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Olivia Linz at Ape Studios in Barcelona II
Selection of black-and-white portrait images of model Olivia Linz taken at Ape Studios in Barcelona, Spain.
Model savant, Olivia Linz.
Another set of images from my shoot with model phenom Olivia Linz at Ape Studios in Barcelona.
This set is non-nude for you prudes out there.
I think I’ve really come to find my style as a portrait photographer. From composition to the tones used in my black-and-white work, I feel that my eye is becoming more refined and more easily identifies the elements I prefer to see in my images. And with a faster, more precise regularity. I no longer spend hours in post-production being indecisive about a look for a particular image. The decisions come quicker and in turn, I’m able to release work at a greater pace than in the past. Being indecisive was paralyzing me for a bit, I must admit. Here’s to being on the right track!
As for these images, what I love about them is how soft and feminine they are. Olivia brings this sort of delicate, graceful feel that softens the mood, making the images feel more personal or candid than overly posed, produced images. A more relaxed, candid feel is what I love to see in my portrait work, so I think we accomplished our mission here.
Closing thoughts at the end of this post. Hope you enjoy this set!
PHOTOGRAPHS
Model: Olivia Linz @oliivaa_linz
Studio: Ape Studios @apestudi0s
Location: Barcelona, Spain
ALL IMAGES SHOT ON THE SONY A7RV + SONY FE 85MM f/1.4 GM II AND SONY FE 28-70 f/2 GM LENS
IN CLOSING
The three images at the end are some of my favorites. I like images with dramatic highlights and shadows. Many portrait photographers prefer dim, overcast days with even lighting. Personally, I’ve always preferred sunny days for portraits as having the sun gives me a wider variety of looks I can achieve. I can place the subject directly facing the sun, or with the sun to their back for some cool backlighting effects. If I want a more overcast look, I can move them under an overhang so the light’s less harsh and more even. The sun also gives the images a punchier, snappier look that I prefer. We don’t run from the sun, we embrace it!
I was recently in Paris and Olivia and I got the opportunity to work together again. I’m excited to release images from that shoot as well as scenes from a video test we did. You really get a sense of who she is as a person and how talented of a model she is when you see her in motion. We just walked around Paris, hanging out and chatting, but the footage feels so full of life and excitement, you’d think you were watching a movie. Can’t wait to share those!
With that in mind, I’m fully committed to my direction into being a filmmaker. I turned 40 back in March, and that not only was a personal milestone, it gave me perspective on where I’d like my career to be in the next five years. By 45, I see myself as more of a hybrid artist, doing both photography and filmmaking in equal measure. I’ve given so much of my life to photography already, so going forward I’m shifting my focus to directing and writing for film projects. Shooting video content has definitely been frustrating at times, but it’s also been more exciting than creating photographs in many ways. It feels more accurate to the portrayal of life than the single still image, if that makes sense. But I adore photography and will never walk away from it. We’re just splitting our focus. Say 60% photography, 40% filmmaking.
Another thank you to Olivia, and all the models I’ve had the pleasure of shooting with this year. They’ve helped elevate my art to such a degree and now I feel ready to tackle even greater projects.
If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants.
- Isaac Newton
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Olivia Linz at Ape Studios in Barcelona
Selection of fine art images of model and generational talent Olivia Linz taken at Ape Studios in Barcelona, Spain.
Olivia Linz. Easily one of the greatest models of all-time. I like giving people their flowers while they’re here.
I’ve been fortunate to work with some of the best models in the world. Truly. Maybe they’re not as famous as the supermodel, influencer ilk (not because of talent mind you), but man if these wonderful ladies and gents don’t bring their A+ game to shoots. Olivia Linz is one such person. I think she’s a generational talent. Every pose is effortless, delicate, and considered with the facial expressions to match.
To grow as a portrait photographer, it’s vitally important to work with people that help raise your game. From your team to the model in front of the camera. Especially the model. Olivia’s brilliant for this. No kidding, everytime we shoot, I feel like I go up another level. I approach the picture differently and consider options I may would have overlooked before. A great model can bring that out of you, just like a great photographer can bring something unique or surprising from the subject. That transfer of inspiration not only makes shoots fun, you also feel like you’ve grown as an artist from the experience. Isn’t that a big part of what it’s all about? Constantly pushing ourselves and seeing how we can improve shoot after shoot?
This set is from a previous trip to Barcelona and my first time working in the wonderful Ape Studios. It’s a beautiful space in a great location. The lighting and layout are perfect for my style of working and I really appreciated how clean the space was and how accomodating the staff were for our little shoot. The first time Olivia and I worked together, we were in a tiny studio in Lisbon, so it was great to work in a much larger studio to see what we could really do when giving the proper space. For portraits, a small space is fine, but I like a bit of room when shooting nudes.
I have enough images to create 3-4 sets from this single shoot, so here’s the first. I love these images. Sexy, sensual, yet refined and beautiful. Those four adjectives sum up the goal of my nude work. Or at least the goal I strive for when working.
Closing thoughts at the end of this post. Hope you enjoy this set!
PHOTOGRAPHS
Model: Olivia Linz @oliivaa_linz
Studio: Ape Studios @apestudi0s
Location: Barcelona, Spain
ALL IMAGES SHOT ON THE SONY A7RV + SONY FE 85MM f/1.4 GM II AND SONY FE 28-70 f/2 GM LENS
This last image is one of my favorites. Just a happy accident when I saw her reflection in the window. Yeah, it’s out of focus, but that’s the whole point.
It was intentional I swear. ;-)
IN CLOSING
As you can see, I’m still using the same gear as mentioned in previous posts. I’ve been really happy with my kit, so no need to tread over old ground again.
Regarding the shoot, I had a bit of a struggle with the Instagram police when posting any images from this shoot. If Instagram even sees a hint of nipple or too much skin, my account gets flagged and it won’t show the post. So after removing several images from this set, I ultimately decided to just post a single image and those curious to see the rest can visit me here on the blog. I think we need to convince people to venture out of their social media bubbles anyway. I hate censoring my work on Instagram. Don’t get me wrong, I totally understand why. My work is not for children and my account is public, so in the spirit of decency, we censor to protect the children. And maybe the grandmothers. But it’s disappointing as some people won’t bother to click elsewhere and will only see one frame from the set. Guess I can’t worry about that too much. It’s beyond my control.
Creatively, things just flowed as normal. What differs with this group of images is I’ve change my post-processing style. I think this is the best style yet. I’ve been tinkering around with a new, more contrasty, almost Tri-X like style in Capture One. I love the tones in these. Dark shadows that aren’t muddy. Strong highlights that aren’t blown. Contrast that isn’t over done. Grain that gives the image texture and character. And when the right subject matter is featured? You have a winning combo. I even made a new color style as I’ve yet to be happy with any styles I’ve used that are supposed to have bold color. I basically want the depth and style of my black-and-white images, but in color! Is that so hard?! Thankfully I think I’ve cracked it. Expect to see more color images going forward.
Lastly, I know it’s been quite some time since I’ve posted on the blog. There are many reasons for this and I will go into more detail in a separate post. I haven’t gone anywhere, just had to shift focus for a bit to grow as an artist, but I’ll delve into it next week. An important announcement is coming soon.
A big thank you to Olivia. I’m not exaggerating when I say, it’s models like her that make me a better artist. I can’t thank them enough for sharing their creative energy with me and assisting in my growth. I’m scheduled to work with her again soon and I’m eager to see what we’ll come up with next. More sets from this shoot to come, but I hope you like these as much as I do!
Hope you enjoyed this post! Feel free to leave your thoughts and comments below!
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