Fast Eddie Glamour

Second Secrets Of Glamour Workshop For South Wales

2012-02-25T12:37:00.002Z

My second Secrets Of Glamour Workshop for South Wales has now been confirmed.

Due to the Secrets Of Glamour Workshop for March having a high demand and selling out in just 4 days we've decided to add a second workshop at Manse Studio near Bridgend South Wales.

It takes place on 22nd April 2012

I'm really pleased to be able to offer another another workshop in South Wales so quickly

So here's one for all you keen glamour photographers based in that area.

You'll learn
Secrets of good communication with models
Secrets of lighting for the studio
Secrets of easy white balance
Secrets of posing
Secrets of retouching and skin smoothing in Photoshop

It's only £90 and lunch is included

As the studio is only a few miles off the M4 this workshop is also easily accessible for people from the South West of England and the M4 corridor.

Full details are on my website

Please book quickly folks. The March date sold out in just 4 days.

See what other people have to say about my workshops. Click here

Make Up Artist?

2012-02-19T17:37:00.001Z

I'd like to collaborate with a qualified make up artist skilled in glamour to produce some quality portfolio images for both of us.

Please mail me ed@fasteddieglamour.co.uk

2 girls and 2 tee shirts

2012-02-16T01:27:00.007Z

I've just had the most enjoyable shoot with the loveliest of girls. Vicky and Becky came down specially to shoot with me and they showed me that when two models are great friends they can be the biggest amount of fun anyone could fit in 2 tee shirts and the only possible result can be a fun shoot and great pictures.
These 2 ladies have such infectious energy that they make a shoot fly by in what seems like minutes and left this photographer wanting more.
We'd done most of the pictures we wanted and Vicky had brought some tee shirts which was a really nice casual and sexy idea so I could think of nothing better than shoot a few fun pictures of them wearing them.

And we did lots of pictures without the tee shirts too.

But what they'd really come for is to be my very first Girls in Sweaters duo

Becky and Vicky made my day. I'm really looking forward to shooting with them again soon. Scrub that....

I'm definitely going to be shooting with them very soon!

Talks Demonstrations and Tuition for Camera Clubs

2012-02-14T13:44:00.003Z

I'm increasingly asked to do talks, demonstrations and tuition events for camera clubs so I've put together an exclusive offer specially for this.

I can offer my services as a speaker where I show many examples of my work discuss the stories behind the pictures in an entertaining and informative style.

I can offer demonstrations and workshop in using Photoshop to improve skin tones of face and figure.

I can offer a 3hr evening tutorial session in studio photography at your meeting place or location of your own choice.

This is exclusive to bona fide camera clubs and photographic societies only so my web page detailing this isn't in the public domain. Please email me and I'll give you a link to the page containing the full details.

ed@fasteddieglamour@yahoo.co.uk

South Wales Glamour Workshop

2012-02-13T17:09:00.002Z

I'm currently finalising the date for my Secrets of Glamour Photography Workshop in South Wales.

Would you like to improve your skills of working in many shooting situations and be able to make the very most of your lighting and set building skills to produce creative results?

Would you like to learn how to build a great reputation by knowing how to say and do all the right things to make a model feel comfortable and confident and so help to bring out her best in your pictures?

Do you feel you could improve your model photography if you had someone with more than three decades of experience to teach you at your own pace?
If you'd like book in advance please mail me for more information. ed@fasteddieglamour.co.uk

You can also see my workshop feedback on my website

Pixie at J&A Studios Gloucester

2012-02-10T20:10:00.005Z

I was very pleased to be invited to give a short demonstration at the recent meet of The Gloucestershire Models, Photographers and MUA's Collective which was held at J&A Studios. I chose to do something very simple with one light fitted with a 60cm softbox that provides a punchy glamour result.

Here's a sample picture and some main points for those of you'd who'd like to have a try.

The light is set about 10 feet from the model and is at about waist/chest height. Pixie is very close to the background. In fact she's touching it. If the light was any closer to her or she was too far away from the wall the shadows created above her head and limbs would look too long. Having the light too close would affect it's angle and create dark rings under her eyes.

The shooting position is with the camera held on top of the softbox, in fact it's best to press the camera gently down in into the fabric in an attempt to get the light source and camera angle as close as possible. Setting the light low provides really bright eyes. Use a big lenshood to prevent light from the softbox reaching the lens and creating flare which will degrade the image quality.

It's important to take a proper light reading first then set the camera controls and make a couple of test exposures for fine adjustment. After this I recommend setting the camera white balance to a custom setting using a Kodak Grey Card as a reference point. It's important to set exposure and white balance in this order as any adjustments of output of your flash could affect it's colour temperature. This also saves a lot of work in Photoshop later. Of course if you prefer you can use one of your cameras pre set white balances like Daylight or Flash. You can see my previous blog on White Balance here.

The only post production editing the image received was some adjustment in Curves to increase the contrast.

Lighting for classic Page 3 style

2012-02-08T21:37:00.004Z

Here's a quick tutorial for how to shoot on a plain background without making your image look as flat as a pancake.

This image uses 6 lights which are matched in pairs and placed symmetrically.

The front lights are 1 mtr softboxes placed very tightly each side of the camera. These provide the main illumination on Carly and are set with identical output levels, measured and balanced with the use of a lightmeter.

Two more 1 mtr softboxes are placed just behind Carly to provide light for the background. They're also a matched pair and adjusted and measured to give exactly the same exposure as the as the front lights provide on Carly.

Two more matched lights fitted with barndoors are placed high up and at 45 degrees either side of the background to provide the most gentle of rim and hair lighting, Look at the little bit on highlight on her left shoulder, right boob and right side of her hair. It's very important not to over expose these as this will just lead to blown out hair and skin highlights. It's very important to adjust the barndoors to prevent stray light falling on the camera lens which will create flare and degrade the image quality.

Always use the deepest lens hood possible without causing vignetting. The petal lenshoods that come with most zoom lenses are all but useless in the studio.

That's it! Simple isn't it? It just takes practice. Go and practice!

What's my logo all about?

2012-02-08T14:09:00.003Z

I'm often asked what gave me the idea for my logo so here's the story.

Some years ago I used to shoot often with a local model who'd mailed me through a model site (can't recall which one) and suggested that as we lived very close it might be a good idea to meet up and discuss shooting together on a regular basis. Her model name was Taylor Brooks. To cut a long story short we met and we did a lot of shoots together and she became my first model muse. For one of our shoots she said she'd like to do a semi silhouette posing with a car wheel so we went to a studio and did the picture she wanted. During the shoot I thought it would be a fun idea for her to do a striptease in silhouette where she would need to make lots of shapes as the results would be black silhouettes on a white background. The shoot went brilliantly and we got some really good images that made up a sequence that even the vicar wouldn't blush at seeing. It wasn't until well after the shoot that I realised I'd been inspired by the opening credits of early James Bond films which I'd been a massive fan of from a very early age. These sequences often featured dancers in silhouette with fantastic title music. Bond girls have always epitomised glamour for me and have been a big inspiration to me along with the work of Norman Parkinson and Fracesco Scavullo although you'd have to see my pictures from my late teens to understand the latter. By the way there is no comparison between gaining inspiration and simply copying. See elswhere in the blog for reference to Norman Parkinson.
Some time later she became known simply as Taylor and wanted a logo which would create an identity for her so we sat down and played with some ideas without success. Then one day I was sorting images from the shoot and struck upon the idea of spelling her name out using her own silhouette as the letter A. I eventually came up with the the word "Taylor" looking exactly like my logo in colour and font and I loved it. She wasn't so keen as she just wanted something a bit more feminine so I told her not to worry as I'd use it in my own logo and it's been there ever since. I could never change it and I've never felt the need to change it and I know many people identify it with me.
I see many photographers paying tribute to my logo by incorporating a silhouette in their own and indeed I have a digital scrapbook of all the ones I've seen. I also see many photographers and models creating logos and replacing them on a regular basis which defeats the object as these logos should create an almost corporate identity where people will instantly know who the logo represents. This constant replacing also shows that the logo isn't doing what it should and that there is a certain amount of frustration at being able to create a defining statement about ones self. If you want to create a logo then please read how mine was created again. Mine includes a personal image of a model who is in a state of undress but causes no offence, this defines me as a glamour photographer, it's also an original idea so that makes it personal to me and it's of a model who was very important to me and defines the teamwork of producing a shoot idea and it's graphically simple. It's not really important to anyone else about the reasoning behind it as long as it spells my name and can be remembered. If the reasoning behind your logo and the meanings of it's content are of great personal value then like mine your logo will eventually evolve and be of personal value and meaning and create an original identity for you.

Taylor no longer models and that studio is long gone but I still have my logo.

Some glamour with Carly

2012-02-07T13:08:00.001Z

I recently shot with the lovely Carly Thorpe who can only be described as exactly what a glamour model should be. Just look at the pictures to see what I mean. This was part of a trip to the south east when I booked time at Hook Photographic Studio and it was a great opportunity to shoot with her at last. Carly had come very highly recommended to me and she certainly didn't disappoint. We covered several sets including my Girls In Sweaters project and she's a delight to work with. Her poses just kept coming all the time and I needed to give her very little direction other than a general idea of what I wanted to achieve and she just did the rest. Carly's a great looking girl with a stunning figure and a sense of fun! The picture on the left is actually the very last shot of the day and proves my own belief that you should always end a shoot with a killer picture. Thanks Carly.

Girls In Sweaters

2012-02-03T19:44:00.016Z

I've never had a project take off with so much interest from models before and it doesn't look like it'll be long until I have enough shoots done to complete a calendar. And it's only the beginning of February!

Vicky (left) and Becky (right) are both dancers and will be travelling down to do a glamour shoot with me and when I suggested they be my first Girls In Sweaters Duo they jumped at the chance. I've shot with Becky a while ago and when she mailed me some pictures of her and Vicky and asked if I'd like to shoot with them I just couldn't resist. But the lovely ladies pictured here aren't wearing sweaters I hear you say, and of course you are correct, but they will be when they shoot with me for the project in a couple of weeks time.
I'm keeping the wraps on this Girls In Sweaters project except for showing potential models what a treat they're in for and the odd sneaky peek (maybe next week) and an occasional shoot review on my blog but the latest news is that I'm knocked out by the response from the most glamorous of girls wanting to be part of it.

In brief it's a glamour project of the highest degree with a bit of cuteness thrown n for good measure. All the models will have fantastic figures and pretty faces with great smiles. They'll all be a of the classiest glamour looks and style and they'll shoot a set or two wearing a sweater and teasing their way through until they're erm.... not wearing a sweater any more!

Keep you're eyes peeled here for a review of my shoot with Becky and Vicky and if you're a model who'd like to collaborate with me for this project please mail me now. ed@fasteddieglamour.co.uk

Calendars

2012-02-02T13:53:00.007Z

Calendars? But it's only February!

I know but this year I am going to do plenty of shoots in preparation for producing calendars for 2013 so I'm checking to see what models would like to get involved? So far I intend to produce at least 3 and maybe more. My Happy Naked Girls project will be one and I'll be making a "Best Of" featuring 12 lovely happy natural naked girls. If you'd like to be a part of this project you'll need to fit the requirements on my website. You must be slim and pretty with a great smile, have a completely natural figure, have no body enhancements or major tattoos and of course be completely happy being naked.

Next up is a glamour project called Girls In Sweaters. This is suitable for lots of models who have a contemporary glamour look and I'll start a web page for it soon. Click here for a sneaky peek.

I'm also going to produce a calendar featuring my own favourite glamour images from the last 10 yrs.

I've been involved in calendar shoots for models, organisations and charities but I've never produced any of my own so I'm very keen to make these calendars work purely as a personal project.

Models please mail me now if you'd like to collaborate on a shoot for a shoot for these projects.

A great evening ahead at the Gloucester meet

2012-02-01T09:25:00.001Z

It's just over a week until the February meet of the Gloucestershire Models, Photographers And MUA's Collective and this month we are doing something very different. We'll be taking a change from our usual venue of The Varsity and gathering at J&A Studios for a one off evening where all the regulars and visitors will be able to mix and network and get involved in doing some casual shoots together.

For my part I'll be doing a one hour tuition about how I shoot and demonstrating what I believe to be the essential skills and techniques any photographer can and indeed should be using at every shoot. I'll be demonstrating some simple lighting techniques to make your pictures look just a little bit different with the minimum of set up time. I'll also be talking about good etiquette while working with a model and how to avoid those awkward silences that many novice photographers experience but above all I'll show you how to bring energy and fun to your shoot. For this I will be working with my friend and model Miss Pixie and together we hope that photographers and models alike will see what it's like to work together in a great working relationship and how communicating effectively with each other and working as a team brings the right results.

Following this the studio and all it's facilities will be available to everyone attending to shoot together which is a practical extension to a regular networking meet and lets you not only meet and chat but also grab the chance to get some pictures together.

International Body Artist John Davis will be bringing along some of his creations of Armour Couture including a dress he's made specially for the evening which will be modelled by the lovely Tina (Bailey Starr). John is very well known for his body painting work so take a look at John's Website to see some of his amazing work. He's also a very entertaining person to chat with so I highly recommend models and photographers find time to chat to him and see his work.

Of course none of this would be possible without all of Rob Golding's work of co ordinating the group and arranging the regular monthly meets which will return to The Varsity for our March gathering.

You can find out more on Gloucestershire Models, Photographers And MUA's Collective Facebook page.

Kimberley

2012-01-29T03:15:00.001Z

This week I was lucky enough to shoot with Kimberley. We've known each other socially for quite a while so it was great to get to shoot together at last. As well as shooting some glamour in her studio, yes she has her own studio, we did a set for Happy Naked Girls. Kimberley is also a photographer as well as a very versatile model and her input and understanding of both sides of the camera really added to our shoot. I always advise people against technical talk during shoots and I practice what I preach but this time I made a concession. Kimberley is the second model/photographer I've shot with for Happy Naked Girls and I have a third lined up soon. Is there a pattern emerging here? Maybe I should start a a Happy Naked Girls With Cameras project? I'm glad to say this project is attracting lots of interest from models wanting to take part and I'm a step closer to collaborating with a copywriter to produce an on line magazine for this project. If you're a model who'd like to take part in a shoot with me please get in touch and even if you're not already a model and you'd love to take part please mail me. info@happynakedgirls.co.uk

One of those days? Not with a Happy Naked Girl around!

