Self Directed Study - The Studio

There are parts of our weekly timetable that are listed as being given to 'Self Directed Study' - and a few weeks ago, I decided that I'd better start doing something constructive with this time!

As I said, in the first module we covered, I was able to get into the studio for one of the units - and I loved it.  And I wanted to do more, so this seemed an ideal way to make use of those hours, and any hours I had spare during reading weeks, or appraisal weeks.

I'm lucky enough to have a daughter who has no problem with posing for me at all - and even luckier that she has friends who are equally obliging.  So, I booked the studio, for a few sessions, wanting to cover both high and low key...

The first session was high key, and Kirsty and Myra turned up with a selection of clothes and a totally relaxed and completely un-self concious attitude, that really helped.

I was also lucky enough to have the company of Gemma, who has had quite a bit of experience of working in a studio, and also Colin, who works at the uni, and who was always on hand with advice and tips and information.

 I liked this picture, which wasn't posed at all - the girls were just messing about whilst we got ourselves organised












These are two of my favourite shots of Kirsty from this day














And I also got a few black and white shots that I was pleased with . . .

The time in the studio just seemed too short, so we booked both girls for a second session ...

Even though this was just my second session, I felt a lot more confident with what I was doing, and was far happier with the photographs I produced.





















    


























 Myra and Kirsty both attend dancing classes, and Kirsty is also double jointed - and this gave me an idea for taking some images that I could later play with in photoshop.

I have experimented in the past with trying to capture the movement of dance by using long exposure, but this was the first time I'd tried it in the studio.

I can't believe how much I enjoyed these studio sessions and was eager to get in there again - and this time, do some work using low key lighting .

By chance, a friend of mine, Tracey, who is not only a talented artist, but also a singer/song writer, were chatting, and out of the blue, both she and her friend, Lucy, offered to be my models for a studio session . . . Tracey said she would love to have some shots, maybe for publicity or posters, for her gigs and I was looking forward to doing a shoot that had a 'brief' attached to it.

I was really pleased with the results !

   

          

It was fun working with Lucy too !






















                                 









I've learnt two things from these studio sessions . Firstly - I still need to learn a lot more . And secondly, that I enjoy this form of photography a lot - more than I expected too.  Since these shots, I've been working on product photography, and still life - with much help from Gemma and Colin - and there was also a really fun session, where Gemma taught me a little about light painting - and I  was able to introduce Gemma and Dave (another fellow student) to the fun you can have with zoom bursting . . .

Next Up - More Creative Future's