Photography Blog by Duncan Holmes
Flash
|
Duncan: Posted on 31 October 2012 06:57
So the year turned and the Scottish Creative Network managed to pull together another day at the Radisson Blu hotel. Last year's shoot, with bridal gowns and clothes from Obscure Couture and Dom and Emily, was a pretty good day for me. I got some great pictures, including 6 that appeared in the recent exhbition. This time though, I'd decided to do something different. Still creeping at the edge of fashion, but with a strong story element. The basic premise echoes touches of Mr and Mrs Smith (spy's fall in love, have a fight etc.) but I decided to throw in a random curveball or two, by making my spies a little more than human and throwing in a laser burn, instead of bullet holes. The full piece will be presented as a kind of photo story/graphic novel. Following a recent fashion show at the Corinthian, I had recruited Neal Alexander and Leeann McCall as my two leads in the piece. They were both quite enthusiastic to be trying something new and a little off kilter from the usual fashion norm. I also managed to draw in Aileen Wallace for her makeup skills. Some further casting about and a recommendation brought on Jay Campbell to help out with hair. The hardest part was in fact finding suitable extras for the two additional roles in the piece. My friend, Benita Jonsson, was helping and assisting with the shoot and just happened to bring her husband along for the first part of the shoot, hey presto a star was born in the shape of Marco, and promptly shot in the head with a laser! Glynis and I have been FB pals for a while and I met her at one of the Baby Blues Club nights. She's an actress and a dancer and had the ability to create the severe look I needed for a boss handing across assassination orders. We actually started the shoot off the day before the Radisson hotel shoot. We shot near Shields Road, using the West Street industrial estate and some fabulous graffitti around the side of Cotterell Lighting, We managed to persuade a fireplace showroom to loan us a corner for the initial hair and makeup, Though by the time we wrapped at 5:30 pm, Neal was reduced to getting changed back into normal clothes in the back of a car. So that was two scenes in the bag for the story. I was already having continuity meltdown after only 2 scenes, so I spent that night sketching out the various steps for the next day. The day at the Radisson did start remarkably well, everybody turned up! The fact that the organisers had to delay the start due to the need to wait for a room worked in our favour. It gave us a few extra minutes (an hour) for hair and makeup and for Leeann to try on some of her outfits. Leeann was the clothes horse for the day, sporting a dress from Psychomoda, 2 corsets from Crikey Aphrodite and a couple of outfits from C.Watson. Neal got to wear a tux and his casual clothes and different shades of boxer shorts. He did seem deeply enamoured with the laser gun he got to play with, in between eating every scrap in sight. The organisers had gained us access to the corner bar, 3 rooms, the public areas of the hotel and the restaurant. We were able to mostly shoot in the order of the scenes in the story, though Leeann had to be remade up for the restaurant scene and de bruised. All should hopefully become clearer when the final piece is ready. I was very impressed by my two main models for the day, both relatively new to the experience and being thrust together in a story of love, betrayal and sad farewells. We managed to keep the mood light and comfortable and still be very professional when the camera was clicking. Aileen and Jay did spectacularly well with hair and makeup and Benita was a very patient assistant throughout the day. Glynis was a trooper, arriving in time for her makeup call and waiting being cold until her short scene at the end of the day's shooting. A special mention should also be made for Alison Campbell of Crikey Aphrodite, who turned up with a rotten cough and none too well, but managed to fashion up some great looks from her Crikey Aphrodite wardrobe. The SCN crew provided light relief by filling a coffee machine that had no water tank in it and scattering a waterfall over their prized camera kit, but were otherwise the pictures of efficiency in getting us all round the place. It was a very different experience to the previous year. Because I knew what scenes I needed for my story, I wasn't trying anything and everything with each location and once I had the shots I needed I was stumped for additional pictures to take. The advantage of this was that we did have the extra time for hair and makeup changes, food and other interruptions which made the day a bit more civilised and less frenetic. So, for now, here is the "cast" in full graphic novel mode, they will be more photographically inclined in the final piece: Neal Leeann Marco |
|
|
Posted on 03 April 2012 07:01
