More Great Class Images From Italy

Good Morning Everybody,

We completed the second day of our Italy Workshop yesterday and Clay and I are both reviewing some great images from our sessions.  The really cool thing about us working together is the fact that our shooting styles are both so dissimilar.  The big difference is that his lens of choice is his trusted Canon 70-200 IS lens for 85% of his images. 

Me, I hardly ever use that lens.  My lens choices always fall into the wide angle category.  Clay and I are both reviewing our work with the class on Friday night.  It will be a wonderful opportunity for the attendees to review all the concepts we taught this week.

Let me share a few of my images with you from my Wednesday session.  My goal was NOT to replicate what I did the day before.  On Wednesday I wanted to really "work" the Castle's interior spaces.  That meant more available light, more use of the Z-Ray, and many more wide angle views.  Let me share a few images with you below and see what you think.

Image1: 

This image was made in the Olive Press Room at the castle.  The space was dark and even in some ways very foreboding.  But, in the morning shoot, I loved the graphic elements created by the sun passing through one of the windows near one of the presses.  I also felt I could add a bit of a surrealistic feel to the image if I illuminated my model with my tungsten flavored Z-Ray flashlight and place the camera on the matching color balance setting.  That would make the daylight tones in the scene go quite blue and give me more creative and I feel much more interesting image you see below.

Image 2:

In this image I was looking to create some strong, dynamic lines in my composition.  There were some steps near the entrance that I climbed for a much higher vantage point.  The angular position of the doors complimented the pose of my model giving me another creative, and unusual portrait. See below.

Image 3:

As we crossed the courtyard and entered the other side of the building I loved what I saw down this short hallway.  The daylight entering a door on the far side of the hall was falling gently across the back wall.  The dappled textures of the lighting created by the light fixture also added some interest to the scene for me.

I asked Orchi, our beautiful, young model to just lean against the wall and turn her face to the light till I could see the very flattering loop lighting pattern caress her face.  An easy, simplistic pose completed the image.  The class commented that on first seeing this location that most felt a decent portrait could not be created in that space.

The secret for me is finding the graduation of tones on that back wall that I knew would work for this portrait.  Sometimes the lighting is subtle to see, but if you learn to look for it, those kind of locations can make for some nice, simple portraits.

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Hey gang, time is short this morning and I’ve got to get to class.  Look for another update from me on Saturday.  I’ll give you a quick recap of the week-long class and maybe even a surprise or two.

See ya’ then.

Arrivederci,  David