What it's Like On Set with Stretch Photos

HAIR AND MAKEUP
During hair and makeup, I'm a bit goofy. I talk a LOT. It breaks the ice. I play, and laugh, and make silly jokes. It's ok to be sarcastic with me, I'm not sensitive. It's ok to dance around my studio (especially if you are doing something really awesome, like the Cotton-eyed Joe!). 

I love models who converse with me, rather than just sit there. "A model should be seen and not heard," is not something I believe in. I love the model's input! I also love to let hair and makeup artists have some creative freedom with what they are doing. It brings energy to the shoot, when we are all "feeling" it.

Hair and makeup artists... this is your time to shine. When I ask what type of music you want to hear, speak up! Don't say "anything." Tell me what gets your energy up. Tell me what makes you creative! Tell me what you are in the mood for.

SHOOT TIME!
If the shoot is serious, I tend to get quiet. If the shoot is silly/quirky, I'll get loud and silly... it's all about setting the mood. MUSIC, again, is a must. Models, don't say "I pretty much like everything!" when I ask what you want to hear. I want to know what makes you MOVE. As I said before, music brings energy. I'm not going to judge your taste in music, because guess what... I like everything! (wink)

I love having fun, but when it's time to work, it's time to work! I don't mind a little dancing or a little goofing off between shots... it keeps us fresh. It keeps us enjoying ourselves. However, I don't like it when someone comes over and starts chatting to me about things that have nothing to do with the shoot. Save it for breakdown! I'm trying to be in my zone. I'm trying to brainwave with the model, haha.

I am a photographer, I tend to look at the big picture. This means sometimes I overlook small things like a crooked necklace... or even a boob popping out! I don't mind if someone says, "Hey, we need to fix that." I don't mind if the hairstylist jumps in every now and then to fix a stray hair, or a designer jumps in to smooth a wrinkle in the wardrobe. I DO mind if someone is popping in and out of the frame SO much that I lose my connection with the model. That connection is vital. If there is something major going on that needs that much attention, feel free to let me know. We can take a break, get it right, and get back to shooting without the interruptions. That way, the model and I stay connected! If it's something small, slide in and fix it really quick. No biggie! Do your thang!

In keeping with the theme of the connection between the photographer and the model... I can't stand it when someone other than me starts coaching the model on how to pose, or what type of facial expressions to make. If you keep telling the model what to do, all of a sudden his/her attention is on YOU, not where it needs to be, which is on the photographer, or more specifically, the camera. I understand that you know what a good pose looks like, but you need to understand how important the connection is. Don't break it! Also, just because a pose looks great from where you are standing, it doesn't mean it looks great from where the camera is standing. Unless your face is directly behind the viewfinder, you have no idea what the frame looks like. An arm above the head looks awesome from the front, but if I am to the side of the model, I'm getting nothing but giant elbow. Especially if I have a wide angle lens on my camera! (Elbow ain't pretty, yall.) Additionally, I want the model to feel confident. I like to let a model do his or her thing, and make only small tweaks, in a positive manner. You'll often hear me say things like "That looks perfect! Now add a little sass!" or "That's so beautiful! Can you hold that, but lift your chin a little?" I don't want someone shouting "Suck it in!" at the model over and over again. Believe me, it does NOT give them confidence to hear that! For all you know, I may be taking a headshot. If I need them to suck it in, I will let them know myself. Kindly. So, I'm not trying to be mean when I ask you to back off... I'm simply trying to keep up the positivity, get the right pose for the angle the camera is coming from, and hold my connection with the model. If you want to say something every now and then, do it! I'm not saying you should never give input... I like input. I'm saying don't take over the shoot.

I love to hear your ideas! I might not want you interrupting our connection by constantly shouting out things at the model... but if something awesome strikes you, feel free to find the right moment to say "Hey, Jen! Can we try something?" Once you've told us your idea, we can try it out, while maintaining our model-photographer connection. I love when other people bring ideas to the table... it challenges me, and it brings more creativity to the shoot. Some of the best photos I've taken were taken on the whims of other team members. Check out the photo below... makeup artist Deanna Leflore, and hairstylist Johnny Serafin thought it would be fun to wrap Stephanie in some ribbon Johnny randomly had in his car. The photos came out awesome! They are some of my favorites. Don't be afraid to speak up!

Models... I love models who aren't afraid to assert themselves. If you're modeling, and all of a sudden you feel like you want to use a stool, grab one! If you want to jump, say "Jen, I wanna do some jump-shots!" I'm all for it. There is give-and-take between a photographer and a model, it's part of the connection. It's each of us understanding what the other is trying to convey, and I LOVE a model who I can connect with easily. I love models who are not so afraid to look ugly, that they don't take chances, models who are willing to try something new. I love models who are strong and confident, and models who change poses often. There is no reason to shoot the same pose six or seven or fifteen times, haha. It's a waste of shutter clicks, and a waste of time. I love models who can give me face. By that, I mean models that can give me lots of expressions. Versatility is the most important quality a model can possess!!!