 A trip into the borders and Galashiels found me emerging at the MaplehurstGuesthouse. This beautifully crafted gem of a location was to play host to a shoot with Karen Reid and her hats and fascinators. Karen had arranged hair and 1 of the makeup artists and I had brought along Emma Motion as our other makeup artist. She had also arranged the shoot, booked the models and done all the groundwork and planning. It made for a fairly unstressed shoot for me, as all I had to do was turn up and shoot. The 4 models, Fifi, Fiona, Sally and Ruth each had distinctive looks and after being pinned, clipped and tucked into various bridal and occasional dresses they were adorned with Karen's wonderful creations. We shot inside the house and out in the gardens and I'm very happy with the early results. We all turned into pumpkins by 6pm and ran away home. Just under 14 hours with travel time. Some shoots are just worth the effort! |
|
|
Duncan: Posted on 26 March 2012 06:39
Saturday that had me ranging from Galashiels to Edinburgh and back to Glasgow to retrieve clothes from NLM Design and Velvet Elvis, meet with the stylist, Jacki Clark and visit Anonymous Order's exhbition at In Public. I arrived home in the early evening and turned into a vegetable. Perfect preparation for the next day's shoot! Sunday dawned, bright and warm and I couldn't help having a little laugh at myself for planning an indoor shoot in the evening on such a warm day. All was not lost, I had to return to Glasgow to pick up the headpieces from Jenivieve Berlin and pick up Jacki at Glasgow University Library. I arrived early and snuck off to the new Nardini's cafe for a wee tub of ice cream, result! Jacki and I made it to Greenock an age before the shoot time, so we wandered into the oak mall, had a coffee, did some shopping, bought a plant and generally dawdled. We pounced on the barbershop just after 4pm and started slowly unloading the various items that we had brought with us. I'd had the good fortune to recruit some talented folk for the hair and makeup: Lesley of Head Strong Solutions and Lana Cairns provided hair skills. Melanie Watson and Katie Ford took care of makeup. I had Stuart McKenzie along as general gofer and assistant. Aimee was the first of the models to appear, with mother in tow, followed by Mel and Donna who arrived together. Kirstin, the fourth model was due in on the next train. A quick vox pop and Aimee became the Mad Milliner with the three other models assigned to be her hatted minions. As we were testing the lighting with Donna, the first of our models to emerge from hair and makeup, I realised that we had left our blinds open as she spotted a somewhat inebriated guy peering in through the window, a possible escapee from the pub next door. So we said goodbye to the sun and closed the blinds. The shoot went smoothly and everybody seemed quite relaxed and enjoyed the fab designs from the kindly folk that had loaned them. I did have a worry at a few points that we would find it hard to rip some of the designs out of the models' hands, but they were professionals and only shed a tear or two on parting with their favourite garments. Thanks to everyone arranging lifts home we did not have to stop for the original deadline, overrunning an hour and only packing up about 10:30 at night. There were of course a few yawns creeping in by then from all concerned. I lurched home in the car and backed up the pictures before collapsing in a heap. These are some of the behind the scenes, out takes and one unedited (including my elbow) group shot. |
|
|
Duncan: Posted on 23 December 2011 18:25
It all began with a desire to create some images, usingmodels, that I could use to promote my wedding photography business. The search for models lead me onto the sites Model Mayhem and Purestorm, both of which offered castings as a way of joiningup models, makeup artists and photographers. Through castings on both sites Igathered together a range of potential models, which were then whittled down by myself and the dress designer who had agreed to loan her dresses for the shoot. Whilst browsing the forums on Purestorm I spotted an open day shoot for a Red Nose Day shoot at Dreghorn Studios, announced by Gerry Quiff and indirectly from that found out about the Scottish Creative Network. Also whilst browsing castings for photographers I happened upon a request from Punk Morvs and discovered the band I’m Sick. I even had some fun taking pictures of them at a gig they were doing and again at a later gig. During the Red Nose Day shoot I shot pictures of AdeleRobertson in clothes by Nicola Napier (nicci.n) and also met a couple of fellowphotographers. I also got to meet,albeit briefly, Miel (Lisa Heidinger) who had also answered the casting for thebridal shoot. From conversing with Adele following the RND shoot I was able to do some photos of her catwalk show at Inspire the Attire and thereby bump into requests to share photos with some of the designers and models involved on the night. One of the makeup artists for the bridal shoot mentioned a night at the Oran Mor, where students from James Watt college were showing their end of year work, inspired by film for the most part. My bridal shoot allowed me to meet five