2012-01-22T21:36:00.001Z

I had another fantastic shoot with Tina Lucas today. Last time we shot was fun and this time was even more fun. Which is just as well because as soon as I get back from a shoot all the images are copied and backed up from the compact flash card which is good practice. Except you can only back the images up if you can get at them and today was almost one of those days all photographers dread. I popped the card in the reader and went off to make a cuppa and came back to find that I could only see the first few files and there was read errors on all the others. A day's work spoiled? Lost? Wasted? Well it could have been but for a piece of miracle software I own that rescued all but a few of the corrupt files. It took the best part of 2 hours to recover them but it was well worth it and I wasn't too worried about losing a few because if gives me a great excuse to shoot with Tina again.

Another Happy Naked Girl shoot. Kimberley

2012-01-19T20:15:00.001Z

Although I've known Kimberley socially for quite a while now we've never got around to doing a shoot together. When I was thinking of who I know that are lovely natural looking models with a great sense of fun she imdeiately sprung to mind. I'm really pleased she jumped at the idea of doing a Happy Naked Girl shoot and our shoot is planned for late January.

Many thanks to my friend Keith Curtis for the use of his image of Kim

Shoots

2012-01-18T11:38:00.003Z

I've just secured shoots for early February with Carly Thorpe and Francesca Wisdom.

I'm really looking forward to shooting with both these models who've been so patient to wait for dates with me. More glamour on the way folks so keep coming back to see some results from our shoots.

One to one training offer for 2012

2012-01-13T13:59:00.002Z

I have a special 1/2 price offer on One to One Tuition for the whole of 2012.

A full day (6hrs) is just £90!

If you've been thinking about learning the skills of glamour photography and short cutting your way to tips, tricks and trade secrets then there's never been a better time.

I've always believed in keeping the cost of my workshops and individual tuition affordable so why spend up to £250 to be one of the crowd at another workshop or seminar when you can get individual attention and tuition in the specific areas you feel you need to improve or get your own customised day for a crash course in glamour for just £90?

Book Now!

Full details are on my website

Tina in a sweater (and out of it)

2012-01-12T17:53:00.006Z

I spent a fantastic day yesterday shooting with Tina Lucas and what a fine time we had. I'm always a little uncertain when I shoot with a model for the first time as I'm never sure how everything is going to go. The simplest requirement for any shoot is that the model and photographer get on well, have the same aims and ideas for the pictures and work as a team. On this occasion I can safely say we got it right.

We'd originally discussed the shoot a few weeks ago and for various reasons we had to postpone but this was no bad thing as our regular communications about ideas helped to break the ice so it was just a matter of time until we shot.

I've had an idea for a glamour theme of Girls In Sweaters for some time and it was one of the sets we were keen to shoot so I gave Tina an idea of what I had in mind and what to wear and she brought this wonderful American college sports type sweater which was just perfect. I'm so pleased she got it in such a vibrant colour as it worked perfectly with the ring flash to give a warm, punchy, sexy result. Tina did all her own make-up and styling and finished off the package with a cheeky smile to go with her great natural figure.

We covered a few other ideas too and you'll see some pictures on my website soon. And you'll hear more about my future shoots with Tina here on my blog. Can't wait.

Here's a little update. I'll be shooting a set of Happy Naked Girl pictures with Tina soon so what better excuse to add another image from our shoot.

Website updates

2012-01-10T13:01:00.034Z

I've spent time over the last few days updating my website and received some very favourable feedback so far. Please take a look and let me have your feedback.

I've made a few changes to the background page including subtle highlighting when you hover over the menu. I've added some nice shortcut buttons below the menu that will change as I update my site and make special offers for shoots. I've changed the style of the link buttons on various pages that have annoyed me since I started my site for some much nicer ones.

I've added a page with a very special 1/2 price offer for One to One Tuition for Photographers during the whole of 2012 and I've updated and improved the look of my Happy Naked Girls pages as well as making a dedicated contact page for Happy Naked Girls. And of course if you're a model who'd like to do a fun Happy Naked Girl shoot with me please get in touch.

Please feel free to have a look and I'd really like to hear your feedback.

Fast Eddie Glamour

Looking forward to some glamour with Tina

2012-01-08T12:24:00.004Z

All being well my next shoot will be with Tina (Bailey Starr) when we'll be shooting a whole range of styles including some hot glamour and some Happy Naked Girls. Since I last chatted with her I notice she's gone redhead which is an absolute bonus as I have a project in waiting called Naked Redheads so Tina will be perfect for this too. I'm just hoping her redhead picture I spotted on Facebook wasn't a temporary colour. I only have to wait a few more days to find out and you'll see a few pictures from our shoot here and on my website very soon after that.

Studio Fun at the Gloucester Meet

2012-01-07T13:32:00.002Z

Some of you will already know that I'm an active member of the Gloucestershire Models, Photographers And MUA's Collective and for 2012 the group will be kicking off it's meets at 7.00pm on Thursday 9th February.

We'll be doing something different from our usual social meet and we'll be meeting at J&A Studios in Gloucester for a practical evening where I'll be joining forces with Miss Pixie to start the proceedings with a demonstration of Lighting, Posing, Model/Photographer Rapport and all the tips, tricks and advice we can fit into a fun filled hour.

This will be followed by a session when everyone attending will get a chance to shoot with either myself of Pixie which in turn will be followed by an evening of fun for photographers and models to use the facilities and try out some of the advice offered earlier.

All models, photographers, make-up artists, stylists and creative's are invited to come and join us for a fun night so if you'd like to get involved don't forget to come prepared. Models dress to impress and photographers don't forget your cameras.

The whole point of our regular meets is to socialise, network, make new friends and arrange shoots so please bring along your portfolios to share and if you'd like to spend your evening relaxing and meeting friends old and new you will all be made most welcome.

Happy Naked Girls is Back !

2012-01-05T03:03:00.006Z

My Happy Naked Girls project is going to be bigger and better than ever in 2012.

I'm kicking off with concentrating on shooting the most fun girls who just love being naked because that's what it's all about.

Melanie Davies has agreed to be a Happy Naked Girl and I don't know anyone better to kick off 2012 with. Mel's a photographer too but she loves getting in front of the camera. I rather shyly asked if she'd like to be part of this project and she jumped at the chance. I'd spotted a few pictures of her that suggested she'd be perfect and when I asked her she said she'd always wanted to work with me which is always an absolute pleasure to hear. Her enthusiasm and sense of fun is what really matters. To be a Happy Naked Girl you have to fit a few very simple criteria. Natural figure...Check! Pretty face... Check! Loads of fun.... Check!
You can see more of Mel on her modelling website here.

White balance

2011-10-21T11:00:00.009+01:00

There are many factors that affect the colour of light falling on a subject so while setting your camera's white balance to a pre determined value will get you close but the chances are it won't be accurate. I've often heard people say that their studio flash heads are quoted as a specific value, let's say 5600K, so they are convinced that presetting their white balance to that value will result in correct white balance but I'm afraid unless a lot of luck in involved this won't be the case. There are many factors which will affect the colour of the light produced such as tube wear, colour shift produced by additional light modifiers, colour of the surrounding surfaces and many more so the only way to get it right is to set up your white balance using a known reference point.

The left and right images are taken using the camera's pre defined white balance settings for Daylight and Flash. The central one is the camera pre calibrated to a Kodak Grey Card. This is done by selecting the custom setting in the white balance menu and taking the reading by filling the frame with only the Kodak Grey Card placed in the same position as the subject. This is best done once lighting set up is finalised and exposure correctly determined and set as adjustments in studio flash power level is set as colour output can vary at different power output settings. It's as simple as that!

I take a belt and braces approach to provide a little insurance which is to shoot the first frame of the set with the model holding the Kodak Grey Card to provide an accurate reference point to set white balance during image editing.

The bonus to this is I have lots of fun pictures of models while they hold the card.

More glamour...at last.

2011-10-21T10:44:00.000+01:00

I've recently secured several glamour models to collaborate with to produce new work for our portfolios. I'd also like to find some talented make up artists to join us with a view to getting images for your portfolio so if you're interested please mail me for more information. ed@fasteddieglamour.co.uk

Swimming pool, Tennis court and Nikki.

2011-10-06T13:08:00.006+01:00

I had an epic road trip in mid September which resulted in a fantastic day and a very special country house location. I shot at this same location with Cheryl Elizabeth around the same time in 2010.

This time I took along Nikki Louise for a day of long drives, Costa coffee, cake and fun.

This location is really great as it's got such a range of places to shoot including a tennis court, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, the latter housed in a lovely barn style party house, a lake with a jetty, beautiful grounds and even more. Having shot there last year I knew what ideas I wanted to improve on as well as new ones to try and I knew that planning would be everything so set to gathering ideas to discuss with Nikki.
Once I'd looked at my previous pictures I also looked for other images involving pretty girls at a pool and with a tennis theme. Nikki and I discussed the ideas and planned the props and outfits and once we were completely happy we planned a shoot based around our favourite ideas and poses. Nikki was absolutely brilliant during the preparation stages as she had the same vision as me and her input and outfit ideas were spot on. I find it very important that a model and photographer are reading from the same page when planning a shoot. I've turned down many models for shoots because they lack the creative skills and imagination required to work as a team, all too often thinking that the photographer is the only one doing any work toward creating the final result. Models take note! The more creative, resourceful and well prepared you appear to be the more likely you are to attract the interest of talented photographers. (I'm going to blog about this topic soon)

A tip about planning for all you photographers out there.
Don't leave it too late! I see a photographer regularly posting on forums asking for items that are key to the success of his themed shoot. Nothing wrong with that I hear you say? Not if you do it in good time but this guy posts in a panic the night before his shoot! Personally I start to get a bit worried if I'm still waiting for props or clothes less than a week before the shoot. Plan early and gather your props as soon as your idea is confirmed.

My weekend began on the evening of the 16th Sept with a drive to Cardiff to stay over with my friend Mark Lowen on his boat in preparation for meeting very early the next morning with Nikki Louise who drove over from Swansea to meet me ready for a 6am start to our journey down to East Sussex. As the dawn broke we saw lovely mists and beautiful sunshine break through at dawn. The sunshine lasted for about 3 hrs of our journey until the skies opened and it chucked it down with heavy rain. When we arrived at our location at 10.30am the weather was overcast with drizzle. Oh dear. This was just about identical to last year but we weren't going to be beaten. We had a first session of shooting on the tennis court during a break in the rain but the light was still very dull and our plans were for pictures with a bright sunny happy outlook so the results weren't what we'd planned for but the experience was very valuable. We used the time to dry run our ideas in the hope of better weather later in the day. As 6 photographers were sharing the location we had pre planned time slots for the more popular places and I'd noticed the court was free again late in the afternoon so we tried out ideas, poses and shooting angles in preparation.
Next came our session at the indoor pool where we wouldn't be bothered by the rain that was beating on the windows and then onto the outdoor pool just as the rain finally ended, but still no sunshine. No worries though as I used my favourite location lighting of Alien Bees B800 flash heads powered by their Vagabond II location power pack. (More about this in a future blog)

Our original plan was to do the pool last so Niiki would be able to get her hair wet without spoling any of the other ideas, however because the weather had been poor we wanted to hold on just in case the sun came out later in the afternoon so Nikki did little more than dip her toes in the beautifully warm water. And our patience paid off.
The sun started to break through and as the court was free Nikki changed into her sporty outfit and we did a fun shoot for an hour when we were able to put all our ideas into practice. I like to shoot a theme as a supplement to the model. I don't set out to get pictures of the model involved in the activity so in this case the idea becomes a setting and a vehicle to pull off the ideas and poses.
The sun bright and dropping in the sky which combined with fill light makes my favourite outdoor lighting providing contrast, depth, separation of the model and background and a bit of sparkle. My technique is very simple based on a two light contre-jour set up. The sun becomes the back light/rim light/hair light and the front light is provided by an Alien Bees B800 fitted with a small pop up style soft box close to the camera.
It's very important to use as deep a lens hood as you can possible use with your lens when shooting at acute angles towards the sun. This reduces the risk of flare from direct (non image forming) light falling onto the surface of your lens. Keeping the lens immaculately clean will also help to reduce this risk.

I must say a big thank you to Spike Brown for arranging this fantastic location again and to Nikki Louise for being such a massive amount of fun.

Update?

2011-10-06T12:05:00.000+01:00

First off my apologies to everyone who's asked when I'm going to update my blog?

The simple answer to that one at last is...Now :)

Thank you.

2011-09-12T19:07:00.000+01:00

I've just taken a side-swipe

Well when I say that it was one of those social networking criticisms publicly announced in a suppressed way so as to attract attention yet leaving the target of the criticism unnamed and unable to defend themselves as they might be accused of protesting too much. Maybe just a way of venting frustration? I would liken it to the unthinking mans equivalent of an open letter that influential people post in highbrow newspapers.

So to whom it may concern please take this as a public open response to acknowledge your statement.

When in Rome and all that.

A swimming pool and a tennis court

2011-09-12T12:27:00.001+01:00

I'm really looking forward to a return visit to Etchingham in East Sussex to shoot at a fantastic country house with possibly the best swimming pool I've used for my photography. As well as the pool there is a fantastic tennis court and a private lake and I'll be taking along Nikki as my very special model for the day.
I don't think I've been to a better location in terms of range of places to shoot. Often a location can have one highlight and little else but this particular house has endless possibilities for backgrounds and themes and is set in a very private location.
Nikki and I will be shooting a range of ideas including some glamour and at least a couple of Happy Naked Girls themed sets.
I must send my thanks to Spike Brown of Blue Feather Photography for arranging this wonderful location.

A bit of paint

2011-09-05T10:31:00.002+01:00

This is the lovely Lisa Robinson who I met at David Radford's studio open day yesterday. The paint and outfit is all by the very talented John Davis who created the entire ensemble from scratch. This is the first time I've shot anyone who was body painted and I can safely say I really enjoyed the experience and would like to do some more with a glamour or pin up style. (Brace yourself John)
Lisa and I had already chatted about a shoot and this was a great way of breaking the ice. If she hadn't already told me I would have never guessed that she's very new to modelling. Lisa certainly has all the right factors, good self awareness when posing, a reassuring sense of confidence and of course great looks.
I'm really looking forward to doing a full shoot with Lisa very soon.

Claire in FLIRT

2011-08-10T23:16:00.000+01:00

A Happy Naked Girl on a beach

2011-08-10T15:24:00.004+01:00

I've just spent a very enjoyable few days in Cardiff which is one of my favourite places and while I was there I caught up with Dani for a Happy Naked Girls shoot at last.
It's exactly 2 years since we last shot together and the results featured Dani's own spread in FLIRT magazine.
This time was Dani's very first full nude shoot and she took to it with the greatest of ease. Dani is one of the sweetest natured girls I've ever met and this goes a very long way towards what it takes to be a Happy Naked Girl.
We had a choice of beach locations but decided to return to the very same place we'd shot 2 years ago and it really paid off. The weather had been dry and fine but it was one of those days when the sun couldn't make up it's mind to stay behind the clouds or stay out. Fortunately after an hour drive to our location the sun stayed out and the sky turned blue. We shot from late afternoon well into the early evening which is my favourite time of day for beach shoots.
Assisted by my very good friend Mark Lowen on much appreciated reflector duty we produced a lot of very pleasing images.

