My first "real" Trash the Dress session

[jamiewexler]

...and we didn't really trash it 'till the end... Lots of fun, though!

I shot this with my good friend Jeff Newcum (who brought the client).

1.
http://www.jamisonwexler.com/images/TTD20070826154520a.jpg

2.
http://www.jamisonwexler.com/images/TTD20070826163030a.jpg

3.
http://www.jamisonwexler.com/images/TTD20070826165622a.jpg

4.
http://www.jamisonwexler.com/images/TTD20070826182624a.jpg

5.
http://www.jamisonwexler.com/images/TTD20070826182920a.jpg

6.
http://www.jamisonwexler.com/images/TTD20070826184023a.jpg

7.
http://www.jamisonwexler.com/images/TTD20070826192445a.jpg

8.
http://www.jamisonwexler.com/images/TTD20070826193944b.jpg

[LeesaB]

Jamie..

Stunning shots..

OK..was she really in like a swamp? or is that just how it looked?

I just did one in a pool...and playing basket ball, I will post later tonight..

[photoshopgirl99]

that last one is so awesome. was it really that dark and you just lit the bride or is this all photoshop? if it is, i'd love to know how you did it.

[jamiewexler]

There's very little photoshop on these. I used a "half sepia" action on #4, the rest I may have just added a bit of punch. The last one has the least of all. It was starting to get dark for that last one, and the bride and the log were brighter than the water all around them. No flash, all natural light and, except for the B&W conversion, pretty much straight from the camera.

[Grace]

eeeeeeeeee! awesome job jamie! as much as I love the water shots...6 is totally cool too! and 3!

[bcap]

Wow Jamie! Stellar. Well done man.

Lighting ... ?

[tim]

#8's stunning. Follow your instinct.

[photoshopgirl99]

There's very little photoshop on these. I used a "half sepia" action on #4, the rest I may have just added a bit of punch. The last one has the least of all. It was starting to get dark for that last one, and the bride and the log were brighter than the water all around them. No flash, all natural light and, except for the B&W conversion, pretty much straight from the camera.

wow. i am impressed. i thought for sure there was tons of work done to that photograph and no flash? dude, you're a genious! i expect to see your name in lights one day :-)

[notapro]

All of them are great, but my favourite is the last one. Great location, too.

[Solaria]

They all look great, but the last one looks like a fine art piece. Beautiful!

[jamiewexler]

Thanks everyone - Jeff had to leave before we got into the water, so there are no photos of me shooting. But if there were, you would have seen me chest deep at times in the water - really fun!

wow. i am impressed. i thought for sure there was tons of work done to that photograph and no flash? dude, you're a genious! i expect to see your name in lights one day :-)

Great light, a great location, and a great looking model can make anyone look like a good photographer :oops:.

Wow Jamie! Stellar. Well done man.

Lighting ... ?

Here's the lighting breakdown:

#1 - Small octagonal softbox mounted on a single Sunpak 120J on a stand to the camera right.

#2 - ditto, but I lost the softbox since the 120 wasn't powerfull enough with it on, and the flash was to the camera left.

#3 - same, but the flash was facing the model straight on (i.e. way to the camera right)

#4 & #5 - tired of not having enough power, I switched to the Sunpak 622 on a stand to the camera right.

#6 - we had to hop a fence and ignore a "No Tresspassing" sign for this one, so no lightstand. Instead I asked Jeff to hold a 580ex zoomed all the way in and attached to an off-camera shoe cord. He had that cord stretched farther than I thought it could go!

#7 & #8 - available light, high ISO, and an IS lens (the 24-105). It was getting pretty dark by this point, so even dialed down as far as it would go I was getting too much light from my 580 to bring in the ambient details in the background. Besides which, the model was the brightest thing in the scene, and I was getting decent reflection off the water fo fill in her eyes. I did a little digital fill flash from the kubota set in the eye sockets of #7 to finish the job.

[bcap]

Awesome Jamie! Thanks so much for the info :) What octobox do you use for your flash if you don't mind me asking.

[tony fanning]

Apart from #5, these are awesome! #5 is the weakest shot-still good but not as good as the others!

[Kathy H]

Wow Jamie those are great! Love them all but 7 stands out as favorite for me, the look on her face is so fitting!

[jamiewexler]

Awesome Jamie! Thanks so much for the info What octobox do you use for your flash if you don't mind me asking.

