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Prepping a DIY Shoot

Lesson 15 from: DIY Fashion and Editorial Photography

Amanda Diaz

Prepping a DIY Shoot

Lesson 15 from: DIY Fashion and Editorial Photography

Amanda Diaz

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Lesson Info

15. Prepping a DIY Shoot

Next Lesson: Shoot: DIY Shoot

Lesson Info

Prepping a DIY Shoot

So what we want to do is take a model that looks very somewhere to ophelia possible where she is just kind of fair skinned, very earthy toned um simple wardrobe that sort of has this flower sort of look but it's very kind of flowing loose and um so what? You know, the model we have and the outfits that we picked out we're hoping that we can kind of get something that look, you know, you can sort of, you know, find the similarities between the painting and the image so but not exactly yeah, so this is our model and this is something that she has on here that we had chosen from good will part of the look um obviously we can't totally recreate the look that we're doing so we're doing a sort of a spin on the whole thing we're going to be using again the same backdrops and just trying to figure out ways to change it up a little bit either through, um adding materials well, adam materials and also through post production maybe we can figure out ways to add to it in photo shop afterwards so s...

he's only wearing this dress right now we're just gonna we're gonna play dress up with her and start pinning her and everything so she is only partially ready and I wanted her this way so people could see it actually happening of how hi mom I actually get these girls already so we're good to go start getting her ready um I think we we need is probably like a little chair something just for her to sit on or some kind of stool um yeah that's good so I think what we do first what would be plan with uh yeah, just right there and then I'll stick her on here when we need to put the pearl I think the honor um so I think with that share material which one wears it over here, right? We were planning teo drape that around her or underneath her right? So we could just maybe we'll start with this because we're going to pin that on too to create spread all around her so we'll just do that first um so putting this under and then that overtime so this would be kind of yeah we're over we could do that over there over that yeah let's do that that's totally fine. No okay khun try it and see what it looks like so you won't sit down yet I'll get you to sit down when we're going to put do your hair but try to put that, uh, necklace in your hair that is a necklace so so I think what we sow it grabs it surrounds you we're trying to create a little screwed here to see how the full look police l want to try to cover your feet do you want these claims yeah I'm sorry um let's safety pin it because when she lays down it won't come on a larger one how do you feel feel glamorous, huh? Okay I'm just putting this skirt around her are this material around her to make a skirt I should say I hope you don't poke her I'm glad you're doing that because they sit there and fiddle with forever I'm getting used to it now I used to fit a lot myself but we'll see how that looks it's pretty and then another thing I want to talk about too is like when I do stuff like this and I'm with my team and people just look at me in confusion sometimes because like who that is horrible or yeah what is she doing and this is where we're shooting and the thing is is that hey amanda actually really quick could I have a turn around so that people can see what you are doing to the back of that dress? Oh yeah you want to make sure the cameras catch exactly what you're doing it's just pinned around hurry up just to kind of create the skirt this the pin won't be showing and even if it did it it would be photoshopped out so yeah so when when I do stuff like this sometimes it looks funny it's not you know but then they'll see the photo later because in my mind I'm seeing the finished product and they're not so you know um yeah it's just all in the progress of doing things and so I am I just ignore that alright umm I think we will commute do you have ah I need to keep referencing the phone do you want teo you have it or know if not that's okay I think we'll just be good so um I mean I know it like it's a bad line if you need any so do you want shall we so you want to put this over okay? I'm sorry I was to see what it looks like if it's sort of sheer trying to make it look like ethereal ish right? You guys can see the flowers through there good sort of starts to feel a little bit though anything I think we'll do it unless like yeah we're unless if you did sort of diagonal across the front what that look weird or have what like this? What if you did it? Oh, so this is how I am right on random but nothing is exactly plant all right? What if we did like this and left it open? So when she's laying down happening I think that's because like that's the flowers yeah right so so do you want oh, we hold this you mean just one second and then do you want to say depends for that yep I will pin on each side maybe so this way we can still see the detail underneath this is where you play stylist no not the photographer your stylist how about like this crystal just kind of let me know I can do it but I'm thinking like this and that like pleaded a little bit okay how's that look eyes look like a curtain like folded and darts okay so this is when I play dress up with my model's how was poked myself said things feel like it's on it's still on this this material right and then okay so just pen and then leave that out least no on that other side oh yeah thanks okay you have a pin because you know she does have flowers too so you know what we need we need those flowers over right there thanks okay chris do you want to go in front and look and tell me how it looks to you yeah yeah I mean I don't know how you did it exact oh, you know what it is is your length on this side that's why okay but I notice the end of it was I mean, I think it'll be okay was that good? It doesn't have to be exact I mean I kind of want it a little bit random mean want perfectly like this, angie says this is so cool. I was thinking they were going to have completed the outfit off camera. I'm so glad they're doing this in real time because this is a big part of it is being