Hope you like the sample below.

5 places sold

2011-07-20T00:29:00.002+01:00

Tonight I visited the Worcester Togs and Models monthly group shoot at Click Photography Studio in Redditch to promote my new photography course which will run in September.

I'm very pleased to say that I signed up 5 people which is quite amazing as I only finalised the details this afternoon.

So 5 places down and 5 to go.

Thanks to everyone who signed up tonight and I'll see you all in September.

A new take on my workshops

2011-07-18T12:59:00.008+01:00

My workshops have taken a bit of back seat recently and I'm glad to say they'll be back in the Autumn.

I'll be running a short evening course over 5 weeks at Click Photography Studio in Redditch in September.
This will cover what I believe to be the 5 most important aspects of being a good studio photographer and all the skills are transferable outside the studio.

Click Photography Studio
Autoconnect House
5 Windsor Road
Redditch
Birmingham
B97 6DJ
01527 61834

The course begins on Thursday 15th Sept
Time 7pm - 10pm
Duration 5 weeks
The cost is £99 for the full 5 week course course
(Individual modules are available at £25 each)
8 - 10 places

15th September 2011
Lighting

22nd September 2011
Working with Models

29th September 2011
Understanding white balance, Exposure and Histograms

6th October 2011
Posing the model

13th October 2011
Photoshop for glamour and female portraits

Full program here on my website

pdf

Please mail me for advance information and to book a place
ed@fasteddieglamour.co.uk

I'm on Google +

2011-07-18T12:51:00.001+01:00

You can now find me on Google +

It's very new to me and I have to develop my profile more but if you're a member there please drop by and add me to your circles and I'll do the same in return.

Normal service will be resumed as soon as possible.

2011-07-13T11:17:00.003+01:00

I've suddenly found I'm in great demand as a photographer when I've been quietly working on other stuff in the background and working on ideas while I've slipped into the shadows. I've had offers to do iPhone app's, workshops, model portfolios and work for magazines. :) It's all for the future and I'm very grateful and very flattered. Thank you. Maybe I should keep a low profile more often?
Here's a new Happy Naked Girl picture.
This is Katie who is quite new to modelling and very naturally talented.

Thanks to

Grant at Target Locations for arranging the shoot
Andrew at The Alvis Fighting Vehicle Society for being our host
Sam Day for being our hair and makeup artist.

I never quite understood before.....

2011-05-21T01:15:00.000+01:00

The title is a very sweeping statement for me to make as I'm quite a simple fellow and don't understand many things, but what I'm referring to here is people building sets and making bits and pieces and gathering props to do a shoot. I normally limit myself to shooting a girl in order to show everyone else how wonderful she is.
However the bug has now bitten me. When I was a shooting with Jennifer Nexus a couple of weeks ago she put on an item of clothing that triggered an idea for me and I very quickly realised she was also the perfect model for it as she was also hooked when I mentioned it to her.

I've been working hard to gather all the necessary props and items I need to make it a success. I've spent a few hours today searching charity shops in a few different towns and I'm very happy with the items I've collected. I've also had to seek and purchase some props but I can happily report it's all coming together very well.

I've also done an awful lot of research which has been very enjoyable and I believe is the key to doing a themed shoot properly. Keep in mind the phrased "themed" as this is what my shoot will be. I'm not intending to make a completely authentic recreation of anything. I'm shooting glamour with a theme and that's a very different thing but I'm very keen to make the props and styling look convincing.

All too often I see some very hurried and half hearted attempts at styling a picture and doing a theme that make for very substandard images.

So my tip to myself this time has been to do my research and have fun. I feel this stimulates ideas and increases the anticipation of doing the shoot properly. You'll often hear me mention the importance of attention to detail as this is also a key ingredient for a successful result And above all get a great model who's as excited about the idea as you are.

I'm sure you're now asking yourself what this big idea is and I'm also sure you'd like to ask me too? Sorry folks but it's a secret. Too many times I've abandoned an idea because someone else has picked up on it and done a very hurried job with poor results before I've even picked up my camera. But the good news is you'll see some pictures of it here first. I don't think I'll need to tell you which pictures they are when I post them.

Some fantasy glamour shoots

2011-05-17T14:12:00.001+01:00

Having rethought my approach to glamour I've decided to begin a project of fantasy shoots. These shoots will be themed with the model playing a role which has been adapted to suit a glamour photoshoot scenario. These shoots might be random in their timing and that's because I intend to pay plenty of attention to detail and to also make sure that every model involved has the exact look I require and is fully committed to her own individual project shoot. I'm already working hard towards gathering props for my first fantasy glamour shoot and I have the perfect model in place.

One thing I've learned very quickly is that these sort of shoots can't be undertaken hastily without lots of preparation, research, and planning and this first one could well require the biggest prop I'll ever need for a shoot and I'm very optimistic about aquiring it.

I'm not going to give anything away about the content and ideas for these shoots but you can be assured you'll see the results on this blog as soon as the shoot is completed.

Happy Naked Girl Sam Louise in H+E

2011-05-14T00:09:00.000+01:00

Sam Louise who has worked with me on my Happy Naked Girls project will be featured in H+E magazine in the next few weeks. I'll post more about this once the feature is done. Well done Sam!

A golden day for a return to glamour with Jennifer

2011-05-11T01:50:00.007+01:00

It's been another great day for a shoot and I'm a very lucky fella in more ways than one. Firstly Jen contacted me a few weeks ago after being recommended to by a mutual friend and as you can see yet again it was fantastic weather for a shoot.

You might have noticed that I've been doing a lot of thinking about my glamour photography recently while I'd been taking a break. Well now the break is over! However I'm going to be selective about who I shoot with while I put some new life into my glamour portfolio and Jen has helped me to make a great start.

We've been very fortunate with the weather for a while which has enabled me to get out and shoot on beaches and in lovely golden fields but over the last few days it's become very unsettled so I had my fingers crossed for our shoot day.

I started out early while the sky was grey and the weather varied during my 2 3/4 hr drive to Somerset where I'd kindly been given the use of a friends lovely house and garden for the shoot and my best hopes were that we'd be shooting inside and maybe get a chance to pop out into the beautiful garden if we were lucky. As it turns out we were more than lucky. The sun came out and what we thought would be a quick shoot before we'd need to retreat indoors became a whole afternoon shooting in the glorious sunshine. We shot a selection from bikini to nude glamour and I'm going to be hard pushed to make a selection of edits from the many great images of this great shoot.

This was my first shoot with Jen and I had a great afternoon. You can see that Jen has a lovely figure and looks and she was an absolute delight to work with. Sometimes during a first shoot I can't wait to shoot with the model again and this time was one of those shoots.

You'll be able to see more pictures from this shoot with Jen very soon.

Beach shoots... A few useful tips.

2011-05-09T14:46:00.008+01:00

On a bright sunny day I like to arrive at the beach and be ready for shooting a little after 4pm. I like the light around that time and the colour of it gets warmer into the late afternoon and early evening. Starting late also means that towards the end of theshoot I might be lucky enough to get a sunset. The beach usually gets quieter from this time onwards too.

Check the tide times before you go! It's no good going at high tide when there's no visible beach to shoot on. Be safe and don't get cut off. While the tide is low have a look at the beach. If it's very flat the tide will come in quickly. Look for a slightly raised dry area of sand nearest to the water with a much wetter bit between the dry bit and you. This indicates that the tide will rush in quickly once the dry sand is breached. Also look for large pools in the middle of the beach as this is also an indicator that the tide will rush in quickly once it hits these pools. So be very careful.

What should you take?

For your camera.

One grain of sand in the mechanism or a splash of salt water left unnoticed on a lens can cause loads of damage so you're going to need to keep your camera safe from sand and sea water spray.

Lens brush. To remove any sand particles form the surface of the lens/filter before using a tissue or cloth, or you'll risk scratching your lens/filter

Lens cloth. Pretty obvious I think

Lens tissues. Use good quality ones to remove any salt water spray before using your lens cloth

1” paint brush. This is for removing sand from the camera body.

Paper towels. To remove any water from the camera or lens if there has been a mishap.

Plastic bags. If you should drop a piece of equipment in the sand it's best to seal it away from your other gear. If you think you've blown all the sand off you'll be surprised what you'll find in the bottom of your bag and you risk getting it in your other equipment too.

Some general tips for taking care of your equipment on the beach.

Keep your hands clean. Greasy hands from applying sun cream will attract sand. Use wet wipes and a towel.

Always keep your bag on your shoulder. I strap mine on diagonally like a paper boy carries his bag so there's no risk of it slipping off. Never put your bag down on a sandy beach! No matter how well sealed you think it is air borne sand will find it's way in there. There's also a risk of forgetting about it and seeing your bag submerged or floating off on the incoming tide.

Use your camera strap to avoid it falling in the sand or water!

Fit your lens with a clear filter or UV filter for protection. There's no colour from a UV filter but skylight has a slight colour cast which might affect skin tones. Check the front of the filter regularly for air borne sea spray and clean it at regular intervals unless you want a nice soft focus effect. On a breezy day I've had a filter coated with sea spray at over 200 meters from the water.

Don't change lenses on a sandy beach! I never do it. I won't risk getting sand on the back of the lens or into the camera body. I also won't risk dropping the lens.

Use the deepest lens hood the angle of view of your lens will allow. It main use is to help prevent flare when shooting into the sun but it will also help reduce salt spary reaching the surface of the lens/filter when you're not facing directly towards the sea.

When you get home after your shoot check and clean your camera and all other equipment thoroughly.

For yourself

Wet wipes. To remove grease and dirt and the sand it will attract from your hands.

Towel. It's use is obvious but a really good secondary use is as a shade over your head to make viewing your camera screen easier in bright sunlight

Sun cream. Use it!

Plastic carrier bags for wet towels and clothes.

Wear shorts or lightweight trousers with zip off legs to allow you to paddle in the water.

Take a change of clothing in case you fall into the water. It is really easily done when you're knee deep in water and concentrating on getting your shot and you get an uneven footing. (Don't even begin to think what will happen to your camera if this happens)

Wear sandals with straps because you won't lose them in the water. Flip flops are usually available at beach shops if you forget to bring any suitable footwear but they can be easily lost in the water.

Be discrete

I sometimes carry my equipment in a cool bag or cool box for discretion in areas where you might attract attention. A middle aged man and a gorgeous looking young woman and a load of camera gear are a dead give away that a photo shoot is going to take place. The laddish element tend to spot this and will follow you expecting a free show.

Have fun. Stay safe. Don't cause anyone any offence.

How to light a beach shoot.

2011-05-07T13:19:00.002+01:00

Beach shoots can be fun and you can get some great results. If the weather is great!

The first piece of advice I'd like to give you is if you're looking to take great looking summery glamour pictures and the sun isn't shining then don't bother! Glamorous beach shoots just don't work on an overcast day.

Before you go practice your fill in flash technique. My preference is to shoot into the sun and balance the flash on the front of the model. The sun will provide some nice rim lighting and bring detail to the sand. If done correctly the viewer just thinks the sun is lighting the model.

How to do it. With your flash turned off set your exposure so the background is properly exposed and try not to burn out the rim lighting on your model's shoulders and hair. Make some test exposures and bracket your settings until you're happy with the result. At this stage the model will be in deep shadow. Next add flash to your set up. You'll need a flash that's powerful enough to provide fill in with apertures of around f11 and f16. I find that with speed lights there is extra power to be gained by concentrating the flash beam as the output is often spread very generously to accommodate wide lenses. I set the zoom on my speed lights manually to 70mm or 85mm. This concentrates the output and gives a little more power. When using a speed light I use the ttl settings and adjust the flash exposure compensation to get the correct balance. That's it! Shoot away.

I don't like to see excessive shadows from fill in flash so I have various home made brackets to mount the flash as closely to the lens as possible.

I don't like to use a reflector to reflect very bright sun as it's very uncomfortable for the model and it makes their eyes stream. Always put your model's comfort and happiness first if you'd like to get great pictures.

You'll also need the deepest lens hood you can fit on your lens as there is a great risk of flare when shooting towards a very bight light source like the sun. The petal hood that comes with a zoom lens is all but useless especially when holding the camera vertical. I don't use the wide angle end of the range on a beach shoot so I use a big deep rubber hood that is as tight as possible for around 50mm and longer withought vignetting.

The image below was taken in open shade in the early evening on the same shoot on the same day. Open shade on a bright day isn't the same as shooting on a cloudy day. The quality and contrast of the light is much nicer. In open shade where the light is soft I prefer to use a very large silver reflector for fill in. Although we were shooing in the shadow from the dune the sun is again behind the model. The bright sand of the surrounding dunes is providing some natural fill and all of this would be lost if a direct fill in speed light was used. The alternative would be to use a powerful flash with a soft modifier like a big softbox or large shoot through umbrella. Unless I really have to I don't bring such things along to beaches. They have to be carried and unless you have a good assistant to hang onto them they will blow over.

In my next "How to do it" I'll give you some very important rules for looking after your equipment on a beach shoot.

More "How to do it" posts

2011-05-07T11:17:00.002+01:00

When I began this blog I promised that I'd include some "How to do it" type posts and I realise I've not done any for a while. So during the rest of May, providing I can remember of course, I'll try and post a few.

I'm shooting some glamour and some Happy Naked Girls this week so I'll post a few behind the scenes pictures with explanations of how they were done. Hopefully you'll be able to see some lingerie glamour and Happy Naked Girl pictures with Naomi, Nude glamour with Jennifer and fitness style glamour with Chacha.

I might even get the ring flash out.

My future with glamour

2011-05-06T19:38:00.009+01:00

Last night I was asked again if I have given up on glamour photography and the answer is still the same. I haven't. I have however given up on certain styles of photography which I believe are incorrectly referred to as glamour. When I say certain styles I really mean to say that I've given up on shooting styles that I don't believe are proper glamour.

I was brought up on a staple diet of James Bond films. The classic "Bond Girls" of the 1960', 70's and 80's had something about them that made them very attractive. They had beauty, class, style and mystery. They were almost perfect but they were unattainable. They also looked like they could easily manipulate any man to obey them no matter how hard he tried to resist.

