THE WHERE
Mill Bypass Road, Rotorua New Zealand. THE HOW Camera: Canon 50d Lens: Canon 50mm F / 3.5 ISO 125 1/250th sec shutter Natural Lighting THE THOUGHT PROCESS I had the honor of being one of the first to photograph Renati as he breaks into the modelling world. Even though still new, I was impressed at how he could model, coolness one minute and happy go lucky the next. For this photo exhibition shoot, I wanted a Bruno Mars type of vibe. This image was shot through branches along a dirt road. I thought the branches added a bit of visual interest, but Renati looking straight down the camera, is still what grabs my attention. This was my favorite shot of him. Very easy to direct, and a genuinely nice person, I can't wait to see where his modelling adventures take him in the future. One to watch, xox Calico Jo
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THE WHERE
Up a tree in Hamurana, by the lake. THE HOW Camera: Canon 70d ISO 500 1/250 sec shutter Lens: Canon 24-105mm set at 92mm Natural Light THE THOUGHT PROCESS This image was one I had in the exhibition book. Stella is so beautiful. The blown out, white background, made the focus go straight on her and her gorgeous eyes. Musician, singer, model, and a really nice, friendly person. Stella, beautiful inside and out. xox Calico Jo I have been photographing this coffee group every year since the oldest kiddies were 1 year old. Now they are turning 5! Some more little ones have been added on the way, and I have truly loved seeing these families grow year after year. The day was cold and wet! But still they got together with their gumboots and umbrellas and had fun at the Te Aorangi Museum in Rotoura, New Zealand. Here are a few of my faves from the morning. Well done Mums!!
xox Calico Jo THE WHERE
Hamurana, Rotorua, New Zealand. This side of the tree hangs over Lake Rotorua. THE HOW Camera: Canon 70D Lens: Canon 24-105mm set at 105mm Speedlight held in left hand - Yongnuo 565EX - fill in light for the shadow side of faces. ISO 250 F/5 1/250 sec shutter THE THOUGHT PROCESS This was a wall display photo for the exhibition. I liked the sense of Summer adventures, road trips and exploring in this photo. I also think the girls looked beautiful here. After all the playful and friendship photos, this was a nice quiet, peaceful moment. I LOVE SUMMER ROAD TRIPS!! Especially love it, when there is no plan, just spin a bottle for a direction and off you go.... Think I should plan one this Summer..... who owns a van? ;) xox Calico Jo THE WHERE If you are driving to Hamurana from Ngongotaha, just before you hit the Dairy on the left, on the right, there is this tree with low branches, very close to a jetty. Some of the low branches hang out over Lake Rotorua. It holds a tyre swing and a seated swing, and from time to time, the odd hammock. THE HOW Camera: Canon 70d Lens: Canon 24-105mm set at 105mm 1/250 sec shutter F/5 ISO 640 Natural lighting (I used natural lighting a lot in this series, because I wanted that natural, summery, capturing a moment, feel to most of the shots.) Models: Stella and Georgia THE THOUGHT PROCESS I met Stella (the one on the branch) through her modelling, but I also knew she was a singer and musician. I already had this tree in mind for a session with a musician hanging out within its branches, so I asked Stella if she would be the model for me. She asked if she could bring her musician / singer friend, and this became one of the most enjoyable sessions for exhibition. I got so many great shots of these lovely ladies, in the swings, playing ukuleles, in the water, on the jetty.... it was really difficult to choose my exhibition shots. This shot was my fave. It was also on the back cover of the exhibition book. I love the interaction and the obvious friendship these two had. To me, this photograph personified the whole exhibition theme. Granny square blankets, a hot day, shorts and big floppy hats, hanging out with a friend, with the cars parked up and the lake right there. xox Calico Jo Exhibition book portrait from the Miss Jessica Mae shoot.
THE WHERE At the back of a storage shed within Kulture Shock's grounds. Ngongotaha, Rotorua, New Zealand. (Jessica also has a hair salon within the Kulture Shock building, hence the title pun). THE HOW Camera: Canon 70d Lens: 24-105mm set at 28mm F 5.6 ISO 320 1/250 shutter speed Natural lighting THE THOUGHT PROCESS This was my favorite image from the whole shoot. I love her look and pose. She looks like she is one cool rockabilly. Summer drives in a hot rod, pulling up at a hamburger joint for a soda, dancing the night away to the rock n roll music on the radio. xox, Calico Jo One of the things I love most about portrait photography, is the people you meet. People you may not normally get to chat to in day to day life. Because of being a photographer, I get a glimpse into cultures, hobbies, lifestyles, meet and talk to the movers and shakers. I especially think that Rotorua is a hub of interesting and creative people.
