Why did it take so many years for me to do a proper workshop in Toulouse? Probably because very few people know I live there. Some think I am still living in Strasbourg, others think I am hidden somewhere in Paris.
But no I’ve been living in the pink city for over 5 years now and apparently, I should be staying around for a bit. I wasn’t even sure my wife and I would stay here this long and this is probably why I haven’t made any effort to get to know the city and bond with the people here. COVID didn’t help either, and my latest health issues got me staying a home for several months earlier this year.
But here we are, maybe this is the beginning of a new start, who knows?
Just like the Workshop in Nancy, this one was made possible thanks to Numeriphot, Godox, and last but not least Numeriphot, my go-to photography store in Toulouse.
Workshop Miss Numérique (Nancy)
Like any of my past workshops, my goal was to share my experience, show how I interact with my models, how I direct them, and the basics of how I build a simple image using artificial lights from flash to LED lights.
Communication is key, so it’s always at the heart of my workshops, and I always have a simple approach that can be understood by amateurs and still be inspiring for more experienced photographers.
I once again was accompanied by Angelina Rakova, who you may have seen in my work before:
Studio work is not my Forte, I try to avoid working in studios feeling that I am much more comfortable and creative on location or outdoors. But I’ve been doing home studio and studio work more in the past years since I started doing more traditional portraits.
Gear-wise, I worked once again with the Fujifilm GFX100II. The GF55mm stayed on most of the time, with some shots made with the GF80mm. I had the GF110mm and also the GF20-35mm lens in my bag. The GF110mm is usually my go-to portrait lens, but with around 15 other folks around, the crew, and all the light stands and accessories, the GF55mm was the best choice, for maximum freedom.
So remember that it wasn’t an artistic choice, it just made my life easy on set that day. The studio is big enough to use the GF80mm and even the GF110mm for full-body shots if it's not packed.
For the flash setups, I used the 2 X AD600pro and a QT400III. For my key light I used my favorite light modifier the Parabolic P128 and 2 X Godox Stripboxes.
For the led setup I ended up playing with only 2 lights, the Knowled M600D as my key, used with the P128, and the SZ300RGB placed inside the QR-P90. They all had a sheet of diffusion and grid that went intermittently depending on the needed scenario.
Here are a few images from the workshops, and the rehearsal, the selection illustrates the different lighting setups we utilized:
Angelina Rakova (Numériphot Toulouse - France)
Fujifilm GFX100II + GF80mmF1.7 R WR
1/200sec f/1,7 ISO 50
From one flash to 2 and finally 3. Placement is everything, and sometimes one light is enough. For something moody and with lots of contrast positioned the lights away from the backdrop and placed a sheet of diffiusion and a grid for more control.
Angelina Rakova (Numériphot Toulouse - France)
Fujifilm GFX100II + GF80mmF1.7 R WR
1/125sec f/4 ISO 50
The "Sandwich" I hope I am the only one who uses that term, I just love how it sounds, and it is self-explanatory. The model is caught in between 2 light sources!
Angelina Rakova (Numériphot Toulouse - France)
Fujifilm GFX100II + GF80mmF1.7 R WR
1/160sec f/2 ISO 50
And finally, for more control over your shadows, you can introduce a Third light. For the following image 2 strip boxes are placed on either side of my model and the P128 with a sheet of diffusion is placed behind my back at a low setting. This last source is used to fill in the shadows.
Angelina Rakova (Numériphot Toulouse - France)
Fujifilm GFX100II + GF 55 mm f/1,7 R WR
1/320sec f/4 ISO 250
So many options, and combinations are possible with already 2 lights. But you can go even further by throwing colors in the mix. This could be the topic of a future workshop, it was hard to decide on the day, as there are so many possibilities, and so many paths we can explore.
I simplified the setup for the images created with LED lights. I just changed the color of one light and set it at 3200K and the other one is a Daylight balanced light. The advantage of continuous light is that you can right away see the results and place your lights much faster.
Angelina Rakova (Numériphot Toulouse - France)
Fujifilm GFX100II + GF 55 mm f/1,7 R WR
1/800sec f/4 ISO 640
I improvise a lot (maybe too much) during my workshops. This is due to the changing audience from one session to another. We had a little bit of spare time in the afternoon, so I asked the attendees to join in and help me out with a simple "fake" dress image.
Angelina Rakova (Numériphot Toulouse - France)
Fujifilm GFX100II + GF20-35mmF4 R WR
1/400sec f/4 ISO 250 at 35mm
I would like to thank the entire Crew at Numeriphot, I had a lot of fun doing these. Thank you Sacha for the Makeup ( @sachamakeuppro ), and a shoutout to Ryan my assistant of the day Léa ( @lr_audiovisuels ) who was kind enough to make a few backstage pictures for us.
Last but not least, thank you GODOX and Miss Numérique, I hope to see all of you guys again soon.