I know what I mean by glamour, and I might not be able to explain it in words but looking back on some of my earlier work certainly shows how I see glamour in the photography of women.

There are many definitions for the word "Glamour"

I've looked some up

A kind of haze in the air, causing things to appear different from what they really are.
Any artificial interest in, or association with, an object, through which it appears delusively magnified or glorified.
A charm affecting the eye, making objects appear different from what they really are.
Witchcraft; magic; a spell.
Charm and allure; fascination

Fascinating or voluptuous beauty, often dependent on artifice

A magic spell; charm

I'd say key words for me from the above definitions are Charm, Allure, Fascination, Voluptuous, Beauty in no particular order.

The term glamour when applied to photography came to light in the golden era of Hollywood when the characters on screen led fantastically luxurious and adventurous lives and the actors playing them were photographed in a manner which suggested their personal lives were just the same.

Why then today is the term glamour applied to most pictures of scantily clad or provocatively posed girls?

There is a better term which describes the images published in lads mags and that term is "Lads Mag"

2 questions I often get asked are.

"When are you going to shoot proper glamour again?"
When I have the models that can help me produce pictures like my image of Laura at the top of the page.

"What photographer has influenced you most?"
The late great Norman Parkinson.

Here are a few of the great man's images from the 1985 Pirelli calendar.

At last.....A shoot in a yellow field

2011-05-05T17:43:00.002+01:00

Just a quick post today as I'm in a bit of a hurry.

I've had a great day shooting with Claire and at last I've done a shoot in one of those fantastic bright yellow fields. I won't go on about the field as I've already told you all about it but I will tell you that today's shoot was loads of fun. I've been really lucky recently with my shoots as I seem to be able to choose the quietest spots of all without the risk of causing any offence to anyone simply because there's no one else about.

Today is another day for feeling lucky again. the forecast was for a mixture of sun, clouds and rain. Rain! What's that? Not had any for ages.

Claire was incredibly positive about this shoot and told me she was coming for the shoot regardless of the forecast so after making an outfit that we'll be using at our next shoot we headed off under bright cloudy skies and began our shoot. The sun even came out for us too. We got our shoot finished just in time and when it turned grey we headed back for the quickest of shoots before Claire had to go.

Here's a quick edit of one of Claire's choices from today.

And one from our very quick shoot when we got back.

Another golden day

2011-05-04T17:21:00.002+01:00

I've been a busy fella today for all sorts of reasons. I began by finishing editing some magazine submissions and getting them mailed off to various editors. I've not done any magazine submissions for ages so it's a bit like first time nerves again which I believe is a good thing. One editor was really prompt with his reply which is good but the content wasn't so good. "Thanks but not this time" was his only reply. It's not a good reply simply because he hasn't offered any feedback on what he's currently looking for or an opinion about my pictures or the model. It's important to get used to rejection in this business and you have to realise it's not a personal thing, unless of course your pictures are complete rubbish. Often a set of pictures being rejected simply means they're not what the editor is looking for right at this time so don't get too down when it happens to you for the first time. It's not the end of the world and I'll offer the set elsewhere.

I've finalised shoots with some new models. By new I mean I've not shot with them before so next week I'll be spending a day doing shoots with Jen Nexus and Jay Scott. Jen was advised to contact me by a mutual acquaintance and we'll be shooting some glamour. Jay and I might go down on record for taking the longest possible time to finalise a shoot but we'll be doing some Happy Naked Girls sets and some glamour. I'm shooting them both on the same day thanks to Chris Anderson who's given me the use of his lovely home and I'm really grateful to him and his lovely wife for this favour. I'll post a couple of pictures from my shoots with Jay and Jen in a day or two.

Fran who's already a Happy Naked Girl also called me to arrange a follow up shoot. I'm always ready for follow up shoots. Once the ice is broken I find a second shoot is much easier going so I'm looking forward to shooting her on a beach in June. We've already done a brief Happy Naked Girl shoot and next time we'll shoot a full feature and some glamour in the dunes too.

Tomorrow you'll find me having a fun shoot with Claire in the beautiful yellow field I posted earlier this week. Claire is such a lovely fun natural looking girl and I know our shoot will be just great.

I've also had contact from Victoria Summers who I'm sure many of you will have seen as she's a very popular model. We'll be shooting again soon which I'm really looking forward to. She also gave me some good news which now means you can see her picture. It's one from our shoot last summer which was also at Chris's house. It's my first glamour edit in months and we both like it. Hope you do too.

May is going to be busy

2011-05-03T12:17:00.001+01:00

I have a very nice network of favourite models that I always enjoy shooting with and there's often another model who comes along and joins this merry troupe.
Having reliable and fun model friends to work with on a regular basis is a great asset to any photographer and I consider myself very fortunate to know and work with models who want to work as a team to get great results.
This month I have shoots with a few models I've not worked with before. My shoots are mainly for my Happy Naked Girls project along with some glamour and some for publication and syndication.

So you can look out for more pictures of Claire who is one of my favourites and new sets of Jen, Jay and Mandy who will be first time shoots for me.

I've been asked quite often in recent weeks if I've given up on glamour photography and the answer is no. I'm still shooting it when the model and the situation is right but at the moment I'm not very interested in the current tabloid and lads mag style. I'll be returning to shooting a more sparkly style in which the model is celebrated as being someone special and very glamorous. I don't really class what's going on in lads mags as true glamour I'm afraid and combined with being bombarded with requests for shoots from girls who have bought into the current model look but have no style, skill or experience I've decided to concentrate more on my personal projects.

I'm a keen supporter of online publishing and I'm always asked to provide material for many of established and new online magazines. I'll continue to do this in a limited way while I supply image sets to a couple of new mags that are due to appear online very soon.

While we're on the subject my own Happy Naked Girls Magazine will make it's debut this summer with sets and features of many of the lovely girls who've been incredibly supportive of the project. It's worth noting that you might get a few surprises as some of the girls had never been photographed nude before and it's very unlikely that they will again. Personally I was intrigued as to why they'd get involved with such a project and their answers were all very similar. They really liked the idea of being naked and happy and free for such a simple project where they were able to be portrayed as themselves.

I'm about to seek someone with the necessary skills to assist me in the production of Happy Naked Girls Magazine as magazine design is something I know nothing about. So if you have the necessary skills and you'd like to be part of this fun project please let me know. ed@happynakedgirls.co.uk

If you're a model who'd like to shoot for the project please check the requirements at http://www.happynakedgirls.co.uk/ and mail me with a few pictures ed@happynakedgirls.co.uk

Every cloud has a golden lining

2011-05-02T22:58:00.004+01:00

OK the cloud bit is an exaggeration because today was a beautiful day with bright sunshine and deep blue skies and not a cloud in sight. I set off to check out the secret bluebell wood I've been planning to get a shoot done at for Happy Naked Girls. The bluebells were in full bloom which is great but they were disappointing as they were so sparse so the idea of a girl surrounded by a carpet of bluebells wasn't going to work. I can't say I was disappointed for long though because 5 min's along the lane I spotted the best oil seed rape field I've ever seen. I stopped the car and found that I didn't need to seek permission from the farmer as the field is divided by a public right of way. I'm really glad about this as I get rather annoyed when I hear of reckless photographers spoiling crops by treading on them to gain a good vantage point. This field really is a gift. There is so much access and so many good angles that I can't wait to get shooting there later this week. The crop is bright and dense and the bluebells were soon forgotten. The contrast of the golden yellow against the deep blue sky was fantastic and my picture here doesn't do it enough justice.

I got home and mailed Claire who I've worked with before and knew she'd be just right for it with her natural good looks and pure blonde hair, and she said yes.

So we'll be doing a range of shoots from a nice homely country girl in jeans and check shirt, maybe a summer dress and of course a Happy Naked Girls set. Thanks Claire Can't wait.

A great week

2011-04-30T13:08:00.001+01:00

I began my week with a cancelled shoot. This time it was me who cancelled as I wasn't well with a stomach problem but Tuesday should have seen me shooting some publicity picture for a gym. Ok it was Chacha as the model so I haven't diversified too far from my standard of shooting girls.
Wednesday I had another road trip planned back down to South Wales for a couple of days. I love to have a reason to travel and if I can combine a few shoots and events and catching up with friends then I'm very happy and having these reasons is far more enjoyable than a mad dash with busy traffic and major hold ups for several hours of the day just to do a single shoot then a repeat of the same on the return journey . I'm much happier travelling just for the sake of it and when it's south Wales I really don't need any other reason. It's an area I've become very close to. I have many good friends there now and I know lots of good places to do shoots if the weather is good, and as we've been having great weather for the season I made the very most of it.

My journey down wasn't great as I was feeling better but still uncomfortable with my stomach and I was beginning with a second Happy Naked Girls shoot with Sam Louise. This time we were well planned on what we were going to shoot but not on the location. I don't like to be in this situation as I can be very indecisive if left to choose at short notice. We'd had an hour drive to either of my choices but we made the right decision and got the pictures right again. A year ago I had a trip into the valleys to look at some waterfalls that turned out to be perfect for my style of work. They were lively and varied, clear and sparkly and very popular and having tried to shoot there on a midweek morning in term time when I though it would be quiet but wasn't I decided they wouldn't be suitable for our shoot. So we headed off to Rest Bay. This is a location I've used a few times and at low tide it has miles of lovely flat sand and shallow water with great potential. When the tide is in the shore is rocky and the tide was high on Weds but the mixed weather meant not too many people had ventured out so once again we were very fortunate. We found a tiny bay in the rocks and the sun came out and we were set for another fun shoot. It went very well and Sam is really developing her skills.

I have 2 attitudes to model skills. Firstly if a model tells me she's well established, professional or any of the other terms that is used to suggest lots of skill and experience then I expect someone who can pose well, is very well presented and prepared for the shoot and can interpret my requirements and directions and bring her own input and variation on the theme were working to. My second attitude is that I'll happily work with a model who has little or no experience as long as she's honest about it, keen to improve and I feel she has potential for my work. If the model is honest with me it will help me make a decision about working with her or not. I'm more than happy to help and guide a newcomer if they are willing to learn.

Our shoot went very well again and after taking Sam back it was down to Penarth to check in with my very good mate Mark and drop my kit onto his boat where I'd be staying. After a quick brush up it was off into Cardiff for the first networking meet for a good while. This time the Wizzard Of Odd himself, bodypainter John Davis has taken on the mantle of organising these events and what a great job he did too. There was a really good turnout of over 50 photographers, models, makeup artists, bodypainters and other associated skills which is an amazing achievement for a first meet. I'm usually quite low profile at these sort of events and like to mix and mingle with people I already know well and meet new people though personal introduction. It's nice to use these events to get better acquainted with people I might have met briefly at shoots or other events too. I usually check in advance lists of models who've registered for these meets and if any appear suitable I'll contact them before the meet to see if they'd like to chat about a shoot but this time I didn't get much chance.
I met one model at the bar who is very suitable for a shoot which will give me a nice variation while I continue my sabbatical from mainstream glamour. Kitty Couture is a burlesque performer and model who I chatted with about working together and I'll be working with her some time in the near future. I've done a few burlesque style shoots in the past and I'm really looking forward to getting something I hope will be a fusion of glamour and alternative styles to make something special.

It was also very pleasant to spend time with some good friends. Rob and Pixie are always such good fun and such good natured people that it's always great to be in their company. It was also a great bonus to spend some time with Nikki Louise because what I thought would be just a fleeting visit due to her other plans became a nice night of good company. Like myself Sam had done the dash back home and back to the meet and got herself some bookings so I'm glad it paid off for her.

After an evening afloat at the marina Thursday was a beautiful day of blue sky and sunshine. I'd tried to book a shoot with another Welsh model friend but she was currently visiting another resort in a different part of Wales so after a hearty full English breakfast if was back on the road for a quiet drive home in the sun.

The next networking meet I'll be at will be the Gloucester meet at The Varsity on Thursday 5th May. If you're coming along and feel you'd be suitable to chat about a shoot please come and find me. It'll be great to see some good mates and maybe make a few more.

Here's a facebook link if you'd like to come

https://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=114442428611794#!/event.php?eid=205906276099439

What's Happy Naked Girls all about?

2011-04-28T18:02:00.002+01:00

I'm known as a glamour photographer and I love shooting glamour but Happy Naked Girls is a personal project that will be taking up a large proportion of my time during 2011. Have I given up mainstream glamour? No not at all but for the meantime except for a few special shoots it's taking a back seat.

Happy Naked Girls just about sums up what it's all about in it's title. The girls I shoot for it are very natural in their looks, personalities and figures. They all have great natural slim figures. They're all very happy and they're all naked. And they're naturally fun people. That's why I love shooting this project so much.

What is the style of Happy Naked Girls? It's completely carefree and relaxed. It's based solely on girls who look great naked. No sexual undertone. No suggestiveness. Think of it as relaxed naturist style.

Do I have to be any particular sort of model to be part of this project? No. In fact you don't even need to be an established model. I have quite a few models who are better known for other styles cross over to be part of this project. It doesn't matter if you're into fashion, glamour, art nude or any other style. What does matter is your look and personality is suitable and you're completely as ease with being carefree and naked.

So where is Happy Naked Girls going? Happy Naked Girls is a totally personal non profit project. I'm going to showcase this project a couple of ways at the moment. Firstly there will be a one off online magazine of the same name this summer and if it goes well and enough models join the project I'll do more issues in the future but we'll see how the first issue goes for now. Then towards the end of 2011 there will be a 2012 calendar featuring some of the fantastic girls who've given their time to share this project with me.

If you'd like to be part of this project please have a look at the requirements on my website. I'm looking forward to hearing from you so please mail me now.

ed@happynakedgirls.co.uk

Here's a few previews of just a few of the girls who'll be featuring in Happy Naked Girls magazine.

Sunshine, a big piece of driftwood, a naked girl and a Police helicopter.

2011-04-22T16:11:00.002+01:00

Yesterday I spent a very fine day shooting with Sam Louise for Happy Naked Girls. This was our second shoot and we had it well planned and in my opinion we had the best day on the beach of anyone in the UK. I know you're wondering how that could be as it was such a scorcher of a day that people were out in their thousands but this lucky fellow and his model had a whole beach to ourselves. As well as the Happy Naked Girls shoot we had a few other plans for some grabbed pictures which we set out to do first so we went to have a look at Penarth Pier and it was very busy so we headed off to Barry Island and it was packed. There were so many people about that we didn't even bother to get out of the car.

