Then I Saw Her Face...Now I'm a Believer

I did my first headshots in New York City during September 2008 at the request of some friends.  I had owned a dSLR since March.  In other words, I was completely clueless about lighting and didn't have any of the equipment that I now consider necessary to properly do a shoot.  Post-processing was an alien concept to me.  I rented a Canon 35 1.4L and a flash for the hot shoe of my Digital Rebel XTi.  The only things that saved me were that the girls had a GREAT look and didn't need any instruction on how to pose.  This was convenient, because I couldn't have given any legitimate instruction myself.  I knew from this first shoot, though, that I was hooked.

Catherine, September 10, 2008.  By using a wide aperture and a higher than necessary ISO because of my lack of experience, serendipity produced an image with a shallow depth of field that put the focus on the model's beautiful face and stunning eyes.  The noise created by the high ISO gave the image a 'grainy' film effect.  That's what I tell myself, at least.

  

Brooke, September 10, 2008.  When you have a model this alluring, the photographer's experience almost becomes irrelevant.  We still keep in touch, but as you can imagine she's very busy these days.  On the second image, all I did was boost the contrast until I got the desired effect- by accident.

I figured that if I could get some good shots as a rank amateur, some practice and research might pay some dividends.  The first technique I tried to learn was high key.

Nikki, January 24, 2011.  Canon 5D Mark II, 70-200 2.8L @ 200mm, f/13 @ 1/125, ISO 400.  Despite the stray hair on the collar, I still love this shot.

Nikki, January 24, 2011.  Canon 5D Mark II, 70-200 2.8L @ 110mm, f/16 @ 1/80, ISO 400.

Nikki, January 24, 2011.  Canon 5D Mark II, 70-200 2.8L @ 150mm, f/11 @ 1/125, ISO 320.  The focus for this image was soft, but I felt it did not spoil the image.

Now two-and-a-half years since my first shoot, I'm still learning and experimenting. The learning curve is steep.  At least I'm able to make the money back that I spent for my equipment while enjoying myself.  It's rewarding to see someone excited about an image of themselves.  I tell the model that all I had to do was hit the shutter release, but I know it's much more than that.  I think a good model is over 50% of the equation, though.  At my level of experience, it's probably 75% as far as I'm concerned.        

She's Got Legs...

Mirror Image, Canon 5D Mark II, 17-40 4.0L, f/11 @ 1/125, ISO 320.

Modeling images don't have to show the entire person to be effective.  I've found that some of my favorite photos I've taken over my brief adventure into the world of modeling photography are leg isolation shots such as the one above.  Aside from these being a great pair of legs, the fact that the rest of the model can't be seen or identified adds an element of mystery and allure to the image that increases its sex appeal.  The client was very happy with this image, and so was I. 

To all of the women out there who are unnecessarily self-conscious about their bodies, keep in mind that a great pair of legs (or any other feature) can come in a myriad of shapes, sizes and tones.  There isn't one ideal.  I don't believe that this particular model was very tall at all, but with no other elements as a basis of comparison (coupled with the use of a wide angle lens) this could be a 6' runway model as far as anyone knows.  

I often use my ultra-wide angle lens for shots such as these.  Unlike a zoom, which brings subjects closer, an ultra-wide angle lens- without getting overly technical- pushes subjects back.  That's why they are most often used to create vast landscapes. While generally not used for portraits because the ultra-wide aspect can distort facial features, it is a dream lens for leg shots.  A good pair of legs can be made to look great, and a great pair of legs will look five miles long due to the perspective offered by the lens, which will both lengthen them and make them appear slimmer at the same time. This effect is often most pronounced when the model is seated on the ground and I'm shooting from above, or the model is on a staircase and I'm shooting from below her. (I have plenty of these images, but most of my shoots are done in strict confidence. You'll just have to trust me on this or, if you're a photographer, try it on your own.)

As I said, there is more than one ideal when it comes to legs, and more than one way to shoot them in a studio setting.  

Name Change to 'Bare Bones Imagery'

A quick Google search revealed that 'Bare Bones Productions' operates as a producer of puppet theater in Minneapolis, a producer of gay films in California, and a whole host of other activities with which I have nothing in common or rather not be confused/associated with.

Hence, the blog has changed its name to 'Bare Bones Imagery' though I am unable to change the url.