WRAPPING IT UP
Shoots are HARD! We all put so much of ourselves into it, creatively, not just physically, that it's like all those creative juices suck the energy right out of us. I hate turning off the music, bc it feels like "closing time" at a bar. It feels like I'm kicking everyone out in a matter of minutes. I'm not! Take your time getting your things together. Breathe. Don't feel like you need to help me break down, it's therapeutic for me. Just pick up after youself, is all! If you need a ride, let me know. I'm a nice gal! I can probably help out! :D

I may sound a little bossy, but I promise, I'm also FUN! If you'd like to get to know me better, you can follow me on Facebook. There, you can also find my latest specials, book shoots, etc. You can also check out my website to see more of my work.

 Thanks for reading my blog! If you enjoy it, please click the subscribe button on the top right, to be notified by email when I've posted something new.

Model: Stephanie Grace, Agence Red Wall, Makeup Artist: Deanna Leflore, Hairstylist: Johnny Serafin, Wardrobe designed by: Deanna Leflore and Johnny Serafin

Newborn Baby Portraits!

Our friends James and Wendy Estess gave birth to a beautiful baby girl August 22nd, 2013. I am honored to have taken Isabella Grace Estess' newborn portraits only twelve days later. What a sweet tiny baby! It's got me thinking about what we will do for photos when our own little newbie arrives, in December. :D

Sunset with Kay

I really wanted to do a blog about this shoot because 1. Kay's outfit is KILLER. Love how she put it all together. 2. Longhorns! 3. I love sunset shoots!

As much as I love them, however, (ambient) sunset shoots, for me, are a pain in the you-know-what! My subject is backlit, meaning when I focus on my subject the sky is overexposed and I lose the sunset, which was the whole point in the first place. Womp womp. If I focus on and expose for the sky, I might get a really cool silhouette, but if I am wanting to showcase my subject- no bueno. I've found that by exposing right on the edge of my subject, where he/she meets the sky, and overexposing just a bit, I can get some pretty cool exposures.

Still, a lot of times, I simply allow my subject to be underexposed, knowing that I will bring everything out in my post processing. I only bump up my ISO as much as I need to in order to keep the blur away, so that there is as minimal an amount of noise as possible. Then, because I am shooting in RAW, I can open the image in Photoshop the way it was shot, as well as an image that brings out the subject (overexposing the sky), and lay it on top of the original image. Then, I erase the overexposed sky from the top image, and the beautiful sunset on the original image shows through. Voila! These sunset images are very soft... the sunset is barely there, but it is! I felt like it suited the photos best. You can make the sunset as intense or as dark as you want it!

Of course, I could throw a flash unit in the mix and get a great exposure, saving myself the post processing time, and the headache while shooting, but in my opinion, it really takes away that dreamy effect. I love the smoky soft effect of the sun setting naturally behind my subject! I love the artsy sun-flares! I'm willing to use a couple hundred shutter clicks for a couple handfuls of lovely images.
(Note- a very patient model is essential. Sometimes I shoot the same pose four or five times before I get an exposure I am happy with).

This is just one way to get some really cool sunset shots. Of course, there are others! What do YOU do when you are shooting at sunset? How do you solve exposure problems? Let me know in the comments!

If you'd like to see more images from this set, you can "like" and follow me on Facebook, where I will be posting a few. See you there!

P.S. I always start my sunset shoots BEFORE the sun sets! That way, I can get some great images without all of the hassle (safety images!!!). Those moments before the sun sets, the light is nice and soft on the skin, and shadows are not harsh.

P.P.S. I also use these techniques to capture clouds or blue skies in the background, which unfortunately, are rare in Texas. I find myself saying "forget the rules!" and shooting a lot of blank backgrounds... but that is another blog post!

 

 

 

 

 

Concrete Sunset

I recently had the pleasure of working with some very beautiful people from Page Parkes Corporation. Of course, my favorite hairstylist, Johnny Serafin, and makeup artist, Deanna Leflore, were part of this team, as well. (Check out their websites by clicking on their names!)

Model J Morgan Perrault approached me about doing a shoot with a skater, Cali kind of vibe, and since I have never done that, I thought it would be fun. Especially when he threw female model Alex Hogston into the mix. She is so gorgeous, am I right? How could I say no?

So, we rolled out (pun intended!) to this awesome concrete ditch near my house, and made some magic. I absolutely love easy breezy shoots like this! If you follow my blog, you know I posted not too long ago about early morning light... how beautiful it is. Sunset is the other great time of day to shoot. In fact, you might hear a photographer refer to sunrise and early morning light, or light just before or during sunset as the "golden hour." You can see why that is!

Enjoy the behind the scenes "making of" video, and photos below. If you are interested in booking a shoot, you can email me at stretchphotos@gmail.com or find me on Facebook. You can also click the "follow" button on the right side of my blog, to keep up with new posts.

Thanks for reading!

Before and After "Manga Conscience"

Hi, everyone! It's been awhile since I posted... but by now you probably all know that I'm pregnant, wahoooooo! It's been very exciting (and horrifying, haha). I'm enjoying it so much, and I can't wait to start showing (although my doc warns me to be careful what I wish for).

