As the new year rolls in full steam ahead, I wanted to take a moment to say thank you. 2016 was full of amazing clients and shoots I got to be a part of.
2016 has its mixed reviews, but overall I think it was a great year of growth and rebirth for a lot of people. I wanted to put together a gallery of some of my shoots, both in studio and on location, from the year.
In the featured image above, I decided to showcase one from my shoot with singer/songwriter, Jean Kelley. Jean was on The Voice Season 7 and to say this girl can sing is such an understatement. She and her team approached me with some ideas and concepts that they wanted to capture in studio and away we went. Jean came into the studio super prepared with wardrobe, jewelry, shoes, photos on her phone, etc.I absolutely love working with other creatives for that reason alone. She was so prepared it was hard at times to dial in what look we were going for.
The reason I chose this shot instead of some of the others, was due to the fact that this shot pushed me when it came to lighting it. We knew we wanted cool tones and a kiss of purple. I used two lights and an underneath reflector. I had one of her team members hold up a light with a purple gel on it camera left, and then I had a beauty dish on a stand camera right to illuminate the face. The underneath reflector was to fill in any shadows that needed a bit more detail brought out. Of course it helps when you have a women like Jean to work the camera. She knew exactly what she wanted to portray in this image and I think she nailed it.
East Atlanta Village – Location work
I am one lucky lady to live in East Atlanta Village. It is one of the more artistic and eclectic neighborhoods in Atlanta. When clients want to do a location shoot and for it to have more of an edgy feel, I always suggest EAV. I chose these 4 shots as some of my favorites due to them being shot in the village and being able to explore with backgrounds. Each image also is completely different from the others and each client is using them for different reasons.
The first shot was for a modeling comp card. We walked all around the village getting different stuff but the muted tones of this shot just works for me.
The second shot was for a music promoter seeking an Atlanta headshot photographer. Juliette is a friend of mine and I was so thrilled that she asked me to capture her head shots. I love these because they aren’t the typical head shots that you would normally see. She allowed herself to have fun with them and really bring out her personality.
The third shot was for a local dance company, Zoetic Dance Ensemble, and it was hot as hell that day! The ladies had a great time walking through the village with me and we found this beautifully saturated wall and I knew we had to try it out.
The last shot is a local music act called CLAVVS, that let me explore the possibilities shooting through a prism. With each changing graffiti wall, there are endless possibilities. Shooting with a prism each frame is different. I was so tickled that they allowed me time to play with this look and feel during their shoot.
Studio work
I love love LOVE being in the studio. I am fortunate enough to have one to shoot out of. I have so much more to learn in terms of studio lighting, and I love the fact that I have clients that allow me the chance to play around and explore. I am making it a goal of mine in 2017 to continue the exploration of studio lighting. I chose some of these shots as my favorite because I used 4 different lighting ways with each different client.
In the first head shot session, I used two strip softboxes on each side of me to illuminate her face and have the background fall into a deeper shade of gray. It also has a really cool catch light in the eyes.
The second shot I used an open head reflector to get more of a harsh light. It creates super hard shadows and blows out the skin a bit.
In the third session I used one light with a medium softbox to the right of the camera. I wanted the light to fall off a bit on the left but I had a silver reflector on a c-stand next to her to bring in a bit of the shadows.
In the last two shots I used a large softbox close to the subject and almost directly beside me to the right while shooting. I wanted to try and get a super soft light but have it be nice and even on her face. I am excited for the new year and the opportunity to keep pushing myself in the studio to learn more.
Letting my creative juices flow
During the course of this past year I got to dive into some personal shoots as well as some awesome locations. It’s a struggle for me to challenge myself with personal shoots and things that inspire me. I was really lucky this past year to have some cool personal and client work that kept those creative juices flowing.
The first photo was taken out in Loganville at my fiance’s parent property. It was for The Goodwill of North Georgia and their fashion show called Re2urrection. It combines clothing from The Goodwill given a second life from a local fashion designer into runway ready clothing. I got this effect by shooting through a mirrored prism. I love the way the colors pop and how it looks like she is on water, but it’s really a mossy rock.
