Photo & Video > Fine Art > Fine Art Photography: The Complete Guide > Shoot: Bed Image

Shoot: Bed Image

 

Fine Art Photography: The Complete Guide

 

Lesson Info

Shoot: Bed Image

This is a photo shoot with a bed that clearly is not just a bed because we sawed it in half, and the whole idea here was that the home is supposed to be a place of comfort, but everything is splitting apart, and we're going to have our subject just inside the mattress, literally laying in between it on this uncomfortable ground. The original idea here was to actually have the bed inside, in a small room, but the room was too small, and the bed didn't quite fit on the wall, and nothing was working exactly as it should, so that was when I decided to switch everything up and take the bed outside instead of keeping it in, which is sort of a twist on this series so far because instead of taking the outdoors in, we're taking the indoors out and that's how we ended up in this completely beautiful field that we're in which works perfectly for the feeling of this whole entire series. So I'm going to be photographing my model Rachel, if you wanna come on in, and we have her in this gorgeous nigh...

t gown, this is gonna be a very neutral shoot, not a lot of color. And I'm just gonna have you lay down with your head toward the head board, right in between the mattresses. Perfect. I told her earlier this is gonna be the simplest photo shoot ever because all she has to do is lay down, and even fall asleep if you want, you are welcome to. It's not very comfortable though. So we've got these two mattress halves, I took a knife to the mattresses, that's why my hand is covered in dirt right now, because I took a knife to it and then I rubbed dirt on it, poured some water on to make it a little bit muddy, and just to sort of distress this scene a little bit more so that it looks more a part of the field. All I need to do now is make sure that the costume is looking nice, I'm just gonna sort of rearrange things a little bit and I'm going to take one shot with this bed exactly as it is. We've got two friends helping out, holding up the head board and after I get that shot, I'm actually just gonna squeeze the mattress in even further and see if we can sandwich her in between this mattress because I'm not sure which one will look good. As you can imagine, this is a slightly difficult thing to pre-conceptualize and know exactly what it's going to look like, so we're going to see how it looks both ways and either way, I'm excited about this photo, we even have a crow cawing in the distance and it's all very ominous right now. So okay, let me take a look at your costume, I'm just going to spread it out just a little bit. There we go, yep. There, just put some wrinkles on it just like that. And you can just have your arms down at your sides. Ah, yep, exactly like that. And as I look at this scene, I might even have her switch her head to come toward me, toward the camera, which could be a really interesting take on this, but for now, stay there and I'll get one shot just as it is. I'm getting a slightly higher angle up on this chair that way I don't see any of the forest in the background or a house in the background, just the field and the bed. I'm again on my 25 milometer lens here so I make sure that I get the whole scene in and this is looking really, really interesting. So right now in F 3.5, so I'm for the first time deviating from my normal F2, which looks really beautiful. ISO 100 and 640 for my shutter speed at the moment. I'm actually gonna take that up even higher to about 1250, so this is gonna be a super fast shutter. And I'm going to have our bed holders go inward with yep, that's perfect. Okay, Tori back a little bit. Yep, that's it. And I'm going to take this shot. Okay. So I have my image so far, and it could be as simple as that but we're gonna try just two more variations. So Rachel if you wouldn't mind flipping your head toward me, and the reason why I'm making that choice is because whatever is coming closer to the camera is going to look larger, and I don't know yet just in the back of my camera if her feet look out of proportion compared to her head, but I know that it's always very flattering to have the head look bigger than the feet, so we're going to go with this option as well. That looks perfect. If you wouldn't mind Rachel just tilting your head even more toward me, yep, and then closing your eyes. That looks so beautiful. Okay, I'm just refocusing to make sure that her head is in focus here. (shutter clicks) Okay. And I've got that image, so now for the final one that I'm going to shoot here, I'm going to actually push the mattresses together and have Rachel turn on her side so that she's truly sandwiched in, and I do like your head coming toward me. So we'll have you stay like that and yep, on your side, and we're just gonna push this mattress in. Oh, I liked that. That was great (chuckles), see it's so fun when the model has a great idea like that. I'm just gonna move this slightly in. Thank you. You have a lot to handle over there. Okay and now I'll squash you in on this side. Let me know if anything pinches or hurts or, okay you're good. She says she's good. Confirmation from the model, okay. This looks really, really nice. I absolutely love it, completely. Okay. I'm super excited. All right. Head boards look good, everything looks good. Just checking my focus one last time here. (shutter clicks) Okay. And we've got the shot, now I'm gonna take a couple extras just of the grass below, of the field above, and I'm going to have to get a clean shot eventually without our head board holders over here. But that's something that I can do later. Just getting little bits of field from this angle so then I can add that in separately. So this is looking beautiful, Rachel, you may relax, although I think that's exactly what she's doing, so, this looked really good, it's so simple, but if you have a concept that's really beautiful and you have really good props to be able to make that come to life, then everything comes together really simply as this did, so I think we're ready to move on.

