Film Fashion Photography

Although I've taken to shooting digital almost exclusively for clients and fashion work, I still use film for my personal work. During a recent photo-shoot in Calgary, I had the opportunity to shoot a few rolls of film in between shots taken with a digital camera. When I got the film back from the lab I scanned in the negatives using an Epson Perfection 2450 Photo flatbed scanner. Normally I'd remove all the dust and specs in Photoshop, however when I saw the shot (posted above) I was enthralled by the contrasty, gritty look I got from using film. I decided to leave the dust since it added character and seemed to enhance the vintage look of the image.

The effect of grain and contrast can be simulated in Photoshop or even third-party dedicated software. So why shoot with film?

At this point almost every professional photographer would agree that for most applications digital is the way to go. Film has lost it's dominance as the medium on which most pictures are taken. It's a medium in rapid decline, but recently has been showing some signs of life. The bulk of the photos that have molded and shaped our view on life were taken with film. Great fashion photographers like Herb Ritts, Richard Avedon, Patrick Demarchelier and others all used film. Film has an organic, textual charm that digital seems to lack and more than a few newbies have been buying film to experiment with. Kodak recently released a brand new film called Ektar 100, so it seems that a market for film still exists. 

The beauty of photography is that it's all about choices. Hopefully as time goes by, the choice to use film will remain a creative option and companies will continue to invest time and energy in producing it.

I believe the medium matters. The medium shapes and alters our work. Our creations inherit attributes imbued by the medium. It's something that, when embraced, can take your work to a new level of creative exploration. There's something deep within the process of using tangible mediums that affects an artist and the results come through in his or her work.

Over the next few months I will try to shoot a least one roll of film on each photo-shoot. Watch this blog for the results.

Fashion Photography Starts With People

Fashion photography has become that much easier with the introduction of Model Republic. Model Republic specializes in showcasing models from Calgary and other major Canadian cities including Edmonton, Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal. Fotographix has begun to use Model Republic exclusively to find Calgary models and other fashion industry professionals for our Calgary fashion photography shoots.

Why use Model Republic as your source for Canadian Models?

Developing a successful fashion photography business requires building a reliable and dependable network of professionals. As Model Republic has grown, it has become a valuable resource for photographers seeking to build connections with models, makeup artists, wardrobe stylists, etc. Many Calgary models have already signed up to the BETA release, and savvy photographers have been quick to leverage the site. Model Republic is more than just a pretty site too. With tools for searching and sorting, finding the right models for your shoot is easy.

For Calgary models, there are a number of ways in which they can showcase their work. The most obvious of which is to upload photos to the free online portfolio, however photos can also be sorted into albums and collections. This is a great tool for keeping projects organized and documenting the various looks a model has. Photos can be commented on and added to a list of favorites for easy reference later.

Social Networking for Fashion Industry Professionals

An important part of building connections in the Canadian fashion industry is to make friends. Social networking has become an excellent way of establishing new contacts and getting your work in front of the right people. Fotographix has made a number of new connections with talented Calgary models and makeup artists in just a few weeks since Model Republic launched.

There are a myriad of other websites that can be utilized to build connections, share ideas or just socialize, however most of these sites are US-based. Model Republic is a uniquely Canadian experience and caters to those of us 'north of the border'.

The Secret to Successful Photography

Working with the right people makes all the difference. Fashion photography should be fun! If you take the time to network and work with lots of people you will begin to establish long term relationships with models, makeup artists, hair stylists and other key players. Over time, your working relationships will grow and so to will your ability to collaborate and be creative. When everyone is comfortable and having fun, creativity blossoms and your pictures will naturally improve as a result.

If you'd like to learn more about Fotographix and our services, please visit: www.fotographix.ca 

City Style & Living Magazine Shoot

Setting up a photo-shoot can be difficult. First you need a model and a makeup artist. Then you have to style the clothes and accessories. After that you need to find the right location. The list goes on and on, but when everything comes together it can be magic! And magic is exactly what Kailash Maharaj and Shivana Maharaj (Co-Editores in Chief - City Style and Living) bring to the party. With an exceptional eye for detail and an ability manage a myriad of moving pieces, Kailash and Shivana make the impossible happen shoot after shoot, year after year.

So when the opportunity arose to collaborate on a shoot for an upcoming issue of the magazine it was a no brainer. "Let's do it!" we said.  CSL provided the styling, creative direction, makeup artist and model for the shoot. Derrick Woo took the lead with photography while I provided backup. This gave me ample time to take behind the scenes shots. After a couple of hours we had worked through a few different setups shooting both indoor and outdoor with a combination of flash and natural light. By reviewing the photos at intervals, Kailash and Shivana were able to provide creative direction on the fly and tweak details until we achieved the desired results.

Although both Derrick and I had worked with CSL before, this was the first time we were able to collaborate and work with a model who was a member of Model Republic.

Working with talented, fun and creative individuals is very rewarding. With summer just around the corner, I'm sure the best is yet to come!

A New Option for Calgary Models

If you're an aspiring model there are a number of places you can go online to promote work. Up until now, many models have been turning to One Model Place and Model Mayhem to showcase their work and find castings. Although there are a few Canadian users on these top sites, the bulk of the user base is south of the border. There seems to be a need for a site that focuses on Canadian Models, which brings us to Model Republic.

Model Republic is a totally new network for models. Photographers, makeup artists, hair stylists, fashion designers, and other industry professionals are also involved, with the models acting as the central user group in this community. Although models from all over the world are present, it's clear the site celebrates its Canadian, and especially, Calgarian members. The bulk of the users who have signed up (to date) live and work in Calgary.

As far as social networking sites go in the fashion industry, Model Republic is right up there. With a wide range of features and tools, Model Republic puts the big boys like Model Mayhem to shame. Feedback from members has been widely positive. It's not uncommon to see members of the site make references comparing Model Republic to Model Mayhem. The common consensus is that Model Republic wins hands down on usability and user interface design. The underlying message here is that chaos and mayhem abound on other sites, whereas Model Republic brings order with well thought out design and functionality.

The company that conceived and designed Model Republic, DDW (Defrost Design Works Inc.), is a Calgary-based design firm and has some experience with brand building and creating other social networks. By partnering with Recharge Media, they were able to implement advanced features, (like drag and drop portfolio management) normally reserved to giants like Flickr and Facebook. Their goal is to carve out a niche by offering Canadian Models a place of their own.

Whether or not Canadian models, or even Calgary Models will adopt Model Republic and make it their own is the question, but with the pre-release site being launched just over a week ago the reaction has been good. New users are signing up daily and the buzz has been building. Only time will tell.

If you'd like to see what the fuss is about, please visit: www.modelrepublic.net

A New Leaf

Fotographix is turning a new leaf. Instead of posting pictures on this blog for comment and review, we will be focusing on developing content that is of interest to both our fellow photographers and our clients. Daily photographic postings will continue, and can be found at our Flickr site (www.flickr.com/defrostca) Our main website (www.fotographix.ca) will continue to feature our top photographic work and information about our services, rates etc.