Workshop Wednesdays Vol.38

Workshop Wednesdays vol. 38

Happy Birthday…. TO US!!! Hannah Photography turns 7 this month and we think this is worth celebrating! We have been so lucky to photograph over 1500 families, nearly 200 weddings and countless events and business portfolios in this time. The best thing about the journey has been seeing families grow over time and hearing some amazing stories along the way. There have been so many moments that we are grateful to have witnessed and captured and we love that these memories live on in our photographs in peoples homes all over the world! Thank you to all of our amazing supporters out there – we wouldn’t still be here today without you! So just a little fun workshop this week, with lots of cute puppies (you’re welcome!) and a few tips on studio lighting, should you be lucky enough to own some. We will be celebrating all month with a few special offers and one very exciting brand new package (see below for details). Cheers everyone!! 

HP Tip 1

My biggest tip for soft, flattering light = the bigger the soft box, the better! And the closer the light is to the subject, the more flattering the light will be. So remember – big and close! This will wrap the light softly around the subject’s face, while also creating large catch-lights in their eyes.

Random Fact

“Mumbai, India – based Dilish Parekh holds the world record of collecting the maximum number of antique cameras. Since 1977, this man collected 4,425 antique cameras with the oldest one in his collection being one from 1906. [Guinness Book of World Records]”

SOURCE

In The News

Photo For Thought

“Vacationers bask in front of the wreckage of capsized cruise liner Costa Concordia. Twenty-eight people were killed when the cruise ship capsized off the coast of Italy.” Check out some of the most powerful images of 2012  (The year HP was established!). Can you remember where you were for these moments?! Photo by: Max Rossi / Reuters

SOURCE

Iconic Photographer:

Garry Winogrand (1928 – 1984)

“Garry Winogrand was an amazing photographer who is often praised as “the central photographer of his generation.” He is, without a doubt, a master of contemporary photography. Winogrand was extremely prolific with the camera. By the time of his death in 1984, he had 2,500 rolls of undeveloped film and an upwards of 300,000 unedited images. While the previous generation of documentary photographers captured images to document social causes, Winogrand and his peers believed that everyday life had as much value as its subjects, which is why he is such an incredible photographer to study.”

SOURCE

Tip 2

The best position for the main light is to be 45 degrees to the side of the subject and with the flash head slighting higher that the subjects face, pointing in a slight downward tilt towards their eyes. This will ensure the light is creating shadows under the nose and chin and also creating the classic rembrandt effect as seen in his painted portraits. Do you remember telling ghost stories as a kid? Placing the torch under your chin, pointing upwards to create an eery and scary effect? Essentially – do the opposite of this for a flattering portrait!

Tip 3

One light is often enough to create a beautiful portrait if the soft box is big enough, close enough and in the right position. However, if you have the full kit, you can experiment with additional lights to highlight certain areas of the subject or the scene. For example, we light the back wall of the studio to overexpose the wall, creating the bright white effect. Or we simply switch off the lights to create the dark grey backdrop. In more complex situations we will use up to 6 studio lights for the one shot. See here for some interesting examples of multi light set ups!

Story of the Week

Our story of the week is dedicated to my dear friend Marisa… After checking the portrait archive, I can see that Marisa was the very first client to enjoy a portrait experience with HP in the little blue house on Riding Road, Bulimba. Jackson (pictured above) was only 2 years old and a little bit camera shy! Seven years later, he is proud to be big brother to Lucas (see below) and admittedly still a bit camera shy! The last seven years have been an incredible rollercoaster ride for beautiful Marisa and all I can say is I am proud of you, and you are the most amazing Mum/Woman/Friend. I wonder what the next seven years have in store for us all! X

Best Wishes From HP!

Thank you for joining us again this week! Before we go, we want to introduce you to: SEVEN.

In a world of instant gratification, it is sometimes easy to forget about the bigger picture. Everyone wants everything NOW. We are in the business of creating photographs and products that are designed to last forever. With this in mind, we have created a brand new package that will be years in the making. Are you patient enough to give it a try?

We understand that many families already create photos walls in their homes which we love! Some of our own clients have had various visions that have come to life with our portraits and we think it is such a special and personal touch to any home. 

SEVEN will take this concept even further, and will be a specially designed concept piece, thoughtfully captured and produced. This will be storytelling at it’s best and most creative and we would love to discuss a personal approach for you or your family. 

A portrait package open to all families, couples, individuals and businesses at any stage of life that wish to have a bespoke, tailored experience designed to document the changes and growth in a unique and beautiful way. We will conduct seven portrait shoots spanning 2 – 3 years and present a beautiful wall art piece for each experience plus a bespoke album of the finished project.

If you are interested, please contact us anytime. The introductory offer will be available for July only. However, we have high hopes of continuing this style of visionary portraits forever more!