Cancun Workshop

We are headed back to Cancun July 19 - 24, 2010.
also
Puerto Vallarta August 28 - September 3, 2010

This profile is set up in regards to the Cancun Workshop. It shows the basic lighting techniques that are taught at the event on a yearly schedule. There are no Photoshop images on this profile…unless you want to count the type set, inlayed images, or the adjustment to make a monochromatic images that were all done in Photoshop…yes! Other than that…all images are straight out of the camera. No softening of skin tones…that was all done by understanding the type and direction of light used to achieve the right effect. No dodging and burning…(yes…under real conditions we would adjust for printing output). These are simply raw images converted to jpegs for your display and to show straight to the point…lighting!! Additionally we did not use on camera flash on any of these images…we do have a particular date and time that we review the use of camera flashes for fill purposes. A couple of the images shown here are recorded under a full front lighting effect, a few at a three quarter lighting, and a couple with a total side lighting effect. This is done to show how and when to enhance the models appearance or to show texture in the wardrobe. Studio Time Photographers shoot for several apparel designers on a monthly bill to keep a running tab of new items for brochures, catalogs, and editorials. A couple of the images here are recorded under a lower exposure bracket and a couple of them under a higher exposure bracket…this is to understand the difference of having the garment or the model stand out more or less within the image. The reason for this is to interpret shooting for the designer (to show the outfit or accessories) or shooting for the models portfolio and working to enhance him or hers figure, hair, face, or whatever shows the models strong points. Additionally we will discuss shooting for the sales catalog verses shooting for the editorial display of an outfit or a model. What is the point of all of this…Many companies don’t except over photoshoped images for their purposes…especially clothing companies that want to see their designs displayed in a true manner. And, for many models, agents and agencies’ don’t except over Photoshopped images of your face. They want to see the true you because that is what they are trying to sell. Have you ever noticed that agencies and high profile magazines like Playboy like to see old fashioned Polaroid’s of the models that are not touched up or enhanced?? Have you ever been to an agency and they ask you to shoot with their photographer after looking at your photos? (generally a reputable agent or agency will give you a list of suggestions – not just one photographer to work with) Have you ever seen that on the Playboy website it states you do not need to submit professional images? They do that for a reason! That’s why many many models, with great potential, are having a hard time finding agents to sign them on and get them work. No matter how creative your images are, if they don’t interpret the real you, they are not selling you as a true product. That goes for models and photographers alike. I know its fun to get some great Photoshop images and there are some outstanding masters of Photoshop but unless you photographers and models are shooting for the latest Adobe magazine or you are publishing your own fantasy calendar (which costs thousands of dollars) you are going to limit yourself to a little bit of work in this massive massive industry. The only benefit is for someone selling themselves as a true Photoshop Master. Models and photographers both need to have more genuinely pure images to represent the true you at the best of your abilities. And, believe me, I understand how this is terribly terribly misconstrued with the modeling websites like Model Mayhem and One Model Place that allow several models to promote and sell themselves…but, I also understand that there are millions of models and photographers that don’t understand and have not grasped concept. At the Cancun Workshop we discuss all of the different lighting available to us and how to work with each type and each direction to understand what your results are going to be before you actually snap the picture. We talk about soft light and hard light, and what different effects you will gain from them before hand. We talk about available lighting and artificial light and how to use them together and individually. Additionally we talk about the color of light and how that too can enhance or crush a potentially great image. During these daily discussions you will have the opportunity to work hands-on with live glamour models under each of these lighting scenarios. This will help you gain first hand experience in the lighting world and you will learn to see different results along with having the images you took to review and understand further discussions on this topic at a later time. Do we disapprove of the Photoshop effects…not at all!! In fact we also discuss image workflow and the positive reinforcement and adjustments with Photoshop. There are many many ways to use this awesome program to your advantage without over doing it…but we also show you how to get the image perfect in the first place and then go from there.

Lighting comes to us in many different forms…direct light, indirect light, hard light, soft light, front light, side light, and back light. We have available light, reflected light, cool light, and warm light. We could go on and on in a paper discussion or we can show you the basics and work off of that. We will start from the bottom up and teach you simple available lighting and then work into reflectors, mirrors, and strobes. There is much more to the Cancun Workshop but as you can see lighting is the most important factor of photography. You simply can not make an image without light!!