Image Security: My Philosophy & Things for Clients to Consider

Maintaining the security, privacy and confidentiality of the images that I take are the primary concern of both my clients and myself as a photographer.  Any lapse in protocol will be a detriment in trying to establish that I am a reliable professional capable of exercising privacy and discretion with respect to a client's images.  I have one advantage over most photographers that have entered the world of creative fashion, bikini, lingerie, or boudoir images: I was trained as an attorney and still carry a license to practice law in at least one jurisdiction.  Maintaining confidentiality and exercising discretion has been a staple of my entire professional life.  I've had to sit in meetings where regular, everyday people have been accused of taking sexual liberties with a young family member.  I have received phone calls from personal friends who have been asked to be interviewed by the Special Victims Unit.  These people don't need someone to sit in judgment; they need people to get to work and protect their legal rights.  I've also had access to autopsy photos that no one would even believe if they saw them.  (The first time I saw autopsy photos from a serious accident, my stomach didn't feel right for three hours- especially since I had already established good relationships with the widows.  I can't image a family member being exposed to such horrible images, and it was a given that any opposing attorney who tried to produce them during a deposition would receive an  immediate verbal- and perhaps violent- undressing from me.)

The advent of the internet has enabled photographers to market their images and services on an unprecedented scale.  It also provides great potential for abuse in the form of unauthorized distribution of images.  My business runs the gamut, from simple headshots to tasteful, sexy lingerie images, to artstic nudes in subdued lighting, and even straight-up Hustler material.  Much like in my experiences as an attorney, it's not my role to judge why clients choose to have themselves depicted in a certain way.  I do feel it is my role, however, to ensure that certain types of images do not find their way onto the internet.  We're living in an age where the mere written word on blogs or facebook is costing people their jobs and their livelihoods.  Provocative images raise the bar to an entirely new level.  One needs only to look as far as the recent scandals involving beauty pageant winners to know what I'm talking about.  While I don't need to worry about these concerns with the landscapes that I sell to private and institutional clients, I feel that they should be strongly addressed with respect to my modeling images.  

People often ask me why I undertake such work, aside from the obvious allure of a straight, single male being able to capture beautiful women behind the camera.    The reason is simple: I just enjoy making people look good.  I've invested in $5,000 of equipment over the years to ensure that my images- whether they be of a bird, a bridge, a mountain or a beautiful woman- are top quality images.  I'm not what the industry calls a GWC ('Guy with Camera') who arranges a photo shoot with a model from craigslist who finds herself on the opposite end of a $150 Canon point & shoot when she arrives to have her picture taken.  (For comparison, I use 1000 watts of off-camera lighting, professional backgrounds, a 21mp professional camera and lenses that cost $600 - $1,000 each.  If I just wanted to get my jollies by taking pictures of hot chicks, I wouldn't bother to use this equipment.)  My first experiments with my off-camera modeling strobes were undertaken with a shaggy bearded collie with soulful, human-looking eyes, who would often agree to pose for the camera in exchange for a few treats and an equally-long belly rub.  (Off-camera flashes are used because they eliminate red-eye in humans. With dogs, their eyes often turn yellow or blue with an on-camera flash.  While Photoshop had red-eye correction, no such correction exists for blue-eye or yellow-eye in dogs.  To properly shoot dogs indoors, you need the same equipment you would use to shoot a human model properly.)

My first model, Mr. Kerouac.  Literally found weeks old in the gutter by a Philadelphia Police Officer, he was raised by my friend, bandmate and former roommate to the ripe-old age of 15. (Breed life expectancy is 12-14 years.)  I used a single strobe on low power and an $89 Canon 50mm lens for this shot.      

People don't realize the challenges presented in creating quality and creative fashion, bikini, lingerie, or boudoir images.  It sounds like a dream job taking pictures of women in lingerie, but it rarely crosses your mind during the hours that you're actually behind the lens.  A thousand questions are running through your mind: Is the aperture adequate to provide the desired depth of field?  Why aren't my lights recycling as quickly as they should?  Is the client going to be offended if I eventually try to clone-out the mole on her shoulder?  Am I making sure to clothe and pose the model in ways that don't accent her stated insecurities about her body?  Am I making her feel comfortable throughout the entire process? Even simple headshots can present challenges depending on the space available to shoot.  Although a great model helps, it's the lighting and camera settings which make keeper images at the end of the day. Mastery of lighting and its literally limitless possibilities is what pushes model photographers to keep pushing forward.  There's no point of photographing beautiful women if the images don't, or won't, convey her look accurately.  It takes a lot of time, patience, practice, hours of post-processing and a little bit of luck to create the final end product- a product that both myself and the client have to be pleased with. 

