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Newcastle Fashion Photo Shoot – Aaron Kah

Model : Aaron Kah
Location : City Centre, Newcastle
Type : Fashion

This shoot was to be one of the shoots that has come so close to happening in the past that I almost thought it would never happen, sometimes I couldn’t make it sometime Aaron couldn’t.

But I am really happy that Aaron got back in touch about this shoot, as the end results are just amazing.

For this shoot I had a clear idea of the kind if thing I was looking for, I wanted a city centre location to shoot a very high fashion set of shots, with Aarons look I knew this would work well. So after many months of conversations, we finally arranged the date for the shoot and it was all systems go.

Location

As I wanted there to be a clear image for this shoot of city environment, I knew just the right place. Newcastle city centre, having grown up in Whitley Bay and gone to college and university in the city I knew it was just the place to do this shoot.

The great thing about Newcastle is it has a great mix of old and new, and the council have cleaned up the city so gone are the old dirty buildings, instead its now clean buildings, although still old. Mixed with new modern developments, glass, metal, etc.

Newcastle is just a great city if you are looking to do a photo shoot and capture old and new in the same place.

The Shoot

We met at the Haymarket metro station, and headed straight down Northumberland Street, and thankfully my idea for the first set of shots were crowds of people and a busy street, which we got in abundance. The only problem is that when you want to shoot crowds, people are well mannered and tend to shy away from the camera. What this means is that when you take the shot, you get the crowd of people further away, and an actual space of empty around your model, not exactly the look I was going for.

In order to play with this, it required me lying on the floor shooting at a different angle, capturing the crowds and people from this angle makes the shots just work.

However, when Aaron and I were shooting we got approach by a group of girls asking to be in the shots, so we said yeah why not, they then kinda stayed in the background for a couple of shots, we almost had our our extras for our shoot, only problem was that they chose to wave at the camera, we I could not use the shots with them in. I think Aaron liked it though as he felt like he had his own entourage with him on the shoot.

We them decided to change location and went around to the entrance of the new Monument Mall, we decided to shoot in the doorway, as I knew it would give me great light and high fashion feel I was after. So we did a few shots in the doorway, and there were two problems with this location. One was the mannequin in the window, which I had to photoshop out of the final shots. And two a busy body cleaner who decided to radio security about us doing a shoot in the doorway. But thankfully we had all the shots we needed before any security staff turned up and went on our merry way.

Have to be honest, not sure why this cleaner chap had such a problem, we weren’t even in the main mall, just in the doorway outside the doors. Some people!

The next set of shots were taken a bit further down the road and made use of a new bench, like I said this modern bench looks really good in the old city environment, we also took some shots against the old buildings.

This shoot was one of the quickest shoots I have done, and thanks to the professionalism of Aaron I got all the shots I could ever want, and he was an absolute pleasure to work with and took direction perfectly.

I think I have proven in this shoot that its not about shooting off loads of shots, but more about taking your time composing your shots right and taking the shot only when you are happy, this shoot lasted about 1 hour and I came out with easily 14 good shots. So again huge thanks to Aaron for this shoot, I would recommend him to anyone looking for models to shoot with.

But like I always say, you can be the judge of the shots for yourself.

Sample shots from Newcastle City Centre Photo Shoot

To see some of these shots in full size please visit my gallery on my website http://seanjconnollyphotography.co.uk/photography_gallery.htm

Newcastle Quayside Editorial Photo Shoot – Jade Slavin

Model : Jade Slavin
Location : Quayside, Newcastle
Type : Editorial

At first this shoot took a while to organise getting both the location and people available, but once everything was set and after several emails about the shoot, look, feel etc it was all systems go.

This shoot was to be one of an Editorial feel although Jade is really tall and has a great figure for fashion, I thought making use of her look would fit excellent into my editorial / fashion portfolio.

Location

This shoot was to be done at the newcastle quayside, although this shoot was to be a more urban shoot so it meant staying at the Millennium bridge end.

