Sophie at Clovelly Beach

Sophie on the Rocks Clovelly

Sophie in the afternoon sun at Clovelly Beach with the Contax 645 + Kodak Ektar 100

Summer Dress with Sophie

Model shot with Contax 645 + Zeiss 80mm + Kodak Ektar 100 film

Model with a white dress on a Sydney beach

Contax 645 + Zeiss 140mm f2.8 + Kodak Portra 160

Sophie in a bright summer dress

Contax 645 + Kodak Ektar 100 + Zeiss 80mm f2

Two days, two posts, what’s going on!

Giving the blog some much needed love with a couple posts. This is from a shoot with Sophie on Sydney’s eastern beaches, specifically on a headland overlooking Clovelly pool. It was a warm a blustery day, with the wind really whipping things up and providing a challenge keeping both our model stable and our gear from sailing off the headland.

I primarily used the Contax 645 with a combination of Kodak Portra 160 film and Kodak Ektar 100 film.

We needed just one light for this shoot. We used the light to temper the shadows that were quite harsh early on in the shoot when the sun was high in the sky.

 

 

 

Sinead in the Studio

Sinead portrait in the studio

Contax 645 + Fujifilm Reala 100 + Elinchrom Strobes

Beauty Themed Headshot

Contax 645 + Fujifilm Reala 100 + Elinchrom Strobes + Lastolite Tri-Grip Reflector

Sinead Black and White Studio Portrait

Contax 645 + Fujifilm Reala 100 converted to Black and White

Model in a black dress

Contax 645 + Elinchrom Strobes + Fujiflm Reala 100

Model Sinead in a pretty blue dress

Contax 645 + Kodak Portra 160 film + Elinchrom Strobes

I know it’s been a while, but here’s a new post of a few studio shots of Sinead.

This shoot was like trampling on new ground, as I stepped in the new world of working within the confines of a studio where there was no light, having to trigger the Contax 645 with off camera strobes and getting the metering just right for the film I was using. A nice little challenge, but a lot of fun nevertheless. For this shoot, I was using Elinchrom ranger and quadra packs with 3 lights. We predominantly used the the ranger as the key light, and two quadra lights for the background. Triggering all three strobes were Elinchrom skyports. I used a combination of Fujifilm Reala 100 and Kodak Portra 160.

The only challenge I find with the Contax 645 is the sync speed. The sync speed of the flash is limited to 1/90 of a second which means for these shots, the camera was mounted on a tripod to ensure I got tack sharp shots.

We used a  studio called Photo Shop Studio which is on Parramatta Road Leichardt. While the space was small, it provided us with the opportunity to shoot 2 different sets as you can see from the photos above. With a makeup/change area, it was perfect for a shoot with one model.

 

Stephanie Hunt – Mahon Pool Maroubra Sydney

Model shot using film

Portrait in catsuit

Here is a teaser post of sorts of a shoot I did with Stephanie, on the first day of winter 2013. The clouds were gathering and drizzle was just about to start, but we were still able to fit in a shoot. This was done at the pool at Maroubra Beach. Stephanie is an experienced model and it was a relaxed shoot on the headlands and the little caves and recesses at Maroubra.  These two photos were made with the Contax 645 medium format film camera with 80mm f2 lens and Kodak Portra 160 film. More photos to come from this session very soon!

Sammi – my little Angel!

Sammi shot on a Pentax 67ii and 105mm f2.4 and HP+5 400

Pentax 67ii and Pentax 105mm f2.4 shot on Ilford HP+5 400 film

Sammi at Youeni Cafe Castle Hill, shot on a Leica m6 with Zeiss Sonnar 50mm f1.5 on Portra 800 film

Sammi at the Royal Easter Show, dog judging enclosure. Leica m6 + Portra 800 and Zeiss Sonnar 50mm f1.5

Sammi at a local park in Quakers Hill, in Sydney’s north west region. Leica m6, Kodak Portra 800 and Zeiss Sonnar 50mm f1.5

Sammi playing with the bark in outer north west Sydney. Leica m6, Zeiss Sonnar 50mm f1.5, Kodak Portra 800

Fun in the sun at a park in Quakers Hill, Sydney. Leica m6, Kodak Portra 800, Zeiss Sonnar 50mm f1.5

Quite recently, I acquired a Leica m6 and Carl Zeiss Sonnar 50mm f1.5. The rangefinder experience, takes a whole lot of getting used to. Aligning the squares, and capturing the moment, does take some practice. Save for sports and animals, an active 3 year old, is about being thrown into the deep end when learning a manual focus range finder. I do love the non blacking of the mirror box. The Leica m6 is largely mechanical, the only electronics being the built in meter. There is something special about shooting with a Leica. Perhaps it’s the link to past masters such as Winogrand and Bresson who used very similar instruments, that defined photography in the 20th century.

These shots of Sammi, is her basically enjoying herself out and about. The aim was capture candid moments and the expressions without having her sit in a particular space and posing.

 

Cara – Cumberland Forest Castle Hill

Cara shot on a Pentax 67ii medium format camera with a 105mm f2.4 lens on Kodak Portra film

Cara on a little walkway bridge shot on Contax 645 and 80mm f2

A headshot of Cara shot on a Pentax 67 with 105mm f2.4 on Kodak Portra 400 film

Cara, Contax 645 and 80mm f2 with Portra 400

Cara on a shoot at Cumberland Forest shot with Contax 645 with 80mm f2

After a quick passing rain shower, a shot at the end of the day Contax 645 and 80mm f2

The vines are so cool! Contax 645 and 80mm f2 with Portra 400

A couple shots with Cara swinging off the vines. Contax 645af and Kodak Portra 400

Another shot from the bridge, Contax 645af and 80mm f2

With the raindrops still on the leaves, we got off a couple shots on the Contax 645af and 80mm f2 with Kodak Portra 400

Last two of Cara from the little bridge at Cumberland Forest in North West Sydney.

The gum trees and Cara, shot on the Pentax 67ii and 105mm f2.4 with Kodak Portra 400

It’s been a while since I have blogged. Life has really got in the way!

Fear no more as I hope to pick up the intensity with regards to blogging and showing up more of my film work.

I shot with Cara in the middle of last year, in Cumberland Forest in the Hills District, north west Sydney. Cara was just about to leave Sydney and head over across the Pacific, so I was lucky to shoot with her before she left the sunburnt country of Australia.

The weather was iffy, with the occasional shower sweeping through, but added to the mood of shoot in amongst the tall Australian eucalypts and exotic conifers and vines.

I used two cameras on this shoot. The trusty Contax 645 with 80mm f2 Planar and the new to me Pentax 67ii with 105mm f2.4. Film used was Kodak Portra 400.

 

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