lovely models, a couple of makeup artists and whilst it was not entirely without hitches, it did give me a lot of confidence for the future. I organised a mini shoot with some outfits from nicci.n and with Camille Young, a catwalk model from Inspire the Attire. A rainy day in the Botanic Gardens with makeup by Hayley Robertson.I went along to the Hidden Lane and managed to boldly grab some photos of Silvia Pellegrino’s Chouchou Couture catwalk show, along withsome group shots of the models in an alley in the rain. Once again I’d found out about this via announcements in the various networking sites such as SCN or Blank Canvas. I answered a casting call from Susie B in Perth and travelled North to grab some shots at Perth railway station with hats from Hat in the Cat, makeup by Susie and hair by Michelle.  I answered a casting call from a makeup artist, Lynda Joyce and we had a lovely afternoon at Dreghorn Studios with 3 models with Stefan, Flora and Macoula.In a moment of further madness I decided to try my hand at my own networking event, bringing together 3 photographers and 3 models (we’d hoped for more of course) and a range of vintage outfits and bridal outfits from A J Rendall. It was a fun day out in Mugdock park. This was also a chanceto take pictures of Punk Morvs with her model head on! I also met Jackie Clark,a stylist, who helped us organise the outfits and match them to the models onthe day. During my search for bridal suppliers I had seen a dress onone of the Chinese wedding dress web sites that I really wanted to shoot. Afterannouncing my intent I teamed up with Miel again to shoot some pictures in thedress at Sloan’s ballroom in Glasgow. An answered casting call for photographers to shoot a charity calendar lead me to arrive in a Sports centre with a half dozen other photographers, a dozen models and a brief to take pictures in Rangers Supporters Errskine Appeal football strip and evening dresses.  Another studio networking day and I finally got to meet the lovely Nicole Abbott, who’s portfolio I had been admiring from afar.  Another fashion show, The Only Way is Glasgow and I encountered the amazingly talented Megan, the lady behind Nutmeg Couture. Another networking day at Eglington Park, this time with outfits from Jayne Faye, as well as some of the models' own. Neil MacMillan made it along again with a couple of new faces and models, Jane, Claire and Edmee. Learning of the Oohfashion Autum/Winter show in Edinburgh,and having time to kill on a Saturday afternoon, I went along to their launchday at a gallery in Edinburgh. I met three lovely models in outfits by Kakao byK and Psychomoda and got some nice pictures. This earned me an invite to theshow itself.  That same day I had been picking up wedding dresses with amodel for a shoot on the Sunday and also visiting a shop in the afternoon toborrow some accessories. This was a shoot I’d signed up for with the ScottishCreative Network at the Radisson Blu hotel. A new call for models had brought me Dom Wilson and Emily Morton, both incredibly talented and beautiful young women and a new call for makeup artists had (I thought) brought me Katie Ford and Cat Gatenby. Cat had an emergency on the day of the shoot though, so Katie was left in the lurch a little. The kind and beautiful Sarah Berens gave us a hand with hair in our extremis and Emily’s contacts brought us Gary Somerville, hot footing it from his Sunday lie in to help out in the afternoon. The morning shoot with the wedding dresses went very well, but the afternoon shoot with the outfits by Obscure Couture and the spectacular work by the two makeup artists really gave the two models a chance to shine and I was incredibly pleased with the final results. I should mention here that Jacki Clark was managing to sneak into our shoot now and then to provide her input again.   Megan of Nutmeg Couture was then kind enough to loan some dresses for a studio day that Neil MacMillan and I had organised for ourselves.This was also another chance to work with Carol, who had modelled for me at thebridal shoot as well as meet some new faces, Priya, Lauren and Rachel.  A night out then in Edinburgh at the Oohfashion show andsome more networking links with designers involved in that one, includingAlison at Psychomoda and C.Watson, a friend of nicci.n.  My earlier contact established with Nicole Abbott now paid off as we decided to have a monster shoot with the models from PerfectlyPetite. This is a group of models that are seeking to broaden the spectrum of women on the catwalk, in magazines and in the media. Christine (C.Watson) was launching her line in a shop shortly afterwards, also playing host to nicci.n’s works at De la Sole in Edinburgh’s city centre and had asked to use some of the catwalk photos for her launch night. I offered to shoot the clothes properly as I had a weekend free. The call for this reunited me with Gary Somerville and also Nicole Abbott modelled with another PP model, Gemma Chan. We had a successful day of shooting in central Edinburgh before I ran away in the cold. The only down side of this shoot is that Christine downloaded the pictures to her phone,instead of a PC, thereby rendering them useless for the banners on her launchn ight, though one photo of Nicole did make the discount leaflets. Another fashion show, the darker halloweenish In the Company of Wolves and I encountered some new designers, the fabulous designs of Velvet Elvis and the classic dresses from Eleanor’s Riot. Some weedling, begging and persuading and with the additional help of Karen Reid Designs and Psychomoda(oohfashion) we had outfits arranged for the big Perfectly Petite shoot.  