I just got back from teaching a workshop on creativity and fashion in Illinois. I’m so excited about the images I created there! They are awesome! I had fantastic models and a great location to shoot in too.
I created this short video for YouTube of the highlights. Check it out!
And here’s a separate link in case the video above doesn’t show up in your blog reader. Just click on this photo here.
I created images both outdoor on location in the city, as well as indoor in a studio. This is one of my favorite images from the shoot. I walked the model Kim in her high heels, out to the shore of the Mississippi River, where I could see a lighthouse in the distance.
I only knew that I wanted the lighthouse, but when I got out there, I found this big rope, and suddenly the image came to me. Fashion is about mixing opposites, suddenly I had the image in my head. This pretty girl all dressed up in cute clothes doing manual labor on the shore, pulling on this enormous rope.
I lit this and all of these outdoor images with one light, set manually — me personally holding the light in one hand, with my camera in the other. That’s the way I can control exactly where the light is going to hit her face as she moves and bends. Also, none of these images have been retouched or enhanced. The colors, contrast, cropping, smoothness of the skin, whiteness of the eyes, and even the color “effects” or anything else you notice, are all done in camera. This was part of the class, to learn how to create awesome images in camera, without having to “fix” them with Photoshop or other software.
I have a saying: “The trick to Photoshop is Photography.”
I was lucky that one photographer got some images of me working. Here you can see me working my own light with my free hand, adjusting as the model adjusts.
These next images I created in a studio that we set up in the hotel. The softness is not a computer effect, but done optically with a lens. The warm colors were created specifically from the custom white balance that I set while shooting. Again, no retouching or effects applied — just great photography.
Contrast the feel and look of these images above with this next image below, created in the same spot, but different lenses, different lighting.
I took this model also down to the docks and created these in a huge boathouse/warehouse. These first couple are shot using the setting sun coming through a window. One of my favorite things about this is shadow from the window panels on her. Again, no color or other adjustments. The idea of this workshop was to be completely creative while being completely technical — balancing the two halves of the brain in harmony.
I absolutely love these images using the window light, especially this portrait of the two of these girls together. It’s so mesmerizing to me!
Then switching up the lighting and lenses, I used the same room to create some completely different looks. Many photographers have or know only one style of lighting — all their images look the same. I believe that an artist should be versatile, being able to do anything they can imagine. Photographers need to be able to masterfully create images in all sorts of styles, using all sorts of lighting patterns and light sources — and the images should still be awesome!
I also created some awesome twilight images of this model using specular flash outdoors, using the docs, railings, and lights as leading lines.
And here’s one of my favorites of her friend, using the light from outside to wrap around and light her.
The idea of my workshops is to help photographers create great images on purpose, and not by accident. Many times photographers have the mind-set that if they just shoot a lot, that by the law of averages, some images will work out. I believe in creating the opposite way. I believe that if someone is hiring you to create amazing photographs, that your images should not be haphazard, but rather deliberate. They should be done right, and done on purpose, with intent, and with care taken on both the creative and technical aspects so that every image is good, and not just the lucky ones.
If you’re a photographer and would like to attend one of my events, please check out my speaking website for an updated schedule, BryCoxWORKSHOPS.com. Also, if a big event isn’t your style or if there aren’t any events in your area, you can host a small and intimate event at your place as long as at least 8 photographers attend. If you can get 8 or more there, you can attend for free! Call me for more details.
And if you’re a high school senior, model, or for whatever reason you need some dang awesome photography, give me a call 801-728-3317. Thanks for looking and please browse my main website at BryCox.com (or my entire blog if you’re reading this in a separate feed reader like facebook BryCox.com/blog).
I used an extendable pole to control my camera, rather than relying on someone else or using a tripod. This way I can see what I’m doing and get exactly what I want.
I’m still in my flight clothes, with jacket (great for pockets which are much needed on a flight), and Skull Candy headphones (great for movies on the plane, tunes on a trip alone, as well as iPhone calls too). A local looking at these photos on my iPhone commented that he’s never seen photos of people by the arch where the arch looks small. Everyone gets images up close, he said. I specifically choose not to do that, because you just can’t see anything that way — but I did create some more artistic images up close.
It was a fun afternoon and a great start to an awesome week of speaking, teaching, and creating some awesome images! That part of the week is coming shortly.
These next images were how to light and photograph women in a studio setting, and and make them look good and real. Because she was a young girl (senior age), I also showed how to create and use fun effects like special color toning and edges.
This series of images below were on how to photograph couples. As is the case in each of these shoots, I meet the people I’m to photograph for the first time as I actually photograph them. Unlike working with actual clients in my studio where I get to first meet people at least a few times before photographing them and build a rapport, these people I meet just as it’s time to photograph them. It’s a fun challenge to take complete strangers, and in front of a watching crowd of photographers, create images that bring out these people’s true personality.
Then I took some of their images and made up a design trio.
I love to tell stories in three images.
And one of my favorite things about going to Texas is seeing a lot of my favorite friends.
I set up my samples and hung out to answer questions with people.
it was a full event and they sold not only my packages, but a lot of other things as well and raised some good money for their cause.
I’m grateful that they called me and asked me to participate. It’s a great feeling to be able to help groups and organizations that better our society.
It was such a pleasure to do this shoot, in fact it was really an honor. I wish both of these two joy and luck in raising their new little baby.
We did both of their shoots at the same time so that we could photograph them together as well. Here’s one of my favorites of the full-lengths.
I wish them both luck, and hope that they both win in their divisions.
What’s great about Einar is that he does everything top notch! These images are from his facebook today, of him taking an expedition up to check out the volcano that erupted recently. He always takes professional vehicles driven by professional drivers on any expedition.
One of the things I’m excited most about for the Iceland adventure, is that all the extra costs, the hotels, the travel, the professional drivers, the elite team of local guides, the weather team we will have watching things for us — everything is included! There is no way you will ever find another adventure like this ever. And on top of it all, we will be creating some of the coolest photographs ever! Please pass this info on to anyone you think is interested.
The idea was a hallway of photographers, each posed doing something else that they loved besides photography. Aside from photography, I really love guns, music, and I guess I could add girls to that list too. But not having any props prepared, I used my ipod as a substitute for a musical instrument. I also really like comedy and so I over-posed in a fun way, really low. This was the resulting image.
Then, as it shows in the video (starting at 1:55), we climb into this cool rock garden. A sign in front of this spot says, “Please do not allow children into this area.” The video editor caught me saying as I helped Angelina over the fence, “We’re not children — we’re adults!” But as you can see, this place worked out perfectly for the rest of our shoot!
This was such a fun shoot, and I appreciate Angelina coming and being my model, yet again.
Then later in the book, this page spread shows Holly as she began to walk down the isle through the lush gardens.
One of my favorite page spreads was after the ceremony where Joe walked Holly into a little private nook off to the side, and gave her a very sweet hug. I got these images from a distance with a long lens and love them in black and white as that really brings out the emotion in the images.
And here is an art page showing two awesome images juxtaposed against each other.
This was such a beautiful wedding and I am honored to have been apart of it all and to have been asked to capture their day for them as well as for future generations.