reflected in some of the black and white styled clothing of the 1980's. This was in direct contrast to bright clothing and neon colours that also arrived in this decade. This was evident on TV shows such as Miami Vice and 21 Jump Street. Thus two photographic styles predominated: Black & white and a high impact colour look.
- In the studio the use of Polaroid backs and film was used on a regular basis to check exposure and lighting. Visiual artists used Polaroid transfer techniques to transfer the emulsion layers onto other mediums which rendered a pastel quality that could be easily manipulated. There are those that argue that the use of Polaroid cameras and VCR's triggered the rise of the amateur sex movement and some pundits that say this was just the commercialization of the technology that lead to this.
To recreate the 1980's retro look we have Vanessa Fortune. There are three sets of images in the gallery: Soft focus romantic look, black & white and a pastel polaroid look. To see the gallery click here. Retro80s
Watsonphotography.ca creates unique images of fashion, models, people, travel, nature and racing sports by Toronto photographer Peter Watson.
Latex and Costume Play Part 1
This week we have something completely different. A glimpse into the world of fetish fashion. Primarily latex apparel was first worn for protective purposes by hazardous chemical workers and other trades. The use of latex first surfaced in early 1900 as a garment intended to help a woman lose weight and in 1940 Playtex introduced a girdle. Both attempts to move into the fashion world slowly faded away. It is thought that the transition of latex clothing into popular culture was made in the 1960s-1970s by experimental fashion designers who worked with different kinds of material in their designs. The early punk movement in the 1970's adopted the use of leather and latex in their stage costumes. There is some evidence to indicate that latex were used in fetish sex in the 1970's. By the 80's the use of alternative materials for popular fashion was actively used and evidenced in many music videos of the day. Fetish wear was still underground but starting to surface and this early time in latex fashion was referenced in Eric Kroll's Fetish Girls through early photographs and eventually published in 1994. Over in Europe fashion was taking bigger risks than sedate America, which gave rise to the formation of << O >> magazine. Certainly not to be confused with the pedestrian magazine called O; published by Oprah Winfrey. << O >> magazine was first published in 1988 and this art, fetish and fashion magazine helped drive up sales of alternative fashions. In the post 2000 world, the use of alternative fashion and latex materials is easily visible in music and Hollywood movies. Today we can find latex clothing available for sale in many boutiques and major specialty clothing chains.
In this set we have Kassandra Love who is a very experienced model in this genre and Vaeda Girl. To see the images from the set see the gallery LatexDuo.
Watsonphotography.ca creates unique images of fashion, models, people, travel, nature and racing sports by Toronto photographer Peter Watson.
Fitness Lifestyle and Lingerie
Living up to the mantra "my body is my temple" is difficult for most people. Except most people are not like Julia Powell who is an internationally published fitness and lingerie model. In the gallery we can appreciate her dedication to maintaining a fit lifestyle. For more of Julia and her dedication to fitness go to the Fitness gallery.
There is another side to Julia, which is the demure romantic side, attired in lingerie. See Julia in Lingerie
Watsonphotography.ca creates unique images of fashion, models, people, travel, nature and racing sports by Toronto photographer Peter Watson.
Your Worst Shot
Think way back when you got your first camera. Not all of those shots of Aunt Sue turned out correctly. I am sure that Uncle Bob was not left out either. A lot has transpired from the days of analogue film. The advent of digital has allowed us to instantly check on our image on the display LCD of the camera. A lot of photographers delete the bad image and make a few adjustments to their camera and carry on. Are they right in their workflow technique or are they missing a good learning opportunity. Digital storage is cheap these days and it is affordable to keep these images as a critical learning step in your post processing technique and review. Quite often that shot is not as bad as you though and you may have made a rash judgement when rushing to delete it. A bad image can often be viewed as a challenge in your beliefs about digital technology and your editing techniques. In our thumbnail example we see a black image or do we?
By carefully adjusting exposure, shadow recovery, whites and blacks we can pull a usable image out of what we thought was a lost cause. By further adjusting the saturation, blacks, contrast and clarity we can render the image as a soft romantic black and white look.
Here are the Lightroom adjustments made to the image.
Then finally a crop adjustment to remove the negative space in the image.
Portraits: Blonde Vs. Brunette
A short update this week. Selected portraits from Mash (blonde) and Markana (brunette). Their hairstyles are completely different and suit them but different hair colors can yield different results in editing. In the thumbnail we have changed the look to give it a romantic vintage look. To see what the rest of the portraits go to:
Watsonphotography.ca creates unique images of fashion, models, people, travel, nature and racing sports by Toronto photographer Peter Watson.
The Use of Props Part 2
On Hollywood movie productions, the property master will make arrangements for the acquisition and use of all props on the set. Usually they work with set designers and crew to create the necessary larger props or they go to an external company that specializes in furnishing props to movie productions. This can be further broken into companies that specialize in specific genres or types of props. The major prop houses would carry from 40 to 100,000 types of props within their warehouses; but if you need twenty 1920's automobiles you would have to go to a specialty prop house to acquire them.
So what does this have to do with a photography studio and home photography. Most studios props are limited to a small collection of props or clothing that can be used in the studio. So what do you do for a home studio, studio rental or small studio.
You have to get creative in acquiring and using props. A Hollywood prop house is not at your disposal. But a lot of things are available close by. There are many objects around the house which can be used as props when doing a shoot in your studio location. When taking pictures of family it can sometimes make it easier if you give them a prop to work with. This is the same for new talent that you are working with. Give them a book, scarf, jacket to work with. If you have a male model you may have to change it up a bit. Think a little bit differently, but a book, sports shirt, sports equipment, home reno tools, etc could also be used as props.
