Jason Christopher, LA Commercial & Fashion Photographer Bio

I LOVE this shot. I strive to get into the soul of a person and bring it out in the photograph. Photography is and should be a very intimate experience. If the photographer cannot bring out the soul in the model and let it shine, then the photo is useless in my opinion. You can get the lighting, styling etc. all down perfect, but if the viewer does not connect with the eyes then you have not done your job as a photographer. I don’t care if it is a catalog shoot, an editorial or advertising job, you must connect with your subject. I shot this with my Canon 100mm Macro F/2.8 lens.

I have been asked many times what lens is best for shooting beauty. I use a Canon 100mm macro F/2.8. You can also use an 85mm however I prefer the longer lens. Anything over 100 is not necessary, it will be heavy and you need a steady hand or a tripod for beauty photography. I especially love the 100mm for outdoor beauty with the sun back lighting your model. The compression is beautiful ! This image was shot with the 100mm 2.8. It’s not a very expensive lens, around $600.

So I just shot some new beauty photos. Most photographers use a beauty dish, however they can be expensive, especially for a photographer who is just starting out. What is the solution ? This photo was shot with just one small umbrella, a small silver reflector at breast level, and a strobe hitting the background with it’s regular 7 inch reflector attached for separation. I placed the umbrella camera right about 2-3 feet above model’s eye level. Of course you need to tell the model to be aware that this is her ONLY light source so do not turn your face away from it. Any good model of course would know this. This was shot at 125th @ F/8 , 100 ISO. The make up and hair artists were standing by right next to the model ready to jump in and make tiny little adjustments to hair and make up. When shooting beauty like this, it is VERY important to pay attention to EVERY detail, thus my team was stepping in every couple of minutes or so adjusting something.

Shooting outdoors scares many photographers.  It really shouldn’t though.  Think of it as recreating your studio light outdoors.  Yes you can use strobes but why lug out all that gear when you can achieve nice results with just one reflector, sometimes two.  My choice of color is white.  It looks the most natural and you can just use a piece of white poster board.  The larger the poster board, the softer the light because the source projects a broader spectrum of light. So in this example I was lighting my subject from head to toe.  I opted for a 6 foot tall white board, very inexpensive btw.  My assistant was standing  about 15 feet away from the model, which is far however he had no choice because the model was sitting under the roof of the stables.  So my assistant moved away until he caught the sun.

This is a wonderful model with perfect skin.  I lit her from underneath with a medium strip bank from Photoflex.  Then I place a medium softbox above her and a little bit in front of her.   Shot digitally with my Canon 1DS and a 100 mm 2.8 lens.  What makes this shot amazing is the model’s expression.

How does a photographer pull that from a model ?  Ahhhhhhhh the question of all questions.  My answer is simple.  TALK TO YOUR MODEL CONSTANTLY.    Keep telling her how beautiful she is, how amazing she is.  Throw out adjectives like, vulnerable, shy, nervous, sexy, timid, diva-like,  I think you get the idea.  A great model is a great actor as well.

bright lights fun people clowns and photography !

I just love to play sometimes.  Shoot for fun !!

Not far from Los Angeles is Agoura Hills.  Very few fashion photographers make their home here.   A beautiful rural town with green rolling hills and a pioneering spirit embedded in the locals that have lived there since the towns inception.
When I look at this shot I feel something good and warm.  The model’s face isn’t even toward the camera however, just by her body position, the tilting of her head and hair flowing back closing her eyes enjoying the sun she evokes a feeling of being free, young, and happy.  What is interesting about this shot is it happened by accident.  It was VERY windy and cold so the model closed her eyes and dropped her head back to get warm from the sun.  I clicked the shutter and thought that it would be a trashed shot.  When I looked at it on my monitor at home I was stunned.  The green hills, yellow flowers and blue sky together with the blanket and Ugh boots just makes this photo come together.

Your model does not always have to be looking at the camera.  Remember as I have said before that a photo that evokes an emotion is a successful photo.  Even if something technically went wrong that just cannot be fixed in Photoshop it doesn’t matter.  As humans we FEEL.  We crave FEELING.  Your most successful advertising photos ooze emotion which in turn penetrates us inside our hearts causing us to go purchase that product.

On the technical side, I faced the model into the sun on purpose knowing the viewer would only see the right side of her face.  I filled the slight shadow with my Metz 54z on camera flash at a very low power setting just to add a little pop to bring out the colors of the blanket and green grass. Out of all the shots where she was looking at the camera, this one where she was not looking at the camera was the one that “hit” me right away.   I will be happy to discuss camera settings, flash settings etc.  **PLEASE ASK OR COMMENT **

   You know many times in this world of photography business we get so caught up in the “business” when we talk to clients, models, designers, make up artists etc. that we forget to let the genuine personality inside of us come out.  I think it is really important to show potential clients who we are inside, what makes us tick and keep going even through the tough times and that includes on the shoot when things just are not going right.

The most important thing in business is honesty, integrity, hard work and family; never forgetting where we came from.   These words were spoken by Denzel Washington in the movie American Gangster.

You are what you are in this world.  You’re either somebody or nobody.  Again, words from Denzel Washington in American Gangster.   I think those are two brilliant quotes.

   As a fashion photographer it is my job to create, but create what ?  Create a beautiful photo ?  Well that is easy.  What is challenging is to create a beautiful photograph that emotes, expresses and stimulates.  It is my job to dig deep within my subject, reach in, invade and at the same time make my subject so comfortable and vulnerable that they give me their soul.  When I look through that camera into my subject’s eyes I am connecting and receiving all they have inside.  I am bringing out their true voice that will speak to the world,speak to YOU.   What is amazing is I know they are dieing to release that voice but they are apprehensive, scared for whatever reasons they have.  That is my goal, that is my love, this is what makes me wake up in the morning.  To know a person so deep that you know their soul is a high that I have not been able to match with anything else in my life.  When I am connecting with my model my blood pumps, my heart races and my intensity rages !

   I hope my photography speaks to you through my subjects voices.  A great photograph will speak to you and reach into your soul.

My job as a portrait photographer is to seduce, amuse and entertain.

- Helmut Newton

Got this quote from a really cool site called photoquotes.com