“Princess of Persia”
In my last post I wrote about how I was able to prepare for my Genlux editorial weeks in advance. I met with the set designer, we went back and forth deciding on the right props, Stephen and I scoured model submissions looking for the perfect model, etc, etc. For the first of two Harper’s Bazaar Arabia shoots that I did in Dubai, I had no clue who, what or where we were going to be shooting. So now you can see how sometimes I get a lot of lead time to really prep a shoot. And sometimes, I don’t get any time at all to prep. And it doesn’t matter at the end of the day, I still have the same responsibility to produce great images for my client. With this Harper’s shoot, I met with Sally Matthews, the fashion editor, the day before we worked together. I met her at her office and she showed me a few mood boards, which she emailed to me later so I could have them to refer to in the evening before the shoot. In her office, she showed me the models she was deciding between, some of the clothing and she pulled up the location on the internet. Sally procured the Banyan Tree Al-Wabi for our location. The Banyan Tree is a brand new 5 star luxury resort located about 45 minutes outside of Dubai and we were the first official fashion shoot to take place there. From the website I could see the place was gorgeous! But most of the pictures showed the rooms, and most of the shots were taken at night. There were no real good pictures of the outdoor area in the day time, the area that I would be shooting in. I knew that I would have to really scout out the location once I got there and banking on the hope that make up and hair would take a few hours, I could use that time to plot out a shot list while combing the grounds for “photogenic” areas to shoot in.
Watch the Video
And….I was right. That’s exactly what happened. While Dennie Pasion was busy transforming our gorgeous model Alexandra Blacha, Sally, David, Nash Haq (my assistant for the day) and myself jumped in a golf cart and took off to scour the enormous property of the Banyan Tree while Sally and I plotted out a shot list. Joanna Huang, the marketing communications manager for the Banyan Tree, drove us throughout the 100 hectares of property in a golf cart, stopping to show us the gazelle pen and a few camels meandering leisurely on the land. I have to admit, the sky was a little bleak looking. I mean, I know, we’re in the desert. I got it. But my mind was a little preoccupied with that endless sky, endless white sky, actually. I made mental notes of possibly dropping in soft clouds in post, warming up the tones with the white balance, and using the muted sand tones as a color theme while traipsing in and out of buildings looking for that perfect angle, that perfect shot! I spent a good 2 hours in that golf cart in the morning, almost falling out a few times. Joanna is one wild golf cart driver! She has that cart mastered like a pro! Of course, as I mentioned in a previous post about my trip to Dubai, I was operating on very few hours of sleep and had had a stressful week the week before I started shooting the editorials so I wasn’t in the best shape to begin with. However, none of that matters when you have to nail a shoot, especially for a client like Harper’s Bazaar! I was really grateful to be asked to shoot for the magazine and Sally was just so sweet, I really wanted to do a great job! So finding the best locations was very important.
The natural surroundings of the resort were incredible, despite the endless sky and I wanted to take advantage of the natural light. I vetoed using any strobe or artificial light. I decided the best bet was to use reflectors and backlight to really enunciate the environment of the desert. You should all know by now how I’m not a fan of using strobe light outdoors. I just don’t like the look of it. Sometimes it’s necessary and sometimes I like using it when I can control my shutter speed like when using a camera with a leaf shutter. But for this shoot, I had no use for it. Nash Haq was my first assistant on this shoot. Nash was in my advanced class the week before (the first shot on his website was taken at my workshop, it looks rad!) and he and I really clicked. In fact, we clicked so well, he graciously delayed his flight back home to Pakistan so he could assist for me on the first two editorials I had scheduled the week following the workshops. Nash and David both assisted me on this shoot, with David also shooting the video for you guys. So they were both out there in the hot desert, holding reflectors, getting sand all over them, strapping camera bags to their shoulders so the sand wouldn’t get any where near the lenses, uploading images and doing everything that assistants do so that the photographers that hire them can get that shot! Nash did a great job and I can’t thank him enough for A: staying on and assisting me in Dubai and B: just for being a good friend, period!
I chose Led Zeppelin’s Kashmir as the song to go with all the golf cart scenes in the video.. that song kept ringing in my ears the whole time we were racing through the desert in that golf cart…it was pretty hilarious, just careening through miles of gorgeous desert scenes and natural wildlife at arm’s reach. After Denie was finished with Alexandra, Sally and I decided to start with the camel shot and move in a strategic pattern across the desert grounds, ending on the sand dunes at magic hour. I shot 10 looks for 8 pages in about 5 hours, give or take an hour. The clothes were off the charts! I have to give Sally a bit of a shout out here and admit that she was one of my favorite fashion editors I’ve worked with, to date. With her sexy, husky voice and her tall, gorgeous, languid looks, it was her eye for fashion that captured my heart. Her taste is impeccable and she was as laid back, and chill as they all seem to be saying about me! Hahaha…maybe that’s why we all clicked! Sally was a real pleasure to work for. Can I just say I wish they all were like Sally!
