Safety Harbor Spa - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/5.6 ISO 200 1/60th Strobist: SB-800 to frame right SB-600 to frame leftSafety Harbor Spa provided the backdrop for a commercial photography fashion shoot for a magazine featuring several models. All the models were fun to work with and helpful, even offering to assist me in carrying some of my strobist gear around. Much obliged. Nancy is featured in the above shot, which turned out to be my favorite shot of the day, and I later found out it was the magazine editor's favorite too. This shot was made in the "History Room" of the spa. The dog statue was moved into the shot purposefully. The spa staff later told me that many consider the statue to be haunted. People claim it moves by itself and some even have said it tried to bite them! It did have a mean stare if looked at from a certain angle, but I touched it and it only felt like cold bronze to me.
Safety Harbor Spa model shoot - Nikon D300 Nikkor 80-200mm @ f/5.6 ISO 200 1/200th Strobist: SB-800 to frame left & SB-600 to frame rightAlthough we shot at many different spots both inside and on the grounds of Safety Harbor Spa, the History Room was by far my favorite. Young model (just 15!) Julie poses in front of an oil painting at the far end of the long and well furnitured History Room. The length of the room allowed me to use my preferred Nikkor AF ED 80-200mm f/2.8D lens for this shot.
Safety Harbor Pier - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/11 ISO 200 1/160th Strobist: SB-800 to frame left & SB-600 to frame rightThe first shooting of the morning though was of the gentlemen out on Safety Harbor Pier. The sun was already fast rising in the sky and with minimal space to place my speedlights, it was a bit of a logistics as well as photographic challenge to produce the above shot featuring Luke. I wanted to incorporate leading lines and a bit of a vanishing point in the shot.
Safety Harbor Spa - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/9 ISO 200 1/160th Strobist: SB-800 to frame left & SB-600 to frame rightJulie again in this shot showing very good balance and flexibility allowing for what I feel is a bit of an Aloha State themed image. If you have never photographed professional models before, I recommend hiring one for a shoot of your own and experiencing just how much easier it is to produce photographs when the subject already knows how to pose well. Another option is to do a free TF (trade-for) shoot with a model where each exchanges time in order to build their respective portfolios.
Safety Harbor Spa - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/11 ISO 200 1/160th Strobist: SB-800 to frame left & SB-600 to frame rightThere was a makeup artist, hair stylist and fashion director that all worked together with the models helping me be able to photograph six models in total at eight different locations all in under four hours. Thanks a lot everyone, it was challenging fun.