No worries though as I knew to a very quiet pebble beach and was hopeful that we'd be able to get on with our shoot in peace. I'd not visited this place for about 3 yrs so after a false start due to taking the wrong lane to access it we soon found ourselves parked up and getting ready to hit the beach. I'm not going to reveal too much about our location as I intend to keep it quiet. Sorry but those are the breaks folks. Once we got down on the beach we couldn't believe our luck as there was family of 2 adults and a toddler out to take a wander and us and that was it. There was also the biggest piece of driftwood I've ever seen. It was actually a fallen tree that had been stripped bare by the sea and it made the perfect prop and backdrop for our shoot providing Sam with somewhere to pose and sit and swing from it's branches.So once our neighbours had moved off we got on with our shoot. We were very lucky as we were undisturbed for hours and Sam could happily pose and run round naked on the beach being the happiest and naked girls. Some of our pictures even give the impression she's on her own deserted island.

We sort of got one visitor though and although they never got any closer than about 500ft vertically we're sure they could see and knew exactly what we were doing. I'm also pretty sure that they weren't bothered because firstly we were completely on our own so we couldn't possibly cause any offence to anyone else as secondly our visitor was a Police helicopter so I'm pretty sure it was on it's way to far more important business.

I find Sam so easy going and relaxed when we shoot that I have to keep asking her if she's OK because she never complains about anything and she seems to really love what we're doing with our shoots. We'd done some other stuff for our last shoot and Sam is a big priority for my Happy Naked Girls project and she's been very keen to be part of it so that was our major reason for the days shoot.

I only had one disappointment for the day and that's because we couldn't do a picture idea of Sam's simply because the water's edge wasn't sandy but that's turned out to be a big bonus because it gives us the perfect excuse do do another shoot. So we'll be shooting again next week.

So far so good......

2011-04-18T19:47:00.002+01:00

My poor old faithful computer needed some serious upgrading and I finally bit the bullet and now have something I'm told has 4 cores (that's 3 more than Planet Earth) and will go like lightning. I've also got a massive monitor and I'm just about settling in with it. I've been dreading changing my editing pc for the simple reason that dispite it being slow and old I could trust it's display. What I saw on the monitor was what it looked like in print! End of!
Having to replace the computer and set up the colour to get it looking like the old one is nerve wracking enough for me but to have to do it with a new monitor too is way too much like hard work for a fella who has the attention span of a 2 yr old. But I'm nearly there after the first 2 days of editing left me with runny eyes from an very badly adjusted display. I'll probably keep tweaking and fine tuning for a week or two until I get it right.

I'm glad to report that Happy Naked Girls is in full swing again. I need to reschedule my shoot with Sophie that was due for last Thursday as we had to cancel due to a big lull in the lovely weather we've been having recently. No such problems with my shoot with Sharon on Saturday though as we had glorious sun for hours on end. This coming Thursday I'll be shooting Sam Louise again specially for Happy Naked Girls. It might be a bit of bad timing on my part as we're hoping to find a bit of quiet coastline for some of our shoot and it's the middle of the Easter holidays but as my favourite time to go t and shoot on the beach is from late afternoon I'm reasonably confident that we'll manage. It couldn't be much worse than the amount of people dodging me and Sharon had to do on Saturday.
Like I said at the begining. So far so good :)

As it's been sunny recently I thought I'd post a picture taken in glorious sunshine. Ok it was minus 4C but sunshine is sunshine isn't it?

Fire and Sun

2011-04-17T17:54:00.001+01:00

Well Firesecret and sunshine to be exact I spent the whole of yesterday shooting with Sharon in a beautiful country park in Oxfordshire and we were very lucky to get just the weather we'd hoped for. Sharon and I had shot briefly once before and were keen to get another shoot sorted when she contacted me on a hot sunny day the previous weekend on the off chance I'd be free to shoot I wasn't going to let the opportunity go by. Unfortunately I wasn't available but I immediately realised she'd be just perfect for my Happy Naked Girls project so we made plans and watched the weather all week as temperatures rose and fell and finally we got the forecast we'd hoped for and we met up to spend and entire day and early evening shooting. We began at a bluebell wood and although we were a week or so early for full bloom we made the most of the location and settled down to shooting a Happy Naked Girls set. I use the term "settled down" rather loosely as our location at the side of a very popular footpath meant we had to make many hurried stops and starts in order to maintain an order of decency while ladies and gents, dogs, horses and cyclists passed our shooting spot. We did our best but one lucky cyclist caught us by complete surprise but managed to keep his balance long enough to pass with reasonable dignity while we made our images with a backdrop of bluebells and a carpet of buttercups. The day moved on surprisingly quickly and we changed location to another part of the park which was more than a little bit busy but we managed to get some summery topless images and some head shots! I hardly ever take head shots so I surprised myself with that one. Sharon had a fun idea and brought along a suitable outfit, actually it might be best to described it as accessories as she was still very naked when she'd got it on and a carpet of dandelions and some nice back lit sun made her the happiest bee in the countryside. On my short journey from the motorway I spotted a derelict petrol station and we took our chances that we'd be able to get a few glamour pictures so moved on to that location for our last few pictures of the day. Taking our chances took the form of having to seek permission to use the location as it was private land, but this turned out to be simple as there was someone on the premises and risking being seen as we wanted to shoot topless and the location was on a busy main road. This is where a bit of planning and some rapid covering up by Sharon paid off. We did a few trail pictures with Sharon fully covered to get all the settings and poses right, then I looked one way and Sharon the other and when the moment was right Sharon uncovered and we shot a few pictures and repeated this process several times until we got the picture we wanted. I think this part of the day really made a great end to our day of shooting as it was just that little bit of extra fun just when we thought we'd already had a day full. The Police drove past but that was while Sharon was still covered up but they took a good look at what we were doing. In all it was a day full of fun and that's what photography and modelling should be about. If you're not having fun then you're doing it wrong.

Some thank you's for Sunday's workshop

2011-04-12T12:34:00.001+01:00

Sunday's workshop went very well and I'm grateful for all the feedback I've received from those who attended.

Many thanks to all who came along and made up a very nice group of people to work with.

Thanks also to Mike at Hook Photographic Studio for hosting the event and to my good friend Darren Bull for all his help and support and of course a big thank you to my regular workshop model and friend Chacha who is always presented to perfection helped to make the day go so well.

I'll be returning to Hook with another workshop in June featuring a custom Harley Davidson and a lovely model.

The sun's out and so are the Happy Naked Girls

2011-04-09T23:15:00.001+01:00

I hope you've all been enjoying the sunshine this week and I hope it last longer because the leaves and blossom are on the trees and the bluebells are out a month early so it's time for me to shoot some Happy Naked Girls.

It looks like the theme for this month ought to be the letter "S". The sun is shining and begins with that letter and so do the names of the next 3 girls who'll be shooting with me for this project.

First we've got Sam Louise who you can see in another blog just a little further down the page and then we've got Sharon and Sophie. I've shot with them all before and you might recently have read that Sam is a recent shoot for me but will be a regular model and Sharon I shot with last year and for Sophie our shoot was way back in 2007.
I've had a lot or interest in shooting with me for Happy Naked Girls so it looks like I'll be concentrating plenty of my attention to the project over the coming month as Spring is here and I'm very keen to get the one off edition of Happy Naked Girls Magazine completed soon.

I'm always keen to hear from girls who'd like to shoot with me for this project. All the requirements are on my website and I'd like to hear from a few new models. I'm keen to build a bit of background interest into each picture set with each girl so if you've got an interest or hobby that you think would be great to include in a photo shoot please let me know.

Perhaps you're keen on a sport that would be visually interesting to theme a shoot on? I've already shot a naked tennis player if that helps you think of some ideas?

Do you have a job that gets you outdoors?

Perhaps you love skinny dipping and shoot at a nice private pool or

a local beauty spot in a waterfall would appeal to you?

Are you a keen cyclist and can't wait to bare all along the highways and byways?

I'm really hoping you come up with a suggestion that's a pleasant surprise so if you're slim and pretty and great shape and you feel this project would be fun to get involved in I'd love to hear from you.

From top to bottom here's Sam Louise, Sharon and Sophie.

Watch out for a little teaser of each of our shoots here and on my Happy Naked Girls website.

A new season of workshops begins

2011-04-09T11:21:00.001+01:00

I'm really pleased that my workshops are getting off to a great start for 2011 and the first of them is at The Photographic Studio, Hook, Hampshire tomorrow 10th April 2011.
The event sold out almost straight away and I've been asked if I'd run another studio glamour workshop at the same venue in June, so watch out for more details soon. Next time we'll be making a return to bikes and glamour and will have a fully customised Harley Davidson chopper or two as our main props.

I'm always looking out for interesting venues to run my workshops at so if you know of anywhere I'd like to hear from you. I'm always careful to use the term venue rather than location as I've found that people tend to think only of outdoor places when the the term location is used. I'm more than happy to consider suitable outdoor places but there is always the that planning so far ahead we could be beaten by poor weather on the day.

So what sort of places am I looking for? I'm looking for places that compliment my style of photography.
In terms of ideas I'd be interested in a farm, swimming pool, luxury apartment, vehicle collection, sports facility, stables, bar or club, in fact the range is limitless. For a future workshop I've been told about a downstairs cellar bar rock club which has lots of character and the the theme will be adapted with latex alternative styling to suit.

So if you think you know anywhere please get in touch and if your suggestion leads to a workshop being arranged at the venue you'll receive a discount off the cost of a place by way of a thank you.

info@fasteddiglamour.co.uk

What goes around comes around

2011-04-05T11:18:00.002+01:00

A daily newspaper went out of business last Friday. Most people will have either loved it, hated it or been indifferent to it. However it's demise will no doubt have left many people with unpaid invoices for photographs supplied. I sympathise with you all.... except one person.

What goes around comes around.

A day with Sam Louise

2011-04-02T12:40:00.007+01:00

How better to begin a new month than with a new shoot with a new model. Sam Louise is a lovely natural girl and she's a definite for my Happy Naked Girls project and will feature in the one off magazine of the same name. I spent a long day shooting Sam and I think the best way to sum it up would be to say it was varied and lots of fun. We covered lots of ideas and we decided to hold on for next time to do the Happy Naked Girl set until the weather is hopefully better and try and get outdoors while places are quiet before the bank holidays begin.
A first shoot with a new model can be an unknown quantity but I was very confident about Sam and her communication skills are excellent so we had plenty of time to discuss ideas. We didn't get all our ideas covered but we added a few variations and got some great images. And of course we'll be doing plenty more in the future
I felt I could see something in Sam that I hoped we'd bring out over a couple of shoots and I'm very happy with the results. Look out for Sam with her own feature in Happy Naked Girls Magazine soon.

Easter Bunny?

2011-03-18T11:48:00.000Z

I'd like to shoot some Easter Bunnies.

I'd like some Happy Naked Girl Easter Bunnies.

I'd like some glamour style Easter Bunnies.

If you'd like to shoot with me for this please have a look at my website and if you fit the requirements for either Happy Naked Girls or my glamour work please get in touch with a couple of pictures.

Happy St Patrick's day

2011-03-17T01:25:00.001Z

Comments are now allowed

2011-03-16T18:46:00.002Z

I've decided to allow comments on my blog so please feel free to let me know your opinions and views.

My latest project has well and truely begun

2011-03-16T18:43:00.002Z

And it's exactly what is says.

Models are you out there?

2011-03-14T13:00:00.002Z

I'm getting prepared to take on lots of shoots with the right girls for all my projects and I'm sure there's lots of models out there I'd love to see in my portfolio or one of my projects and I'm sure I can do your portfolio proud in return.

I have a few personal projects I'd like to get more shoots done towards.

First off there's my Happy Naked Girls. The requirements for this are on my website but in brief you need to be in great shape, have a great personality and smile and be happy being completely naked. So girls if you fit the bill please mail me now.

In addition to my usual requirements I'd like to add a bit of variation and include some happy naked yummy mummy's. For this you'll need to be aged 30+ and be in great shape with a natural figure and have all the other requirements for Happy Naked Girls.

It's my intention to showcase my Happy Naked Girls shoots in a one off online magazine of the same name so if you'd like to feature in it please have a look at the requirements and mail me some pictures.

ed@fasteddieglamour.co.uk

I'm looking for models for Naked Redheads which I think speaks for itself and is in a glamour style.

Girls In Sweaters which is glamour and features girls wearing all sort of sweaters be it a jumper or a big cardy or a tiny cut off sweater and very little else. This style favours girls with fuller boobs but if you think you'll look great then send me a picture because I'd love to hear from you.

Finally my glamour portfolio needs an injection of new talent. I'd like to extend a big thank you to all the models who've been kind enough to ask to shoot with me and so patient for waitng. The good news is I'm getting some nice venues sorted to shoot and if I haven't been in touch recently you'll be hearing from me very soon.

One last reminder.

For all my shoots you'll need to be in great shape, have a good figure, a friendly happy smile and lots of personality. I'll happily consider boobjobs and enhancements for my glamour shoots but for Happy Naked Girls you'll need to be completely natural.

Everything you need to know about shooting with me is on my website so I hope to hear from you soon.

Please mail me at ed@fasteddieglamour.co.uk

Magazine submissions

2011-02-28T13:28:00.001Z

I've spent almost half a day searching and submitting to magazines in order to distribute picture sets. I've had a couple of replies already and they're telling me that they have too much stock already. I'm not seeking one particular style or level of magazine as I'm pretty versatile in what I shoot however it is getting harder to make good progress without lots of effort and persistence.
I've got plenty of models who'd love to shoot with me as a way into getting published but I'm never in a position to be able to offer any guarantee about this as the final decision is always up to the editor and they always seek girls who are just right for their next issue. This is often very difficult to predict from a photographers standpoint but if you're a photographer it's well worth noting that as long as your standard of photography is good a rejection will come about because the girl or the content of the picture set is not to the picture editors current requirement. If you're a model it's worth noting what I mentioned about photographers not being able to make absolute promises about getting you into magazines because the final decision is out of their hands. I'd never promise anyone but if I think a model is worth shooting I'll definitely do my best to keep trying different publications.

So what prevents a set of well taken pictures of a great looking girl from being accepted for publication?
Well she might be a great looking girl with a lot going for her but if she isn't they style of girl the publication uses then the pictures will be returned with a thanks but no thanks reply. This shouldn't put anyone off. It just means the girl type in the pictures and the one the magazine requires simply aren't the same. So keep trying with other publications and do a bit more homework.
It could also be that from the photographers point the right sort of pictures haven't been shot. The set might not contain enough space of enough pictures for the designers to lay them up on pages with text the way they need to. Or there simply might not be enough variety in poses etc.
It could be that the publication already has too much available content waiting to be used. Once again don't be put off by this. I had 2 replies like this today so I wrote back and asked if there was any content they are lacking and also what sort of pictures sets they really don't want due to an excess already on file.
The worst reason of all is there but no one will reply with such an answer. It's simply that many people will give away content for many reasons. There's the fella with a camera and a model and some lucky pictures who will give them away for the kudos of seeing work published and it's amazing how a picture editor will drop the quality control standards in order to use a sub standard set of pictures at no cost to him. There is also a situation where high level producers of other media such as adult movies and late night television chat channels are giving away images of their girls as a loss leader to attract attention elsewhere and once again what editor is going to say no to professional images of great looking girls for free?