And Dennie Pasion. Another rock star on set! Her make up and hair styling was about as perfect as you can get. Dennie’s career as a make up artist is long and epic and it shows in her work. Her and I also clicked, which is strange to have so much intuitive bonding on a shoot where we all come together from different parts of the globe, strangers to one another until the day we find ourselves in some remote desert resort to shoot an editorial. I love these moments and it’s what I live for. The collaboration is a high like no other. It’s ultimately why I have been addicted to shooting fashion since Day One. And Dennie is so sweet, she blogged about me and the shoot on the Bareface blog. “Hollywood Meets Arabia”! Very kind words, guys! Thanks!! And last but not least, did I mention our other rock star: The Camel!! I openly admitted on the video that animals can be tough to work with. But this guy was a natural star and I’m sure Hollywood would be calling if he didn’t live so far away. He seemed to “pose” with every direction I gave the model, which kind of blew my mind to be honest. I’d tell Alexandra to look to her right and sure enough, the camel would look in the same direction! This camel had it going on! Maybe he was a retired Animal Actor, living in Dubai now, being given the rock star treatment he truly deserves!
Technical information from the shoot is the following: I shot at high shutter speeds, up to 1/5000 sec sometimes. I used a 50 mm 1.4, an 85 1.4, and a 24 mm 2.8. All Nikon. On a Nikon. Of course. My ISO varied as well. Sometimes it was at 200 sometimes it was up at 1600. It was bright out there, folks! My aperture was anywhere from f6.3 to f10. The whole shoot was shot with natural light and reflectors. I brought the images home to L.A. where Tyler Mitchell, my first assistant, did the retouching. Because as it turns out, he not only rocks my photo shoot world as a great first, he also does incredible retouching. The kid’s destined for quite a future. He also edited the video you’re about to watch. I don’t think there isn’t anything Tyler can’t do and do well. He’s become invaluable to me and I’m getting quite used to having him around. Talk about chill. Him and I are pretty laid back and laugh at the same things. It’s going to be ridiculous if I ever have to find a replacement. Eh..……he knows it, too! ; )
So I’m off to Orlando this Thursday to speak at SNAP! Orlando about the business of fashion photography. I will also be exhibiting a few pieces from my Boys Collection. ZINK Magazine recently did an article about me and the body of work that is aptly title, “The Boys Collection”. If you live in Florida, it’s really worth coming to Orlando to check out all the events and shows. Lionel Deluy and Douglas Kirkland are also showing their work there as well. Douglas Kirkland is speaking after I speak on Saturday, and honestly, I really urge you to come and hear him speak. This man, his work and his career are legendary!! See you all soon!
All Images © Melissa Rodwell Photography 2010
love them.. real cool, specially the first horizontal… amazing!
this shoot is amazing and inspiration!
This is AMAZING, my all time fav shoot of your’s was the princess one but this one just bumped it to second place, your work keeps getting better and better. I loved how you made a brief description of how you shot it without strobes. This reaffirms the idea that sometimes using simple reflectors and natural light just works better, these photos are breath taking considering you only manipulated natural light. Awesome awesome awesome!!
Absolutely fantastic! Love that you used all natural light! Very inspirational!
The way you’re transmitting your feelings is kinda fantastic, I feel like I was by your side, with all your team in Dubaï desert. The pictures are fantastic as well =)
” I love these moments and it’s what I live for. ”
You’re incredibly talented and a source of inspiration for us, thank you to taking the time to showing us how it feel to have the most beautiful job in the world !
David did a great job too with this video, but as always . . Every minutes seems like seconds for the BTS, you maybe should considering making a DVD . . =P
Thanks again for all the inspiration you bring to me through your pictures, have a lovely evening =)
Love this. The shot with the camel is my fave of the set. I’ve just recently been turned on to your work and have since become a fan. Keep the bts stuff coming…it’s very helpful to see how you shoot.
j.
Niiiiiiice!!!!!!!
Beautiful images again, and a great video. Hats off to you!
Just another day in the life of a jobbing fashion photographer then? Dubai, jetlag, top models, high stress; some of it sounds familiar and the results just show the benefit of intuition and experience. What a great team you had and what a good decision not to use strobes with such powerful natural light.
Very nice sensitive retouching too – all in all an unqualified success and very much your style.
Nicely done, what a great place to shoot at
I really enjoyed the Light Sepia toned shots, those were excellent.
~Michael
Absolutely fantastic!David did a great job too with this video…Beautiful images
Rocking desert BABY!!!!!
Stunning Melissa!!!
I see in your “Tech. Sections” you mentioned that your iso ranged from 200-1600 and I wanted to know why you boosted your iso that high and how did your images look at 1600. The reason I ask is that I did a shoot with really good lighting but I forgot to check my iso and it happened to be at 1600 and all of the images where super noisy dam near un-usable without using a third party Noise reducing software. I do not know if the D2x is better at processing high iso images but my D200 did not do a very good job.
