Earlier this year I did a shot one of my favorite models, Charlie. She’s the one featured in my post titled Girl with the Phoenix Tattoo.
While I sought to try out and experiment with different styles on that shoot, as time progressed, it inspired me to begin exploring the subject of body ink. The culture [if any] behind it. I wanted to see things through the mind of my subject. My mulling finally led me to a theme/subject I felt I could pursue seriously, but more on that later. Suffices to say, I recently started my first official foray into this relatively new [for me] territory. My subject was a great model “Holly”.
She maintains an impressive array of body ink and artwork. She also made for a great subject to work with. She was very responsive, creative and clearly had experience in front of the lens. This would be the second in series I am hoping to release by next summer. The theme and subject of this series is to present the best body art I can find to a mainstream audience in a fashion that highlights the intricate art of their detailed tattoos.
For the photographer in you, I shot the entire session with my Canon 5D Mark III and my Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens. There is just no better lens for the job! This is why you see me sitting outside of my studio space so as to better frame my shot. Not all lenses are built equal and this lens warrants the extra accommodations. The whole shoot was handheld. I used two Canon 430EX speedlites in full manual mode with RF wireless triggers without E-TTL. This seems to have become my setup of choice – full and complete manual camera and flash lighting. It makes for very precise control. I used various Interfit Strobies flash filters and accessories. The photos you see in this post were taken with my Canon 7D with Canon 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM with the help of our hair and makeup artist Amber. The 7D still delivers in low ambient light as it was always known for. The wine was a Syrah from Australia.
I am yet to do my final cut edit of this shoot and as such do not have any finished shots for you to view at this time. I may also only make them available at the time of publishing/exhibit. However I thought I might share this shoot with you. I hope you enjoy this post no less and share your thoughts as feedback with me.
PhotoSnob 
This was very interesting to see. If I could ask a dumb question, though, why are you sitting so far away from her. If you’re shooting with a 70-200, did you need to sit that far away to get her entire body in the frame using the 70mm? At the end of the day, does it matter how far away you sit (i.e., when you’re shooting against a plain background, does it matter if you use 70mm or 150mm)? Thanks.
Very glad to hear that you’re drinking Australian wines. Your Australian fan club thanks you.
Doug. 70mm on the full frame 5D Mark III was still wide enough for me to frame the model without stepping out of the studio. However for the shots you’re seeing me take here, I wanted a more compressed field of view and even shallower depth of field. This combined to further isolate the model from the background. I could have accomplished this in post processing/editing but I’d rather get my shot right from the start. I was also taking composite shots (panoramics) of her, in which case I always shoot as long as possible which makes for seamless stitching. I was able to compose 150-200 Megapixel shots. These will be primarily for life-sized or larger than life canvas prints. 🙂 Another reason for using this lens was because other than my 17-55mm I can’t think of any other lens that puts out better image quality within that focal length.
I’ve generally had good experiences with Aussie wines, especially the big ones. I always pour myself a glass to help get my creativity flowing…lol.