In our first example we have the model working with an old ladder that was lying around. This prop gives the model a chance to move around and create different poses and create symmetry with the ladder. Experiment with your lighting to create different shadows and effects. Try to think creatively when using furniture as well. Most people gravitate towards the obvious and seat their model on a sofa. Switch it up and pose your model on the edge of the sofa or arm with one leg hanging off.
Next up we have a model posing with a prop acquired from Pier 1 Imports. This store is full of small interesting props, fabrics and other household goods. Usually with vibrant colors or eye catching shapes are the norm. In this image we have a model balancing a replica antelope head. If your model has a good sense of balance try varying the arm positions to create symmetry within the frame or for bonus points see if you can get your model to wink while balancing the prop.
In this image we have the model working with something unconventional. It is circular copper piping from Home Depot. The color of copper can lend itself quite well to models with darker hair. Again we have used the concept of symmetry by getting the model to create different points within the frame using her hands and arms. This concept could be taken in a different direction by getting the model to pose with various different types of metal bars and pipes. The look could be further augmented by grease and dirt to give it a rough industrial look. The image could be further transformed by converting to black and white and adding additional contrast and grain.
In the final image we have the model working with some silk flowers that are available at most home decorating stores. These replica flowers are available in a variety of breeds and colors. The final look of the image can be altered in many different ways by changing the clothing style, hair and flowers in complementary ways or in a total contrast to create a vibrant image.
In closing, you don't need the budget, staff or assets of a Hollywood prop house to create good images. All that is required is a photographer, model, imagination and a few simple but inexpensive props.
Dirty Girl
This week we have Mash; a very experienced model in print and social media advertisements and videos. Some of her credits include Rogers, Walmart and Givenchy.
Masha takes some sexy clubwear and liquid latex and gives us a transformational change from weekend suburban chic going out to the bars to a very hot and sexy dirty girl look on the prowl. We will see more of Mash in some demure portraits and an upcoming article on "The Use of Props Part 2".
The Year in Review
It was a difficult year for many. Violent weather patterns, political unrest and economic hardship were the continuing themes. The continuing slowdown of economic activity has affected many in the digital imaging sector. Borrowing a term from the union sector; we are now experiencing the "race to the bottom" for professional fees and the rise of do it yourself photography which can be attributed to the quality of today's digital imaging equipment and free photo editing software.
Many in the industry have contributed extrordinary images into the public consciousness. Some excellent examples are in the links below:
Time Magazine's Pictures of the Year
Fashion is oriented towards spring and summer seasons 6 months ahead of the actual calendar year so it is hard to pinpoint the best images of 2012. There is one photographer that has brought us exceptional images and to a level that they are a world upon it self. Numerous publications and advertising campaigns are par for the course for Benjamin Kanarek
As New Year descends upon us it is often a time to reflect on the past year and set goals for the new year. So here goes. Looking back at all of the sets for the past year there are definitely some favourites.
#3 Samantha Carly recreated the vintage world of fashion. A fascinating look at fashions from the 1950's and 1960's modelled with a high degree of old fashioned romance. Since I am a romantic at heart this set got high marks from me. Vintage Fashion Gallery
#2 The Big Bang Theory is a hit television show, but sometimes fiction is closer to reality than you think. In this set we have Katie Buitendyk who has her degree in astrophysics and who happens to model as well. This set will challenge your stereotypical view on intelligence and beauty. Here is Katie Buitendyk in the real life Big Bang Theory Gallery
# 1 Here is my selection for the hottest set of the year. Kelsey Belle models some high fashion looks both in the studio and on the rooftop. Kelsey is a model that can hit that special look with ease and she certainly brings it on set and she is definitely a pleasure to work with. If you keep up with the spring and summer fashion shows you might have seen Kelsey on the runways in Milan. Maybe one day in the future there might be another shoot with Kelsey. Gallery
Santa Claus Unmasked
To kick off the festive season this week we have Santa Claus Unmasked. The beautiful Markana got into the spirit of Xmas by posing as Santa Claus or Ms. Claus. So let's find out a little bit more about Santa.
Santa Claus, also known as Saint Nicholas, Father Christmas and simply "Santa", is a figure with legendary, mythical, historical and folkloric origins who, in many western cultures, is said to bring gifts to the homes of the good children during the late evening and overnight hours of Christmas Eve, December 24. The modern figure of Santa Claus was derived from the Dutch figure of Sinterklaas, which, in turn, was part of its basis in hagiographical tales concerning the historical figure of Christian bishop and gift giver Saint Nicholas.
In the past few years we have seen trends toward political correctness and the re-branding of Christmas as the winter holiday. There is even a disturbing trend whereby the parents tell their children that Santa is a big lie because they don't feel like deceiving children.
This year there has been a number of disturbing events in the world and sometimes we need to feel the good in the world. If that means saying Merry Christmas and believing in Santa Claus to think about peace and humanity, then I say Merry Christmas and long live Santa Claus.
To see more of Markana go to Santa Claus Unmasked.
Watsonphotography.ca creates unique images of fashion, models, people, travel, nature and racing sports by Toronto photographer Peter Watson.
Beauty in Bloom
Fashion is often cyclical and usually two seasons ahead of the actual time in the year. The fashion industry calendar is actually divided into two major time seasons. Spring generally refers to the six-month period from January to June, and Fall refers to the months from July to December. From an end-consumer perspective we are now looking ahead to the calendar spring season of March through May.
We are now heading into the depth of winter we are already looking ahead at the beginning of spring when the weather turns nice and the spring flowers come in bloom. The thought of warm spring breezes and newly bloomed flowers evokes a time when a young man or woman's thoughts turn to love. To help us with that lovely notion of spring we have Kassandra Merritt to spur along our imagination.
Watsonphotography.ca creates unique images of fashion, models, people, travel, nature and racing sports by Toronto photographer Peter Watson.