InfiniteISO Loc: The Carolinas, USA

We got together with friends recently at a studio where we rent an evening a few times a year. It's a slightly strange dynamic because the models are all wives and we're all pretty close friends. One guy, who is just getting started gear wise, wanted to try my flash setup. He had brought some single bulb soft boxes that throw about as much light as a zippo. And so we traded.

The studio owner has painted the sections of his walls behind his backdrop racks in bright colors. This wall is purple and my wife's gown is lavender. While my friend used my flashes I dragged his soft boxes over to a wall and we tried some impromptu shots. We threw a white fleece over a lounge stool and I fiddled with different settings to get an exposure that I could shoot without a tripod with almost no light. The results came out pretty grainy since I settled on ISO 640 for most of the shots. It looked good in on the camera back, but in the editor there's just a lot of noise and grain. At any rate, I thought my wife struck some really nice poses and I thought these in particular were nice, despite the image quality.

F-5.6, ISO 640, 1/125

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F-5.6, ISO 640, 1/125

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F-5.6, ISO 640, 1/125

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Robeng Loc: California

Hi InfiniteISO,

I give you and your wife an A for effort. To me your wife’s poses looked too posed for me, I would like a little more natural posture in a sense more relaxed if that makes sense. As for the grain can you lower your ISO since you’re shooting with strobes.

Rob

TucsonCoyote Loc: Tucson AZ

....Eh...one thing you forgot to do was to rip the clothes off that particular wife before shooting the pics !

Stephan G

I agree with Rob.

Your model seems to be in an awkward position, straining to maintain her pose. The support structure takes away from her. I would have used a darker material, if it was possible.

Do you have any shots with her standing? Without the distracting white (?) base?

InfiniteISO Loc: The Carolinas, USA

No strobes, two continuous fixtures with 45 watt CFL bulbs. Dark as a tomb in that corner of the studio too.

Straight from the sensor, raw to jpeg conversion.

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InfiniteISO Loc: The Carolinas, USA

Yes, there are a few standing shots, but they're in front of the distracting white base, LOL. That type of chair is about half the length of a normal couch, without a back, and with bolstered arms. I wish I knew the right term for it. It's on the tip of my tongue but I can't think of it. It was a garish color red that clashed with the wall, hence covering it up. Laying across it's length is awkward. It was handy and we were killing time waiting to get our flashes back.

Also my wife started with a black lace shawl which ended up on the chair when she took it off. Her friend made the gown and shawl for her and we wanted to get quite a few photos of her "completely in" the outfit to give to the seamstress. I'm finally learning that in a strip sequence subsequent photos are better if the discarded clothes are removed from the image.

Stephan G

Your model looks great sitting up.

As for discards, yes, better to remove. Unless you can arrange to enhance the scene.

Experimenting is the best way to advance in your skills. You are fortunate in having someone who participates in said experimenting.

And with others, I will enjoy seeing more of your adventures.

toxdoc42

sounds like an interesting arrangement. how many couples are you speaking of, do the men pose as well, or jus the ladies? do they all get nude at some time?

Kmgw9v Loc: Miami, Florida

Why do you care?

InfiniteISO Loc: The Carolinas, USA

I guess SOME of these are legitimate questions and since I mentioned the arrangement I will elaborate a bit. At this point there are 5 couples but because of scheduling conflicts the most that have shared the space at one time are three. The group has of course grown over time to that size. Since all the photographers are men, only the women pose. I guess we are sexist pigs.

Initially I approached the studio owner who advertised hourly rental rates about shooting nude and erotic work there. He was very open about it and shoots that type of work as well. My wife and I shot there alone a couple of times and liked the owner who was not only helpful from a set-up sense, but a good resource for advice.

We had one couple we were friends with mainly through our wives. She and my wife had done a lot of figure work as young women and my wife suggested we take them along the next time we went. She knew they were still shooting nudes for fun and thought they'd be interested in sharing the space with us. She had already cleared the idea with the owner.

Since that time the group has grown to five couples. One of these entered the group when a girlfriend of one of the wives tagged along a couple of times by herself and just helped with hair and makeup. When she saw how everyone worked together and had a good time she thought it would be fun for her husband to shoot her there as well. When none of the other wives objected to the presence of another guy in the studio, he came out one evening and shot his wife with one of my spare cameras.

The underlying thread are the women, not the men and I think that's why the group works. I doubt you could replicate it if you tried. And of course a group like this has to have some rules.

One person pays for the studio time, anyone else who can make it tips the owner. If you're interested in shooting another person's model you give them the media at the end of the session. If two or more models pose together those photos are private within the group. No one has signed releases and so the images have no commercial value. You won't see any from me here. BTW, I have shot my wife with others where I do have releases and you won't see those either, LOL.

I would guess 90 percent of the images thus far have been men shooting their own wives solo. We sort of work around each other sharing the space. The sessions have traditionally been on Friday evenings and run late and often start with the group meeting for a quick dinner. What the women have in common is a total nonchalance about nudity, but you find that in women that have done a lot of modeling.

For the photographers it is inexpensive practice in a space that's hard to duplicate at home. The only downside is the owner's bread and butter is location work. His current collection of backdrops is wanting. Most of them are for portrait work and only reach the floor. The group is going to approach him about buying a couple of seamless rolls to add to his inventory.

steve_stoneblossom Loc: Rhode Island, USA

I don't think that the poses in and of themselves look forced, but your wife's heroic attempts to perch on such a small piece of furniture to strike the poses is what makes it look so. If she were to pose the exact same way on a larger sofa or recliner it would look more suitable.

InfiniteISO Loc: The Carolinas, USA

You're right of course. By it's nature the chair is not supposed to be used that way.

toxdoc42

that is really so cool, and cost effective. I am in a drawing group that uses a studio and we chip in for the model. so far, no photographs have been allowed, but I am trying to find a way to pay a little more for the models to allow photography.

InfiniteISO Loc: The Carolinas, USA

I would think Photography in that setting would be a bit distracting. Perhaps you can get some people that draw and are interested in photography in doing a separate session. And then you would have to shop for your model accordingly.

toxdoc42

In our sessions, we start with 30 second poses then work our way up. The challenge is in the lighting. With a model changing poses every minute that would make adjustments awkward. But it would be interesting.