Class Description

Creating a great photo for a client is one thing - but turning your passion and ideas into a series that is shared, shown, and sold is a whole different business. If you do it right, you’ll be shooting what you love all the time. Learn how to choose which ideas to create, how to turn your concept into a production, and steps to getting your work seen and even sold in Fine Art Photography: A Complete Guide with Award-Winning Photographer, Brooke Shaden.

This is an all-inclusive workshop that provides the tools you need to run a successful and creative business as a fine art photographer. You’ll learn creative exercises to find and develop your ideas, how to create an original narrative, how to produce your own photo series, post production techniques and skills for compositing and retouching, how to write about your work, ways to pitch to galleries and agents, and how to print your pieces so they look like art.

This workshop will take you on location with Brooke as she creates a photo series from scratch. She’ll walk through every step for her photo shoots including set design and location scouting, she’ll cover techniques in the field for capturing your artistic vision, post-production and compositing techniques, as well as printing and framing essentials.

She’ll round out this experience by discussing all of the details that will help make your career a success like licensing, commissions, artists statements, social media plans, gallery prep, and pricing your work.

This comprehensive course is a powerful look into the world of fine art photography led by one of the world’s most talented photographers, Brooke Shaden. Included with purchase is exclusive access to bonus material that gives exercises and downloads for all of the lessons.

Lessons

1Class Introduction 2Storytelling & Ideas 3Universal Symbols in Stories 4Create Interactive Characters 5The Story is in The Details 6Giving Your Audience Feelings 7Guided Daydream Exercise 8Elements of Imagery 9The Death Scenario 10Associations with Objects 11Three Writing Exercises 12Connection Through Art 13Break Through Imposter Syndrome 14Layering Inspiration 15Creating an Original Narrative 16Analyze an Image 17Translate Emotion into Images 18Finding Parts in Images 19Finding Your Target Audience 20Where Do You Want Your Images to Live? 21Create a Series That Targets Your Audience 22Formatting Your Work 23Additional Materials to Attract Clients 24Which Social Media Platforms Will be Useful? 25How to Make Money from Your Target Audience 26Circle of Focus 27The Pillars of Branding 28Planning Your Photoshoot 29Choose Every Element for The Series 30Write a Descriptive Paragraph 31Sketch Your Ideas 32Choose Your Gear 33How to Utilize Costumes, Props & Locations 34What Tells a Story in a Series? 35Set Design Overview 36Color Theory 37Lighting for the Scene 38Props, Wardrobe & Time Period for Set Design 39Locations 40Subject Within the Scene 41Set Design Arrangement 42Fine Art Compositing 43Plan The Composite Before Shooting 44Checklist for Composite Shooting 45Analyze Composite Mistakes 46Shoot: Black Backdrop for White Clothing 47Shoot: Black Backdrop for Color Clothing 48Shoot: Black Backdrop for Accessories 49Shoot: Miniature Scene 50Editing Workflow Overview 51Add Fabric to Make a Big Dress 52Edit Details of Images 53Add Smoke & Texture 54Blend Multiple Images Into One Composite 55Put Subject Into a Miniature Scenario 56Location Scouting & Test Photoshoot 57Self Portrait Test Shoots 58Shoot for Edit 59Shoot Extra Stock Images 60Practice the Shoot 61Introduction to Shooting Photo Series 62Shoot: Vine Image 63Shoot: Sand Image 64Shoot: End Table Image 65Shoot: Bed Image 66Shoot: Wall Paper Image 67Shoot: Chair Image 68Shoot: Mirror Image 69Shoot: Moss Image 70Shoot: Tree Image 71Shoot: Fish Tank Image 72Shoot: Feather Image 73View Photo Series for Cohesion & Advanced Compositing 74Edit Multiple Images to Show Cohesion 75Edit Images with Advanced Compositing 76Decide How to Start the Composite 77Organize Final Images 78Choosing Images for Your Portfolio 79Order the Images in Your Portfolio 80Why do Some Images Sell More Than Others? 81Analyze Student Portfolio Image Order 82Framing, Sizing, Editioning & Pricing 83Determine Sizes for Prints 84How to Choose Paper 85How to Choose Editions 86Pricing Strategies 87How to Present Your Images 88Example Pricing Exercise 89Print Examples 90Licensing, Commissions & Contracts 91How to Keep Licensing Organized 92How to Prepare Files for Licensing 93Pricing Your Licensed Images 94Contract Terms for Licensing 95Where to Sell Images 96Commission Pricing Structure 97Contract for Commissions 98Questions for a Commission Shoot 99Working with Galleries 100Benefits of Galleries 101Contracts for Galleries 102How to Find Galleries 103Choose Images to Show 104Hanging the Images 105Importance of Proofing Prints 106Interview with Soren Christensen Gallery 107Press Package Overview 108Artist Statement for Your Series 109Write Your 'About Me' Page 110Importance of Your Headshot 111Create a Leave Behind & Elevator Pitch 112Writing For Fine Art 113Define Your Writing Style 114Find Your Genre 115What Sets You Apart? 116Write to Different Audiences 117Write for Blogging 118Speak About Your Work 119Branding for Video 120Clearly Define Video Talking Points 121Types of Video Content 122Interview Practice 123Diversifying Social Media Content 124Create an Intentional Social Media Persona 125Monetize Your Social Media Presence 126Social Media Posting Plan 127Choose Networks to Use & Invest 128Presentation of Final Images 129Printing Your Series 130How to Work With a Print Lab 131Proofing Your Prints 132Bad Vs. Good Prints 133Find Confidence to Print 134Why Critique? 135Critiquing Your Own Portfolio 136Critique of Brooke's Series 137Critique of Student Series 138Yours is a Story Worth Telling