able to see how you put all this stuff together. So it's really cool that we're able to do it. Okay, good. All right? You're like, what am I wearing? Got? Okay, I'll take the trip's off. Just yes. So this was the material we'd paid, like, four dollars for a, uh, this is another piece of cloth this's address. Remember how much that was? But he was thirteen. Remember somewhere on there? Yeah. So this dress, you know, part of why we picked this was because of the lace and the beige color and the softness to it. So, um, this is a ring we found, and I'm going to get you to put it on it's like a vintage it's. Really? Pretty. Actually, I don't know what we're paid like five bucks for that or something. Yeah, but we found that once we're looking at a ruby one, um and that one just fit with it so much more because everything one of that gold color, um, earth tone um, as much as I love red, okay, I'm going to get her to sit and I'm gonna put this in her hair this's a necklace that we found and I thought it would look really pretty in her hair just to add to the ethereal theme um we don't okay, is there anybody? Is there a hair? Tyr, anything kicking around here? No. Anybody rubber bands, hair tie. We'll get you one moment. She has one before we got one in there. Oh, thank you. So I'm I'm tying her hair because this thing is very, very heavy, so I'm just going to create a ponytail in the back so that we can, um I have something to clip it too, because if I don't, it will it will fall right through there. I'm trying to make like, a kind of old fashioned look here, so just bear with me because you're like, what's she doing just not doing photography stuff doing here. This is all I do think so and you want to tell me how you like it, how you're liking it? Yeah, so I'm just toasting her hair back and put it up. When you tell while you're doing that just question from, uh, sort of chat room, how do you how do you avoid over styling how do you avoid like putting so much in it just the subject is overwhelmed and such I don't avoid it sometimes I do it and then I take a photo I'm like you know and I will take stuff out so I just I like play around a lot right? But I think like I usually know visually what I want in the first place but sometimes I go overboard and if I do well I'll see it right away but I have to see it through the camera for some reason yeah all right okay it's good yeah, I don't have a comb or spray or anything so you guys have to just work with it? Yeah it's good. All right, well we have a lot of pennsylvania depend on dante yeah, your bangs you know do you have any all right, so we're gonna put this here so she's like a princess and I think well yeah we'll start pinning this in and hope that it stays put so the bobby pins are probably the ones that are less likely to be seen yep used these folks will clip it into the hair tie rather than the hair so it's properly I have hands are silver yeah it's looking good yeah do you think it needs to be loose a little more loose? You know, just a little bit so it's one around it in the booth how's that is it dropping in her face? Uh yeah so more like right there if we're going to hold it for me just tell me if I'm stabbing you with the pen okay here's another one times I'm like hurting the girls I feel like I owe you one that's cool to hear you say I hear like you're okay with like over styling because sometimes I think I mean I've got this elaborate elaborate idea but I'm not always brave enough to just sort of you know what I mean just uh you know are you okay? You know what we just asking a question are you okay if I like torture you just a little bit? You know what I mean just you know, I know I I did I I did a session with this lady a little while ago and she um she told me to like she's just she's sometimes she just gets scared to even try anything new and it just stifles her and I told her like that's just making you stand still who cares if you want to do something, we're do it because you don't know if you don't like it then you don't like it if you do that good good tio the learning process the whole thing yeah, good right there yeah okay, so hope in does this no is that okay? How's that feel constrict your head a little bit okay we'll just put a couple more to be safe this doesn't start falling on power shooting no so when you guys see this happening you realize like it's so simple there's just nothing really into it he just it's just figuring out how to do it right but it's not as complicated as people make it or is it seems we've got a couple more pins oh shoot I'm just came out okay one more hair oh yeah just for the wait one more he had just one for this was one more it's always just one more there's like fifty pins and hereafter yeah because there's just no one okay I feel good right now um so this will be your little prop before we get started with her I think we need to now figure out what we're going to do over here on the ground so um do I thought maybe we could like you know, maybe drape some black to kind of dilute the flowers if we could like hang it over kind of create something the theory elish so do you want to try that and then like yeah and then well I don't know about the white maybe we'll put white in there but with that look yeah maybe just so we're just gonna play around here for a second this is all very random this was not in the plans or just thinking how weak and I don't like it just kind of always glad to oh yeah yeah I think it's just gonna hang out there now that work so we'll just see how it looks if it looks wrong take it home it was like cobwebs sort of china but on another it's different it's black but this is just some are just using the same things over and over and over again here trying to figure out ways to put the white over that look we're good um you want try it try it okay, I'm gonna try just as some kind of texture, right? Yeah, well kind of do the same thing maybe just like hook on apiece up there and then we'll bring that other piece over to kind of double it okay, just kind of pull it so it covers this like yeah black pulled the white more yeah yeah that's what we cover that part so completely mmm this part right back around front little twisted here um and also will get the v flats. Yeah, I don't know now because it is really dark let's maybe use the white what do you think just for that end again okay, we're going to get the model