This time I was going to make use of the existing businesses, steps, etc around the bridge to give me a set of shots that were clearly set in a city urban setting.

The Shoot

Now as it is just typical on a shoot of the location variety you cant control the weather, and yes you guessed it, for this shoot it was raining. There was a point before the shoot when it was almost called off, but I know the weather and decided to go ahead with the shoot, which worked out well as all we got was a minor shower.

Have to say I was really impressed by Jade and the fact she was happy to work in this weather, and although it didn’t rain too heavy, it did rain. So a huge thank you to Jade for working through it.

At the start of the shoot we met at the Pitcher and Piano near the millennium bridge, we then set out trying to find the best location for the shots, without either of us getting too wet.

I decided that the best place for these shots would be around the entrance to the Mal Maison, with Jade sitting down and go for a more editorial feel than on the fashion side.

We did this and got some great shots.

We then decided to try some more adventurous shots, Jade walking and due to her figure and height this meant that these shots worked well. Althought to be honest I need a little bit more practise with this style, but the idea is there and I will continue to work on it.

Some of the best shots of the shoot were with Jade standing against bollards, posts etc, this is due to how tall she is as it is such a good contrast. We got some good shots of her standing, with a kinda waiting around feel to them. This was also due to the fact that there is a Taxi rank near the shoot so this is used in some of the shots.

We did manage to also take some close up beauty shots, and again although the weather was wet Jade was happy to stand around so we could get these shots. So all in all this was a good shoot, I got some shots I can use, definately more on the editorial side but good shots that I am happy with.

But again you can be the judge of the shots.

Sample shots from Newcastle Quayside Photo Shoot
To see some of these shots in full size please visit my gallery on my website http://seanjconnollyphotography.co.uk/photography_gallery.htm

Newcastle Quayside Editorial Photo Shoot – Natalie Locke

Model : Natalie Locke
Location : Quayside, Newcastle
Type : Editorial

This photo shoot was one I decided to do in an area I have done lots of landscape and location work, but not many fashion or editorial shoots.

After several emails and conversations with Natalie it was decided that this shoot would be themed on a more casual fashion / editorial look, something that can fit into either area as fashion or editorial. That way the otufits could be easy to put together and makeup would not require a Make Up Artist.

As Natalie has a figure typical of a fashion model, the look, location and feel for this shoot would just work well and all three hopefully would make a good set of shots.

Location

On arriving at the location we met just next to the millennium bridge, and as Natalie had done a few shoots in this area before she suggested we shoot at the far end of the quayside near the trees. This sounded like a good plan, only problem was as it turned out the trees were about a hundred miles away (well not quite, but you know what I mean).

However, when we got to the trees the location was great and well worth the walk, there is a jetty to use and the tree line looks ace, so well done Natalie for this great location.

The Shoot

Now to say we had fun on this shoot must be the understatement of the year, Natalie was fun to work with and as mad as a brush. She was happy to try all sorts of shots.

The first set of shots we took were on the little jetty thing, these required Natalie to lie on the ground, which she never complained once about, she was happy to move to where I needed her for the shots. We took some shots on the jetty and got some shots that really worked.

Now the next set of shots were taken near the tree line, and again this is where the shoot became such fun. As we thought it would be a good idea to try to get some shots with leaves blowing in the wind, and as there were not leaves around, Natalie and Becky set about collecting handfuls of leaves from the nearby bushes. Once we had enough leaves, it was Becky’s job to throw them in Natalies direction at the right time, and again Natalie was happy to try this, bascially happy to have leaves throw at her. Now not many models would be happy with that. We tried these shots and as you can guess, they just didn’t work, but at least it was fun.

I them put on my serious photographer head and decided to use the trees properly, and this time we got some great images, we them decided to use the leaves in the shot, this meant Natalie holding a leaf over her face, and with a few test shots and lighting changes we got an amazing shot.