Jessica Caulfield introduced me to the community of Rock 'n' Roll / Vintage culture. The clothing, the cars, the antiques and collectibles, and the style still has a massive following worldwide. It is awesome to photograph. This is one of two similar portraits, this one went on the wall in the exhibition. THE WHERE This is the back of a storage shed on the grounds of Kulture Shock. Kulture Shock is the business owned by Jessica and her partner, Brett. Located in Ngongotaha, Rotorua, it has a hair salon, vintage clothing, and lots of vintage and collectible items and furniture. It also holds vintage car meets, and Vintage Pin Up bootcamps. It's a happening place of business! THE HOW Camera: Canon 70d Lens: Canon 24-105mm, taken at 40mm F 5.6 ISO 320 Natural lighting THE THOUGHT PROCESS When thinking of cool photo shoots, Jessica immediately jumps to mind. How cool is her outfit?! Need I say more? Jessica is also a vintage pin up model, by the name 'Miss Jessica Mae' and has won competitions, so she made my job very easy. Cool outfit, Cool old building, Cool Model, done! This weekend, Kulture Shock is having a big hoollie to celebrate being open for 1 year, it's in my diary and should be in yours! xox Calico Jo THE WHERE At my home studio, Ngongotaha, Rotorua, New Zealand. While the other two were shot through the window. This was taken indoors with the model. THE HOW Camera: Canon 50d Lens: Canon 50mm F 2.8 1/250 shutter speed ISO 640 Natural window lighting. THE THOUGHT PROCESS The third photo from Panda's photo session that went into the exhibition book, using a window and natural lighting. This my favorite from the session, I have also kept it in color. I loved how the reflection showed up so well in the window and the reflective expression of Panda. Or reflection reminds me of an oil painting. Even though this was my fave, it didn't go on the wall as it was less Summery than the others, but it will be one of the images I remember most from the exhibition. Here it is in color also. Today is Sunny outside!!!! The lambs are being born... there is that hint that Spring is coming....
xox Calico Jo THE WHERE
Home Studio in Ngongotaha, Rotorua, New Zealand. Taken through the front window. THE HOW Canon 50d with a Canon 50mm lens F 2.8 1/250th shutter speed Natural window lighting The natural beauty of Panda Harteman. THE THOUGHT PROCESS She is holding a rose from the front garden. Roses are my favorite flower, I love them, their fragrance....even their taste! Give me turkish delight, rose flavored, and I'm in heaven! I don't know about you, but I'm not a big fan of Winter. I like hearing the rain on the roof, I get a bit of a thrill from the occasional storm, but otherwise I feel my brain and body go into hibernation and stop working properly. Summer on the other hand is for me a time of day dreaming, romance, taking a deep breath and soaking in the warmth and fragrances. Cut grass, flowers, fruit on the trees. Hearing the birds and the insects, the lawnmowers and faint laughter from the kids jumping off the bridge. Having time to sit down and enjoy it all because of more daylight hours, sipping cups of tea brewed in teapots and drinking from pretty china cups. Putting on the turntable, pulling out some easy listening lps, ....... I am missing Summer...... This is where I sit to watch the trout fisherman in the evening, when the sun is setting, the colours and scene is beautiful. xox Calico Jo The photo exhibition, 'Hot Summer, Cool Black and Whites' comes down tomorrow. I am showcasing the portraits online for the next month. Showing the thoughts, the where and how behind the shots. With the rainy weather, I thought it would be perfect to start with the window lit portraits with model Panda Harteman. THE WHERE
This was the last shoot I did for the exhibition, right on the end of Summer. It was the end of daylight savings. It had started to cool down, there were rain showers on and off. The shots were taken by the big front window of my home/studio with the road and lake scene outside. THE HOW Camera: Canon 50d Natural lighting taken outside through the window. Lens: Canon 50mm F 2.8 ISO 400 Shutter Speed 1/250 I used the monochrome camera setting so I could preview the photos in black and white in camera. When shooting in RAW though, you will still be working with the original colour versions in Lightroom and Photoshop, which you then convert to black and white. THE THOUGHT PROCESS I had all ideas for all the sessions for the exhibition thought out before I did any shooting, and Panda was a perfect fit with her natural, cool look. I knew I wanted a naturally lit, window shoot, making use of the reflections windows created. It was interesting doing a bit of online research before the shoot, that most of the photos and tutorials with windows, were trying to get rid of the reflections! I definitely wanted reflections, so I looked at different angles and times of day, to produce the reflections I wanted prior to the shoot. For the exhibition, I needed to narrow the session images down to 1 for a display frame, plus 2 extras for a 3 image spread in a book. I was able to narrow each session to my fave 5, but needed to call in a second pair of eyes to choose my final 3, one of which would be my display image. James Sales (James Sales Photography), was a huge help in choosing images that went well together and fitted the theme. This image of Panda was my framed exhibition piece from this session, because it most reflected the Summer time feel. Comments and questions are most welcome as I go through each photo. I will do my best to answer them all. Today it is raining and cold. Bring on Summer 2016/2017! xox Calico Jo |
AuthorCalico Jo! Archives
December 2023
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