City Multiple Exposures by Alessio Trerotoli

CopyRight Alessio Trerotoli

I love these kinds of multiple exposures of urban landscapes… they convey such a sense of chaos and fragmentation that would have never showed up in just a single exposure. Alessio Trerotoli here uses color and very slight camera movements to create an ambience that is often missing from these kinds of works. I can’t tell if he’s layering in the camera or in post, but either way it doesn’t really matter, the results are so good.

Check out more of his work here.

CopyRight Alessio Trerotoli

CopyRight Alessio Trerotoli

City Multiple Exposures by Alessio Trerotoli

Winter Card 2014

Winter Greeting Card 2014

We put together a Winter Card this year to send out to friends and family. It was a simple idea, some fake snow, a blue background, some crisp lighting in a triptych. Everything was easy and went well, except for Tako’s shot, when she quickly decided she wasn’t into it and immediately tried to leave. We persevered though, and she gave us a lot of dirty looks, but eventually we got some good pictures and were able to send out cards to everyone.

Happy Winter!

Nope.

Winter Card 2014

New Work - Senior Photo

Copyright all Rights Reserved 2014 Tim Lewis Photography

My favorite shot from a recent senior session with Shelby… I’m really happy with how this shot came out, I’m starting to think my recent focus on color is finally beginning to pay off.

New Work - Senior Photo

Kubrick's use of the color Red

Using color to provoke an emotional reaction in the viewer is a powerful way to create a connection with your audience. Study how Stanley Kubrick used the color red to signal danger and warning throughout his movies in this supercut by Rishi Kaneria.

Kubrick's use of the color Red

Steal from the Masters - Mario Testino Edition

Doutzen Kroes by Mario Testino

I really like this picture of Doutzen Kroes by Mario Testino. Exploring and thinking about why we like or don’t like an image can be very revealing about what we like in photos and in our own work. So in that spirit, let’s look into what I like about it.

First, the color contrast is excellent. It looks to me like Testino has set up a Medium light source, gelled slightly warm and placed camera right. The model is wearing an off white bodice thing (that’s fashion speak right there) and her skin looks slightly oiled to reflect highlights and a sort of healthy glow from the warm key light. In addition to that light, Testino has a very large green light source providing some fill. This is what is giving the model’s shadow that green tint, and is the reason why there is color contrast in the first place. If there was no green gel on the fill light, this image would be interesting still, but much less interesting than it is now. Kinda like this one (I dropped it into Photoshop and pulled out the green cast of the shadow):

See how much more boring that is? The color contrast was giving it a push/pull that is missing from this image. It’s even possible that the green was added in post, since I’m not seeing a lot of green light contamination on the model’s skin.

The other thing that is really drawing my admiration in this image is the basic composition of the form. Testino in this picture has completely cropped off the model’s head, which takes away what is usually the strongest focus point of the image. Then he seems to have carefully posed the model into a very strong figure-8 shape. Like this:

Figure 8s are really strong compositional elements in portraiture, because they don’t let the viewer’s eye leave the picture. Looking at this picture, my eye starts out at her upper hand (the point of most contrast) and then travels left across her torso to follow her right arm down to her waist, where it then circles around the bottom of the figure 8, coming back up to her upper hand where the entire loop starts over again. It’s a masterful composition, and it keeps us engaged with the image long after we might have otherwise moved onto the next picture.

Like this? Want more? Next time I’ll be digging into an image of Hilary Rhoda by one of my favorite photographers, Patrick Demarchelier. Stay Tuned!

Steal from the Masters - Mario Testino Edition

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Understanding Composition for CG (And Photography)

Composition is one of the hardest things to master in photography. Part of what makes it so difficult is that it’s hard to move objects around until they result in a powerful composition (Like when you wish a building wasn’t in the background of your shot for example). Computer Graphics artists don’t have that same limitation. Everything in the scene is something they put there, and as a result they can manipulate the composition in ways that photographers can only dream of.

In this video, Computer Graphics artist Andrew Price demonstrates how to use Contrast, Leading lines, Geometry and Focal Elements to create strong compositions. It’s set up for CG artists, but the same ideas and rules apply to Photographers, or really anyone working in visual arts.

