#strobist Archives - Brandy Isadora

Nov 30

by Brandy Isadora in Art 0 comments tags: #artisticphotography, #brandyisadora, #Lightroom, #moon, #moonchild, #Nikon, #phxphotography, #strobist, #tarot, #tarotcards, #tarotdeck, #tarotreading, NikonD800E, studiophotography

Tarot Deck: The Moon

It is usually at night that our fears and anxieties begin to spiderweb. When you step outside, the moon (especially when it’s full) illuminates some things, but not everything. What we can’t see with our eyes, we fill in with our imagination. Often, this leads to worry, paranoia, or making rash decisions. The Moon has a few interpretations. This card can mean confusion, deception, or worry. Sometimes the best thing to do when life is unclear is to be patient and wait for or gather more information. This is can be very challenging because people tend to want to resolve whatever is bothering them quickly. However, there are some situations where there is nothing you can do but wait. When this card shows up in a reading, take stock in what could be contributing to your confusion or fears. During the darkest of times we can learn a lot about ourselves. Strength doesn’t develop unless we are being challenged. Take a deep breath, observe, and listen. Eventually, the darkness will pass.

Jul 13

by Brandy Isadora in Art 0 comments tags: #artisticphotography, #beauty, #bodyart, #bodyart; #inked; #tattedup; #tattoochicks; #amazingink, #brandyisadora, #colorgels, #fashion, #fashionphotography, #Lightroom, #model, #phoenixphotographer, #photography, #phxphotography, #sonyA9, #strobist, studiophotography

Playing with Color Gels

During my last photoshoot with Angela Jordan, I decided to take a few minutes to experiment with color gels. I have never taken a class on color theory, but I frequently check out Pinterest and Instagram to look at other photographers’ lighting techniques. I’ve notice that photographers use certain color combinations, and I tried to incorporate what I liked in my photoshoot with Angela. I think when used correctly, color gels can really make an impact on your images. I had so much fun with this shoot that it’s inspired me to do more shoots with color gels. I also want to thank Angela Jordan for being my muse once again. She is one of the few models that I frequently use for my photoshoots. She’s versatile, and I’m always amazed at how she poses her body to portray drastically different themes.

Mar 23

by Brandy Isadora in Art 0 comments tags: #artisticphotography, #bodyart; #inked; #tattedup; #tattoochicks; #amazingink, #model, #phoenixphotographer, #photography, #phxphotography, #sonyA9, #strobist, #tatted, #tattooedwomen, #tattoomodel, #tattoos, studiophotography

Don’t Be A Negative Nancy!

When I’m working on my books, there is a lot of pressure to make sure everything is perfect. A lot of research and marketing/advertising experiments are involved in self-publishing. Last year, there were so many days that I just came home and sat in front of the television because my brain felt fried. I missed being creative, but I didn’t have the energy to do anymore. This year, I’m trying to allow myself a little more time to work on my personal projects. So far, it’s been a challenging balancing act, but one that I feel is important to maintain. The Women Series One night, I asked my mother, “Where did Negative Nancy come from? What did Nancy ever do to deserve that title?” In fact, the Negative Nancy meme goes back to the 1960s when President Lyndon Johnson called his critics of his Vietnam War policies “Nervous Nellies.” The name caught on and soon people were applying the idea to other names, such as Debbie Downer, Chatty Cathy, ect. I thought this was comical, and I decided that I was going to challenge myself to find a name for every letter in the alphabet […]

Jan 20

by Brandy Isadora in Fashion, Portraits 0 comments tags: #fashionphotography, #fashionshoots, #model, #PAC, #photography, #photographytips, #phxphotography, #portraits, #portraiture, #strobist, fashion, NikonD800E, studiophotography

Getting the Right Pose

When I first started doing fashion and artistic photoshoots, I struggled with posing the models. If the model was experienced, I didn’t have any issues because he/she already knew how to use her body to create certain looks. Personally, I have a difficult time posing in front of the camera, so it would also make sense that I would have a hard time explaining what I wanted from the model. This was especially true in the case when I worked with people who were uncomfortable being in front of the camera. In a boudoir photography workshop I participated in a few years ago, the teacher showed us a notebook that was filled with different types of poses. The notebook was divided into categories, such as sitting, standing, and closeup poses. I thought this was a brilliant idea, so I created my own notebook. The next time I had a shoot, instead of describing the pose, I had the model look at some examples. It worked like magic. Since then I have always brought examples to my shoots. My goal with poses is to find something that looks “natural” for the model. We’ve all seen those awkward photos […]

How to Create a Silhouette Photo in the Studio

I had an interesting and unusual assignment of creating a silhouette photo for a string quintet. Silhouette photography is beautiful, but it requires planning. I have seen photographers do a few silhouette shots of their clients if they’re doing a photoshoot and the sun is setting. There is usually a short window of time while the sun is setting to get that perfect silhouette look. Since I knew it would be virtually impossible to have 5 people available on the same day and time for a photoshoot, I decided that I would have to re-create the silhouette look in the studio. The process turned out to be much easier than I had thought it would be, but there are some factors to consider before you plan your shoot. Background and Composition Before I contacted any of the musicians, I spent some time thinking about how I wanted the final product to look. The client wanted the photograph to be artistic and fit the personality of the quintet. Because I was working with 5 people, I needed to know ahead of time, how I wanted to position them. I also looked for possible backgrounds, so I could make […]