in here right away this is kind of like folded, so we gotta there you go so and just for anyone who might not be watching or who might be watching who wasn't watching yesterday the flowers on that backdrop our silk flowers wholesale from me favor mark dot com or from silk flowers factory dot com the moss is just moss that you confined at a local craft store and the they're both just stapled or just pinned teo like basically polly styrene board so it's very very easy to make that in when you're lying don't you want to put a few under her yeah um oh students can't see can we wait yeah let's let's try it I guess so yeah that's not gonna work sorry guys um alone that's on now well he like I had asked them to close the barn door a little off so it wouldn't hit here but we might just open it back this the right one it's kind of folded over I don't know we'll see we'll see how this looks first I guess just try it out so what we're going to get hurt or they were going to get you to lay down now on here and then work around it so um which way we should do it is probably your head should go over there because of the light of light something we're going to be kind of blocking her she lays the other way so um just let me grab this and um yeah I'm just gonna lay back maybe just shovel over just a couple inches towards the wall you just lay down see where your come down one towards me like I'm a doctor something that's good right there uh don't it might be too close now sorry up oh dammit see didn't pin them away from it it's ok here just set up one second yeah I was thinking about you got e gotham here though you know good oh yeah that works whether you're some yeah try is it uncomfortable into your head do you need some like something elevate your head there any call to be in here if you do have anything just to put her head up tiny turning that cloth material I don't know we're just looking for something just the elevator head and interest because I realize now that she's laying down on the the necklace is pressing into the back of her head we're gonna get something for it okay and while you do that let's we'll start spreading flowers around her yeah, maybe not the orange ones oh what you think or we could change the color I guess right? Well let's take him out and then yeah, maybe not yes really ornament of the orange ones I think they'd be too distracting probably maybe we'll see over with some cloth yeah yeah might be unless you get squished underneath there maybe something was jacket is us can I take the job yeah yeah that's right like seat right seat cushion idea so we're gonna put your head on that since c and then we'll try to cover it a little bit if you could just like I'm sorry lift your head up for ten so in the painting the girl is laying in water keiko hedley down but we can't use water so were her hair is spread out in the water it's kind of floating everywhere so we're just going to like pull her hair out there chris if you want to like kind of play with it there sat a little better on your head now we're going to throw some flowers around or just to kind of keep the consistency from the wall over to the floor e guess we'll keep him put someone here hey, they're gonna fall anyway but the man that you mentioned that she's in water in the painting as you're working maybe you want to talk a little bit about the difference between being inspired by something and a direct copy of it because we're not exactly copying the image this is just there's an inspiration he talked about that and and maybe I'd love to hear from crystal is well like your thoughts on interpreting rather than copy you know, taking elements from that picture that that you're drawn to like for that image I was really drawn to the color's color combination and how it sort of things aren't highly saturated, which is kind of a typical for me I usually really like a lot of color um, but taking some of those elements and then applying them in a your own way like just taking out the parts that you like and then you're not trying, teo, you know, recreate that exact, like water. Moss, um, you know, that exact dress and I think it's better that way because you really you make something that's a little more unique to you, um and you don't feel like you're replicating you feel like you're really creating something that's of your own. So, um, that's, right? Yeah. And you're just taking elements of something and making it your own list. Exactly what isthe, um, the inspiration, I think there's a lot of the mood, the poles and, uh, you know, the whole vibe of it. Um, it's, just your own take on it. So so I know a little place here stuff. Just get a couple more flowers around her and even in post production, like we don't have a lot of flowers. So it's, very easy to just like, cut and paste and create more. Another thing, right? Yeah, so let's, get all these around her romano yeah, see that? I know I really I know I really enjoy the being a bit random because you find these combinations of things that you would have otherwise found um then if you're trying to plan every little piece that's right that's where some of the best ideas come from right when it's not really planned so wait now amanda we noticed that you were very careful to make sure that uh your model who I forget your name and I apologies go lisa inga leif decide that you noticed that laying on the necklace might not be comfortable for her right? So the question for you guys is where does the line draw between the comfort of the model and executing your vision? How far do you push that teo and southern like yeah only when they're in just like real pain I asked right know what I asked him what can you are you okay like I always ask if everything's good if they could breathe or whatever is going on with what they're doing so usually they told me they're good and sometimes they lie and I'm like you better really tell me because I don't want you passing out or whatever and but she seems okay like you're okay right um yeah, I didn't think I didn't think about that so that's just that's just the thing that happens like we pinned it in then she laid back and that thing fell back and a lot of things. They're very random. You don't know what's gonna happen in a how the model is going to be. But yep, so with, um, with that painting, the model, what we'll do that she doesn't have to. The exact posing crystal. So army? Yep.