Understanding Composition for CG (And Photography)

Little kids as old People Photoshoot - Retouched by Amy Dresser

Photo Illustrations By Zachary Scott, Retouched by Amy Dresser

I love the concept and execution of these Photographic Illustrations by Zachary Scott. If I had kids, there would be so many pictures like these of them, it would be ridiculous. I heard about these from my favorite retouched, Amy Dresser whose work is never short of amazing. The series was done for an article in the NY Times about mental aging, and I’m having a hard time coming up with a better idea for images to accompany that subject than these. Just amazing work all around. I highly recommend Amy’s work, and have just discovered Zachary’s porfolio, and it’s definitely worth a look as well.

Little kids as old People Photoshoot - Retouched by Amy Dresser

Using Gobos to create "New Spaces" in your studio

This technique covered over at DIYphotography is one I’ve been exploring a lot lately. It’s actually how I set up this shot, from about a year ago:

copyright 2013 * Tim Lewis Photography

It’s fun, but hard to do well with speedlights. I’d recommend either continuous lights or something with a modeling lamp in it if you want to explore this idea further. It helps you see what you’re doing right away, instead of having to chimp in closer and closer with each picture.

DIYphotography did a really good job explaining it and showing all the possible effects, so I’m just going to leave it to them… check out the whole article, it’s pretty great.

 

Using Gobos to create "New Spaces" in your studio

Headshot for Jon Davies

Copyright all Rights Reserved 2014 Tim Lewis Photography

I was hired recently to build a website for a psychologist here in Eugene, Dr. Jon Davies. Of course, he also needed a headshot for the site, and luckily I was able to provide him with one. Jon wanted something a bit more casual than a formal headshot, so I set up something like a big white box for him to stand in. Really big, soft light bouncing around from every which way was the key to this shot, which came out really nicely. The finished image has an almost ring-flash type glow to it, even though I didn’t use my ring flash at all. I’m very pleased with how it came out.

Headshot for Jon Davies

Shutter-Drag the Landscape

Looking for a more abstract way to capture your surroundings? Check out this post by ePhotozine! Basically the idea is to set up a shot with a long-ish shutter exposure and then move the camera while the shutter is open. This usually results in a dragged-out-streaky image, which can be really cool and evocative (like the one above). I used a variation on this technique in this picture, with very controlled continuous lights being shutter dragged to create all of her “necklace-sparkles”:

It would be more of a challenge to create something in a broader landscape with a portrait worked in there. So the background is abstract, but the figure is (mostly) sharp. That could be quite a challenge, for sure. It’s something to think about.

Shutter-Drag the Landscape

Camille Veil

Copyright all Rights Reserved 2014 Tim Lewis Photography

I was playing around in the studio, trying to find ways to add motion to my shots when I started shooting a dropped piece of gauzy veil-like material. The light coming through it was interesting, and I thought I might be able to use the material to create some leading lines within my composition. So when Camille came over to shoot, I set up a fan and had Camille’s friend drape some material over her head. The fan added a good deal of motion to the shot, and the fabric wound up framing her quite nicely. It’s a fun trick, and one I’m definitely going to revisit sometime in the future.

Camille Veil

Grandpa

Copyright all Rights Reserved 2014 Tim Lewis Photography

This is a picture I took of my grandfather last week. I had a very clear idea of what I wanted to make before I went to take the picture. He’s always been a very central figure in my family, and I wanted to convey strength and resolve with this image. So I waited until the sun was setting, then I had him look toward the sunset, knowing this would make him squint (and look more determined). Then I dropped down for a low point of view (making him seem larger than life and imposing), and shot two frames with the sky and clouds as the background.

I wanted to use the same ideas going through the post processing, so I chose a square format which often creates a very locked-in feel. Then I cropped to include just his head and shoulders, which created a triangle effect:

Triangle

This is a really old painting technique. Kings were often posed into triangle compositions, since a triangle is a very stable visual element. Using it in this way emphasizes that he’s stable, indomitable, and immovable — All of which were related to the idea of strength I wanted to get across with my picture.

This picture means a lot to me, I’m glad I got a chance to make it.