We them decided to walk further down the Quayside back towards the Millennium bridge, again Natalie was a pleasure to work with, she was climbing on roundabouts, railings, sitting on steps, in fact anything and everything to try to get the right shots.

By this time the sun was setting and the light was just looking amazing, and we got some amazing shots using the sun as a backlight with Natalie facing the camera, and these shots just worked (I liked some of these so much I had a hard time picking just one).

So all in all this was a really fun shoot, and again the model Natalie was a pleasure to work with she is happy to try anything and brings some great ideas to the table.

But as for the shots, only you can be the judge of whether you like them or not.



Sample shots from Newcastle Quayside Photo Shoot



To see some of these shots in full size please visit my gallery on my website http://seanjconnollyphotography.co.uk/photography_gallery.htm

Durham Editorial Photo Shoot – Emma Wright

Model : Emma Wright
Location : Riverside, Durham
Type : Editorial

This shoot was one that I decided to do to add to more the editorial side of my portfolio, thinking with more of the advertising and editorial theme.

After some emails and discussions with Emma it was decided that Durham was a good location for both of us and the concept for the shoot would be centred around bright clothing, in particular tights. So it was agree that in order to get a few different looks, Emma could bring different outfits that all centred around her figure and bright tights.

This sounded great to me as the good thing about Emma as a model is she has a great figure for fashion modelling, typical tall and slim.

Location

The location was to be Durham City and as I know Durham quite a bit I decided to do the shoot down on the river bank, this is a great location as not only do you get the urban city environment, but you can also get the countryside rural feel.

We arranged to meet on at the pub just at the beginning of the bridge. Its always a bit nerve racking when you meet someone for the first time, I always worry that I will go up to the wrong person, but Emma stood out from the crowd and we made our way down to the riverside.

The weather was not too bad for a shoot, not too hot and not too cold, and with the light being difussed by the cloud at times meant that I could get some great lit shots as well as some sunny shots. We finally decided on the location of the little house thing on the riverside, great location and kinda quiet which I was surprised about.

The Shoot

We started the shoot and the first sets of shots were to be Emma wearing a more formal outfit in a long coat, shots taken in and around the entrance. Emma was an absolute pleasure to work with she took direction well and in most cases was already in the right pose before I even started composing the shot.

The main problem on this shoot was lighting, the area was dark, yet I didn’t want to make it too artificial by using lights. So I decided to use the reflector to throw a bit of extra natural light onto the shots, this worked great. We got some great shots around the steps, and after a quick change into a more casual look we took some more great shots.

Again Emma was great fun to work with and the shots turned out great.

After this very static shooting we decided to step it up a bit and take some moving shots, Emma was game to try these shots. So I climbed up on the wall to get a high view as Emma walked passed, and the first set of these just ended up looking like some peeping tom taking photos.

So we decided a more level approach was better, and although these shots were better the Emma walking towards the camera shot really never worked all that well, but when she got closer the light fell perfectly and we got the money shot. Great over exposed shot that uses the light just right, and with the expression she made for this shot makes the shot just pop.

We then tried more of the walking shots, this time with Emma walking away, and again due to her style and figure these shots just look great, and again she took direction well and looked in the right direction just at the right time to give us the great shot. (although this shot needed alot of post production to it due to the councils lack of upkeep on the path)

We then made our way back to the bridge and decided to try something a bit different and have a little play on the bridge, lets just say the shots are still in the experimental arena and need more work to perfect this style.

Really enjoyed this shoot, and Emma was an absolute pleasure to work with, and she was happy to try anything, even some of my stupid ideas.

I just hope you like these shots.