All of that said, most clients have an interest in ensuring that the images I have taken don't wind-up somewhere on the internet. Once something is floating around in cyberspace, it's likely there forever.  It may NEVER go away.  Consequently, it's paramount that both the photographer and client work together to ensure the client's privacy and the confidentiality of their images.  On my end, I do the following:

1.  I never reveal the names of my clients that want any images beyond headshots or 'nice outfit' shots.  I have to drop some names to promote my services; I haven't reached the point where I'm well-known enough that simple word-of-mouth does the trick.

2.  I store all of my images- even headshots- buried deep under several folders on a separate hard drive with each client being assigned an assumed name.  When I travel and I know that other people will be around my apartment, I bring the drive with me or hide it, sometimes in a locked container.

3.  I only provide clients with images via disc or via e-mail that operates on a secure (https) connection.  If you're operating on a standard http connection, anyone at the coffee shop with a little know-how can intercept your images.  Don't let that happen. Again: once an image is out there, it will likely NEVER disappear.

4.  I always advise my clients- especially those in the twenties who grew up accustomed to the internet as a everyday part of their lives- to never e-mail their more risqué images to third parties.  A simple click of the 'forward' button can wind-up disseminating a single image to thousands. Don't believe me?  Recall the story of the PWC employee in NYC several years ago who accidentally hit 'reply all' on an e-mail detailing her less-than-stellar sexual exploits.  The entire country had access to those e-mails within weeks.  Google it. And never underestimate the bastardy that can be performed by a jilted boyfriend that "you thought you could trust."

5.  Keep in mind that photos from blogs and facebook can be saved to anyone's hard drive in an instant by a single right-click.  This option can only be disabled on higher-end, private websites where theft-wary photographers place their best work.  That's why I will only post headshots or lingerie photos in which the subject's face can't be seen on my facebook fan page and, eventually, on this blog. Anyone in the free world can download those images, regardless of the fact that I hold the copyright.  I can use my legal know-how to send nastygrams to any other website that would publish them, but if the server is offshore on an island near Guam there's likely nothing I can do.  If people want to see samples of my more adventurous images, I meet with them in person and only show them photos of people that I'm confident that they don't know, or from those who have given me permission to do so.  

6.  I will NEVER- and the client should never- disseminate an image via an e-mail with a work domain.  Corporations large and small are hiring IT people to go through the e-mails entering the company's servers in order to monitor employee productivity- and it is perfectly legal to do so once an e-mail is opened and read.  (Some jurisdictions are less forgiving- they have held that if servers and computers supplied by work, any company snooping is fair game.)  Your IT guy can suck those images of you in your best Victoria's Secret lingerie that you paid me to take as a Valentine's present for your boyfriend right from the server.  And there's no telling what this guy is going to do with the images himself afterward. At minimum, most of his male friends will have them in a e-mail reading, "Dude, this is that hot chick at work I told you about!"  He might be liable for some legal claim, but you can't file a claim when you don't even know that the IT guy did it.

7.  With regard to point #6, the use of smart phones has largely eliminated this risk. Use your own smart phone, and use your private e-mail.  Still, I would not use a smart phone issued by your employer for this. 

8.  With regard to smart phones, keep them password protected if you have images on your phone not meant for public consumption. We all lose our phone sometimes. Don't let this lead to you being splashed all over the internet naked.  Keep in mind, also, that many smart phones enable you to shut down the phone remotely.  Be aware if your service provider offers this feature and, if so, learn how to use it.  People in the legal, medical and financial industry could face serious problems if such a service wasn't offered.  Phone manufactures recognize this and have developed this technology, probably in part to shield them from third-party liability.                       

9.  BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU POST ON FACEBOOK.  Depending on your privacy settings, someone seeing that really hot picture of you in your Valentine's lingerie can be saved in two seconds by hundreds of people.  While you might look great in it, don't let yourself regret this choice somewhere down the line.  I had to caution a beautiful, young client this week about this. Don't even get me started on my friend that asked for an impromptu, drunken photo shoot after the bars on Saturday night this summer.  She was so impressed with the images that she immediately posted them on facebook against my advice not to do so. Her mother and Aunt Betty were not too pleased.  

My entire ability to obtain the trust of my clients, and therefore my ability to gain continued business, is compromised if I don't take adequate measures to keep client's images in confidence.  In two years of shooting models, not one of my images has ever surfaced on the internet.  (Knock on wood.)  Similarly, clients have the responsibility to use common sense when distributing the images they have received from me.  The steps above, while not all-inclusive, are are good start toward maintaining the integrity of your portfolio.