Reviews

April S.
 

I tuned in for most of Brooke's lessons in this course and watched some of them more than once as they were rebroadcast. First I want to say that Brooke is a very good instructor. Her easy-going, friendly, down-to-earth, somewhat quirky manner cannot be mistaken for unprofessional. She is very prepared, she speaks well (not a bunch of hemming and hawing), she is thoughtful, she is thorough, she is very relatable and at ease, and she is definitely professional in her presentation. I really thought when I first tuned in that it would mostly be background noise while I was at work, sound to keep me company. Not because I didn't like Brooke but I really didn't think I was into fine art photography nor did I think I cared about the business side of things much. Not now anyhow. I was really wrong. Brooke sparked a deep interest in me to delve into fine art photography, to consider creating images for myself, from my imagination. In fact, I realized that this was something I'd been thinking about for a couple of years though I hadn't put a name to it (the idea of creating pre-conceived images based on my own creative goals). I gleaned many little treasures from her about image sizes, working with printers, different types of paper, selling, interacting with galleries, and so much more. I may not need all of what she taught right now because I'm definitely headed in another direction at the moment, but she planted ideas and information in my head that I know will be useful at some point. Things I may not have thought of on my own, but that seed is in my head now so when the time comes, I'll know. I'd really like to buy her course but at the moment, with the holidays right around the corner, it's not in my personal budget. I'm grateful to have caught the live and rebroadcast lessons though, and her course is on my list to own. I think it's a great reference to be consulted over and over again, not watched once and forgotten. Kudos Brooke for really putting together an excellent course.

Ron Landis
 

I'm retired now, but spent decades in the people and training business. Brooke is extraordinary! Even though this course is extremely well organized and she's left nothing unattended, she moves through it with friendly conversational manners and without a sense of it being stilted. It's as though we are all her friends, not students, as she shares her heart and passion with us. What a joy it is to listen to her. And what a clear, unambiguous command of her subject. Wow! She explains it with such ease using explanations and techniques that won't overwhelm artists just starting their portfolio or the Photoshop-squeamish among us; but despite its simplicity her resulting art is breathtaking and beyond original. I wish more of my professors at school were as engaging. This was by far my best buy at Creative Live yet.

a Creativelive Student
 

What an amazing 20 days this is going to be! Brooke is so enthusiastic and has such a lovely manner. What a bargain for all of the information Brooke will be sharing with us. So excited. Thanks Brooke and Creative Live. :)