Sample shots from Durham Photo Shoot
To see some of these shots in full size please visit my gallery on my website http://seanjconnollyphotography.co.uk/photography_gallery.htm

Spofforth Castle Wetherby Fashion Shoot – Jenna Duffin

Model : Jenna Duffin / Becky Magson
Make Up Artist : Jenna Duffin
Location : Spofforth Castle, Wetherby
Type : Fashion

This shoot was one that I had been looking forward to for ages as there was lots of work  put into the planning, and there was lots of time deciding on the type of shoot, the fashions for the shoot, the location and finally the make up. The whole thing was made a lot easier as one of the models Jenna is a make up artist, so she had lots of ideas on the look for this shoot, keeping in mind my simple brief of a “light and airy shot”.

As Becky, Jenna and I had worked together on a previous shoot (althought not one of mine), there was already a great rapport which made the whole thing go so smoothly.

The intial idea of this shoot was to add more people into my portfolio and as I had taken lots of shots of Becky before, this shoot was to centre more around Jenna in order to start my portfolio off with a bit of variety.

Hair and Make Up

The look we decided on for this shoot was a light and airy natural feel, and after loads of emails with Jenna about the makeup we finally decided on the look for the shoot, well to be honest the actual look was more Jenna than me, all I knew was I wanted an airy feel (how she managed to come up with the fashions and make up still amazes me).

So on the day of the shoot we arrived in Wetherby and Jenna set about doing the make up, this took the normal amount of time for a fashion shoot, about an hour. The end results were amazing, the look and feel was exactly what I wanted. Not too much make up and a natural daytime look.

So once the makeup was all done and outfits chosen, we set off for the location. Spofforth Castle in Wetherby.

Location

On arriving at the location, it was necessary to be a bit hush hush about the shoot, as the castle is an English Heritage site and they dont take too kindly to photography in their properties.

But the location was just amazing, there was lots of different areas to play around with and as each of these areas had different lighting it made it even better as this meant I could play around with not only using some gels, but also use the reflector for some shots.

The only down side of this location was that as it is a public place there were people around, and in particular one family who kept on walking past the area we were shooting, in fact there kids just kept being annoying and just running everywhere. It wasn’t the fact that they were in the area, more the fact that we had our bags in the area. So as you can guess this was a pain.

However this location did have some very cool surprises up its sleeve, it had a little dark room were Becky and Jenna could get changed between sets, kinda useful and not often found on location shoots.

The Shoot

Ok so we got underway with shooting, and the initial shots were taken, and as it turns out theses shots were more of a get a feel for the lighting and location, than great shots. Lets just say they turned out not so great, I would even go so far as to say rubbish.

However, once we got further into the shoot the lighting was working really well, and the poses were really working, very natural and soft. Just the look I was after. So we took some shots in the main part of the castle and they just popped.

Part of the castle is old stairwells and windows, all of which really worked for amazing backdrops, either because of the excellent ambient light, or because the flash just bounced around perfectly. Also the fact that Jenna was happy to try anything to get the shot, even holding the lightstand meant the shots that we got are really excellent.

We then moved onto the stairway in the castle, which threw up all sorts of lighting challenges, as there were really bright areas, really dark areas and hugely light absorbant surfaces everywhere. But this made the shots better, I decided to use a mix of backlit gelled shots as well as front lit reflected light shots. Must be honest and say that these shots are some of the best of the shoot. We even got some very close beauty shots using this great light.

It made it even better as Becky has been so used to holding the reflector in the past, meant I got some great beauty shots of Jenna, which show both the beauty and the make up in the shots.

Then finally we moved to the outside of the castle, and due to the fact that its an old castle we were able to get some great shots of the ruins in the background, and even sitting on them. These made amazing advertising type shots, and were good enough to go on my website.

All in all I am so happy with the outcome of this shoot, extra please that the effort put in by Jenna in the initial planning on the outfits and makeup as it made the shoot just work, which also meant I got a sets of images that are totally different looks all from one shoot.

But as always you can be the best judge of the shots, and please comment as to whether you like the shots or not.

Sample shots from Spofforth Castle Photo Shoot
To see some of these shots in full size please visit my gallery on my website http://seanjconnollyphotography.co.uk/photography_gallery.htm
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