Anyway, I wanted to share a before and after from a shoot that was recently published in Kirameki Magazine. They are a new magazine, and this was their debut issue. I was honored to be asked to contribute. The image I'm sharing is not one of the ones they used, but it's my personal favorite!

First off, though, I'd like to thank Elizabeth Giguere (makeup) and Alexis Fuentes (hair) of Madame Makeup and Hair for making one my favorite models, Jessica Strangely, look amazing!!!Check them all out on Facebook!

Ill go ahead and show you both the before and the after together, so you can compare. Then, I'll briefly explain each of the steps I took to make this happen. It's honestly not a HUGE difference, but just enough to really make it POP. The most difficult part for me was rounding out the joints to look more "doll-like" and have it come off right.

The final image has 29 separate layers! I love layers, and most of my edits have many many layers. Layers are so important to me, bc if I get one little tiny part exactly how I want it, I don't want to have to start over on that part, bc I accidentally do something I don't like, that affects the whole image. So, I just make a new layer every time I think I get something how I want it (if I screw up on this new layer, I can just delete it and start over at my last "save point" instead of going backwards multiple steps).

I'm not going to make you look at all 29 layers, separately, haha! Many of the layers are just me rounding out the joint, liking it and not wanting to ruin it, starting a new layer and rounding it out more, getting it to a liking point, starting a new layer, and making it even MORE perfect. Haha. That would be insanely boring, so I'll stick with the basics.

1. I like to start with the easy stuff, so I cleaned up the lines under the eyes and around the mouth, using the clone stamp.

2. I wanted to make the eyes creepy. I made a new blank layer, chose the paintbrush, and painted over the eyes with white. Then I changed the opacity until I liked it!

3. I added a black and white adjustment layer and set it to overlay, then changed the opacity to 50%.

4. I played with color balance, curves, and selective color in 4 different adjustment layers, until I liked it!

5. I smoothed the area inside the eyes even more, with the clone stamp. I wanted the skin more "doll-like."

6. This is my first attempt at rounding out the joints with the liquify tool.

7. I used a selective color adjustment layer, and a color balance layer to darken the darks, and give more pop.

8. I used the liquify tool to round out the joints. There are thirteen different layers. Each layer pinpoint one of the areas where the rubber band digs into the skin. Some areas I worked on more than once.I also used the clone stamp to remove the shadow on the inside of the elbow.

9. I used a curves adjustment layer, and a levels adjustment layer to brighten the face and eyes.

10. I wanted to make the eyes even creepier, so I made a new blank layer, and used the paintbrush to paint over them with white. Then I adjusted the opacity until I liked it!

11. The final layer. I made a new layer and used the dodge and burn tool to burn back in some of the midtones in the face, and darken the color on the lips.

And there you have it! The before and after. You can tell, I like to make very minor adjustments on each new layer, and gradually work my way up and into the final image. I don't really have a system... I just do what feels right at the moment. I'm a go with the flow kind of girl! :D

 If you'd like to see more of the images from this set, you can purchase a copy of Kirameki Magazine on MagCloud. It's only $1.50! Also, you can follow me on Facebook, where I will be posting the rest of the images from this set, sometime in the next few days.

I hope  you found this informative... or at the very least you enjoyed looking at the photo! Let's see the before and after, one more time, but bigger!!!!

Guadalupe River Heat

 I absolutely love model Dale Fastle! She recently informed me that she is moving out of state. So, we HAD to do one last epic photo-shoot. I've been dying to shoot at this location on the Guadalupe River forever, so I figured now was my chance. She is perfect for this type of shoot, and it's different than anything I've ever shot with her. Thanks, Agence Red Wall for loaning her to me!
Of course, if you are going to use a super sexy female model and shoot at the river... you might as well throw a super sexy male model in, too! Wesley and Dale look amazing together. I'm thrilled with the results. Mad props to both of them, by the way, for getting up super early and arriving at my house at 7am in the morning, so we could get to the river while we still had beautiful morning light. Not a lot of models are willing to do that, haha. But really, can you blame them? I'm not gonna lie. I hit snooze a few times that morning!

Message me on facebook to book you water shoot! All shoots on any river, lake, or beach are 25% off through the end of June!!!!!

New Finesilver Studio!

I am SO excited about the new studio in the Finesilver Building downtown! It's beautiful. It's big. It's in a cool building with lots of edgy places to shoot. We are still in the process (my studio-mates and I) of making it fancy, but I love it, even with our mess of stuff everywhere, haha. This video is from the first shoot I did in the studio, with model, Marie Ericsson, makeup artist, Deanna Leflore, and hairstylist, Johnny Serafin. Some of my favorite people to work with! Forgive the video quality, I can't figure out why my blog can't find my youtube videos. :S Looking into it now! I just really wanted to give y'all a peek of my space. Come shoot with me! Check out my website for more work. You can contact me via the form on my website, or email me directly at stretchphotos@gmail.com. I don't mind facebook messages, either!