Once again at Dreghorn Photography, with Gary and 2 newmakeup artists, Poppy and Carla and a hair stylist I had encountered working onone of the other groups at the SCN Radisson Shoot, Lesley we took pictures ofthe 9 models from PP. A contact from the oohfashion show meant that a reporter,Jill, from the Edinburgh Reporter was along, as well as folk from the GlasgowGuardian student paper, who had been in touch with me following the Only Way isGlasgow. We ended up with some fun, weird, daft, stylish andbeautiful images on the day, but I did have a brief collapse around 3pm so Iwas grateful when Stuart, the studio owner, could step in for a few moments andtake a few pics of his own. He’s an affable and engaging host, even as weturned the studio into a scene of chaos and disarray. Once the dust had started to settle from that shoot I realised that I was actually starting to get people asking to work with me,rather than me always going round with the begging bowl. This lead to a shoot at a new studio (for me), Contrast Studio. With Hazel and Ashleigh as models and clothes by ten30. Cat Gatenby, the makeup artist who had had to fight holes in her roof during the Radisson shoot, was able to help out with makeup and Lesley Docherty came along again to give us fabulous hair. The two models were spectacular on the day, with Ashleigh being made up with white makeup and Hazel a more androgynous black. I even commissioned some specific jewellery from Mhairi at Bonnie Bling, who’s work I had encountered through Obscure Couture and someof the fashion shows.  So the last shoot of the year was in answer to another FBcall from a makeup artist. The chance to shoot vintage clothes from We Love toBoogie Vintage’s pop-up shop and 5 models was not to be sneezed at. It was acold bitter day in Glasgow last Sunday, and the light soon fled the scene afteronly starting at 1pm, but I am quite pleased with the end results here too.Four of the models were new faces from a Glasgow agency, and it was interestingto see how their different personalities were reflected in their poses when they weren’t shivering in the cold. Themakeup by Siobhan Keenan and Lynsey MacDonald was spot on and the simple buteffective hair styles suited the chosen outfits.  And somewhere in between all that I’ve been doing my regularwedding photography, 1 communions, family portraits and payingwork!My advice to folk trying to break into this lark (you must be mad)...  Don’t be afraid to talk to folk, don’t be afraid to ask and take lots of photos cos now and then you’ll get one that really takes your breath away! |
Flash, Studio, General Photography, Model Shoot, Gigs, Fashion, Portrait, Calendar, Erskine Hospital, Radisson Blu, The Only Way is Glasgow, Oohfashion, In the Company of Wolves, Perfectly Petite, Edinburgh, ten30.co.uk, We Love To Boogie
|
|
|
|
Duncan: Posted on 19 December 2011 09:03
 I'd answered a call for a photographer for a shoot organised by Stephanie (hair) and Siobhan (makeup) and using the clothes from We Love to Boogie's pop-up shop. I arrived in plenty of time, laden down with lights, camera equipment and my laptop. The shop was fairly bear bones in it's pop-up guise with improvised lighting and heaters scattered about, which immediately put paid to any hope of using my IR and Radio triggers inside the shop...best laid plans of mice and men. After nipping out for a coffee, a sub and a bun, I was back in plenty of time for folk to start trickling in. We ended up with 5 models on the day, new faces from one of the agencies in town, all frozen to death in Glasgow's warm embrace, huddling round the heaters as they awaited their turn with the Siobhan and Lynsey for makeup and Stephanie (with hairspray) and colleague for hair. Nadia, and later Greg, played hosts and were quite understanding in the general chaos and mayhem we inflicted on their S. Frederick Street shop.  My first shoot was with Erin, dressed in a black dress and white fur coat (the fur coats were very popular on the day!) and we grabbed some shots outside the City Chambers in George Square as well as a couple of live mannequin style shots in the window of the shop itself. Next up was Emily in a very 80's flamenco inspired red dress and black fur. We had a climb around the pillars on the G1 building until we got a stern finger wagging from the security guard inside.  Last to brave the outside world was the one suffering most from the cold, Nicole. She breavely gave up her coat for a few of the shots, dressed in a black bustier top and a black skirt with red flowers.  The light was quickly disappearing, so the last two models, Michelle and Hazel managed to stay in the warm of the shop and pose around in the chairs and in front of the changing cubicles. We rounded the shoot off with some group shots with all the models together, in and out of their coats, before packing up and hitting the road.  It was a new perspective on shooting in winter... the need for good heating and blankets and the importance of modelling garments appropriate to the weather. I'm liking the results of the shoot, the models all gave their all when they were in front of the lens, but I still feel slightly guilty for subjecting them to near arctic conditions in and out of the shop. |
