Tim Engle 11/5/19 Tim Engle 11/5/19

My Month

The other day I was having a conversation with a client, and they asked what an average month looks like for me. It’s something I haven’t given much thought to lately, but I looked back and pulled images that represented what my month looks like. It showed that I have a lot of variety. While some photographers have niches and specialties when it comes to their portfolios, I enjoy keeping a wide range of things I photograph. It keeps me interested and excited. There are also technical things that I pick up or learn from one assignment that can benefit another.

When I don’t have an assignment for a client to work with, I usually self assign projects. A lot of times, those end up being beauty type work, and I try to do something technical that can serve me commercially. I never want to go to a commercial shoot and experiment for the first time, so I always test several times to make sure I’m comfortable and proficient in that technique or style.

Below is a representation of August 2019. The first images were made for Sacramento magazine’s “Best of Sacramento” issue.

The next images are photos I do for the Casa Roble High School football team. Which my two sons were a part of in the last eight years, but no longer.

Then there’s a group of 39 I did for a private client. I ended up having to substitute for different people into that image for the final composite. The rest of the gallery represents various beauty and private work, as well as a few of the images I did for the Preston Castle.

So for that month, I ended up making 7166 images.

Now on to the next month.

Tim Engle 9/10/19 Tim Engle 9/10/19

Run Cover

A few months back, we went on location for a cover shoot, for a special Sacramento magazine supplement.

A few months back, we went on location for a cover shoot, for a special Sacramento magazine supplement. The day we chose ended up being the only day that week that was overcast and dreary, which worked in our favor. There was a bit of moisture which gave higher saturation to the surrounding plants and also made it easier for our model to function. The lighting for the shoot was Phottix Indra 500's. These lights are so ideal for location work. They offer very durable batteries as well as high-speed sync, which was crucial for a running shoot my other the lights would not have performed so well. It's so important to have a solid crew to help on these types of shoots. I've worked with all of these individuals before, and they're genuinely talented and good at what they do.

Thanks to a great crew!

Model: Arionna Morales

Makeup: Ernesto Robledo

Art Direction: John Facundo

Production: Christine Alward

Assistant: Skip Jones

Tim Engle 7/15/18 Tim Engle 7/15/18

Portrait Shoot Progression

Over the years I've developed a rhythm which allows me to get to know the model, as well as what type of lighting works best for them. This week was a prime example; Emily was in my studio for a portrait session, and while I've worked with her in the past, this was her first portrait session with me. My normal progression is what I like to call, “no make up, makeup, and lighting.” For the no makeup look, I normally just use natural light from an open door. Typically I shoot these on a black background. This allows me to really focus on the subject’s face and learn what lighting and lenses are a good match for them. Once I get these shots done, I have the makeup artist begin the model’s first makeup look. By the time I get the last image, it's typically something a little more complex with the lighting.

I receive many questions regarding my workflow in photographing new models and faces, so I thought I would address some of them. This post is only about photographing models from talent agencies or bookings directly with a model.

Over the years I've developed a rhythm which allows me to get to know the model, as well as what type of lighting works best for them. This week was a prime example; Emily was in my studio for a portrait session, and while I've worked with her in the past, this was her first portrait session with me. My normal progression is what I like to call, “no make up, makeup, and lighting.” For the no makeup look, I normally just use natural light from an open door. Typically I shoot these on a black background. This allows me to really focus on the subject’s face and learn what lighting and lenses are a good match for them. Once I get these shots done, I have the makeup artist begin the model’s first makeup look. By the time I get the last image, it's typically something a little more complex with the lighting.

First image made with no makeup. For this I used the Sigma 35mm.

In the progression of Emily's images, I photographed her with no makeup for the first set. I loved how her freckles showcase the natural beauty she possesses. Next, I have the makeup artist add to her look while still keeping it simple. I work fairly rapidly throughout all the different looks. For each set up, I may only spend about 10 minutes. My goal is to get 3 to 4 really strong images from each look.

During last round of makeup, I normally let the makeup artist do something they've been dying to try. It's always good to allow collaboration with your team. Having the hairstylist or makeup artist use their creative juices can inspire me as well. There are times that this collaboration has produced some of my best images. All the looks put together in this type of session typically take about a three and a half hours.

For this image the makeup artist did minimal makeup. I want these as close to there real look as possible.

Finally, the equipment I use stays pretty consistent. I use my Nixon D4 & Nikon D810. The lenses I shoot with 85% of the time are the Sigma 35mm f1.4 Art Lens and the Nikon 85mm f1.8. For the lighting I use Phottix Indra 500 with various modifiers.

If you have any questions, I’m always open about how I do, what I do, so please drop me a note.

Happy Clicking!

Tim

Tim Engle 6/4/18 Tim Engle 6/4/18

Cannabis Czar Joe Devlin

Back in November I had the pleasure of photographing Joe Devlin for Sacramento Magazine . He is the chief of cannabis policy and enforcement for the city of Sacramento. This was a fascinating assignment and I learned a LOT about the new cannabis policy. I ended up using one light as a fill. The grow room already had really good light, I just needed to fill the shadows.