Class Materials

bonus material with purchase

Lightroom Preset Samples
Photoshop Actions
Texture Samples
Creative Shoot Checklist
Mini Posing Guide
Amandas Favorite Photoshop Action - Enchanted
Gear Guide

Ratings and Reviews

Dan ilicak
 

Amanda diaz has given me inspiration and purpose. I wake up everyday inspired to create a beautiful image, atleast enough to hold your "aww" for a few seconds. I can relate to Amanda on so many levels as I also found myself in photography and never planned for it. Just like Amanda, I also started from scratch with nobody to help or assist me. If I had found this tutorial a few years ago, it would have speeded up the process of learning. Even today I call myself a professional photographer, this course still had a lot to offer me. I can blab on and on about how much I love and support Amanda diaz, however I will make it short and sweet by saying three simple words, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" www.snipershotsphotography.com https://www.facebook.com/danssnipershots

a Creativelive Student
 

This was the best creative and most prolific 3 days of a tutorial. Amanda covered the entire spectrum of what every photographer who's trying to become better and bigger go through. I loved the part where she spoke about how to shoot in any lighting situation outdoors and a few indoors. She not only spoke about them, she went into full detail to help the novice or advanced level photog. Despite the tethering issues CL had with Lightroom, Amanda poetically commanded every day of her 3 days. Another point is that she did everything "her way", and not the traditional textbook style of teaching and editing. One prolific point is that NONE of the previous CL instructors touched the issue of drama, unwanted criticisms, or unprofessional things that happen in the industry, however with a brilliant stroke of quiet humility, and courage, Amanda did. I believe it helped everyone realize that no matter what level of photography you're on that it happens and you have to oftentimes "bite your tongue", or "turn the other cheek". It also pointed out that as photographers we should be doing everything to help one another to build our industry, vice tear it down by hurting one another because of the mindset of "competition". Amanda Diaz, and CL I salute and thank you dearly! Semper Fi! Mike www.mikeconphoto.com www.facebook.com/mikeconphotography

Student Work

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