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Shoot: Groups of Three

Lesson 10 from: Pose It, Light It, Love It

Clay Blackmore

Shoot: Groups of Three

Lesson 10 from: Pose It, Light It, Love It

Clay Blackmore

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Lesson Info

10. Shoot: Groups of Three

Lesson Info

Shoot: Groups of Three

Amanda, come on out with me you know what I used to do is I would set up my studio guys and I would you know come over here you can leave your shoes on just lay right on your tummy right there and put your feet right back there now bart, come over on this kicker light and I think we're just going to make the kicker light all the way down as low as you can go okay, now these light stands you're gonna like this because I've booked a lot of weddings this way at the studio I always have the paper around pulled out and I might be talking to a couple and I said can I just take a few pictures of you and that's why not? You know and I throw him out here and we click click, click and it works all the time so sean, you come on in here and you lay on your tummy right over here uh huh and just down any time you push up position young man and I'm gonna get my camera down. This is a good practice for what we're going to do when we go outside and we do other things like this too so amanda, you slide ...

to your left a little bit I'm sorry to come out this way a little more I'm sorry to your right a little more good little more and then turn your feet out towards this way yet and so you're kind of in a forty five degree angle and sean you're going to kind of come in this way as well bart I'm gonna have you take the main light and hold it down lower because what's happening here the main light let me go live on amanda which she's right here okay wait one second the light's good can you all see it right here I could live with it actually but it is a little hi can you see how it's a little bit high like that so there was an apple box that was laying right here a second ago or we could just have bart just hold it right here there you go just put that right there because we used to stand up and then we just put this right here so that's an easy way to have a lower light these apple boxes are awesome the best thing to do with an apple box is to sit on it while you're taking pictures you know to get comfortable now the light's a little bright so back up a little this way I'm just going to harness the light which means I'm going to put a man to where I want her and you screwed in a little bit and then come in this way just a little over right take your left arm and hook it around his left uh, yeah, underneath there we go now, look, what's happening now, this could be out on the beach. This could be in the grass. This could be anywhere. So there's the minus one here's what we're gonna do, we're on a v I'm going to manual sixty at four should be the number that's where I've always found the meter to give me the sixty four and if I look at that up there it looks good to me, doesn't it? We could do a history ram to tell but, you know, history grams are actually a little tricky because of history and can you can lie to you if you've got a black tuxedo on a black wall and you'd use the history is gonna look real dark and all I care about is the skin tones but here we go right here, let me focus on just amanda right here and zoom in. Uh, cameras got a new zoom button. You're looking great. In fact, you can do it. Why don't you run back and throw jets and jeans on earlier some shorts? Why don't you change into those if I going? If I'm gonna put you down on here, actually, no, just stay with the way you are because we could just your fine new skirts long enough I don't lose the time amanda you lower down and go real low go low yeah and not turn your face to the right lean right into her shawn shawn that's gorgeous now I've got him all focused up to come in and amanda's nose to the a little bit yes get this box out of your way so you can see it I feel like I'm getting the top of his head a little bit so his chin up a little bit see that she had the plane of his faith when on the plain of the camera and that's a beautiful picture right there one teo and yes I always do that one two and three but now she's kind of lost the light the loop shadow so watch this magic I'm going to move the light without touching the light itself here we go I'm going to move it ready africa deborah turn your nose yes she's getting it tip your head here more you see how I just turn her to the light it's quick it's fast it's fun yeah beautiful, beautiful, beautiful yes that is a great portrait isn't it? How about this? Why don't you amanda come around here and put one knee on the side of him you're actually going toe lay right on his back flat on his back, huh? Now go like this for me, sean and bring your elbow out a little bit showing your right elbow out and what you'll do is kind of turn around a little bit this way sean yep that's right I always want to keep him forty five is you know you know it's funny I'm gonna move my camera show you this I see a lot of people doing this picture a lot airports everywhere I see a lot of people and here's the problem they're going square right into his body you see how square I'm coming over here and doing what we did on the very first picture this morning and I'm going forty five she's having a lot of fun with this I think the elbow is just going to protrude and take too much attention so go like this around his waist and tip your head now come forward in front of his ear see what I'm telling her I'm just giving you specific instruction and tip your head to the right boys that beautiful to the right yet and good good good smiling teeth teeth that's great pull your hand back a little shawn the hand the right hand this yeah yeah that's it just a little right there tip your head to him a little bit more we got it one teo and I love it isn't that gorgeous his eyes right up here his chin down a little bit and his eyes here chin up a little right let's go live again, but that is a good one. There. Let me see if I could get this on black and white. They showed me how the break