Grandpa

Camille Shine

Copyright all Rights Reserved 2014 Tim Lewis Photography

Another shot from last week’s session with Camille. I really liked this shot, I used some christmas lights to create a sparkly effect, and my dirty lens helped to make it even more pronounced. I’m getting to a point where if there’s nothing between the camera and the model I start to get bored. And Camille gave great attitude for this one, which really put the whole picture over the top. More to come.

Camille Shine

Golden Spiral in Photography

Golden Spiral at work in the Ukraine

I found this great article on the Guardian about how some quick pictures of a brawl at an Ukrainian Courthouse has amazing composition, rivaling the composition of renaissance artists like Michelangelo and Da Vinci. An artist named James Harvey explained why the composition is so strong by overlaying a golden spiral onto the picture.

It’s difficult to compose a picture with the golden spiral in mind, since there’s often a lot of elements to carefully arrange in order for the spiral to make sense…. but why not emphasize the golden spiral in the post processing stage? Use it as a compositional / cropping tool? I decided to play around with this image I took the other day that I was having a hard time finding a suitable composition for:

Overlaying a golden spiral onto it, I wound up with this:

Then I used Dodging and Burning to darken and brighten areas according to the spiral:

And I wound up with this, which does have a much better sense of flow and composition to it:

All in all, I like it. Using the golden spiral in this way is a fun and simple way to vary up your composition from the usual rule-of-thirds that most photographers stick to. I might have to work the spiral more in the future. I think it could be especially useful in really layered compositions and multi-image composites. Fun stuff.

Golden Spiral in Photography

Camille Blue

Copyright All Rights Reserved 2014 Tim Lewis Photography

I’ve had this mysterious / wrapped in shadows / out of focus sparkles idea for a while now, so when Camille came over to the studio the other day I seized the opportunity to get it done. Camille has such a great mysterious / suspicious look in this one, it really helps sell the shot and takes the image to a whole new level. I love it when that happens.

Camille Blue

Camille Tragic Beauty Photoshoot

copyright All Rights Reserved 2014 Tim Lewis Photography

I had a great photoshoot this week with Camille, who brought some great vintage hats to wear. She has a really subtle forlorn/tragic look that I love. We shot a bunch of different ideas I had kicking around the studio, and she was very patient with my experimenting process, which made everything go really smoothly. We got some really good stuff, I’m looking forward to sharing it.

 

Camille Tragic Beauty Photoshoot

Behind the Scenes of a Photo Shoot from 1946 by Horst

I found this great video on DIY Photography’s page, showing a behin the scenes look at a photoshoot by Horst P. Horst from the 1940s. I love this kind of thing. If everyone is using HMI lights and small flashes, I totally want to start using giant oldschool hollywood lights and fresnel lenses. Stand there smoking a cigarette, studying the light and then finally drop a negative into a large format camera and release that shutter. So cool.

Also, check out that fill light position!

Other pics by Horst:

Horst

Horst

Horst

Horst

Horst

Horst

Behind the Scenes of a Photo Shoot from 1946 by Horst

Street Photography by Fan Ho

 

I’m no Street Photographer, but you can’t help but be amazed by these pictures by Fan Ho. Born in Shanghai in 1937, he moved with his family to Hong Kong at an early age. He started shooting with a Rolliflex camera his father gave him and developing the pictures in the family bath tub. His work is both capturing an instant, a moment and exceedingly well composed and constructed. Nearly abstract, but always with a human element in motion. Amazing work.

 

Street Photography by Fan Ho

Lighting Changes Everything

This is a great post on Gizmodo by Sebastian Petrovski about how the quality, direction and amount of light on a subject can dramatically change their appearance. I’ve always thought that lighting is the most important thing in a picture. If you can provide great light, you can almost always take an amazing picture. Figuring out what type of light will work best on your subject is at least half the battle, and once you’ve got that, the sky’s the limit.

Lighting Changes Everything

Proposal for M-Armas

Hey Melissa,

Sorry for my late response, it’s been a busy week for me. Thanks again for reaching out to me about collaborating, I’m definitely interested in working with you.

Right now I’m really into playing with and manipulating reflections in my work, as well as some more conceptual ideas. Last night I was up late working on a glittery-reflection type look, and I was able to come up with this:

Test Shot – No Photoshop

I’m really interested in creating elements in the foreground, middle and background of the image as you can see. I think your look would work really well in something like this.

