In early June, I collaborated with Carly of Bel Fiore Beauty, Charlotte hair and makeup artist. Our project was one with dual purpose; it was an opportunity to create some useful branding photos for Carly and for me to get experimental and creative.
We met on a bright and clear weekday morning at McAlpine Creek Park. I love to do early morning shoots when possible (and when my subject is willing to get up early!). Early morning light is blue and, if you ask me, pretty magical.
Carly is the magician behind the Bel Fiore Beauty brand. She specializes in creating looks that enhance the natural beauty of her clients (to whom she fondly refers to as her “Bellas”) for every occasion.
As we walked along the greenway, we picked some wildflowers to use during our shoot!
During this photo shoot, I pushed myself to work with tricky light, namely direct sunlight and harsh backlighting. My goal is to be able to confidently create beautiful images no matter what lighting situation I find myself in!
The two shots below are shot in direct sunlight. For inspiration, I recalled the old Marc Jacobs ads for their Daisy fragrance (remember those?).
The four images below are shot with harsh backlighting. The challenge is two-fold. First, I worked to get a proper exposure of Carly without crushing the highlights or shadows. Second, for the color photos, color-grading for realistic skin tones during editing was challenging.
We took a break for a quick outfit change after an hour of shooting. Carly’s second outfit is a sleek and professional, yet a bit dramatic -a perfect combination for personal branding photos!
I love working with a subject in flowy fabrics! That sense movement provided by Carly’s twirling skirt adds charm to these images.
We ended the session in the shade by the McAlpine Park’s lake. The hedge diffused the harsh 10 am sunlight beautifully, providing us flattering portrait lighting to work with.
To book Bel Fiore Beauty for your next event, click here: https://belfiorebeauty.com/
To learn more about booking a personal branding session with me, click here: https://elizabethaimages.com/personal-brand/
-Elizabeth A.