This one. (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/350615-REG/Norman_OSB19BP_Octagonal_Softbox_for_Norman.html)

But it only works on Quantums, Normans, and the 120J's that I have. It slides on in place of the normal reflector. It also steals about a stop to 1.5 stops of light.

[bcap]

This one. (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/350615-REG/Norman_OSB19BP_Octagonal_Softbox_for_Norman.html)

But it only works on Quantums, Normans, and the 120J's that I have. It slides on in place of the normal reflector. It also steals about a stop to 1.5 stops of light.

Doh!

[jamiewexler]

Apart from #5, these are awesome! #5 is the weakest shot-still good but not as good as the others!

Funny you say that, because #5 was the shot the I "planned" to take when we marched up that hill. #4 was her standing around, trying to catch her breath, and waiting for me to set up my light. I was really trying to get something reminiscent of Andrew Wyeth...

[notapro]

Funny you say that, because #5 was the shot the I "planned" to take when we marched up that hill. #4 was her standing around, trying to catch her breath, and waiting for me to set up my light. I was really trying to get something reminiscent of Andrew Wyeth...

That's interesting that you say that because when I looked at these, it very much made me think of the way I picture Wuthering Heights (yes, I'm a lit nerd :o) and so do some of his.

[ldibo]

WOW! Absolutely beautiful work! #8 is my favorite but they are all incredible.

[restech]

#4 & #5 - tired of not having enough power, I switched to the Sunpak 622 on a stand to the camera right.



You did notice that there is that huge power line behind the bride, right ? Ta da dum.

BTW, awesome pictures, Jamie. WOW awesome.

I like # 6. It's awesom-er from all that awesome pics. Can you share how you did it not in terms of the lighting, but on the position?

[Toogy]

Dude, these all ROCK, but #6 I LOVE.. seriously where did you find a brick wall that high? or is it just an illusion?

[jamesdean007]

Awesome Job Jamie. The last one is fantastic.

[jamiewexler]

Ha guys - you might even say that #6 is "Dam" high...

(not my photo, but here's an overview of the location: http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=13850352&context=set-335998&size=o)

Restech - the setup on #6 was pretty easy. I made her stand against the wall and asked my buddy, Jeff, to hold the 580 off camera as high as he could. I crouched down so that my 17-40 was low enough to capture the entire dam as well as the grass in the foreground and took the shot.

[howzitboy]

what great shots!!! and what great locations! did u scout them out before hand or did the customers know them?

[lil_miss]

I absolutely love #4 and #8. they're stunning! :)

[jamiewexler]

what great shots!!! and what great locations! did u scout them out before hand or did the customers know them?

I've been wanting to shoot a woman in a fancy dress at that dam for a few years now. I tried to meet up with a model from Model Mayhem there over the spring, but she flaked out on me. I used to live around there and have always really loved the grounds around the Dam - even though a lot of it is now blocked off due to construction.

[jamiewexler]

Here are a few more:

http://www.jamisonwexler.com/images/TTD20070826154904a.jpg

http://www.jamisonwexler.com/images/TTD20070826161541a.jpg

http://www.jamisonwexler.com/images/TTD20070826170333a.jpg

http://www.jamisonwexler.com/images/TTD20070826175340a.jpg

http://www.jamisonwexler.com/images/TTD20070826181316a.jpg

http://www.jamisonwexler.com/images/TTD20070826193109a.jpg

[bcap]

Nice Jamie! I LOVE that 2nd to last one :)

[drogos]

3 / 6 /8 in the first set are killers! and 2nd one in 2nd set is just beautiful..i think it would be even better without the perspective but it's great anyways ... you have really good feal for unique compositions!

[restech]

WOW WOW WOW

I really love # 2 of the 2nd set. Awesome PP also.
The # 5 is kind of scary though, she looks like a ghost. But still am awesome picture.
I can't believe she is a real bride, not a pro model.
The #4 is kind of scary too. Hahahha I can't imagine after going into a water then lean on a high power electrcity. Heheheheh cool

Awesome work Jamie.

[howzitboy]

re: shot 2.... right click, save as.......

[verty]

no. 6 is the best.. that wall has great character and love how it runs up the whole image.. nice

[motogeno]

Wow! These are all really beautiful! I'm so jealous, as I have yet to land a trash the dress session! Really top notch work, and the lighting is fantastic!