We have several glamour and fashion style models at every event. We try to get a variety of different looks to, again, enhance your photographic experience and knowledge. Different models will photograph different on film! (Film being an old fashioned term for print, paper, or tear-sheet). With several models and a variety of looks we work with how to handle different models features under different lighting conditions. Hmm, let say that again. We work with how to enhance the models best features and hide some of the flaws through creative lighting. We will work hands-on with posing models, discussing head direction, eye contact, hands, feet, and the body. We will talk about posing for composition and over all image interest to add and not subtract from the subject or point of sale. Posing comes natural for many models but they still have to have a direction and a sightline too help make your image complete. What I’m saying is the model doesn’t necessarily know exactly what you are looking for and they don’t see what you see through the lens. Thus you have to have a little bit of finesse when directing your models as not to confuse or upset them. Once your model is uncomfortable the whole photographic process and session will go straight down the drain. Once there is conflict you both are probably going to be counterproductive. We have the ability to work through that at this event and not endure lost time. More on that issue later. Now one very very important aspect of this workshop is that everyone doesn’t shoot exactly the same images. There are group discussions, photography sessions, and learning items that everyone needs to be involved in but there are also individual sessions that give you your own individuality and images that other attendees don’t get. Many of these so call workshops are very cookie cutter like and there is a couple of different lighting set ups and every photographer photographs the same model, in the same outfit, in the same location, under the same lighting all throughout the day. You just see a line of photographers waiting to plug in…or you see what looks like a swarm of bees all trying to get on the same flower. The biggest problem with that is only one or two photographers are really getting the good shot and everyone else is getting a contorted model that’s probably not even looking at you. That will not happen with us at this event. The models will be changing throughout the day to give everyone variety and the makeup artist will help with different looks and hair changes. Makeup is a whole other world, and can also highlight the models features or enhance a models flaws and be possibly detrimental to an overall photo session. A discussion on makeup will be held at the event but I’m not going to get real critical in this article.

We will also talk about the model photographer etiquette. Working together within reason of peace and tranquility…that’s crap. Either you hit it off with a model or you don’t. people are going to be people and personalities are going to clash from time to time. If a model is doing her job she is willing to do anything to get the shot…within reason. I’m not talking about the casting couch, fellas. I’m talking about getting in to the cold lake, or rolling in the mud, or ruining a pair of shoes, or wrapping a snake around your body. There is nothing worse than a model showing up and not wanting to get her hair wet when you just talked about photographing her in a shower or at the car wash…?? Now on the flipside, if a photographer is doing their job then he or she is making the model feel special, making the model feel good about herself, he is making her comfortable, he is taking into consideration for her safety…like checking for alligators in the lake, or having a qualified snake handler as not to squish your model. There is nothing more irritating for a model to show up ready to shoot in a 200 dollar makeover, 1000 dollar dress, and 500 dollars heels when you just discuss shooting fashion in the street and you ask her to put on a bikini and get into a pool. This is a fact of conflict if you like the model or not…if this is your true job and passion then you do what it takes to make it work. Sometimes your client will choose the models and you don’t have a choice. This is who they want in the image and if you still want the job then you have to suck it up.

Additional discussions at the Cancun Workshop include model releases and why you might or might not need them. Property releases, images releases, and who owns the rights to images and facial recognition will also be covered and is always a great topic for models and photographers alike. We will talk about what usage rights are and how they might restrict the sales or even to showing of an image in your own portfolio. We will discuss privacy needs, privacy rights, and stage names for models and if you need to or have to use them. This is always a recommended discussion for everyone and generally everybody involved will learn something new.

Every night after a photographic day we sit together and discuss the days work. We will talk about the full shooting day…what you liked and what you didn’t like. What locations are working and not working. How your models and posing and how you are capturing the poses. Where you are for understanding what was learned during the day and what questions you might have about the day. We will review images from all of the photographers and see how the lighting scenarios played out for each and everybody. We will discuss the next day’s activities and see what everyone’s comfort levels are and who might need more help or less help. We might discus the new looks for tomorrow models and what locations are coming up…depending on weather changes. At the end of the day we all come together to keep everyone on track and make sure that no one feels left out or left behind.