Lifestyle Photography | Model Portfolio Photoshoot

Rocci contacted me again, some time after we did our initial beauty shoot together. She wanted some new shots for her portfolio and shared visual references of what she was aiming for. We shot outdoor in a small and quiet pedestrian laneway where we used the white painted brick wall as a backdrop. The light there was flattering and guided my choice for the location. Yet, I set up a flash through an umbrella and used a reflector as fill.

Usually, I like to have a clear idea of the creative direction when I shoot and this time the exercise was to trust and be guided by the creative flow. And the end result has this pleasing editorial look of a brand campaign.

The silver lining of this lockdown situation is that it pushes me to go through my archives and look at photos with a different perspective.

Creative team:

Model: Rocci Smit | Hmua: Nichole Lee | Photographer: Viviane Perenyi

Lifestyle | Motion

A recap in motion of the previous post. I shared this on social media and thought it might be nice to have it here too.

Lifestyle | New Perspective

From time to time I like to go through my archive and look at images with a new pair of eyes. It’s as if time creates the distance necessary to look at the same images from a different perspective. My view is not narrowed to what I was trying to visually achieve on that day, but open to a potential story to emerge.

These are outtakes from this outdoor beauty and lifestyle shoot done a year ago. Same shoot yet a different mood and aesthetic. The grainy black and white edit matches well the overcast sky and rocky shore, creating a distinctive vibe.

I remember that I didn’t expect too much from these shots at the beginning of the shoot. The weather and light were less than ideal. And I considered it a warm-up before getting to the intended shots.

Yet, here they are, unearthed, telling a new story, simple and raw.

By the Sea

Creative team

Model Anastasiya Jepsen

HMUA Nichole Lee

Photographer Viviane Perenyi

Lifestyle | Sun Kissed | Part 1

Back in March just before the lockdown, I challenged myself to do a shoot outside of my comfort zone, a.k.a my home studio. I wanted to shoot the spirit of summer by the sea under the full sun with strong shadows and contrast.

Unfortunately the weather had decided otherwise that day. It was cold and as I drove to the location the rain started to pour down. All my hope and vision vanished instantly and if it was not for the push from the team that day I would not get those shots I’m sharing here. I’m thankful because we managed to get a brief sunny spell in the middle of the session and got some shots I aimed for.

While it was a lifestyle focused shoot, I also captured some beauty frames, which I will be sharing in another post soon.

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Model: Anastasiya

HMUA: Nichole Lee

Lifestyle Outdoor Summer Shoot | Part 2

As mentioned in Part 1 there’s much more to tell beyond the visual result of a shoot. This one started after reading a creative brief that sparked inspiration and pushed me to organise the shoot. Location, talents, props and creative direction are like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle that needs to be put together. But after producing similar editorial shoots for some years I felt confident to give it a go.

Location

I initially searched for a private outdoor space. I wanted a deck to give a relaxed summer vibe, some vegetation and eventually a body of water. After a long and unsuccessful scout, I resorted to a public space. Indeed a park in my neighbourhood actually ticked all the boxes. In the end, it felt like the right choice. First, it was more budget-friendly. Second, there was much more space than I could ask for, with several spots for different options. Third, after sorting out the authorisation from the council, it was convenient to freely access the site to prepare for the shoot.

Location: The river and one of the decks that served as backdrop for the shoot

Talents

As I searched for the perfect location, I sent out a casting call to find talented individuals who could embody the vision and story I had in mind. A crucial aspect was finding individuals with the right attitude who could bring energy to the set, take direction well, and appear natural in front of the camera. These qualities are particularly important for a lifestyle photoshoot, as they have a significant impact on the end result.

Great talents on set. From left to right: Claire, Julia, Dan and Florian

Props and gear

Once I had chosen the location and cast the actors, I searched for props to enhance the story. I sourced a sturdy rope (for a tug of war game), some large cushions for seating comfortably on the deck, a rugby ball and game cards as part of the entertainment on set. Of course, food props such as chips and drinks were also supplied. The styling was kept minimal to ensure an authentic feel rather than an overly-produced look.

The gear was kept minimal. It was all shot with natural light and a large reflector to bounce the light where needed. A couple of battery packs were hired to sustain the laptop and shoot tethered all day.

Behind the scenes and outtakes

Creative direction 

The story had to convey the good time shared between friends on a warm summer day. These two aspects were the backbone of a relatable and inspiring story.

Though it was the end of autumn here, in Sydney, we were lucky the day was sunny and exceptionally warm. It helped talents to be comfortable in summer clothing and play with sunlight to enhance that estival vibe.

In order to capture fun and relaxed moments between friends having a good time outdoors, a strategy was put in place. To bring all the talent at ease I initiated the shoot with a game: tug of war. Talents were split into two teams and asked to pull as hard as they could. It brought genuine laughter and a friendly competitive spirit. This simple exercise helped break the ice, allow complicity to emerge between talents and in the end capture a genuine story.

The production of a lifestyle product photoshoot is a collective effort. As the saying goes, it takes a village. Even though the team was lean, I could not have done it without the help of Peter, my assistant for the day, sorting out any technical issues, moving things around, holding the reflector and diffuser, getting the catering on site and helping all around. And Nichole, the hair and makeup artist who prepared the talents, encouraged me to do the shoot and lend a hand on the day.

The production of a lifestyle product photoshoot requires a lot of pre-production effort: planning, casting, scouting, sourcing; production work: photographing, directing and post-production: editing. The reward comes as a brand story with products set in a real-life situation that inspires the viewer through the impact of storytelling.

Check part 1 for some of the visual results from this photoshoot.

Lifestyle Outdoor Summer Shoot | Part 1

Around the same time last year, I spent the day by the river in my neighbourhood with a lovely group of people to shoot some visual content.

The creative brief asked for an outdoor setting with a summer feel and a group of friends enjoying each other’s company with a drink or two.

Nowadays I mainly shoot indoors/studio, so it was a good challenge for me to shoot outdoors and lifestyle again.

Here are some of my favourite shots.

There’s much more to tell beyond the final result, so I plan to bring you behind the scenes and explain how I organised this shoot in a coming post. So stay tuned ! 

UPDATE: View part 2 here