Dave Daniel Photography

Here’s a recent set of shots of local Indianapolis model Yva at the new IUPUI Campus Center. I never know quite what to expect when I schedule a model shoot, especially when it’s scheduled on location, outside the controls of the studio.

• Will the model show?
• Will we connect to create exceptional images?
• What kind of light will we have?
• Will the weather cooperate?
• Can we take advantage of what the location has to offer?
• Will local security leave us alone?

Now, taking good shots is not technically that challenging, but it really helps when the model can deliver positive energy that is easy to capture. Yva certainly delivered.

Now, what about the items in our list, above?

Yes, the model showed – right on time, ready to work. After a brief sit-down to discuss our goals and what the shoot looked like, we moved to the first location. We shot the entire set in a new building on campus, and I had noticed a number of potential shot locations. The first was in a student lounge area flanked by a granite wall and water feature on one end, and a wall of windows on the other. A few warm-up shots, light tests, white balance benchmarks, and the shot count filled up rapidly.

The lighting was not what either of us had hoped for. This building is known for the light on a sunny day, but we had clouds and snow. Since we had to rely on artificial lighting, and I didn’t have permission for full-size studio strobes and boxes, I had to resort to my trusty speedlights and smaller, portable light boxes. The results were mostly predictable, with a little harshness to the lighting, even with indirect bounce light.

Yva delivered on creating a wide variety of quality poses and was an absolute joy to work with. She quickly adapted her poses to fit naturally with the location – they “worked” together. Looking at the image above demonstrates how well we were able to take advantage of the site. I hope you’ll agree with me that the afternoon shoot was a total success. Your critique is always welcomed.