Your photography must be of a suitable standard for the publication you're hoping to submit to. Be aware that while some picture sets don't sell because of a lack of technical merit there are also some publications that will reject sets because they're technically too good for their market.
Do your homework and check out what style and look of girl the publication likes to use and try and shoot a set that's got some originality about it while still being of that publications style.

10th April Workshop Sold Out

2011-02-26T10:05:00.001Z

My Secrets Of Glamour Workshop in Hook on 10th April has sold out.

Many thanks to everyone who's booked a place.

I'm in the process of organising another workshop in Bristol and details will be announced in a few days.

Advance notice. Bristol Glamour Photography Workshop

2011-02-25T11:37:00.001Z

I'm finding that my Glamour Photography Workshops places are selling quickly through advance enquiries at present so when it comes time to advertise them I'm often having to turn people down as they've not snapped up the places quickly enough.

So I'm giving a heads up on this one before I've even finalised the date. Everything else is confirmed.

I'll be running a workshop in Bristol on either Sunday 17th April or Sunday 8th May. It will have a theme of Alternative and Latex Glamour and will be held in a cellar bar which is used as a Rock and Alt music venue so it will be a great opportunity for anyone wanting to learn how to shoot on location and add atmosphere and a theme to a shoot.

I will also cover all my usual Secrets Of Glamour so you'll be learning how to work and communicate with models, lighting skills, how to pose a model, Photoshop for glamour and many more trade secrets and tips that no one else will share with you.

If you'd like some advance information please contact me soon. 3 places have already sold in advance at there are 3 more available.

info@fasteddieglamour.co.uk

Happy Naked Girl shoot

2011-02-23T09:48:00.000Z

Shooting today with the delightfully natural Claire for Happy Naked Girls

Workshop announced. Secrets Of Glamour 10th April 2011

2011-02-18T13:41:00.008Z

I'm very pleased to announce that I'll be making a welcome return to Hook Photographic Studio on Sunday 10th April 2011 for another of my glamour photography workshops.

I've already run several other popular events at this studio and it's nice to be returning to familiar surroundings.

The picture on the left is from one of my demonstration shoots at my last workshop there back in November 2009 when we featured Chacha as our model following a Cowgirl theme and we also had the use of a brand new custom built Harley Davidson motorcycle.

This is the first formal announcement and I'll be advertising it widely but you'll be advised to book early as I've already taken booking for 2 of the 6 places available.

The price is £90 per person and a £30 deposit is required to secure a place.

Full details of my Secrets Of Glamour workshop can be found on my website or you can mail me for more information.

info@fasteddieglamour.co.uk

Websites

2011-02-15T15:55:00.009Z

Well maybe that should read website in the singular? I say that because I own several URLs and as yet have to develop independent sites for each so a few just link to different areas of interest on my main site.

I'll put my hands up and be the first to admit I'm a complete novice at website design but I really enjoy maintaining my own website.

I've never been a fan of websites that have more flashy bits than content which is just as well as I have no idea how to make the flashy bits.

My use for a website is simply to provide information and showcase my photography. I'm also of the same opinion when browsing sites for information or to see pictures.

I've often followed links to websites in order to view a photographer or models work and lost interest almost instantly simply because I had to try and work out how to see some pictures. Sometimes all I wanted to do for example is see some pictures of a model to see if I'd find her suitable for my style of work and had to battle my way through all sorts of special effects while trying to find out how to mute the music and I often find myself giving up.

Some photographers are very talented at making websites. Perhaps that's their strong point? Who knows but once again I've often gone to websites to discover that all the flashy bits seem more important than what often turns out to be galleries showing mediocre pictures.

Mine's very simple and I regularly receive comment, advice and criticism about it but it does the job for me.

I've spent most of this afternoon tweaking and adjusting pages and my own opinion is that I'd like to have a bit of a clear out and tidy some of it up.

However it's received almost 51,000 hits in 15 months and I'm very happy about that as many of those hits lead to people mailing me to ask for training and models asking to shoot.

http://www.fasteddieglamour.co.uk/

Workshop venues for 2011

2011-02-10T15:12:00.001Z

I'm getting a lot of interest to run more glamour photography workshops in many areas of the UK.

What I need are interesting venues to stage them.

At present I'm looking for a suitable venue to run a glamour photography workshop in the Bristol area. Do you know somewhere interesting? Nice house? Interesting workshop? Swimming pool? Gym? Nightclub? Bar? Farm? Maybe you know a type of venue I haven't thought of yet?
I'm definitely not looking for a plain photo studio.
Please mail me if you know of a place and have a contact there.

ed@fasteddieglamour.co.uk

If you're a photographer and you find me a suitable venue I'll give a free place on one of my workshops.

Tattooed and naked

2011-02-05T12:11:00.002Z

I'm really pleased that I'm now beginning my Tattooed Naked Girls project and the right sort of models are approaching me to be part of it so I'll be making this a major project for 2011 and beyond.

One of my plans is to produce some calendars for 2012 to showcase my work and as well as my well known glamour I'll be producing some from my various personal projects so I'm keen to make my Tattooed Naked Girls a calendar for 2012.

I've got off to a great start with a shoot featuring Lelly Dollah.

I'm currently looking out for suitable models so girls if you'd like to feature in this project please check out the requirements on my website and if you feel you'd like to get involved I'd love to hear from you.

Flame grilled

2011-02-01T12:20:00.002Z

Check out Issue 4 of FLAME magazine

http://www.flame-magazine.co.uk/Home.html

The sun is shining!

2011-01-28T14:39:00.000Z

I'm sure it's not because of my choice to post pictures of lovely girls in the sunshine all this week but I'm not complaining.

However....

Like everyone else my eyesight is very precious. As some of you will know for the last 2 months or so I've done no shoots and taken a complete rest from photography due to a health problem. For those who didn't know the problem was with my eyesight, or so I was told.
A routine trip to the optician for new glasses revealed a problem which was referred to my doctor who in turn referred me to the Eye Clinic at my local hospital. Being told you have a problem but not exactly what that problem is when you feel that your sight is otherwise perfect causes all sorts of worries and for the first week or so I was a bit of a nervous wreck. After a while I began to think "what the heck" and felt fine in myself again until this morning, which was the morning of my tests. I didn't know what the problem was or what the tests would entail or worse still what the diagnosis might be.

I'm not going to go into detail here except to say that there is absolutely nothing wrong with my eyesight whatsoever. There is however according the my surgeon today, something very wrong with the equipment and means of making some of the tests at my opticians! A well known chain who I won't name at the moment but let's just say "Should have gone somewhere else"

So the outcome is that there is absolutely nothing wrong with my eyesight whatsoever. Which by strange coincidence is exactly how it's looked to me.

The sun is shinning really brightly today which is a joy. But I can't enjoy it for the next few hours as bright lights are really uncomfortable until the effects of my tests have worn off.

So in celebration of today's glorious sunshine I'll end my week of sunny summer glamour with a few images I've shot in this country.

Have a great weekend

Warm and sunny again today...

2011-01-27T11:00:00.000Z

Well no not really but this picture of Jessica Jackson who I shot in the Algarve is.

I've found May is a great time to visit many places as the season hasn't got into full swing and the weather is great but the beaches are very quiet. We had this particular beach to ourselves and this was taken in the late afternoon not long before we packed up and went back to the villa to get ready for dinner.

I enjoy making black and white images and it's very rare I'd make a B+W glamour image but I felt the light and tones of this one lends itself well to the medium.

A bit more summer sun

2011-01-26T11:29:00.005Z

Today's summer pictures feature Logan Jade who I shot in Spain.

I shot this using one of my favourite techniques for working in very bright sunshine. I like to face the model so the sun is 45 degrees behind her to one side. It's important that she is facing away from the sun. The sun then provides a nice rim lighting adding shadows and depth. You must use a good deep lens hood to prevent direct sun falling on the lens and creating flare. I also use a gobo which is a piece of black card held on a small arm (or hand held) to provide some extra shade on the lens. Just the right amount of fill in flash provides the frontal lighting. I like to use a longer lens to keep the background tight which means I could be 20ft from the model and this spells disaster for hot shoe type speed lights. Don't believe the hype! They're nowhere near as powerful as the makers claim as their quoted guide numbers are based on the tightest zoom setting which concentrates the flash and when set to cover a normal or wide lens their power is woefully inadequate.
In conditions as bright as this you'll struggle to open up your aperture to allow for the flash as the sun is very powerful and in order to keep within flash sync speeds for conditions like this you'll be shooting at around 1/250 sec @ f11 or f16. What about high speed flash syncing I hear you ask? Again it's woefully inadequate as it produces a series of rapid pulsed flashes which result in reduced output.
So what's the solution? I use very powerful flashguns. I either use a Metz 60CT1 or a studio flash running off a portable power pack.

This picture uses the simplest lighting technique of all. We wandered along the beach and came across a derelict holiday villa with a large porch supported by Grecian style columns. Logan is in the shade of the porch and I used a very large silver reflector to the right of her placed outside the porch to catch and reflect the direct sun. When using reflectors size is very important as the reflector will project a pool of light of it's own size. Using silver reflectors in direct sun can be very uncomfortable for the model and will cause her to have streaming eyes after only a few minutes so my tip is to get the model to look away from the reflector and even close her eyes while you set up your shot and ask her to open them just before you press the shutter release.

Today's ray of sunshine

2011-01-25T12:59:00.002Z

Is Beverley photographed in her garden a couple of summers ago.

I'm often asked what the upper age limit is for the models I shoot and that's a difficult one to answer. For most of my castings I place an upper limit that I think will keep everything in perspective. Usually this upper limit is for models in their late 20's and the reason is quite simple. I'm always looking for models who first and foremost must look great so I feel there's more chance of finding someone within a certain age bracket, but it's by no means set in stone. Once a suitable potential model is found I'm not too greatly concerned if she has no previous experience as I can guide and help her with her posing and presentation.
Every so often I'm lucky enough to work with someone who is just fantastic in all aspects of looks, experience, sense of fun, personality, presentation and everything else that goes into that big bundle of talents that brings the end product that says "Model".

Beverley is one such model. Take a second look at her to see what I mean. This picture was part of a very fun naturist style shoot and I think you'll agree Beverley looks great.

So the answer to the question of age is........erm.... I'll have to go away and think about it some more.

However I'm always after the same combination of qualities in a model. Great looks, great figure, great smile, the right attitude, sense of fun, etc etc etc.

I know she won't mind me telling you but in case you're wondering, Beverley was 42 when we did this bubbly fun set of pictures.

Great News!

2011-01-25T12:34:00.000Z

I've just been awarded "Glamour Photographer Of The Year" and "Glamour Image Of The Year" on Net-Model

Thank you to everyone who's been so kind to watch my work and most of all to all my models who helped me create my images because without you I'm nothing.

I must also say a massive "WELL DONE" to my friend Pixie who was awarded the title of "Best Fetish Model" which is very well deserved. I'm really pleased to see her getting this recognition. I have to add however that Pixie is an incredibly versatile model and she can certainly turn her skills to most styles.

She shoots lots of cheeky glamour with me and every shoot is a real treat.

Here's one of our images.

Let's see a little sunshine

2011-01-24T15:51:00.004Z

I was sorting out a few images today to update some online portfolios and realised that I really must get to somewhere hot and sunny again this summer to shoot some great glamour. Plans are already in progress but in the meantime I thought I'd use this as an excuse to post some summer glamour pictures in my blog just to lift some of those winter blues.

Today's image is of the stunning Bridie and was shot in Crete.

Here's how this picture was taken. Direct mid afternoon sun high in the sky and about 40 degrees to the left of the camera. 1 large reflector to provide some soft full length fill in and a Nikon SB800 flashgun zoomed tight to provide the brightness to Bridie's face and chest. This eliminates shadows under her chin and produces a bright sparkle to her eyes.

February's going to be busy!

2011-01-20T16:44:00.003Z

It's still a week until I do my first shoot of 2011 following my break and I'm in the process of booking more shoots with quite a bit of diversity.

My first shoot of the year is a glamour shoot with the lovely Hannah Harte who I've shot a few times before. Our first shoot was for FLIRT and she featured strongly across her own 3 page spread. Since then Hannah has flourished and got a little bit more ink and she's one of the prettiest looking girls I've worked with. I'm also very fortunate that she's local too. Not so fortunate for Hannah though when I got her to come out and do a shoot in the early snows way back at the beginning of 2010 (did anyone forget we had snow right at the start of 2010 too?) when she happily gave her all to posing in the sub zero temperatures to produce some fun pictures. I'm really looking forward to shooting with her again and she's a great choice to begin the year with. The images featured above are from our last shoot when she made the big move to shoot topless and I think you'll all agree she looks just lovely.

I'm also about to start working on shoots for my Tattooed Naked Girls project. By a stroke of good fortune I've had 3 very nicely inked girls contact me recently and shoots will begin this month. I've been looking at running this project for quite some time now and I think now is the right time to introduce a new style of model and work to my repertoire. If you're a model and you'd like to get involved with my Tattooed Naked Girls project or indeed any of my other projects have a look at my website and if you'd feel you like to work with me I'd love to hear from you.

I'm currently looking for several types of model to collaborate on shoots with so please have a browse at my wedsite. I'm particularly interested in hearing from Happy Naked Girls and Naked Redheads as well as great glamour models. So if you've got the looks and would like a fun shoot with some great pictures please mail me ed@fasteddieglamour.co.uk

My Glamour Photography Workshops will be off to a flying start much earlier than usual due to a request to fulfil a requirement of a group of photographers in the Gatwick area. I must thank Jim and Cheryl for their invitation and for hosting the event in early February. I believe there might still be a place available if anyone would like to grab it at just £90.

I'll post full details of what the day covers on my website in the next few days.

Time to get shooting again !

2011-01-18T17:20:00.002Z

Right lets begin with a picture from my last shoot way back at the end of 2010.

Kesse is an amazing model not just because she looks so great but because this is one of her first shoots following her recovery since breaking her back.

She is a really special Happy Naked Girl and here's a picture to show you why.