I have a variation on that idea, where instead of just a single circle with light reflections around it, there’s actually a series of concentric circles or diagonal lines around the center of the image.

And then there’s a third idea, which is more of a model-wrapped-in-fabric like a chrysalis or cocoon…. That one might need more thought and conceptualizing, but it’s another possibility.

I think you’d be great for any of these projects, and if you’re open to a TFP/TFCD situation, I’d like to go ahead with planning the shoot. I have a website at:

http://TimLewisPhotography.com

if you’d like to check out the quality and level of my work. I have several other concept shoots in the works as well, if you’re not feeling these particular ideas or if another model jumps on one of them first.

I’m looking forward to hearing from you,

take care.

Tim

Proposal for M-Armas

Neil Gaiman Inspirational Speech for New Creatives

I’m a big fan of Neil Gaiman’s. From the Sandman, to his short stories, to his run on “MiracleMan”…. he’s pretty great. And this speech is no exception. Neil gives out advice he wishes he’d had when beginning his career, and mentions a few things that he did know as well.

My favorite part was when he said to break the rules when you’re new and don’t know that they’re there. Brilliant.

Neil Gaiman Inspirational Speech for New Creatives

Tenaya III

Copyright All Rights Reserved 2014 * Tim Lewis Photography

I tried to go in a more colorful surreal-ish direction with the post processing on this one, and I think it was successful. Fun to try new things and push pictures in new directions.

Credit:

Model: Tenaya Smith (website here)

MUA: Alyssa Sutton

Photographer: Tim Lewis

Tenaya III

Rod II

Copyright All Rights Reserved 2014 * Tim Lewis Photography

I really like this picture of Rod. I was trying for an old-school hollywood type look, so instead of using softboxes or my typical light modifiers I just used straight up work lights. They have a flat, odd quality to them, but if you feather it a bit you can make it look decent. I’m starting to take my usual approach and mix it up more and more. Exciting times.

Rod II

Tenaya Head Shot

Copyright All Rights Reserved 2014 * Tim Lewis Photography

Another shot from my session with Tenaya on Sunday. This shot just screams model-actress, so I thought I would push it in a more classical black and white direction. I like how it came out a lot. Simple and clean.

Tenaya Head Shot

Curating Inspiration

One of my favorite new websites is Curiator. It’s a website that lets people link to and upload pictures of art, and then you can put pieces you like into your “collection”. It’s kinda like Pinterest, but for fine art.

I like to get on Curiator and use it to fuel my own process. I find a picture I like, then I ask myself what it is that I’m responding to about this image…. is it the emotion, or the color scheme, or the composition? Once I’ve figured out what I’m liking about it I try and figure out ways to incorporate the thing I like into my own work. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. But either way, it kickstarts ideas that wouldn’t have otherwise happened. Here’s my “collection” on curiator so far: link.

To quote David Bowie: “The only art I will study is the stuff that I can steal from”.

Curating Inspiration

New Work - Tenaya

Copyright All Rights Reserved 2014 * Tim Lewis Photography

First image from a photoshoot yesterday. I wasn’t planning on using this setup, but it immediately worked so well that we just went with it. Tenaya did a great job as a model, and she definitely brought something special to this picture. More to come!

Credit:

Model: Tenaya Smith (website here)

MUA: Alyssa Sutton

Photographer: Tim Lewis

 

New Work - Tenaya

New Work

All Right Reserved 2014 Tim Lewis Photography

Trying out some new ideas, and came up with this. Trying to incorporate more graphical elements into my stuff without just dropping things in there in Photoshop. So more set design, more planning, more of everything. Exciting direction, I’m looking forward to seeing where this road goes.

New Work

You Think Your Camera is Cool?

Copyright Cary Norton

You think your camera is cool? Your camera will never be Made-Out-of_LEGOS cool. Meet Cary Norton. He built a 4×5 medium format camera out of LEGOs. And it takes great pictures. The evidence:

Copyright Cary Norton

The haze! So evocative and beautiful. I have so many questions. Would changing the dimensions of the LEGOs change the way the camera works? What about translucent blocks? I’ve made pinhole cameras before, and even thought about constructing something large format, but using LEGOs? It’s like my two loves are together at last. LEGOs and photography. It was meant to be, really.

You Think Your Camera is Cool?