Latest photos from Claude Schneider
Saba, a dancer with Cambridge Contemporary Dance company, asked for a headshot session to help her promote her consultancy business. As both of us are Johnians, it wasn’t difficult thinking of a location for the shoot.
I’m really appreciating having reflectors for photoshoots, as they’re great for bouncing direct sunlight, and also creating soft fill light from the whole sky.
This is the second photo that I’ve “painted” with additional colours and graphics. The first one was from a photoshoot with Erica last July.
Yesterday’s photoshoot with Samantha produced this wonderful photo with her standing against a tree, lit up against the dark background. There are great examples of designers creating such images for their portfolios or advertising, and while it’s easy enough to learn the techniques, it’s not easy picturing what result you want to achieve, so I tend to build up layers and colours as I go along, and at some point decide when I think it’s finished.
Samantha is a dancer on the Cambridge University DanceSport Team, but I first met her some 5 years ago in an Offbeat dance class. She seemed like a great muse for a photoshoot, and came along with some 30s/40s styled clothes, which worked out really well. Thanks to Jenny for assisting on this shoot.
The rest of the photoshoot can be found on CantabPhotos
For the third time in one week, I found myself heading to the meadows at sunrise to get some photos. This dawn was much damper than the previous week’s, so the damselflies weren’t quite as forthcoming, but I did find one particularly friendly model who posed very patiently for lots of photos and macro video.
Dew rising from the meadows at dawn
I love the striking patterns of the ripples
Dew rising from the meadows at sunrise
Spider’s web at sunrise
These last three photos were taken with my Sanyo Xacti CG65 compact video recorder, which allows macro photography (and video) as close as 1cm.
The damselfly’s eye is about 2-3mm wide.
For the third time in one week, I found myself heading to the meadows at sunrise to get some photos. On the way to Grantchester, this was how the famous view of King’s College chapel appeared.
Maybe it was getting up at 4:30am two days ago to take photos of damselflies in Grantchester Meadows, but my body clock’s a bit messed up.
Went to bed at 2, still awake at 3, playing piano didn’t help, so at 4 I cycled to Fen Ditton meadows in search of more damselflies to photograph. I didn’t find as many this time, but got some artier photos of the beautiful bugs I did find :)
I must be crazy…
It was still dark enough to require flash, which really shows off the iridescent colours
This crafty critter was surprisingly awake – he’d always move so he was on the far side of the plant stem from me. You can run, but you can’t hide…
Sunrise over the River Cam
Weevil on a nettle leaf
4:30am, stirring after 2hrs sleep. Greg calls – “Want to come photograph damselflies?” Sure. Cycling to Grantchester meadows 5 mins later at sunrise. Wading through the nettles on the riverbank, start spotting lots of black wing-tips. Snap snap snap. As it warms up 3 hours later, dozens of damselflies fly around you as you stir the nettles.
Sunrise over the River Cam, Grantchester
Mayfly at sunrise
Close-up of male demoiselle damselfly
Male demoiselle damselfly, covered in dew drops
Female demoiselle damselfly feeding