For this impromptu shoot with Angelique, I used an Elmarit 90mm F/2.8 lens on my Leica M3. I love the low contrast of this lens, as well as the slightly lower sharpness compared to modern lenses (the Elmarit was made in 1960). It’s a very flattering look for portraits. Film was Kodak Tri-X, developed in HC-110.
Angelique
I’ve been photographing Angelique for nearly a year now, and I’ve seen her transform into a hard working, dedicated and, above all, very professional model.
Last weekend I headed down town with my good friend Dalena for a casual photo shoot. I didn’t have any particular locations in mind, but I did want to try some shots on the top level of the market square parking lot. These turned out really well, offering a different perspective and an interesting layered background.
Dalena
I chose my 1957 Leica M3 with 50mm Summicron lens for this shoot as it offers great quality results while being small and light to carry around. I used Kodak Tri-X film rated at 250 ASA and developed in HC-110.
Leica M3 with 50mm 'rigid' Summicron on Fuji Neopan 400 film. Developed in HC110 dilution B for 5 minutes.
The Leica M3 is the perfect camera for this type of candid portrait. Small, quiet and discrete, it allows for a better connection with the subject as you face is not covered by a huge black plastic blob of a DSLR. It’s also very easy to handhold at slower speeds; this photo was shot at 1/30th second and is still very sharp with little evidence of camera shake.
I’ve been collaborating with Jessika for three or four years now and we’ve had many successful shoots. These first images are from a session in early 2010 and were shot on location in an incredibly photogenic home in North Knoxville.
Jessika – Mamiya RZ67 ProII with Sekor 110mm F/2.8 and Ektachrome
I lit the entire shoot with a combination of available light supplemented by a single large softboxed strobe, and used a Mamiya RZ67 ProII camera loaded with Kodak Ektachrome and Fuji Pro films.
These images of Knoxville model Dekilah were made during a studio session in 2009. I think she looks remarkably like Audrey Hepburn, and I wanted to recreate some of the style of the classic movie studio publicity photographs from when Hepburn was at the peak of her career (fifties and early sixties).
Dekilah
For this first shot I used my 1956 Rolleiflex Automat loaded with Kodak BW400CN C41 film, and lit with two softboxed strobes in a simple main and fill configuration. This is a classic lighting setup which, along with the rendering of the 60 year old Tessar lens, gives the image the pleasingly vintage character we were looking for.
Although I love black and white photography, there are times when the light, subject and location demand the use of colour film.
Poppet
For this shot I used Fuji Velvia 50 transparancy film because of it’s highly saturated colour rendition, which I knew would enhance the contrast between the blue of the pool and the red dress. I used a Hasselblad 500C/M camera with 80mm Carl Zeiss Planar lens, and shot from the top of the pool slide. A single silver reflector was used to push some sunlight onto the face to reduce shadows.
Nashville singer and songwriter Kendra Chantelle, shot with a Hasselblad 503CW and 80mm Carl Zeiss Planar lens on Fuji Pro film (except the last image, which was shot int he studio with a Nikon D2X and 70-200mm F/2.8 VR Nikon lens). After her appearance on the last season of American Idol, you can expect to hear a lot more of this genuinely talented singer in the future!
Nashville singer and songwriter Kendra Chantelle
I have had the pleasure of collaborating with Jenn many times in the past few years, and each time we have produced work of which I am very proud. Whenever I want to reproduce that vintage look in a shoot, I know who to call!
This is a selection of some of my favourite images.
Jenn Riot – Nikon D2X with 17-55mm F/2.8
Jenn Riot – Nikon D2X with 70-200mm F/2.8
Shot in Norris, TN, this was the first 8×10 negative I exposed after acquiring a Sinar P camera last year. Shooting such a large format camera requires a completely different approach than medium format or 35mm and, as I was so new to it, I was very pleased with the outcome of this shot.
Streamscape – Sinar P, G-Claron 305mm
The sky was heavy with the threat of rain as I carried my gear along the stream to the small waterfall, and I knew that I wouldn’t have too long to set up and expose my film if I didn’t want to get caught in a downpour. I spent a few minutes setting up the tripod, trying to find a stable position for it on the muddy bank, and then quickly unpacked and set up the camera.
My second shoot with the amazing Angelique (A.K.A. Frenchie) yielded some great images. We shot at and around the Grist Mill at Norris, TN, a location that provided plenty of shade from the harsh light and ridiculous heat of the early afternoon (95F and very humid), but unfortunately not the mosquitoes! All photos shot on Fuji Neopan film in a Leica M3 with 50mm Summicron or 90mm Elmarit lenses.
Leica M3 with 50mm Summicron