|
|
Duncan: Posted on 20 October 2011 09:07
Following my recent excursion to Edinburgh, I took advantage of the offer of a press pass and dragged my cold filled head back to the capital for the Oohfashion Fall/Winter show. I was quite proud of my pernickety self for not cornering the organiser, Gary, about the use of Fall vs Autumn. I managed to find the venue, The Green Room at 14 Picardy Place, with relatively little fuss, I even found somewhere to park the car. So bright and early, I arrived at the tail end of the rehearsal. This was a good chance to scout out the best seat in the house for pictures. A couple of other photographers had already nabbed the top of one aisle,so I found myself, slightly worried for my hearing, parked with my head next to the speakers. The organisers had chosen to create a square of chairs facing out and in, with an aisle between, to allow the models to walk between the rows of the audience. I really liked this approach, it grounded the fashion and personalised it, so you still had some of the theatre of a catwalk show, but you also got to see the designs up close and get a feel for how the styles might fit (or not) into the real world. Gary, head honcho at Oohfashion, was wandering in a frenzy, with his clipboard, with occasional cries of “I need to pee” and “I’m hungry”. Various helpers strode up and down the rows of chairs to ensure programs and other leaflets were all in order. Once the beautiful people of Edinburgh began to arrive, the glamorous setting of theGreen Room really began to feel like a grown up fashion show. The only minor flaw was that due to the limited size of the venue there were a number of people stuck in the bar on tiptoe or climbing the walls to get a view of the fashion. So a little after 8pm, after chatting to fellow photographers who had settled around me in my perfect spot, I was all ready for the show to start. (as a side note I was lucky enough to meet the lovely Daniela Flores, who was sat beside me, we’d sat next to each other at The Only Way is Glasgow, so it was onlypolite to introduce ourselves).  Firstup on the parade were the designs from Jenivieve Berlin Millinery, showing herLace and Chain collection. Having seen some of her work at TOWIG it wasinteresting to see some new designs. Next up were Christine Watson’s designs, under her brand C.Watson. I had only ever met Christine in the company of Nicola Napier before (the designer behind Nicci.n), so it was fun to see some of her own work on display.  21st Century Kilts brought around the first appearance of the male options for theday. Tweedy and stylish looks with a minimalist nod to plaid.  Ness was up next, a familiar brand from shops here and there in Scotland. It was fun to see the styles and combinations on the models here, which gave it a younger look than I had imagined.  Nicci.n’s designs then hit the catwalk and caused the usual stir with the mix of styles, cuts and the lace masks for some of the models. Those Were the Days Vintage Boutique provided the next range of outfits, for men andwomen. The first thought that hit me when I saw the first male model in his green overcoat was a reinvented Crusty(think back to the early nineties and the grungy, dreadlocked folk with a dog on a string). The boutique managed to create some interesting looks for the rest of the models too.   Rene Walrus had had a few pieces at the Ooh Fashion launch, so I had had a preview. Using some of the same ingredients as the other milliner’s on the day they also managed to make their own stamp on the occasion and had some veryindividual styles. I really liked the berets with spikes, which seemed to be the kind of hat that you could see onthe high street, if people still wore hats. Megan at NutMeg Couture brought her Goddess Collection to the show. It was great to see these dresses again, and get a better angle on them. If only Scotland had a proper film industry,with regular premieres, because then all you would see on the red carpets would be dresses from NutMeg. Meloosha, a boutique in Alva Street showed some of their Autumn/Winter attire. This range of different outfits gave a stylish nod to winter, with some dresses for those Christmas do’s. Karen Reid Designs brought a bit more fun and colour to the evening, starting out with some more feather creations before moving on to colourful discs and wild explosions. It ended with a giant bow and long veil for the alternative bridal touch.  