Posing Children

Shooting costumes for a local church pageant would be a boring session if all that was needed was this: a beautiful child/actor standing still waiting for me to click the shutter.  The catalog, requested by the youth director, would also be really boring!  

I decided to try for some personality and character by asking the models who they were.  When I did ask I realized my mistake: “I’m Sue.  That’s my brother Billy over there.” 

I changed my question to “Who do you play?” or “What is your character?” and the results were much better. 

It was easy to ask the angels “And what does an angel do….?”.   That question revealed interesting triangles when this angel showed me how she would fly. 

Audrey’s Baby Doll

After many years of hard play time, neglect, and storage, Mary unpacked her mother’s old doll and decided to have it restored.  It was originally a gift to Audrey on her 4th birthday in 1924.  What you see here is the new version after Judith Dommergue, aka Doll Doctor On Call, worked her healing magic. 

When I took her into the studio for a few pictures I was immediately struck by the way her expression changed as I changed her pose.  I used to play with dolls (GI JOE, of course!) but I don’t remember this flexibility.

Fashion/Fantasy

I cobbled together smaller crew for a second location shoot of the fashion assignment.  Katie Dehlinger and Mary assisted.  By this time I had installed Lightroom 3 and we were able to shoot tethered: big difference in viewing the results.  I again used mounting board and speed lights to illuminate Katie C as she waltzed by a huge steam engine and Katie D monitored the shots on the PC.  I wish I had realized I was selling a fur coat and lost the stupid hat box.

Fashion/Fantasy

Friday after Thanksgiving we went to the SE Train Museum in Duluth to shoot the Fashion/Fantasy assignment. 

It turned out to be a training session: good thing there is some time to shoot again this week. 

The two speed lights worked well, when I wasn’t blocking the IR signal, and the fog machine worked well when it wanted to, and the model did a good job as along as I was alert

enough to shoot her…..there are a lot of balls in the air on location, mostly as a result of making something simple difficult and over thought. 

Fashion/Fantasy

Today I worked on the mood boards, basically cut & paste paper pictures from magazines and digital images from the net that suggest some features I want to portray.  I cut out a lot of fashion ads to get a feel for where to place hands for example.  Not plagiarism but more a reminder to consider a mood or pose when we shoot.  Nearby is a page with images and room to sketch a few thumb-nails.  I am leaning towards two possible themes to shoot at the Duluth Train Museum on Friday mroning: A SAD FAREWELL, and HELLO FANS, I’M YOUR FAVORITE  MOVIE STAR.

The crew also met at my house this evening to discuss job duties and themes.  Hope is on the left (continuity), daughter Sara (the model, makeup & hair), Emily (light technician)  and Erica (gofer and possibly dog handler).  Mary, below, tries to make train steam out of hot water and dry ice.  She will handle the wardrobe.

Fashion/Fantasy

Maybe something to do with trains?  Artificial and sky lights make this place hard to shoot.  Many of the doorways are restricted or 5 feet off the ground.  A step ladder is an option if you don’t mind climbing.  There is lots of detail in this old equipment and that is attractive, and some pieces are just too rusty .  This place is accessible only 3 days a week.  On to the next bright idea.

Fashion/Fantasy

I dug out some pictures from last summer and these reminded me of a background.  This sign usually has a fashion side, and the cows are certainly a fantasy.  It probably won’t work as a background because you would need a lift to get close to it.  Perhaps a very long lens would make it big enough to cover a model.  Oh well, on to the next big idea.