Thanks,
Wayne
I was wondering for the High ISO too, my guess is, sometimes when the light is too bright in the background and you have no strobes, with a reflector and a high ISO that can helps, (I never shoot in a situation like this, maybe I’m wrong but, I don’t know others theories ^^ )
I kind of can’t believe no one has mentioned the ZEPPELIN!!!!
Totally love the look, and especially feel, of these images … you certainly captured the sizzle and burn feel of the desert light … beautiful. Great video
— loved the location scouting, and so glad you were able to incorporate the ‘amateur actor’ camel (without,ah, incident) – great shot, that!
so, paying attention … Wow … ZEPPELIN! Perfect accompaniment to Melissa zooming around in a golf cart.
Outrageously beautiful! As always. And love love love the model! Of course, too, Zepplin rocks – very fitting! ; )
Hi Melissa, you really weren’t kidding-the clothes are stunning! (I’d say ‘to die for’, but then I’d feel like I’d have to use an effeminate accent to make it sound natural
)
Listening to Kashmir as I read, just to get the feeling right
Great work. Like you say it’s a team effort and this really gels.
excellent way of mastering natural light! inspiring and beautiful!
Amazing shoot, Melissa–incredible work! And thanks so much for the informative video!
I especially love the shot with the water/pebbles. It just blew me away
LOL @Sean….I won’t judge you if you say to die for. Kashmir rocks! And thanks to everybody else for the kind words too! The water/pebbles was difficult to get it to look beautiful, the light was so strong!
superb, cant wait for London….
Great post, Melissa, and as always, stunning photos!
You mention the mood boards that Sally Matthews showed you for the shoot. I’m familiar with the CONCEPT of mood boards (it seems pretty self-explanatory), but I’m curious what your average mood board actually looks like. How detailed or openly conceptual do they get? Can you show us some?
I’m interested in honing my ability to do work for clients in this way and thought it would be fun to have some of my friends set up mood boards for me that I would then go out and try to capture visions based on them, but I want to make them as realistic as I can to a real-world client.
Also, I’m completely astounded by the pebble image. Did you have a second reflector bouncing light up in to her. Else how did you stop the background from completely blowing out with her shaded by the one reflector? Amazing!
Don´t we all wish they were all more like Sally =D
Hey!
Another great one. Must be good to have a reputation as ‘chill’. ha ha.
I had a question about becoming an assistant. What are photogs looking for when people apply? How does one become a great assistant? I want in. lol.
Wow, these shots are stunning. (I liked the Zeppelin!) lol
WOW. i know you might get this a lot, but truly, your work is amAzing (with an emphasis on the A=)
love it all esp the show with the camel. very stunning.
I think Immigrant Song for the golfcart raging would be pretty funny too
& this is my fav shoot by you! Awesome work from all involved!
Beautiful, I’m glad you cast such a talented camel
Love this post… great work as usual. Travel the world, shooting eveerything that’s beautiful. What a life!
wow, really beautiful pictures! Especially the first with the camel, I really like that one!
some seriously nice work, thanks
Beautiful model and styling! Thanks for the behind the scenes look at the shoot – very helpful.
Great story and pictures Melissa, as always. Wish I could have made it to Orlando, and I agree with what you say about Douglas. I’ve done a couple of week long HP Labs events with him in Greece and Tenerife. His energy and enthusiasm is inspirational, and he’s shot so many of the Hollywood greats, his stories are awesome.
You’re awesome Melissa. A huge inspiration to many! Keep the videos coming.
Take care,
Crash
Love the shots. Great job. The video’s really cool too. I have one request though. For those of us out there trying to dissect every technical aspect of what goes on at a shoot, could the person handling the video camera pull back a little more on some footage so we can see more of the whole picture of you, model, assistants working reflectors, etc. There were parts of this video where I really wanted to get a better perspective of what the assistant was doing.
I love these posts. Thanks for sharing your world!
What a great blog find! I’ll be back often.
Cool!
Great work indeed!
Thanks for the video and some of the behind the scenes details, it’s much appreciated. Looking forward to digging around your blog more!
Beautiful location and beautiful photographs! Love the one with water.
Arabia….is a wonderful place… I love this post coz, it makes me inspired to soot everyday.I’am looking forward to post more videos behind the scene, which we can learn some of your amazing technique.
thank you so much for the sharing!
Some of them are familiar with his voice, the results just show the intuition and experience to benefit.
I’m just an amateur photographer and these pictures are amazing. In time I hope my picture are this good. Thanks for sharing the great photos.
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Excellent work. Lucky you too..
I like video from photoshoot!!
Wow- that’s all I can say, really amazing shots, I will put it on my own blog if you don’t mind!
one word…amazing!