Speaking of Happy Naked Girls I think it's about time I got some shoots planned for 2011 so I'll be continuing with this project in a big way and I'll be adding just a little hint of a few themes while I'm shooting these gorgeous. So maybe I'll begin with a Happy naked valentine? Keep coming back to find out more.

On the subject of themes I've been keen to shoot a project of Naked Tattooed Girls and it I've had approaches from a few models who will be just perfect to get this project up and running. I'm about to set some dates for the first couple of shoots and in the meantime here's one of my favourite tattooed girls from one of our shoots from last year. Here is the delightful Miss Pixie.

As promised here's the first of my how it was done posts. The above picture was taken as the light was failing at the end of what had been another fun shoot with Pixie. The cabin we shot at is located in dense forrest and the only break in the canopy of leaves is directly above and behind the camera position so this resulted in settings of 640 ISO, 1/30 sec and f5.6. As most of the light was coming from overhead there would have been some very dense shadows under Pixie's hat, under her leg and in the background. This is simply remedied with some fill in flash. However using direct flash for fill in would have been far too harsh so this time I used some of my home made kit. The light source for the fill in is my trusty Metz 58 AF1 which is fully compatible with the Nikon CLS lighting system. It's fitted with a stofen type diffuser and an 8" reflector fitted with shower cap style white diffuser made from white ripstop nylon. Although the CLS system allows remote wireless flash control on this occasion I chose to fire the flash using a 6 mtr long TTL lead which I made by replacing the short curly lead on a cheap and cheerful eBay item with some straight multi core bought from Maplin. It's easy to dial the amount of fill in flash up or down from the camera position to balance the daylight exposure.

If you're a model who'd like to do a shoot with me for Happy Naked Girls, Tattooed Naked Girls or one of my other projects, or be a great new face and figure in my glamour portfolio then please drop by my website and if the levels suit you please mail me at info@fasteddieglamour.co.uk

Thanks everyone and a little something else

2011-01-08T12:59:00.000Z

I've only re-activated my website a few days ago and let people know that I'll be back doing shoots soon and already I'm getting lots of interest from great models who'd like to do shoots with me. I can't tell you all how pleased I am about this as these requests are coming from all sorts of sources and from many types of model.

While I've been resting my photography I've had plenty of time to think and although I'm a bit of a creature of photographic style habits I'm hoping to diversify in at least a little way.

My glamour portfolio certainly needs a bit of new life so I'll be catching up with shoots to top it back up to standard and I'll be pursuing project based shoots too. The Happy Naked Girls are here to stay and I'm already chatting to models and getting ready to set dates for shoots so many thanks to those very special girls who are new shoots for me and to those who'll be doing follow up shoots. I've a couple more long term projects I'm keeping under wraps for the time being as I've noticed a photographer or two who by coincidence announce incredibly similar projects a week or two later but I have to say that in my opinion they don't tackle them in the same way that I intend to.

Now for the little something else.

I've found that model/photographer type websites attract my attention less and less these days for any number of reasons. There is one in particular that I know many photographers and a few models from that is becoming increasingly tiresome due to the few people who over populate the forums with flaming and bullying and non related topics. Over the years this site has degenerated in quality. Where there were once plenty of photographers and models of a very good standard it now seems to be dominated with people who do more talking than making of images but what shows up more than anything is the fact that many of these folks have become very cellular and don't seem to recognise that they're not being a part of the wider global community but give the impression that they are the fonts of all knowledge, opinion and judgement on the subject. The site holds very little to me in the way of suitable model membership so I don't frequent it much but I still feel it's a shame that this and other sites become cliques thus possibly deterring new photographers, model MUA's etc from developing.

There's another site that I don't log into much and I've heard other people give negative opinions of but I find it's a source of healthy interest in my work and doing shoots with me form the type of models that I seek.

I've not run a casting on any site for quite a while now but one of these sites produces a steady flow of mails and shoot requests that inspire me and make me feel I might just be OK as a photographer and people like my work.

I joined another website when it began and gave lots of support and advice and although there are many common members the site just hasn't flourished. The forums are dull and some of the rules for members are rather stern and discourage effective communication. I found it very difficult to take communications to a more constructive level so as far as making suitable shoot arrangements goes I simply don't use that site any more.

So how do I find my models you might ask?   If I take this past week as an example it should give you a good idea. Firstly the site that brings me more model interest than any is Facebook. How strange is that? It's not even a specific model/photographer website but there are an amazing amount of models and photographers in it's membership. I have a profile for general use and one specifically for my glamour and girl photography. I find it easy to chat and communicate and it's nice to get an email from a model wanting to shoot and see they're keen enough to pop up on chat to follow up when I log in. Of course it's not the case that everything goes great as like everyone else I get many requests from models who'd be much better suited to working with other people.
I also get quite a lot of follow up shoots.  I find these the most satisfying of all as it reassures me that the model enjoyed shooting with me the previous time and some of these models have become firm favourites and good friends. I also get approaches at social events. This again is very rewarding but can also be a little intimidating as the approach might have been by word of mouth on the night. The conversation often begins with "Hi my name is....... I was just talking to......... and they suggested I come and have a chat with you"
I'm grateful for all the interest models show in shooting with me and without it I might have no shoots to do so once again I extend my thanks to you all.

If there is one thing I'd like to point out to potential models it is that you look at my website and see my work and check my model requirements as I get a fair few requests from models who don't work to my levels and I hate saying no.

Now then let's have a look at what I noticed about how some photographers project and promote themselves.

I can't help but comment on things like business cards and websites. I like my website and blog and enjoy keeping them fresh and I've seen some great ones by other photographers and models. Some of these people are awesome craftsmen and very inspiring.
I've also noticed that there are quite a few very nicely presented websites which are far more impressive than the content. I picked up on one recently through facebook. The guy had linked to it and it was a truly impressive site by design. There was some great information, opinions and advice but as I looked at the gallery's I was very disappointed. The standard of work was low and each gallery contained images from the same shoots and often of the same model. I then began to wonder if the good advice and opinions were his own work? Another thing is business cards. I've been given some very impressive business cards from some very unimpressive photographers. They often go round dealing them out like we just can't go away without having one.   Why do they all have to look so great? Most people ask me for a card simply to have a record of my contact details so that's what it's got on it. As many contact details as I can fit. My name, email address, website url, blog url, phone numbers. That's it.

So why am I telling you about these things? Simply so that if you're starting on the road of glamour photography you get off on the right foot. The feedback from many models who've chosen to shoot with the above mentioned is often disappointment. Their website and the talk was often impressive but the shoot was disappointing. I wish I had the same patter and sales pitch as some of these guys. I truly do because that's where I'm lacking. However if you'd like to take the advice I offer to everyone who attends my workshops then be completely honest when chatting to a model about a potential shoot. The feedback I hear from models after such shoots is often much better and more along the lines of "He was a great guy and I enjoyed my shoot", simply because honesty and trust goes a very long way in building a good reputation.

Well as you can see my blog is back and although I don't make resolutions I'll try and include a lot more shooting advice and how it was done type entries after shoots. Now all I have to do is remember to shoot a few more behind the scenes pictures to illustrate them.

There's not been many images on my last few posts but don't worry normal service will be resumed very shortly.

Have a great 2011.

Back soon

2011-01-06T11:22:00.000Z

Many thanks to everyone who's kept in touch while I've been taking this break.

I've had a few models mail me to enquire about shooting with me and with a little good fortune I'll hopefully be able to do some shoots in a couple of weeks or so.

Hope you all had a very happy and peaceful festive season and that your resolutions will all be successful.

I was a little disappointed that I couldn't produce my Happy Naked Girls calendar due to reasons out of my control but I'm still getting models wanting to shoot that style with me and I've really enjoyed doing it so it's now a long term project. Besides new enquiries I have plenty of models who'd like to shoot that style again so let's see what comes of it in 2011.

As for other photography plans for 2011 I think I'll just go with the flow but I'll still be shooting gorgeous girls.

A personal message

2010-12-03T12:21:00.000Z

Hi everyone,

I’ve been involved in photography for over 39yrs. It’s my life and I love it.

Those of you who’ve been kind enough to follow my progress on my website and my blog might have noticed that I’ve reduced my shoots over the past few months in favour of some personal projects. Unfortunately I’ve not been able to completely fulfil these projects. I now have to take a break from photography. I have a couple of health issues I must address. I’m not sure how long I’ll be taking a break for but I hope to be back some time in 2011. I’d like to extend a massive thank you to all the models who’ve believed in me because I couldn’t be a photographer without you. I’d also like to show my thanks to the many photographers and friends who mail me just to chat, ask advice or seek training. Unfortunately while I’m on this break I won’t be able to reply to any mails about shoots or training or anything else related to my photography but please be assured I do appreciate all you mails.

Ed.

Happy Naked Girls ar back on track!

2010-11-24T14:24:00.000Z

Thanks to 3 lovely happy natural girls who are all very keen to shoot with me for my Happy Naked Girls project it looks like I'm back on track.

My thanks to Mandy, Jay and Fran who I can't wait to shoot very soon.

I'm really enjoying working on this project and I'm going to develop it further and make it even bigger and better during 2011.

So models please keep applying to shoot with me for this. It's lots of fun for the right girls and all I ask of you is...

You've got a completely natural figure,
Boob size isn't important. As long as they're a nice shape they can big or tiny.

You have a slim figure in great shape.

You're pretty.

You have a great smile and can show you're fun.

And you're happy with full frontal tasteful nudity.

Mail me now ed@happynakedgirls.co.uk

Happy Naked Girls? Doubtful now

2010-11-23T00:46:00.000Z

It's looking very much like I'll have to cancel my Happy Naked Girls calendar for 2011 unless I find at least 4 new girls to shoot very quickly.

Over this past week or so I've had 2 girls who I've already shot change their minds which I completely respect and 2 more girls cancel shoots for personal reasons.

All of the things above happen and that's completely ok with me. I've been very fussy about who I'll shoot for this project. However I could have been like may other people and shot lots of girls who weren't quite good enough but that would have only resulted in a less than perfect outcome.

I'm glad I've stood by my principles and I'll continue with the project but unless I find a few new girls for it very very soon the calendar will have to wait until next year.

I'd like to extend a massive thanks to every girl who's shared in the making of this project with me and I hope you know you're all very very special models.

If you'd like to step up and help me finish this project please look at the requirements and mail me now.

Thanks
Ed

Special offers in the New Year

2010-11-21T11:41:00.000Z

I'll be introducing two special offers for 2011 on my website very soon.

One for models and one for photographers.

I'll be running studio based glamour portfolio building days for models.
Maybe you've not tried your hand at glamour yet and think it's time to give it a try? Or maybe you're already a glamour model and you feel your portfolio needs some fresh up to date images? You might even have never modelled before and that's absolutely great because I'll give you all the help and guidance I can and help you with your posing and look.
This will be your shoot so what we do and what level we shoot is completely up to you so if clothed or bikini glamour is your choice then that's what we'll be shooting and if you prefer other levels then that's great too. It's totally up to you.
I'm reducing my prices for this offer so please come back here or check my website for more details soon.
You can also check out my references on most of the major model sites and here on my model feedback page.

For photographers I'll be making a special offer on one to one training.
My normal charge for tuition is £30 per hour with a minimum of 3hrs (£90) booking. This includes the first 100miles of travel and any extra travel is at fuel cost only.

In January and February I'll be offering 4hrs personal tuition for just £90 including the first 200miles of travel and any extra travel is at fuel cost only. That's an extra hour for free!
That's around the same cost (or less) than hiring most studios for half a day!
The big difference is you'll be getting tuition customised to your requirements and learning and improving your photography!

All the details will appear on my website soon and while you're there take at look at the feedback from photographers who've attended my workshops and training..

A shoot with Steph... Happy, Naked and a Redhead :)

2010-10-20T22:49:00.003+01:00

I could easily say that today's shoot with Steph G has been twice as good for 2 reasons. Number one she's a Happy Naked Girl and number 2 she's a Naked Redhead which makes her twice as nice.
I've shot with Steph on a couple of occasions already and I'm always knocked out by her fantastic natural figure and as she's been working hard on getting into top shape I think you'll agree she looks absolutely fantastic. We shot lots of stuff today and as you'll see from her picture she got a little peckish and found herself a lollipop to be playful with.
Steph will definitely be in my Happy Naked Girls calendar for 2010 and she's definitely raised the standards for all my future shoots for this project. Besides this she's the very first girl in my new Naked Redheads project too so I feel like I'm off to a great start.
Thanks Steph you're such a natural beauty and loads of fun.

Now for the photographers reading this it's time for a very brief "How it'd done"

The shot is lit with 2 light sources. The main light is a 600w/s studio head fitted with a beauty dish and shower cap diffuser and placed to the left of camera. The second light provides just gives a little lift to Steph's flaming coloured hair. It's a Metz 48 AF1 digital fitted with a home made snoot. This is currently my favourite choice as a hair light because of it compact size. It's placed at ceiling height and about 45deg behind and to the right of Steph about 2.5 m away. Both lights are set to provide the same f stop. The shutter speed is adjusted to give a suitable exposure for the brightly lit trees outside the window.

My Websites

2010-10-17T22:08:00.004+01:00

For those of you that don't already know you can find out lots about the shoots I do on my website where you'll find a few updates and a couple of additional pages I've just completed

http://www.fasteddieglamour.co.uk/

I also have other sites dedicated to my ongoing projects. I've found that at present I work better with a themed project and I must admit I'm finding some of them very refreshing.

My Happy Naked Girls project is going very well and I have some great new girls lined up to shoot for this over the next couple of weeks and I hope to get enough lovely natural girls shot to get my calendar done in time. Having said that I'd still like to find a couple of new faces for this project so if you're a model who's interested in shooting with me please have a look on my website for details and mail me with some pictures.

While I'm on the subject of websites and projects I realised that there's a couple of themes I've already been shooting without realising it so I've decided to make them into projects too. I think Naked Redheads is pretty self explanatory but it came about because I have shot a couple in the past and have a couple more gorgeous natural flaming haired girls lined up for shoots in the next couple of weeks and I think a whole website or a calendar or book of pictures of these beauties would be just fantastic. Once again if you've got a shock of red hair and you're happy being naked please mail me if you'd like to shoot with me.

Another new theme will be Girls In Sweaters. The link won't be active for a couple of weeks yet but it's another idea I've already been shooting without realising it and I think it will be a nice change as girls can be natural or have enhancements for this but the main thing is they have to look great wearing a sweater and nothing else..

Ice hockey locker room shoot with Sabrina P

2010-10-14T16:08:00.006+01:00

Here's a picture from my locker room shoot with Sabrina P.
It's about time I started posting a few "How it was done" blogs so here goes.

