Before I begin on what lenses should be used for beauty shooting, let me just point out that I am a Nikon shooter. I started out in 1980 with my dad’s old Canon AE-1 but pretty quickly jumped to a Nikon in about two years. I like the feeling of a Nikon in my hands, but they both are great SLR cameras. I won’t bash Canon because they have great cameras and lenses. But Nikon is my SLR camera system. And I pretty much can guarantee it always will be. And I’m a fairly passionate Nikon enthusiast. I won’t get on forums and fight with other tech freaks on the ol’ Nikon Vs. Canon debate. But I stand pretty firm on them being my SLR, and now DSLR, camera of choice! That said, I only will use Nikkor lenses! I will not put a lesser quality lens on my camera. It is my belief, and from experience, that the camera has little to do with image. But the lens has everything to do with it. Nikkor lenses are top quality lens. And I won’t sacrifice my image quality for a less expensive solution. Also I will admit that I am a huge advocate of fixed lens because of the quality of the glass. I’m not a fan of zoom lens, even though Nikon makes some great ones, and I’ve used them from time to time. However, I don’t own any zoom lenses. I’ve only rented them on the occasion I have felt I needed to “zoom” back and forth. For instance, when I shot a band walking across the street earlier in the year and I had to shoot them 300 times walking back and forth across that street, it was easier for me to capture that with a zoom lens.

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(4.58 stars, 26 ratings)

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The challenges of using wide angle lens

Five years ago, I went to Samy’s Camera on Fairfax in Los Angeles and forked out a whopping $200 bucks for a used Nikkor 24mm 2.8 lens. It’s the least expensive lens I own, it’s the smallest and most unattractive lens I own, it’s used and a bit battered and it’s definitely not an AF lens. But it’s the lens I use most often! I love the effect that a wide angle gives my photographs. But it is tricky to get the shot without some distortion, so let’s talk about that for a minute. With a foreground-to-background approach, you can produce a dynamic three-dimensional effect that gives your photographs a real sense of enviroment. This is a huge reason I favor wide angle lens. They allow more information in the area being photographed so you can create a story within your photo. You can see more detail of where the model is standing or sitting, you see backgrounds, foregrounds, etc. This creates mood, thus creating a more dynamic shoot.

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(4.41 stars, 17 ratings)

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Just a random behind the scenes video of Kate Moss in London, shooting for her friend and uber-hair stylist James Brown. Check out James Brown’s new website, featuring, of course, Kate Moss. It’s pretty hip! In fact, I love it, especially because it’s playing the Clash to huge images of Kate’s face. Superb!

It just gives you another opportunity to let you take a peak inside a fashion shoot. There’s no great tech talk or how to tips. Just a pretty model being shot in a professional studio situation. Oh and if you want to check out what Kate is doing for Top Shop, you have to see the new website with her featured for the store! Enjoy!

(4.15 stars, 20 ratings)

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AKA: How to put together the perfect crew!

When I am assigned a shoot, the first thing I get to work on is hiring my crew. When I talk about crew here I am talking about the hair stylist, make up artist and wardrobe stylist. These three people are going to play a huge importance to the shoot. Without their talent and their work, I really can’t produce a great fashion shoot. And I need all three to be talented and hard working. In other words, if I have put in the time and energy to find the perfect model, get the proper location all set up with permits or permission or whatever it takes, then I find a great wardrobe stylist who pulls amazing couture labels like Galliano and Dior and a make up artist who has skills to die for but the hair stylist shows up and can’t do an up do, I’m pretty much looking at a half finished production.

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(4.13 stars, 15 ratings)

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We finally have our first Video Tutorial uploaded which you can view by clicking the above link or by clicking here. The video is entitled “Shooting with Pro Models” and I have to say, Heather is a pro! That’s all there is to it. She’s been modeling for over 4 years and she’s still quite young. I met her when she first signed to Photogenics in LA in 2004. We did a ton of testing together as well as jobs. I hired her as often as I could for some of my edgier fashion gigs. She has an androgynous look to her which I really love. She took a break over the last couple of years for a few reasons, but mainly because she had a baby! Now that her kid is about a year old, Heather has decided to head back into the modeling industry again. The only problem is that her book needs to be updated. Her portfolio is mainly pictures from over 2 years ago and she needs some current pictures in there to show prospective clients how she looks today!

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(4.67 stars, 15 ratings)

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22 Comments