Olivia B

I've been reading a lot of Hunger. Given that Rankin dominates just about every issue of the mag, his work has been at the top of my mind. Rankin is a huge source of inspiration for me and I think my shoot with Olivia shows that a bit. I am in love with his style - it's aggresive and honest while maintaining a human sensitivity.

For this shoot I really wanted to make expression and movement the priority for Olivia. Putting her up against a white wall and blowing it out seemed like the best way to do that. You can't use a white wall as a crutch, it's just the model and the lens. 

Shot with a beauty dish straight on and maybe about 20-30 degrees up. I gridded the dish for the headshots. Second light behind Olivia and pointed against the wall to wash it out. Also, if any photographers are considering getting the Sigma 50mm 1.4 Art, just do it. Shooting with a short telephoto is overrated anyway. 

Overall I'm happy with how things turned out. It's common for me to get frustrated after a shoot because I can't seem to execute the image I have in my head, but I feel like with each shoot I'm getting a little bit better at executing that vision. Definitely recommend shooting with Olivia - she's a rad gal.

Nick Keding

Nick has one of the most distinctive looks of anybody I've met. He's also a war history buff, wears ivy caps, and is comfortable in heavy wool blazers. It's a bit unexpected for someone who models, but it makes him engaging and interesting to talk to. 

I've wanted to photograph Nick since I assisted one of Aaron Pedersen's shoots featuring him. I hadn't yet shot any of the men from Mode, so he is my introduction. 

With this shoot I wanted to contrast Nick's features with clothing and the environment. His pale skin and red hair really pop against the Stick Print shirt and the Davis Print pant from Club Monaco. Boots are from Red Wing. Styled entirely from my wardrobe - quite possibly a terrible idea.

Nick was fun to work with - he's calm and definitely has a good work ethic. Once we finished shooting outdoors and moved inside, I was ready to call it quits, but he was quick to ask if I wanted to shoot some more. Dude ate one of my pitas though. 

Thank you to Amy Arenna for assisting.

Shara

Whiplash. That's what Shara's transition from being a quiet, polite girl and into a fierce presence in front of the camera gave me.

Over the long weekend I shot Shara of Mode Models International, another hilariously unplanned shoot between myself and the talented Natasha Ross of Lux Beauty Boutique. With old man winter finally packing his bags, I was itching to capture more of a dreamy summery look. Being able to (comfortably) shoot outside is currently very exciting, and will probably only last until the first mosquito of the season lands on my ear. 

This shoot was also my first testing out the Sigma 50mm 1.4 Art and the Firefly Beauty Box. I will post about these two once I've had the chance to muck around with them a bit more. My first impressions on both are very positive.

Shara was soft-spoken while having her hair and makeup done - so much so that I wasn't sure if she'd be able to carry herself in the photographs. Once we started shooting she quickly put my fears to rest and settled into a confident, poised and definitely sassy zone. Some words from Natasha on hair and makeup:

It was finally warm enough to shoot outside and I wanted makeup that looked fresh and glowy. Shara has the most amazing skin, and a kind of youthful cool-girl vibe to her. I highlighted the high points of her face to catch the amazing natural light we had. A soft coral lip gave just enough colour without her looking too "done". Soft contouring on the eyes and tousled, wind-blown hair added to her effortless cool.

All in all a very positive experience and I look forward to shooting Shara again.