The lighting consists of 3 sources.

The main light is a studio flash fitted with a 30deg honeycomb and placed on a stand about 20deg to the right and 45deg above the camera. The honeycomb produces a tight beam similar to a spotlight.

The light for the background is also a studio flash fitted with barndoors and a blue gel and placed on a short stand (3ft tall) 90deg to the left of and just behind Sabrina output set to match the main light. I chose the blue gel to represent the cold of the ice hockey theme and show off Sabrina's warm coloured skin tone. The barn doors allow the light to be controlled and protect the lens from flare.

The third light is a Metz 48 AF1 Digital speedlight set to manual and fitted with a home made snoot and placed on the shelf behind Sabrina's head. The power is set very low to provide just a bit glow to Sabrina's hair and create some separation from the background. I find I often use a speedlight as a hair light now as they take up so little room and can be placed almost anywhere on a Manfrotto Super Clamp fitted with a ball and socket flash shoe.

All the lights were fired with radio triggers.

.... and then they'll disappear again.

2010-10-14T11:23:00.001+01:00

People with cameras come along and call themselves photographers then they find out they don't have enough skill to carry it off and off they go again to try something else and I've puzzled about this modern phenomenon about photography and I still can't work it out.
Why do people think it's so easy? Would they buy a guitar and without learning to play it declare themselves to be as great as Eric Clapton or Jimi Hendrix? I doubt it, but why do they do it with a camera? Is it an ego thing? Is it to make money? Is it seen as easy access to lots of beautiful women?
The Internet is a fantastic place to get to know people and to learn and to show off. I certainly know I do all of those but it's also a place to become a pretender. It's a bit like something I've often heard said about the USA, "You can be whatever you want to be" except with these guys with cameras (GWC) it's more a case of "You can be whatever you want to pretend to be"
So how do I feel about all this? Sometimes I feel devalued, sometimes I say "Here comes another one" followed shortly be "There goes another one" and sometimes I just don't notice.
What I do notice is the vast amounts of girls wanting to become models who know little or nothing about me or these GWC's and can't differentiate between us.
In just over a month time (16th Nov) it will be exactly 39yrs since I began working in photography. I learned by doing the job alongside established people who'd been professionals for as long as I have now. I did the menial jobs like processing film and I hasten to say not just the occasional film but thousands of them every week, I pestered all of the photographers I knew for help and advice and eventually one spotted my enthusiasm and offered me a job in his studios. I spent years at college. I've worked to tough deadlines. I've photographed just about everything possible from down in the deepest caves to hanging out of light aircraft to photograph new architecture. I've done some very happy photography jobs like peoples weddings and parties and some very sad ones like photographing peoples injuries from the result of terrorist attacks. I've spent days in the sunshine photographing racing cars and carried on as they raced into the night. I've been welcome to carry out my trade by people from many cultures. I've shot front page news. I've been freezing cold and soaking wet and I've been badly burnt by the sun. I've fallen down a massive hole in frozen ground as I photographed a bridge being lifted into place. I've shed a tear at the funerals of the great photographers who became great friends and were kind enough to share their experience when they taught me. I've smiled as I photographed bands and comedians. I've made great friends.
These days I concentrate on what I love best which is photographing beautiful women. It's not the easiest way to make money in photography but I love it and it's my life.
Next year I'll have been working in photography for 40yrs and between now and then I will photograph lots more beautiful women and teach lots more people the right way to do it through my workshops.
I'll also see many guys with cameras come along and pretend to be photograpers...
...and then they'll disappear again.

An afternoon with a happy naked girl

2010-10-12T12:47:00.003+01:00

I spent a fine afternoon in Bristol last Thursday shooting with the lovely Claire Cook. How come I get so many natural looking models from Bristol asking me to shoot? To be honest I have no idea but I know I'm not complaining but if I spend much more time shooting girls from Bristol I think I'm going to have to move there.

Claire was lovely to shoot with and with her blonde Scandinavian looks she is idea for my Happy Naked Girls project. It's mid October now but the sun was still kind enough for us to have a little while shooting outside as well as various places around the house. We even shot a "naked girl makes a cup of tea" set of pictures. I've found doing these little sequence sets adds a lot of fun to a shoot and it's allows a model just to be herself and pose more naturally.

We finished off our shoot with some glamour and Claire is definitely a model I hope to shoot with again.

An interesting week

2010-10-08T15:50:00.000+01:00

I can safely say that I've had a week of very mixed success.
I had 2 shoot cancellations in the first part of the week and 2 more calls to cancel shoots last night.
And today I've had to cancel a shoot for next week myself.
These cancellations have been more than overshadowed by the great shoots that I've had with some fantastic models this week.
At least now I have few days to catch up with some editing and it'll be nice not to have to travel so much for a while.
However due to very limited availability over the next 5 or 6 weeks I'm not in a position to take on many new shoots so priority will be given to models who are suitable for my Happy Naked Girls project.

Maintenance. Some tips for photographers.

2010-10-06T12:51:00.000+01:00

I'm very careful with the care of my cameras and lighting kit and everything is packed and protected in cases and it's experience that's led me to make sure all my kit is in good order. As I travel for many of my shoots I need to be aware of the extra stress that handling and transportation can exert on kit compared to being used in a studio environment. In the past I've had days when things didn't go as smoothly as possible because of problems with equipment and I'd really like those days to be kept in the past. Minor failures can often be remedied on the spot and being a practical sort of person I carry spares such as batteries, fuses, modeling lamps and other items that can and will fail at the most awkward time during a shoot. I'd like to travel lighter than I do but I'm much happier knowing I have a few major items duplicated so I definitely adopt the belt and braces approach. If I know I'll only need one flash head for a shoot I'll still take a second as I think we need to do our best to be prepared for the unexpected. Accidental damage such as tripping over a light stand and sending it crashing to the floor could mean the premature end to what might have been a great shoot.
As I packed my lighting kit away on Monday following my shoot with Charlie Dee a spar on one of my giant umbrella soft boxes broke away through what looks like a badly riveted connection. It was no big deal at the time as we'd finished but if it had happened at the beginning or during the shoot it could have resulted in a spoilt shoot which would be a failure on my part.
So today as well as making the necessary repair to the soft box I'm checking over all my lighting kit for anything that could develop into a problem that could affect a shoot or worse still become a safety hazard.
It doesn't take long to check things over and if you spot a loose nut or screw don't leave it, get it sorted now.
By the way one of the best things I carry is one of those well made multi tools with a knife, screwdriver and pliers etc . After all how could I make running repairs on a shoot with no tools?

Northern Mini Tour Day 3

2010-10-04T19:17:00.001+01:00

Knottingley, Sunshine and Glamour.
A couple of cold, dark, rainy days are the far side of a good nights sleep and today is a day of blue skies, sunshine and a nice warm temperature. Just a few minutes drive from my hotel took me to my next shoot with my gorgeous friend Charlie Dee. It was nice to see Charlie and Gav again. I've waited ages to shoot again with Charlie for some very obvious reasons and I'm really glad my travel plans have given me this chance. She's such a great model and I really mean great. She must know more poses than anyone else I've ever shot with and she never seems to pull a bad pose. She just always looks great and I love shooting with her and we always get great pictures. Today has been no exception. I've not even loaded them off the cards to my computer yet and I've had to grab a random picture to edit. I know Charlie can't wait to show off the fruits today's shoot and to be completely honest I got the feeling that I'd not last very long without wanting to post one to this blog. We don't seem to get many chances to shoot together so today we've both agreed to do more and we even threw a few ideas about for the future and I think we've made a great decision. Have a look at her picture and tell me what you think?
Unfortunately Louise had to cancel for out shoot later in the day and tomorrow's shoot with Steph G in Macclesfield has been moved to Friday so instead of another night in a hotel I'm heading home for a welcome night in my own bed.

Northern Mini tour day 2

2010-10-03T22:08:00.001+01:00

Today was the day of my Secrets Of Glamour workshop at Studio 5000 in Sunderland.
I arrived at the studio just after 9am and got prepared by setting up a projection area and laying out all the lighting gear ready for the morning's tutorial.
Before long the first of the photographers booked in began to arrive along with my lovely friend Emmie who was my main model for the day and we soon got down to the business of discussing how to work effectively with a model in order to make good communication and build a good rapport and respect. Next up was lighting theory and a practical demonstration of lighting and modifiers. A short demo period from me was followed by the first exercise for those attending before breaking for lunch.
Amanda who was our second model for the day joined us just as lunch ended and the afternoon was given over to the photographer to try out their new skills with informal help and demo's from me.
In all it was good despite a few too many equipment gremlins but everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.
Many to thanks to Dave, Tony, Mick, Derek, Rob and Lee for attending and to my lovely models Emmie and Amanda for bring a hint of glamour to the day. Many thanks to Les, Ritchie, Gary and David from Studio 5000 for hosting this event.
I was due to shoot with my friend Louise in York tonight but we agreed we'd be pushed for time so we've postponed until tomorrow afternoon.
I'm staying over in Knottingley tonight ready for my shoot tomorrow with my lovely friend Charlie Dee and then I'm moving over to York to shoot Louise.
Been a long day so time for a beer :)

Northern Mini Tour Day 1

2010-10-03T01:27:00.001+01:00

I'm here and what a lovely welcome I've had.
A drive of just over 4hrs is quite long enough and I'm pleased to report that my journey to Sunderland was all plain sailing. It's a very long time since I drove so long on the motorway with no major hold ups, incidents, roadworks or delays so maybe all those days are behind us for a while? Well at least until the volume of traffic demands more.
I arrived at Studio 5000 to be greeted by Les, Gary and Ritchie from the studio team and Derek who will be one of my students for tomorrows workshop. After having a look around to familiarise myself with the studio and equipment I decided what sets to use for tomorrows set up I chewed the fat with Les about the sort of stuff that makes up what we do.
Before long night had fallen and it was time to head off to Richies for a very pleasent night of food, drink, chat and good company. Richie and his family put on a lovely spread and we were joined by Mick Bland who will also be attending tomorrows workshop.
I used to be a regular visitor to the north east and I can safely say this is one of the warmest welcomes I've had. I've been made to feel most welcome already and we've even been discussing my next trip already.
I'm well settled now and would like to thank Ritchie and his family for welcoming me into their home tonight.
Early start in the morning when we'll get down to to the serious business of glamour photography with the main event which is my Secrets Of Glamour workshop.

Who could possibly say no.........

2010-10-01T17:58:00.004+01:00

.....to shooting with such a lovely girl as Hannah Harte? I've shot with Hannah a couple of times now. The first was for FLIRT magazine and the second was in the very worst of the snow we had last winter when Hannah bravely ran around in sub zero temperatures while we made the most of the heavy snow we had at the beginning of this year. Even though it was only a couple of weeks after Christmas I got Hannah to dress in a sexy Santa outfit for some Christmas pictures so we could make the very most of the seasonal weather. It's way too early to post a Santa pic of Hannah but if you really want to see one you can follow this link.

Those two shoots were firsts for Hannah and today's shoot was another first as this time Hannah had asked if I'd shoot her first set of topless pictures for her so of course I was very flattered to be asked and I headed off for one of the most local shoots I've done in ages. Hannah was as pretty and as natural and as bubbly as ever and she looked fantastic!. She's very local to me so I really must shoot with this lovely girl more often.

Nice Hockey?

2010-09-28T14:48:00.003+01:00

Looks like October's shoots will be having an unexpected sporting theme for me. Following on from the request to supply picture sets to Fighters Only magazine I'm also looking forward to another high energy sport themed shoot. This time it's Ice Hockey.

I've been looking forward to another shoot with the gorgeous Sabrina P and when she suggested she might get the use of an ice rink in return for a few publicity pictures wearing the local Ice Hockey team's kit I was really interested to hear more.

I've just heard back from Sabrina and we have a day's use of the ice rink and locker rooms for a days shoot. I've been wanting to do a locker room shoot for a long time and I know with Sabrina's eye for a good idea and her versatility as a model that I'm in a for a real treat. It's a couple of weeks until our shoot and Sabrina's busy toning her lovely natural figure so watch out here for some very hot results.

Fighters Only Magazine

2010-09-27T18:02:00.000+01:00

It's a few months since I had a feature in Fighters Only Magazine when a shoot with my great friend Chacha was used as their feature girl in issue 62 (March 2010)
So I was pleased to hear from David Kirkland when he asked if I'd like to supply some more photo sets of suitable girls to feature in future issues. As well as my photo set the girls are interviewed and get their own showcase feature over a few pages in the UK's premier MMA mag. As luck would have it I have shoots coming up with just the right sort of girls over the next week or two so rather than use some existing sets I thought I'd take the opportunity to shoot a few sets specially and arrangements are under way.

Who will it be? You'll have to come back soon to find out.

Here's Cahcha's feature back in March.

Travelling North

2010-09-27T14:34:00.004+01:00

I'm making final preparations for my mini tour of the North and North East of

England. I'll be at Studio 5000 in Sunderland for a quick visit on Saturday followed by teaching a full workshop on the Secrets Of Glamour photography on Sunday. I'm really looking forward to meeting lots of new people who'll be attending and all the team from Studio 5000. I'm realy llooking forward to working with my 2 great models for the day, Emmie who's a good friend and Amanda who I've looked forward to shooting with for a considerable time. I know they'll both bring their own special sparkle to the day. I'm also looking forward to grabbing the chance to shoot Amanda for my Happy Naked Girls calendar for 2011 as she always has such a lovely natural fresh look.

After my workshop I'm off to Pontefract to stay the night before a welcome return shoot with Charlie Dee who is one of my favourite models and she's bringing her friend SJ along for the day and I'll be shooting with SJ for the first time. Glamour is definitely the order of the day for these two TV babes and I know they'll both bring something new and fresh to my glamour portfolio.

Macclesfield is next on the agenda for another shoot with the fantastic Steph Grieve. Steph has such a fantastic natural figure that she just oozes glamour and this time I'll be shooting something a little different with her too as she's agreed to appear in my Happy Naked Girls calendar for 2011. Can't wait!

I might be able to fit one more shoot in while I'm in these areas and I'd really like to shoot with a new Happy Naked Girl so if you fit the bill please get in touch.

The Bad Bride

2010-09-24T11:49:00.000+01:00

As you probably already spotted Pixie's been to stay for a few days and as usual it's been lots of fun.
This visit was quite relaxed but as usual we took the opportunity to do plenty of pictures and I won't ramble on, I'll just show you a little of the Bad Bride shoot.
Maybe I should go back to wedding photography?