I'ma can explore of light for eight years and I couldn't get to my quick menu. There go my menu settings what they've done in cannon's camera the things that you do over and over and over, like four mastercard, or go from color to black and white. They have now located him up into another menu right up here and it's a quick my menu settings. So if I go here my menu, I can't believe it now don't say it again. It used to look here picture style. This is the way I used to see it monochrome. All right, let's, do it again. You can do this or see pia. You could get anything. Hug. Hug him right there. I love it in black and white. Tip your head to him a little bit more. Yes, his chin down a little bit right there. Bart, can you come? Just flatten the light out a little bit? Come over here and just bring it around? I've really, really got the light kind of on the side there. What I'm looking at is shawn's, left eye you see his left eye so just slide the whole thing to me a little bit you get the apple crate I'll get this there you go that's all it took you know what I mean just bring the light around a little bit and tip your head a little bit more than that that's gorgeous right there great okay now let's do something I love this how about we're gonna change it up a little bit let sean slip out and let me give you a solo there the same way that shawn's doing I'm gonna build a little group of three here in just a second put right hand up yeah tip your head to the right good right there zoom right in tip you had more to the right can you just turn around to me a little bit and throw a little more hair out here on the right side hey, clay I'm just going to interject from the internet right now mr bad guys wondering when you are asking our model to turn you know is this way chin do down etcetera can you explain why you're asking her to do that? There's many people in the chat rooms wondering sure thank you. Okay, let me get I'm gonna throw a lot of your hair over here and I'm gonna answer that question I'm just trying to yeah there you go right there perfect all right so let's just can they see this picture right now while I'm answering the question or now yes. All right let's just look at this picture, okay? I'm goingto bring your chin way down. All right? Right there. Stay right there. Chin down a little more what's happening right now is I'm distorting her face. I've got all the attention on her forehead chin down a little bit more right there. So usually what I'm saying can you bring your chin up a little? Amanda chin up. Go ahead right there. Now, the plane of her face is on the plane of my film and it looks really good now sometimes I might do this, I might, um I might say, turn your nose to the right a little yep. What did I do there? I just slimmed her face down remember we did that we got rid of some of that excess area, and when she turns her face, the light turns with it. You know, so however, sometimes I'll see that little loop shadow and I want to make it a little bit better don't turn your nose, bring it chin up, chin down. What I'm doing is I'm just kind of, you know, I also never thought about this array, but I'm trying to stay in touch with the model I'm trying to let her know that interested in her and sometimes I might be trying to figure out how to put my camera in black and white but I'm saying your chin up a little chin down why don't you what your lips a little bit tip your head a little and I'm not even looking at her I'm just trying to let her know I'm I'm in touch with her and monty and our shooting a wedding once and he started bringing each bridesmaid over and I was doing something called pastel portrait and this is something we learned in europe and this is so beautiful it's a pic troll that we put on a film camera and we shot v r one thousand film before your time this is film and the pictures were gorgeous and he put one bridesmaid after another and I just kept shooting him talk to him talk to him and one girl I sat down and I noticed the picture was acting up and I went silent and I was trying to fix the pick troll and the girl just got so aware that there's something wrong with me he just did four girls and he was just so into it and now I sit down and there's no report so sometimes just that tip in turn but most of the time for me it's it's the lighting pattern watch watch the light right now let's watch this turn your nose to the left keep turning right there too much. Come back a little. Hey, bart, why don't we lower the hair light? What do we do? We forgot about that. Let me help you, because it's got this new bracket when you turn your light, your face to the left.

Class Materials

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Ratings and Reviews

a Creativelive Student
 

Clay Blackmore is the real deal in portrait photography. The guy is a bundle of creative energy and technical mastery. I took portraiture with Monte Zucker, and am glad to have Clay now as his successor. This concepts in this course are the rudiments. They'll never change, regardless of trends and fads. Clay is also very likable and fun to watch work. Keep your ears peeled for every word. When Clay points out those many little details, they all count. Love the course, and have a ton of respect for Clay. He's a portrait master, and a great guy. What else could any portrait student hope for?

Rosina
 

This a wonderful class. Clay has worked w/Montey and brings a supreme knowledge to photographers who want to learn more. His skills are creative and insightful with a modest personality. This is an amazing class that comes with a great price.

Tom Lokos
 

Of all the courses I have purchased without exception this is the best. Clay is an excellent teacher. When he speaks he is saying something and not just talking. He explains his lighting techniques in great detail while demonstrating them . He is clear, concise and fun to listen to. You will learn how to pose individuals all the way to large groups, while learning the correct way to light them. All this while being entertained by one of America's great portrait photographers.

Student Work

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