The second photo is for a local musician for updated promo shots. We went to Ponce City Market and we found this amazing wall and we were lucky enough that a huge glass door and window was right there to let in this beautiful natural light. The textures against his gray shirt make me so happy.
The third photo is also for another local band. At the time, Cold Heart Canyon was a band of 3 (now a band of 5) they needed some updated promo shots for their website and flyers for shows. We met at a local venue/theater and I brought in some studio lighting. I placed them in the theater seats and hit them with a large softbox camera right. I needed just enough light for the mind to fill in the blanks.
The fourth photo is extra special to me. My fiance Bret is the best person on the planet and is always down for a shoot. His mother is a super talented floral designer and I approached her about making him a hat for a photoshoot idea. To say she nailed it is an understatement. We had so much fun on set and Bret did amazing. We used baby oil and coffee grounds for the dirty look and some old long johns that we could rip.
The last image means so much to me. Graham and Karishma are two friends of ours that are the sweetest most loving couple you’ll ever meet. They are both beautiful on the inside and out. I was so honored that they asked me to shoot their engagement photos. We went to a temple out in Gwinnett County and it was a bit overcast but it worked in our favor! I mean look at those clouds!!!! We had a great time on set and it was so much fun seeing them get married this past September.
I am so excited to dive into some more personal shoots this year and keep pushing myself to create.
Portrait work
There’s something to be said about just a really great portrait. I am lucky enough to get many clients from all different walks of life that just need a great portrait.
The first photo is from a senior portrait session. Now I don’t remember ever looking like that as a senior in high school. Haylie was such a joy to work with. They picked out the location and all I had to do was show up and find the right spots. I shot with a 70-200 2.8 and the amount of depth of field that I can get with this lens amazes me.
The second photo is of Dakota who needed some updated modeling/on camera photos. We did some studio work with him but I loved this shot due to the loving smile on his face. He is a young talent and I think he will book a lot of gigs.
Third photo is from a modeling session I did with 13 year old Ella. We did some studio work with her that I loved but there is something about natural light coming through a window. I placed her by a big garage door window and had my makeup artist hold a silver reflector to pop some light back into her face. I loved the softness of the black and white.
The fourth photo is from an updated comp card that I did for a local talent here in Atlanta. She got my name from her agent and she needed some more photos for her portfolio. Just like the others we did some in studio stuff and we loved it but there was something that we really loved and captured when we placed her outside. With the use of a reflector we were able to capture that beautiful milky white skin tone.
The fifth photo is for a local author who is getting ready to come out with a new book. He emailed me needing something for the inside sleeve and the back cover. We took some nice clean studio head shots but there was something mysterious about this above shot. We literally opened the kitchen door and place him right there in the doorway and let the natural light hit him. It was so beautiful and soft.
The sixth photo is taken in another doorway for an updated acting/extras comp card. We placed her in the doorway and let the beautiful morning sunlight kiss her face. She is a mother and wants to take advantage of all of the extras work that is going on in Atlanta for some extra cash. I think she’ll do just fine out there!
The last two photos are from another senior portrait session. Daniel is a big time football player at his high school out in Gwinnett. We wanted to capture him in his element and what means the most to him as a senior in high school. I had a great time getting to know him and hearing about his team in the playoffs. I used a natural light and a reflector and we were lucky enough to have such a beautiful day.
A HUGE thank you!
I wish I could show you all of my clients and work that I did this year but this post would be even longer and more annoying than it already is : ) I can’t thank you all enough for hiring and trusting me and my team to capture you and your images for whatever it may be needed for.
From head shots to weddings to everything in between, 2016 was a great year for LRP and my team. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts and we hope that you continue to grow and hire us for any and all of your photo needs.
Much love and let’s continue to be great to ourselves and one another.
Cheers!
Leah
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