I didn’t realise it at the time, but I’d accidentally met the designer behind Sweet Danger’s outfits during my recent dealings with Obscure Couture. Leelah was working as their intern when I dropped by to pick up and drop off the clothes we borrowed. She came out with her own distinctive range of looks andstyles, which nodded occasionally to more extreme fashion, but also presented some interesting approaches to nightwear. By this time my bum was going numb and I had been hit on the head a few times bythe Hungarian photographer behind me, it’s a sign that I was enjoying myselfthat I hadn’t expressed variousexpletives at full volume.  Kakao by K and Lady Jojo’s were next up. Kakao had a classic approach to their collection, whilst Lady Jojo’s went for a range of distinctive tea dresses thatcrossed over from the 50’s with a healthy dose of the 21 Century. The lady behind Tea at Aunties was sitting two seats away from me and while, as their name suggests, there was a retro touch to the looks, they were still contemporary, with some nods to wool to keep you warm in your minidress.  21Century Kilts made a second appearance, just to confuse me. I wasn't entirely sure if this had been planned ahead, or if the changes for Psychomoda were taking longer than expected. And finally, Psychomoda through their hat into the ring. I’d also had a preview of one of their outfits at the Oohfashion launch, so it was interesting to discover some slinky gowns to compliment the bigger wilder outfits. There’s a heavy Scottish influence in some of her outfits, so it is fun to see the traditional touches brought screaming into current times. All in all it was a good night, and except for a couple of technical glitches(someone forgot to bring a microphone), the organisers ran a slick event. Kudos to Gary Anderson and his crew. With no stage to climb the models also had a smoother walk, with less chance of tripping on or off the catwalk, they just had to brave the gauntlet of the audience’s feet. Being a school night, and loaded with the cold, I did a runner at the end of the night. The little shining light at the end of night was stopping off at at a takeaway on Broughton Street and being served by a lovely young Spanish woman who was also a graduate of my university in Spain, ICADE. She was in the UK to brush up her English and start work as a social worker, so best of luck to her! More pictures from the show can be found at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/photographybyduncanholmes/sets/72157627808459153/ |
|
|
Duncan: Posted on 12 October 2011 22:07
After some labouring over a hot Photoshop I have started to see the results of my shooting on Monday.  A final flurry of e-mails on Sunday meant that the final spot for modelling was being filled by Rachel Monaghan and her friend Lauren.This meant that our line up was Priya, Edmee, Carol, Rachel and Lauren. Gary and Katie were there for makeup. And with what I counted as quite a coup,Megan of Nutmeg Couture had kindly come along and brought some of her goddess collection for the models to try. Neil and I had decided to take turn about, as the models emerged from makeup. Much to my chagrin as Carol emerged in a teal gown, “Eos”,and looked every inch a goddess! But I wasn’t too torn up with jealousy as Priya emerged shortly afterward in a shorter dress, “Hebe”. Before the shoot, Priya had expressed an interest in doing a spy theme, so this influenced some of my lighting and her posing for this part of the shoot. Credit, where credit’s due, Neil had the curtain idea and helped me tweak the lighting to get the looks I was after. Next up Neil had Edmee wielding a plasma ball, whilst dressed in another of Nutmeg’s gowns, “Persephone”, with Priya behind. In the meantime Rachel and Lauren had appeared and were getting their hair and makeup arranged in the studio’s makeup room next door.Which meant when my turn came round again it was with these two beautiful young women. They’d brought along some hats and some ideas of their own, so NutMeg sat this one out. Once again I was quite happy with the resulting pictures,though I know they were looking for something a bit more edgy. Because we were busy shooting when they arrived, Neil and I didn’t get a great deal of time to socialise, though I did sneak away now and then to keep up with the gossip and check that no fights had broken out!  The two girls then went to change into a slightly different look, which gave Megan a chance to dress Carol in another of her gowns, “Amphitrite”.This was a gorgeous blue dress that Carol also looked fabulous in. Neil then took on Lauren and Rachel in their slightly altered look, trying a range of new poses and lighting setups to get a good shot. Then a few with Edmee in a white suit Priya then returned in her big grey Russian Hat and we did a few shots with her and Edmee. With Edmee in her white suite and Priya looking glamorous I ended up with a couple of mad genius shots as well. I then grabbed a few shots with just Priya as well. The final set before we turned into pumpkins and Neil had to pack up was with Carol in her own outfit. Both Neil and I managed to get a few pictures of this look before the studio owner chased us away. It was a fun way to spend 5 hours on a Monday. So thanks to Neil for the invite and to all those that came along and gave up their time and effort on the day, |
