Sketching inspiration.

You know how every time you have an idea about something or you see something that you want to try in the future, you grab a pen and write it down so you don't forget it later? Well, I keep a drawing album where I put my ideas for the same reason.  I have to admit though that I used to sketch a lot more often than I do now.  

So one day I showed this album to Denis. As we were flipping through it, I realized how precise the final images turned out compared to the original concepts I drew in the beginning. 

All the following images (except for "Slash") were created during the Marathon shoot. It was my first time working in a professional studio, so figuring out lighting was as important as coming up with concepts. Even though there are plenty of places online where one can create lighting diagrams,  I prefer using a pencil. Drawing forces me to think, re-think and then think again a few more times.  It also trains pre-visualization. It helps me see how the final image should look before I even get the camera out of the bag. 

My inspiration, concepts and lighting ideas came from all kind of different places: music videos, commercials, other photographers work, movies, painting and plenty more. 

Looking at these images kind of inspires me to begin working on new concepts and to start putting them on paper. 

I truly hope that it inspires someone else as well! 

*Click on the images for larger view. 

Labels:

Tsesarevich. Present days. Part I

Tsesarevich was the title of the Tsar's (Emperor's) son successor in the Russian Empire. 
This concept came to me after the photo shoot. I thought that that's what character of Tsesarevich would be like today: young, arrogant, impudent and under no one's authority. 
Model and Styling: Gabriel Leblanc
Twitter: @GabrielXLeBlanc

Otter coat: Simotta
Shirt - Christian Dior Monsieur
Pants - Levis
Boots - Bed  STU
Necklace - Costa Blanca



See this image on VOGUE.IT website.

Labels: ,

New Year, New Gear. Digital Medium Format Phase One P30+ kit.

Photography, like any other craft, is a constant pursuit of perfection. I reached a point in my career where I WANT more from my photography, I WANT to keep growing and developing my style, I WANT best for my clients, and I WANT more clients who won't settle for anything but best.

There are no compromises for me when it comes to quality. With that in mind I added a digital medium format (DMF) camera system to my gear list.


Winter is that time of year when we are busy shooting in our studio and in-doors, and booking and preparing for summer. It's a great time to test out new toys.


I wanted to write something about this system, sort of introduction to DMF for my past, current and future clients, who could benefit from this information.  This isn't a review or comparison of medium format vs 35mm,  so if you are a professional photographer and in the market for medium format, I apologize, as you won't find this post helpful.


Labels:

Jessica. Fitness Model

It was Jessica's first time competing as a fitness model. We booked our photo shoot 2 days before the competition, because it was the peak of her shape. I didn't even realize how precise their training programs are.

Stage fright had place to be and in the end this photo shoot helped her overcome her natural shyness, loosen up, gain a lot of confidence and kick some serious butt at the competition (2nd place in Medium Class).

Just wanted to add that for me, who pays extra attention to posing and staging every shot carefully, it was absolute pleasure working with someone like Jessica, who is so aware of her body, angles and poses. I was getting THE shot every time she did new pose.

Here is a 10 spreads 8"x10" album design we just created. The photo album will become timeless keepsake for Jessica, which will remind her about this important achievement and that nothing is impossible.

Special thanks to my team Bonnie Dilag (make-up) and Francine Benoit (hair) to complete this experience for Jessica.


Labels: ,