|
|
Duncan: Posted on 03 October 2011 22:24
So here is part 2 of my Radisson aventure. The afternoon saw us in our last 3 locations in the hotel. First was the collage bar, with it's greenlit nooks, retro seating and remnants of someone's 30th Birthday party from the night before. This whole bar is at the corner of the hotel and floor to ceiling glass, so we had to contend with passing pedestrians and vehicles. But it also gave me some nice natural light for some closeups of Emily and Domonique. The second location was the grand corner suite. This luxury room had a large bed, a mirror in a nook and lots of light from the window. I broke out my studio light for the bed shots, just to provide some extra oomph for the perspective shots, but shot with just a bit of fill round the rest of the room. Once again Domonique and Emily were consumate professionals, striking poses and following my mangled directions with ease. They even had time for a little silliness to break up all the serious posing. Gary also stepped in, part way, to adjust makeup and sort out a niggle I had. We then adjourned again to the general meeting/makeup room we had allocated to us. This was a chance for the makeup artists to go for the final look of the day. Both models lost the heavy colour of the middle of the shoot and went for simpler makeup with strong eye liner. Our stylist, Jackie, had decided that she loved one of the Obscure Couture skirts, but could not find a top to match that she was happy with. Her suggestion for a solution was to shoot without a top and just from behind, so as to show the fabulous train. This hadn't been planned so I had made sure to check that Emily and Domonique were comfortable with the concept. In the final room, the junior suite, I struggled more with the light, not quite managing some of the beautiful tones I'd found earlier in the day. By now of course it was closing in on 7 pm on a dreary Glasgow day, so what light there wasm was fading. The dark designer decor of the rooms also added to the gloom as the lights in the room added their own challenge with a lurid yellow/orange cast. I had not thought to bring any gels with me for my studio light, so was struggling to find a happy balance. Although the final poses were well lit, and the two models gave their all, these pics are going little more work before seeing the light of day.The ones below are straight out of camera. (give or take a crop), which should give you an idea of just how stunning these two models were! |
|
|
Duncan: Posted on 05 June 2011 09:37
 So, as I may have mentioned in an earlier post, Friday night was my first exposure to the catwalk world of fashion! As with any such event (gigs included), I spent a lot of time wishing for a little more light, or a spotlight or two, but I think I did ok recording the fabulous outfits from a range of designers including: Jennie Loof, Sarah Laird, Tea at Aunties, Riptinka Accesories, Nicci.n, Lilly Wiggler, Zoe Waters, David Black, Kevin Mdanga, Izara Maria and Jenevieve Berlin.  The event was organised by a surprisingly calm Carousadele through her events company G2E Events. It was in aid of Diabetes UK and I'm sure not one of us regretted the ticket price for a chance to see such a fabulous range of fashion. The host was Kirsty Bruce. Hair was by the Alan Edwards Salon. Makeup was by Sara Hill with the Academy of Makeup. Photographers -Yours truly, Nicole Gardiner, Stuart Campbell, George Monaghan and Nuala Swan. The short film at the beginning was a cunning take on Phantom of the Opera by Betty Spoke. The models were Alexandra Prior, Christin Hausman, Laila Hmiddouche, Victoria McCluskey, Julia Bell, Sofie Burley, Lisa Brackenridge, Anna Elizabeth Elliot, Frankie Coan, Camille Young, Lindsay Lowrie, Sophie Robertson, Lauren Andrew and Hollie Hmiddouche. A full set of unedited images from the show can be found on my Flickr Site: This second set is from the designer's parade at the end: and this set is from the half time entertainment, provided by Gav Livz in his guise as N.E.D.: I've seen some of the fabulous behind the scenes shots from the other photographers and I can't wait to see their catwalk shots too. |
|
|
Duncan: Posted on 09 May 2011 10:52
I'm still sorting through the proper shoot photos, but here are a few shots the behind the scenes during the shoot itself. Lisa Cochrane, who provided the dresses for the shoot tries out one of the props Miel is attended to by her Prince Charming, James. Louise kicks up a storm by the waterfall. Esther gets some last minute adjustments from Lisa. Miel curled up by the door Carol getting made up by Lisa Jane Kate fixing Louise's hair under my "expert" guidance. |
|
|
